Department of Justice
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 07.20.17
* Buyer’s remorse: Trump says he wouldn’t have hired Jeff Sessions if he’d known Sessions would follow the law. [New York Times]
* Your grandma is now officially part of your close family according to the Supreme Court. [SCOTUSBlog]
* A fitting end to Trump’s “Made in America Week”? Star of “O.J.: Made In America” may get out today (or… get approval to get out in a couple months to be more accurate). [NBC News]
* White & Case slapped with record fine over conflict of interest. [Law.com]
* Andy Pincus mouths off about CFPB arbitration rule: “quite an extraordinary moment to see this agency, notwithstanding the election, six months into the new administration, issue this very dramatic and far-reaching rule.” You mean the election where Trump got 3 million fewer votes? Yeah, the CFPB may be more plugged into the will of the electorate than you are. [National Law Journal]
* New York City has extended the right to counsel to tenants. Here’s one City Councilman’s statement on the measure. [City & State]
* Second Circuit backhands federal prosecutors over foreign compelled testimony. [Forbes]
* When GCs become propaganda mouthpieces… a look at what ISP GCs are saying about the need to repeal net neutrality rules. [Corporate Counsel]
* Things that are a problem: Revenge Porn. Things that aren’t a problem: Revenge Editing. Someone explain that to this college. [Chronicle of Higher Education]
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Biglaw, Department of Justice, Politics
Disclosure Forms Reveal Biglaw Partner's Salary, Despicable Clients
Another Trump nominee releases financials and we get another look inside the black box of Biglaw compensation. - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Politics, White-Collar Crime
Stop Overreacting, Liberals! There's No Trump Jr. Quid Pro Quo... Oh God, Never Mind.
Are these people nefarious or stupid? It's a serious question.
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 07.06.17
* Are you taking the California bar exam? Would you like to know what subjects they’ll be testing on this time around? [Law School HQ]
* Shorter version of this Justice Stevens interview — Justice Gorsuch is great as long as you assiduously avoid learning anything about his jurisprudence. [Law360]
* Rob Kardashian leaked explicit photos of his former fiancée, Blac Chyna, on social media and she’s considering legal action. When you wonder why America is in decline, consider that this is what ABC News is covering. [ABC News]
* The Trump administration’s efforts to get its hands on all voting records has already ticked off state officials across the country, and now it has an opportunity to tick off a federal judge too! [National Law Journal]
* Former DOJ fraud lawyer Hui Chen describes what it was like to prosecute under the Trump administration. Spoiler: Not good. [NPR]
* Appellate attorney on a Jeopardy winning streak. I guess appellate lawyers are all about explaining what questions are being presented. [Law.com]
* Budgets are down, but in-house IP counsel are working harder, which seems patently unfair. [Corporate Counsel]
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Politics, White House Counsel
Trump Runs Out Of Lawyers To Blame For Russia Probe, Casts Aspersions On White House Counsel
That's not how this works, Mr. President. That's not how any of this works. -
Department of Justice, Federal Government, Justice, Politics
Witch-Hunt Warning Signs From Special Counsel Robert Mueller
Look at Bob Mueller's team; are there no Republicans in the legal profession? -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.21.17
* “Trump’s Most Lasting Legacy? America’s courts.” [The Atlantic via How Appealing]
* Speaking of the Supreme Court, which justice is most frequently first out of the gate when it comes to questioning at oral argument? Adam Feldman runs the numbers. [Empirical SCOTUS]
* Floyd Abrams, celebrated First Amendment lawyer and author (affiliate link), laments the sad state of freedom of speech on college campuses today. [Concurring Opinions]
* Well, this is interesting: DOJ Pride, the Justice Department’s group for LGBT employees, will honor Gavin Grimm this year, as Chris Geidner reports. [BuzzFeed]
* Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who’s not exactly a Donald Trump fan, thinks the Donald has a better than even chance of winning reelection in 2020. [Instapundit]
* And he’s not alone, as Ann Althouse’s round-up of reactions to Jon Ossoff’s failed congressional run suggests. [Althouse]
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Benchslaps, Department of Justice
Justice Department Can't Figure Out Who This 'Betsy DeVos' Woman Is
Well-written briefs are all alike, every boneheaded brief is boneheaded in its own way. - Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
Immigration, Public Interest
Immigration Rights Group Fighting Back Against DOJ Threats
Bi-partisan opposition mounts against efforts to hinder access to justice. -
Department of Justice, Justice, Politics
Rod Rosenstein Seems Ready For His Richardson/Ruckelshaus Moment
Is Rachel Brand going to be William Ruckelshaus, or Robert Bork? -
Department of Justice, Federal Government, Justice, Politics
Robert Mueller Assembles An All-Star Legal Team
A great team of investigative lawyers, or the greatest team of investigative lawyers? -
Department of Justice, Justice, Politics
Making The Case For Firing Jeff Sessions
Tell us how you really feel, Liz. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.12.17
* President Donald Trump will reportedly visit the Supreme Court later this week for Justice Neil Gorsuch’s official investiture ceremony. Based on the president’s prior behavior, it may only be a matter of time before he refers to his appointee as an “absolute disaster” whose “mind is shot.” [USA Today]
* Former U.S. attorney Preet Bharara, who was fired by President Trump after he was asked to remain in his post, says phone calls he received from Trump made in an effort to “cultivate some kind of relationship” made him uncomfortable. In response, a spokesman for Marc Kasowitz called Bharara a “resistance Democrat,” and said “he deserved to be fired.” [Washington Post]
* In other news, Marc Kasowitz, who will likely be setting up an office on White House grounds where he can run President Trump’s defense, has reportedly told White House aides to hold off on hiring their own lawyers — a move that would only be in his client’s interest, and against their own. [New York Times]
* In defense to a lawsuit, the Justice Department has likened President Trump to George Washington (yup!), alleging that Trump isn’t violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution by accepting payments for goods and services like hotel bills and golf club fees from foreign governments. [Bloomberg]
* In the wake of former FBI director James Comey’s tell-all appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Attorney General Jeff Sessions will now have to testify himself on the ongoing probe into Russian’s election interference. Hmm, what will the recused AG have to say for himself? [New York Times]
* “It was really disgusting and really scary.” Joseph Amico of Las Vegas was arrested after he allegedly called New York lawyer Douglas Wigdor a “n**ger lover” and threatened to blow up his firm. Wigdor is representing plaintiffs in a racial discrimination lawsuit against Fox News Channel. [New York Daily News]
* Miguel A. Méndez, Stanford Law’s first Latino professor, RIP. [Stanford News]
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Politics
The Lax, La La Land Approach To Leaking
The Justice Department announced the first prosecution of a leaker during Trump’s tenure. -
Department of Justice, Justice, Politics
Comey Testimony Is BURYING Jeff Sessions, Y'All
Comey has been a fantastic witness this morning. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.08.17
* Happy Comey Day! [Huffington Post]
* Legal operations teams are rampant, proving no one trusts Biglaw billing. [Corporate Counsel]
* Sessions ends DOJ settlements that give money to charitable causes — a common tactic in matters where identifying all specific victims would be difficult or impossible. This is played off as “helping victims” because nothing helps victims more than making sure the perpetrator feels no penalty for their wrongdoing. [ABA Journal]
* The “Mansfield Rule” tries to bring NFL thinking to a Biglaw problem. Now if we could just address all those junior associate concussions…. [Law.com]
* The American Immigration Lawyers Association is relocating its upcoming convention to get out of Texas. So the state has successfully built itself a wall — against tourism dollars. [Texas Tribune]
* DOJ asking Second Circuit to consider what Escobar means for Wells Fargo. In other words, it’s time to circle the wagons at Wells Fargo. [Law360]
* Norton Rose Fulbright considering merger. [Legal Week]
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Department of Justice, Justice
Getting Rid Of Jeff Sessions Is More Important Than Getting Rid Of Donald Trump
If Trump is AIDS, then Sessions is the pneumonia that actually kills you. -
Department of Justice, Federal Government, Politics
President Trump Selects DOJ Veteran Christopher Wray As F.B.I. Director
President Trump's pick for FBI director is "amazing" -- and no, that's not DJT exaggeration. -
Department of Justice
Serving At The Pleasure Of The President(s)
This AG kept his job through two presidents. -
Department of Justice, Federal Judges
Judge Speaks Out About DOJ Injustices
The DOJ isn't budging on mandatory minimums and one district judge explains why that's troubling.