A High-Dollar Koch Habit: Should Defense Lawyers Accept Money From The Koch Brothers?
Why can't more organizations place the needs of the people they serve over partisan stubbornness?
Morning Docket: 09.30.14
* “[T]he ‘superstar’ model of Supreme Court advocacy marketing is prevailing”: recent Supreme Court litigation has been dominated by Biglaw and boutiques, and five of them handled about half of last term’s cases. [WSJ Law Blog] * It’s not a “done deal” yet, but Albany Law School is in serious talks with the University at Albany to form an affiliation by the end of the year. There’s been no word on whether Albany Law would remain a stand-alone school under the yet-to-be inked arrangement. [Albany Business Review] * The dismissal of lawsuits concerning allegedly deceptive employment statistics at several Chicago-area law schools was affirmed by an Illinois appeals court. ::insert sad trombone here:: [National Law Journal] * If you’re still thinking about applying to law school for some reason, you might find these tips on what not to write in a personal statement to be useful. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report] * Amanda Bynes, one of our favorite fading starlets who was already on probation, was arrested this weekend on a DUI charge after stopping her car in the middle of an intersection. [Los Angeles Times]
Keeping Law School Accessible When Federal Loans Fall Short
As federal borrowing caps tighten financing options for law students, one organization is stepping in to negotiate the terms they can't secure alone.
Cheating Scandal Embroils Law School In Federal Lawsuit
We can't say whether or not this student cheated. We can however, troll this law school for its pretty terrible grasp on how the justice system is supposed to work....
Supreme Court Justice Didn’t Know What An ‘Ivy League’ School Was
Which SCOTUS justice committed this prestigious offense?
Morning Docket: 09.11.14
* The justices of Supreme Court of the United States will discuss gay marriage cases from five states during their “long conference” at the end of the month. Which ones will they decide to take? Help us, Justice AMK! [National Law Journal] * This law school is having some troubles adjusting to the “new normal.” Not only is its administration planning back-to-back tuition hikes, but it’s asking the state for help with its deficits. Yikes, that’s not good. [The Republic] * This Gonzaga Law professor thinks that playing poker is part of having a balanced life. He might not come home with much after his games, but “it’s better than a kick in the head.” [Spokesman-Review] * Remember Kent W. Easter, the Biglaw partner who was accused of planting drugs in a school volunteer’s car? During his recent retrial, he was convicted of false imprisonment by fraud and deceit. [OC Weekly] * Following a “marathon trial marked by screams, tears, vomit, anger,” Oscar Pistorius has been found negligent, but not guilty of premeditated murder. Expect a final verdict tomorrow, perhaps. [USA Today]
Beyond Biglaw: Back To School (Or, Some Tips About Continuing Legal Education)
Columnist Gaston Kroub offers some advice for fulfilling CLE requirements.
AI Built for Litigation. Verified by Design.
Grounded in authoritative content and verified at every step, Protégé is the only legal AI tool that delivers work you can trust—without exception.
Biglaw’s Big Dumb Teacher Tenure Lawsuits
Legal luminaries throwing their reputations behind the anti-tenure effort just highlights how flimsy it is, as a matter of law and policy.
‘Shame Suit’ Leads To Stupid Lawsuit
Dude, your daughter is in high school. The only punishment she understands is humiliation...
Morning Docket: 09.04.14
* Most Americans want Supreme Court proceedings on video. Because C-SPAN is so popular. [Legal Times] * It was bound to happen at some point. Eastern District of Louisiana Judge Martin Feldman, who you might remember from lifting the Gulf of Mexico drilling moratorium while holding thousands in oil drilling assets (which he sold the morning that he issued his decision), became the first judge since Windsor to uphold a ban on same-sex marriage as constitutional. [National Law Journal] * Need white-collar representation? Milbank has Apps for that. Specifically, Antonia Apps, the federal prosecutor who took a leading role in the SAC Capital Advisors insider trading case, is decamping to Milbank. [Reuters] * “What’s it like to be the lawyer for Mark Cuban or Jerry Jones? Depends if you’re winning.” I don’t know about that, Jerry Jones seems to be getting pretty used to accepting failure. [Dallas Business Journal] * Gibson Dunn has left New York’s teacher tenure battle, leaving the job of gutting public education in the state to Kirkland & Ellis. [New York Law Journal] * A professor carrying a concealed handgun shot himself in the foot. But remember the answer to school shootings is making sure all the teachers are armed. [TaxProf Blog] * More Squire Patton Boggs defections: At least a dozen members of the IP group have bolted the newly-merged firm to open a D.C. office for Porzio, Bromberg & Newman. [Washington Post]
Professors, The Cause Of, And Solution To, The Great Textbook Scam
Faculty are unlikely allies in the textbook wars.
AI Is Reshaping Legal Practice—But Tools Aren’t The Real Differentiator.
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
Why You Absolutely Should Care About Law School Rankings
Well, it turns out you really, really, should be paying attention to law school rankings, and here's the evidence to prove it.
Non-Sequiturs: 08.11.14
* Jury writes judge a note asking for a “big bottle of wine.” It’s gonna be a long night. [Southern District of Florida Blog] * As it turns out, some Redditors are morons who don’t understand law. Glad we cleared that up. [The Concourse] * There’s a Kickstarter for an Ally McBeal podcast. If you love talking about unisex bathrooms, here’s a golden opportunity. [Kickstarter] * Attention law students: there’s a $500 prize in it if you can craft a winning blog post. [The Expert Institute] * Terrible, terrible advertising. [Copyranter] * A Simpson Thacher associate is planning to row across the Atlantic to support cancer research. [Remacae] * These teacher tenure suits are so stupid and completely miss the real reason public schools have trouble. And the lead plaintiff inadvertently confessed just how off the mark he is. [Washington Post] * AMC released the teaser for Better Call Saul. After the jump… [via Time Magazine]
Virginia Apologizes To UVA Student For Confusing Her With Jesus Christ
Is there ever any excuse for coming down like this on an underaged drinker?
Critical Mass Is A Critical Mess: The New Opinion In UT v. Fisher
The concept of “critical mass” highlights a weakness in most college admissions policies.
Non-Sequiturs: 07.14.14
* Man claims his former employer discriminated against him because he was an atheist. Yep, this Hobby Lobby thing isn’t going to have any repercussions at all. [Lewiston-Auburn Sun Journal] * Speaking of atheists and SCOTUS, the Court may have authorized the Town of Greece to get all religiousy at town board meetings, but an atheist is stepping up to the plate to deliver an invocation. Freedom of religion does mean he gets a turn. [Rochester Homepage] * There’s an icky sexual harassment story coming out of an elite L.A. school. And they’ve hired an elite law firm to investigate. [Gawker] * Cops do hear some pretty funny stories when they pull people over. [Legal Juice] * If you’re out of work, here’s an idea: this solicitor-to-be posted a selfie with a pigeon on Facebook and got an offer — along with a lot of publicity. [Legal Cheek] * Is the future of legal education online? Perhaps the better question is, “How will law schools overcharge when they no longer have brick-and-mortar facilities?” [Tipping the Scales] * A judge explains that incest and pedophilia aren’t such big deals anymore because gay people are accepted. Wow. [Jezebel] * Are you keeping up with Kirby v. Marvel? Because Jack Kirby’s estate is making a run at the Supreme Court in a case that affects billions. Embed below… [Bloomberg]