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Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.19.17

* The Kozinski retirement raises the important question -- where does a clerk go to report misconduct (a question raised in this Lithwick column)? There's now pressure on Chief Justice Roberts to work out a solution. [The Recorder] * Speaking of sexual harassment, the wave of misconduct revelations has lawyers seriously questioning NDAs (something we've written about before here at ATL). [Reuters] * Wondering who the next potential Trump SCOTUS nominee would be? Breaking down the numbers it would seem to be... [Empirical SCOTUS] * Crain's has a list of the 100 Leading Women Lawyers in New York City. [Crain's] * Law enforcement requests for Facebook data are up big time. This is why we can't have nice things. [CNET] * What do general counsel want for the holidays? The same thing they want every year: more service for less money. [American Lawyer] * New suit goes after Blue Apron for its stock price drop. As if they're responsible for Jeff Bezos gutting their market share in Brooklyn. [Law360]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.18.17

* Special Counsel Robert Mueller obtained a warrant for targeted ads that were purchased by Russia-linked Facebook accounts during the 2016 election. The fact that Mueller was able to get a warrant "may be the biggest news in the case since the Manafort raid." [Business Insider] * Speaking of the Russia probe, yet another lawyer has joined Robert Mueller's team. Say hello to Kyle Freeny, a former kindergarten teacher with a law degree from Harvard who transferred from the Justice Department's money-laundering unit to contribute her talents to the ongoing investigation. [POLITICO] * Sorry, kids, but lawyers are very, very, very expensive: Since the president has left his one-time associates high and dry, Michael Caputo, a former Trump campaign advisor, has been forced to drain his children's college fund to pay for legal representation in the Russia probe. Horrible... [Washington Examiner] * "It’s not about the cake. It is about discrimination." When the Masterpiece Cakeshop case is argued before SCOTUS, Justice Anthony Kennedy -- the man who wrote the opinion that legalized same-sex marriage in America -- will likely be the deciding vote. Will be betray his legacy for free speech? [New York Times] * Columbia Law School is offering students credits to meet their 40-hour pro bono requirement for graduation if they volunteer for the Columbia Human Rights Law Review’s Trump Human Rights Tracker, which keeps tabs on President Trump’s actions and their impacts on human rights. [FOX News]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.10.17

* New York hits Avvo over its marketing fees. I know some bar association lawyers who are about to get some bad Avvo ratings. [Law.com] * The feds were trying to work Paul Manafort's son-in-law. That's... not good news for Manafort. [Politico] * Meanwhile, some folks are trying to find an ethical conflict on the part of Bob Mueller, which is probably the only endeavor more doomed than health care repeal. [Law360] * Speaking of ethics, is it ethical to ghostwrite cert oppositions to hide from the justices? [National Law Journal / Supreme Court Brief] * Louisiana required a birth certificate to get married. Past tense is key here. [CBS News] * Judge slaps down one sanctuary city lawsuit. Another still on the horizon. [Texas Tribune] * The most interesting thing about this right of publicity case against Facebook is that someone used the phrase "country rap" with a straight face. [The Recorder]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.19.17

* Remember when Judge Nicholas Garaufis (E.D.N.Y.) flipped out at Kirkland & Ellis for not sending a partner to cover a status hearing? It seems K&E and its client Facebook's groveling won over the judge: cases dismissed. [ABA Journal] * A big settlement in the Takata air bags litigation -- and presumably big legal fees for some of the firms involved. [National Law Journal] * Congratulations to Judge Amul Thapar (E.D. Ky.) on clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee; he should hopefully be on the Sixth Circuit soon. [Washington Times] * Congratulations to Rachel Brand on her confirmation as associate attorney general -- although it's unfortunate that more Democrats didn't cross the aisle to support her. [Law360] * And be careful what you wish for, Democrats: now that we have Robert Mueller as special counsel, congressional inquiries into Trump/Russia-related matters could stall. [Washington Post] * Speaking of Russia probes, should President Donald Trump hire outside counsel to represent him? да, да. [New York Times] * A closer look at prominent lawyer John K. Bush, nominated by President Trump to the Sixth Circuit. [Vetting Room via How Appealing] * Does size matter? Yes -- at least in this murder case where the defendant is invoking a "big penis" defense. [New York Post]

By David Lat