Federal Government

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.28.15

* Jurors in the criminal trial for former leaders of Dewey & LeBoeuf have reviewed evidence for a full week already, and will return to court today for their eighth day of deliberations. At least the defendants will be able to keep killing time on Candy Crush. [WSJ Law Blog] * A federal judge denied the UFC's motion to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit that was filed against it by current and former fighters over the organization's monopolization of the MMA industry. It's time to bring in an armbar submission artist to stop the UFC for good. [ESPN] * "I don't want to leave my successor a dirty barn." Hot on the heels of his surprise resignation, House Speaker John Boehner has vowed to avoid a government shutdown and pass some legislation before his time is up. Well, it's good to have goals. [Reuters] * Volkswagen can expect nothing less than a "tsunami" of lawsuits and legal proceedings thanks to its emissions scandal. On the bright side, Kirkland & Ellis is going to be able to reap the rewards of thousands of billable hours. [Chicago Tribune; Automotive News] * TV staffers who worked on "The Following" and "The Blacklist" filed suit against production companies Warner Brothers, NBC, and Sony, alleging they were forced to work 24 hours straight -- and pee in bottles -- without being paid overtime. [New York Post]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.01.15

* Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are getting divorced -- even she couldn't stand the thought of him being Batman. Celebrity divorces don't come cheap, and you know what that must mean: high-powered lawyers and even higher rates for their billable hours! [CNN] * "[H]ow young would you go…I'd do 5[,] [b]ut 0-12 is hot." Well, that's absolutely disgusting. Matthew Gigot, an attorney who does doc review in the D.C. area, was charged in a child pornography case for sexual performance using a minor. [FOX 5 DC] * The main line of defense as of late in the Dewey trial for the former head honchos of this failed firm is that everyone sends out embarrassing -- and potentially incriminating -- emails from time to time. We know all abput that here at Above the Law. [WSJ Law Blog] * "Put down the bong, throw out the vaporizer and lose the rolling papers." If you're hoping to land a job at any federal agency any time in the near future, then you better quit your toking as soon as possible, even if it's legal in your state. [New York Times] * Here's some sad news for women who are interested in taking home their apparently delicious and nutritious placentas to feast upon after their children are born in hospitals: it's only completely legal in three states -- Hawaii, Oregon, and Texas. [The Stir]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket 05.07.15

* Are you tired of hearing about Tom Brady's balls? No? Good. Here's a great profile of the Paul Weiss litigator that authored the report on deflategate. [New York Times] * Good news for all the Pandora listeners out there. The Second Circuit affirmed Pandora's access to the ASCAP music catalogue. [New York Law Journal] * As if the "Jena Six" haven't been through enough, now one of its members is heading to law school. [American Lawyer] * Brewery scores big First Amendment victory. Let's all celebrate with a nice cold bottle of "Raging Bitch" beer. [Corporate Counsel] * The federal government paid $45 million to Northrop Grumman Systems to settle claims it misappropriated trade secrets related to their satellite program. [National Law Journal] * The debate over the minimum wage rages on in Ninth Circuit case on the constitutionality of Los Angeles' Living Wage law. [Law360]

By Kathryn Rubino