Federal Government

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.18.18

* Adam Feldman uses BriefCatch, a powerful new tool from legal writing guru Ross Guberman, to find the best writers in the Supreme Court bar -- and some of the top advocates might surprise you. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Prominent First Amendment litigator Charles Glasser makes the (compelling) case in favor of a federal anti-SLAPP statute. [Daily Caller] * Jeff Hauser, executive director of the Revolving Door Project, argues that the Trump Justice Department's installation of Trump allies as interim U.S. attorneys "represent[s] a test of civil society’s ability to fight back against threats to the rule of law" -- and so far, "the test is going poorly." [Slate] * Speaking of the Trump DOJ, Ben Adlin breaks down the latest federal-state fight -- and explains why it's not as simple as just citing the Supremacy Clause. [Leafly] * "Bring me a case!" Reflections from Joel Cohen and Bennett L. Gershman on using litigation to bring about social change. [Law.com] * What can legal marketers learn from... a man using a cat as his hat? [Shana Douglas]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.18.18

Ed. note: We will not be publishing on Monday, February 19, in observance of President's Day. * Congratulations to my friend and former co-clerk, John Demers, on his long-overdue confirmation as head of the Justice Department's National Security Division. [Reuters] * Which lawyers and justices take the lead on the most important Supreme Court cases? Adam Feldman has the answers, as always. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Professor Ilya Somin breaks down the recent Fourth Circuit ruling on Trump's Travel Ban 3.0. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason] * A leading legal technology company, Kira Systems, is looking for a few good law librarians (to apply for its new job as a Machine Learning Knowledge Analyst). [Dewey B Strategic] * Lawyer and activist Glenn Magpantay, executive director of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), explains what's at stake with the Dream Act. [Advocate] * Stroock's Joel Cohen draws lessons for lawyers from the buzz-generating new movie, The Post. [New York Law Journal] * What role can expert witnesses play in #MeToo litigation? Lawyer Kat Hatziavramidis shares some insights. [Forensis Group] * The Mrs. Palsgraf of the United Kingdom -- a famous torts plaintiff named May Donoghue, who sued a beverage manufacturer after she discovered a decomposing snail in a bottle of ginger beer -- is getting a statue erected in her honor. [Legal Cheek] * Not as bad as sexually assaulting a student intern, but another Biglaw partner stands accused of making degrading, sexually charged comments to a junior attorney. [RollOnFriday] * In advance of its Global Legal Hackathon (February 23-25), the Global Legal Blockchain Consortium welcomes a new member: Fasken, a leading Canadian law firm. [Artificial Lawyer]

By David Lat