Federal Judges
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Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Barack Obama, Elena Kagan, Federal Judges, Law Professors, Neal Katyal, Old People, Politics, R. Ted Cruz, SCOTUS, SCOTUS Potential, Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
What Will a Second Obama Term Mean for the Supreme Court?
Which justices might retire, and who might replace them? -
Crime, Federal Judges, Minority Issues, Non-Sequiturs, Prisons, State Judges
Non-Sequiturs: 11.02.12
* As a tipster wrote, “This judge done lost her mind.” We don’t know about that, but something is clearly wrong here. [Chicago Sun-Times] * Another brutal — yet disarmingly tender — takedown of the bros who run IsAnybodyDown. [Popehat] * Robert Morton Duncan, the first black justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, RIP. [Times Union] * Yes, clients can be royal pains in the behind. But you still can’t hit an obnoxious client over the head with a baseball bat. [Charleston Gazette] * Major Kudos to McGuireWoods for the firm’s support of Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. We encourage other firms (and individuals) to do the same. [American Red Cross] * “As American as the modern prison system” doesn’t have the same ring as “apple pie.” For better or worse, though, it’s equally true. [Cruel and Unusual] * LawDingo is a new company that connects potential clients with lawyers — all from the convenience of home. It’s the way of the future! [Dow Jones] - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Biglaw, Department of Justice, Disasters / Emergencies, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Law Schools
Hurricane Sandy: A List of Legal World Closures
How is the legal world responding to Hurricane Sandy? Mostly by closing. Here is a working list of closures at courts, government agencies, law firms, and law schools.
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Crime, Facebook, Social Media, Social Networking Websites
Paul Ceglia Has Been Arrested
The chickens come home to roost for the Man Who Would Be King of Facebook... -
Biglaw, Department of Justice, Federal Judges, Football, Insider Trading, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Patents, Politics, Sentencing Law, Sex, Sports
Morning Docket: 10.25.12
* Covington, Skadden, and Proskauer really like representing professional sports leagues: from 2010 to 2011, the NHL paid a combined total of $8.8M to all three, and Covington received $16.3M from the NFL over the last three years. [Am Law Daily]
* The Department of Justice sued Bank of America yesterday for doing the “hustle.” No, not the popular disco disco dance, but rather, a supposed elaborate scheme to defraud the government out of billions of dollars. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Rajat Gupta was sentenced to a whole two years behind bars for insider trading, but my colleague Elie Mystal thinks that the more appropriate punishment would’ve been to force him to reenact the seminal 80s film, Trading Places. [HuffPost Live]
* Unfortunately, Siri wasn’t able to be helpful with this one. A federal judge had to recuse himself in a patent case involving the Siri voice assistant app because of his “interest” in Apple (likely stock ownership). [CNET]
* Was Wednesday the day of departing deans? NYU’s Richard Revesz said farewell, and so did Sydney Beckman of Duncan Law, but the latter flat out quit amid accreditation uncertainty. [Knoxville News Sentinel]
* “We’ll fight another day. This is not over.” While a jury declared that Teresa Wagner wasn’t a victim of Iowa Law’s political bias, a mistrial was called as to her equal protection claim against the school. [Press Citizen]
* Somebody really should’ve told Lawrence Taylor that when testifying in an underage sex trafficking case, it’s probably not a good idea to mention that your accuser was “very, very pretty” and “very sexy.” [Associated Press]
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9th Circuit, Alex Kozinski, Betty Fletcher, Deaths, Federal Judges, Quote of the Day, Weirdness, William Fletcher
Quote of the Day: What's the Bluebook Parenthetical for That?
A Ninth Circuit potpourri: a highly unusual opinion, and the passing of a prominent liberal judge. -
Antonin Scalia, Elena Kagan, Federal Judges, Guns / Firearms, SCOTUS, Sports, Supreme Court
Now That Scalia Has Corrupted Kagan, What Progressive Pastime Should Kagan Make Scalia Do?
Scalia now has Kagan hunting defenseless animals. Great. His victory is nearly complete... -
Clerkships, Federal Judges, Frank Easterbrook, Job Searches
Rejection Letter Potpourri: It's Not You, It's Me, And How Many Awesome People Want To Work For Me
Federal judges still know how to send rejection letters -- letters that say you are just not good enough... - Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, California, Department of Justice, Federal Judges, Football, In-House Counsel, Law Schools, LSAT, Money, Morning Docket, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 10.22.12
* “You’re paying a partner $800 to $1,000 an hour and they’re charging you because they ordered sushi.” In-house counsel are paying more attention to their bills, and they’re refusing to pay for things like photocopies and food. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* According to litigators, who are the ten most notable federal district court judges to watch? Three come from S.D.N.Y., but one from N.D. Cal. captured our hearts this summer when she asked counsel for Apple if he was “smoking crack.” [American Lawyer]
* A guide for law students with disabilities says: “If you are thinking that you’re a shoe-in for LSAT accommodations since you had accommodations in undergrad, think again.” But thanks to these suits, LSAC’s policies may soon be changing. [National Law Journal]
* Seeing as there are only nine law schools in Illinois, and given the abysmal job market for new law grads, it’s clear the state needs a tenth school. Say hello to Bradley University College of Law. [Peoria Journal Star]
* Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow trademarked “Tebowing.” Yes, seriously. But don’t worry, he didn’t do it to make money, he just wants to “control how it’s used, make sure it’s used in the right way.” [Washington Post]
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Antonin Scalia, Benchslaps, Books, Constitutional Law, Federal Judges, Federalist Society, J. Harvie Wilkinson III, Law Professors, Law Schools, Orin Kerr, Richard Posner, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Judge Posner on Statutory Interpretation: This Is How We Do It
Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit shares his thoughts on two recent law books. Warning: benchslaps ahead.... -
2nd Circuit, Constitutional Law, Federal Judges, Gay, Gay Marriage, Paul Clement, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Second Circuit Strikes Down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act
The Second Circuit, in an opinion by a conservative stalwart, Judge Dennis Jacobs, has struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Will this be the vehicle for Supreme Court review of DOMA? -
2nd Circuit, Drinking, Federal Judges
Billionaire Is SOL Because Of The SOL When It Comes to Thomas Jefferson's Wine
It must be every billionaire wine connoisseur’s dream to own a few bottles from the cellars of the man who drafted the Declaration of Independence -- except if the wine turns out to be fake. -
American Bar Association / ABA, Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Books, Copyright, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Education / Schools, Edwards Wildman, Federal Judges, General Counsel, Google / Search Engines, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns, Texas
Morning Docket: 10.05.12
* Dewey know when Judge Martin Glenn will issue his ruling on the failed firm’s proposed partner contribution plan? If all goes according to plan, we can expect to learn if the PCP’s been approved or rejected as early as next week. [Am Law Daily]
* Hot on the heels of Google’s digital-book settlement, the company announced that it would be appealing its copyright infringement jury verdict in the Oracle trial. One thing’s for sure: Judge Alsup will be angered terribly by this. [Bloomberg]
* David Askew, formerly the director of Edwards Wildman’s pro bono program, will now lead the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms as CEO and general counsel. [Corporate Counsel]
* The American Bar Association submitted an amicus brief in support of using race as a factor in college admissions, because diversity in college education is a must for diversity in law schools, duh. [ABA Journal]
* Remember the family law judge who got caught beating his daughter in a video that went viral? Now he wants the Texas Supreme Court to reinstate him, over his ex-wife’s objections. Good luck with that. [CNN]
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Barack Obama, Email Scandals, Federal Judges, Quote of the Day, Racism
Quote of the Day: Run! Run Away and Never Return!
Embattled federal judge Richard Cebull will take senior status early next year. Is that good enough to atone for his sins? -
Antonin Scalia, Barack Obama, Department of Justice, Election 2012, Eric Holder, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Harvard, John Roberts, Politics, Richard Posner, Sarbanes-Oxley / Sarbox / SOX, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
A Lawyer's Guide To Getting Drunk During Tonight's Presidential Debate
Do you want to get drunk during tonight's presidential debate? Of course you do! So play our drinking game. -
Conferences / Symposia, Deaths, Federal Judges, Football, Gender, Law Professors, Law Schools, Music, Non-Sequiturs, Women's Issues
Non-Sequiturs: 10.03.12
* VC heavyweight Andressen Horowitz is investing in Rap Genius, the hip-hop brainchild of Stanford Law grad Mahbod Moghadam. Yadadamean? [Rap Genius] * If your fraternity has to hire a lawyer to hold a press conference to deny allegations of butt-chugging, and an extraordinarily uncomfortable video of the press conference makes its way online… you’re probably up s**t’s creek without a wine bottle paddle. [Outkick the Coverage] * There’s no crying in baseball, and, in other creepily homoerotic collegiate news, there shall be no drunken teabagging in college football, either. [New Orleans Times-Picayune] * Professor Richard Sander’s new book (affiliate link) argues that affirmative action actually hurts the students it intends to help. Release the partisan bickering! [The Atlantic via ProfessorBainbridge] * An interview with law prof Jay Wexler, who also released a book (affiliate link) earlier this year. His is slightly less serious. Absurdist legal humor for the win. Check out this podcast interview, too! [Constitutional Daily] * The fifth annual She Leads Conference on Women in the Law is this Friday at American University Washington College of Law. Go forth and be educated! [Ms. JD] * U.S. District Judge Mark Kravitz of Connecticut, RIP. [Connecticut Post] -
Federal Judges, Jeffrey Fisher, Kellogg Huber, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Thomas Goldstein
The New Supreme Court Term Opens With A Splash
What happened on the first day of the new Term of the Supreme Court? According to Above the Law's SCOTUS correspondent, Matt Kaiser, it started with a splash.... -
5th Circuit, Edith Jones, Federal Judges, Gay Marriage, Gender, Job Searches, Judicial Divas, Law Schools, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms, Money, Morning Docket, Patents, Paul Clement, Technology
Morning Docket: 09.28.12
* Chief Judge Edith Jones of the Fifth Circuit, the judicial diva herself, will be stepping down from her role at the head of the bench earlier than expected, due to “family issues.” Perhaps she told someone to “shut up” too many times? [Tex Parte Blog]
* Apple asked U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh to deny Samsung’s request that she bar all further communication with trial jurors, because the company claims it wants “equal access to information” (aka jury foreman Velvin Hogan). [Bloomberg]
* “[T]here’s no way to preserve the definition of marriage [as one man and one woman] other than by preserving the definition. It becomes somewhat circular.” That, and you rely on law from 1885. Argh! [BuzzFeed]
* ASU Law wants to move from Tempe to Phoenix, and to make it financially feasible, the school may increase enrollment and raise tuition. Sound like a good idea, prospective law students cash cows? [Arizona Republic]
* Now compare/contrast: Stanford Law had to dip into its coffers to come up with the cash to cover its financial aid promises this year, but the school isn’t cutting out a dime that’s owed to students. [National Law Journal]
* Massachusetts appealed the Michelle Kosilek sex-change ruling. The state claims it provided “adequate medical care,” but it’s questionable whether that was the case if the prisoner tried to castrate herself. [CNN]
* Tully Rinckey, a midsize firm, is planning to open an office in Buffalo, New York, so it sent out recruitment letters to 5,469 attorneys in the region. Unemployed law grads: open the letter, it’s not a bill! [Buffalo News]
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Copyright, Cyberlaw, Department of Justice, Entertainment Law, Technology
MegaMeltdown: New Zealand's Prime Minister Apologizes to Kim Dotcom
Kim Dotcom strikes another victory, this time in the form of a personal apology from New Zealand's prime minister. -
Antonin Scalia, Benchslaps, Books, Constitutional Law, Federal Judges, Quote of the Day, Reader Polls, Richard Posner, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Quote of the Day: A Time-Out in Posner v. Scalia?
Here is Judge Richard Posner's (delicately worded) response to Justice Scalia calling him a liar.