Football

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.11.18

* Michael Cohen is suing Buzzfeed over publishing the Trump intelligence dossier. He says the Russia collusion allegations are "not legitimate" but to paraphrase Judge Judy, "don't pee on my leg and tell me it's a Russian prostitute." [Bloomberg] * Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is embroiled in boring, plodding lawsuit which actually sums up his offense pretty well. [Deadspin] * The IRS is getting into the Bitcoin game. Maybe they can explain blockchain in terms that don't involve magic. [Forbes] * Justice Sotomayor bluntly confronted Noel Francisco over the administration's 180 on voting rights. Francisco didn't have a clear, straightforward  answer ready which is weird because "we managed to slip in the back door of the White House so we're basically the Allstate Mayhem guy but for the Constitution" would've been a perfectly acceptable and honest answer. [National Law Journal] * Meanwhile, a federal judge threw out a challenge to Alabama's strict voter ID law finding the state had an important regulatory interest in combatting the voter fraud crisis that they can't string together any evidence of. Jeez, maybe Brett Talley would have actually improved the Alabama federal bench. [NPR] * For your daily reminder that Texas is a jerkweed backwater, the woman accused of drunkenly destroying hundreds of thousands of dollars in art faces a possible life sentence because Texas couldn't figure out how to put the death penalty on it. [Texas Lawyer] * Kirsten Gillibrand will use her blue slip to block the nomination of Greenberg Traurig's Geoffrey Berman for the SDNY U.S. Attorney post. Or, more accurately these days, Kristin Gillibrand will use her blue slip to do absolutely nothing to slow down the nomination of Geoffrey Berman for the SDNY U.S. Attorney post. [New York Law Journal] * Skadden avoids sanctions in Vijay Singh suit. Remember when the PGA was accusing people of doping... in golf? [Law360]

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 11.03.17

* Colin Kaepernick's lawyers have requested emails and texts from a number of teams as part of the quarterback's collusion claim. They've also asked to speak to Texans owner Bob McNair, 49ers owner Jed York, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. [CBS Sports] * So, you want to write a white paper. Best practices for law firms to make the most of the marketing opportunity. [Law and More] * Bad news for in-house lawyers. Those sexual harassment trainings probably don't work. [Mother Jones] * Yeah, you best believe Anita Hill has some thoughts about what's been going on. [New Yorker] * It's apparently Global Love Your Lawyer Day, so get out there and give your lawyer a hug! [ABA Journal] * As Trump (slowly) nominates U.S. Attorneys, just how important is it that prosecutors have ties to the states they serve? [Baltimore Sun]

By Above the Law
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.31.17

* Skadden's role in helping Paul Manafort's client justify imprisoning political rivals managed to make its way into his indictment, presumably welcome publicity for the firm's "authoritarian abuses" practice. [Law.com] * Speaking of Paul Manafort, when he got indicted, Fox News aired a segment on cheeseburger emoji. For all time, the cheeseburger emoji will express, "I'm willfully ignoring embarrassing reality." As in: "how did your date go? [Eggplant]?" Response: "[Cheeseburger]!" [Vox] * Are haunted houses liable for scaring visitors? [USAToday] * Ezekiel Elliott's 6-game suspension will begin this weekend after Judge Katherine Polk Failla denied his preliminary injunction motion. Adjust your fantasy lineups accordingly. [SB Nation] * PepsiCo hopes its choice of a new generation, David Yawman, stays in his general counsel position. Though after going through four general counsel in five years, you have to wonder if maybe the problem isn't the person filling the job. [Corporate Counsel] * Dodd-Frank's CEO Pay-Ratio disclosure rule is about to go into force. Expect to hear a lot more about 10-Ks from mainstream media outlets. [Law360] * The 2017 Asia 50, your annual reminder that around 1 out of every 5 lawyers on Earth work for Dentons. [American Lawyer] * A primer on Halloween and the law. [Law.com]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.12.17

* Former tax partner gets two year prison sentence. Maybe he can claim a good behavior deduction. [New York Law Journal] * Chilling report on South Carolina's routine violation of constitutional norms. [New York Times] * Top in-house counsel share their thoughts on forging a privacy policy. As we all know, the first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club. [Law.com] * Austria's racism manages to punish a law student in a shark costume. It's the saddest moment for sharks since Left Shark. [Lowering the Bar] * Checking in on Rogers Stevens, the Blind Melon guitarist who now works as a mid-level Labor and Employment attorney at Ballard Spahr. [Coverage Opinions] * Experts say the Cowboys edict that the team will bench anyone who kneels during the anthem doesn't run afoul of the NLRA... yet. [Law360] * A conversation with Ellisen Turner, Irell & Manella's newly minted managing partner, about race and discrimination and the added pressure that comes with being a person of color in the legal industry. [Am Law Daily]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.22.17

* According to a lawsuit filed against the NFL and the New England Patriots by Aaron Hernandez's family, the former football player who was serving a life sentence for murder at the time of his death had a "severe case" of CTE. Jose Baez, the family's attorney, said Hernandez had "the most severe case [researchers] had ever seen for someone of Aaron’s age." [CBS Boston] * A man after Trump's own heart: During a recent speaking engagement, Justice Neil Gorsuch explained why he believes judges ought to be conservative on the bench, saying that "the job of the judge to apply it, not amend the law ... even when he might well prefer a very different outcome." Later, he said judges must stick to interpreting laws instead of rewriting them. [Associated Press] * Uh-oh. Skadden is under fire for work the firm did for Paul Manafort five years ago. Apparently Manafort asked the firm to write a report justifying the jailing of a client's political rival, and it's coming back to haunt them. The DOJ wants the firm to hand over all documents having to do with the matter. [New York Times] * After being fired by President Donald Trump for her refusal to defend the travel ban, former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates has found a new home, at least for this semester. Yates will serve as a Distinguished Lecturer from Government at Georgetown Law. Congratulations! [Law.com] * In an effort to bring on-campus residential life back for law students -- and thanks to alumni donations totaling $60 million -- Yale Law is expanding its campus for the first time in almost 100 years. Construction on the new dorm is expected to be completed by the end of next summer. [Yale Daily News]

By Staci Zaretsky