Georgetown University Law Center

* 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]

* Credit where credit is due: Attorney General Jeff Sessions wins qualified praise for his forceful condemnation of the Charlottesville violence. [New York Times]

* Donald Trump needs all the legal help he can get — so he’s surely pleased and proud about daughter Tiffany Trump starting up at Georgetown Law this month. (More on this later.) [Washington Post]

* And wouldn’t it be incredibly awkward interesting to have Tiffany as a classmate in your Con Law class this semester? [New York Times via How Appealing]

* The ABA will reconsider its controversial, much-criticized changes to how law schools report graduate employment data. [Law.com]

* Taylor Swift prevails in her lawsuit accusing DJ David Mueller of groping her during a photo op. [Law360]

* Merger mania spreads — from Biglaw to boutiques. [Law.com]

* Tech company DreamHost will resist — a Justice Department effort to acquire information about visitors to an anti-Trump website set up to coordinate Inauguration Day protests. [Washington Post]

* An investors’ lawyer claims that his lawsuit against Duane Morris “could bankrupt that firm.” [Law.com]

* There are reasonable arguments for and against splitting up the Ninth Circuit, but the ABA’s position is clear: firmly opposed. [ABA Journal]

* President Donald Trump rejects reports that he’s considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller, while offering a less-than-ringing endorsement of his relationship with Attorney General Jeff Sessions: “It is what it is.” [New York Times]

* Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, whose house was the subject of a predawn raid by the FBI, parts ways with WilmerHale and goes back to his former lawyers at Miller & Chevalier. [National Law Journal]

* Meanwhile, the Trump administration files its opening brief in the Supreme Court in the travel ban litigation. [How Appealing]

* Georgetown Law launches a new con-law center, the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, led by star SCOTUS litigator Neal Katyal, former National Security Council official Joshua Geltzer, and former Justice Department official Mary McCord. [ABA Journal]

* Some Democratic senators claim that the White House isn’t consulting them enough about judicial nominations. [Politico]

* The hype may exceed the reality on alternative-fee arrangements — but not at pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline, which takes an aggressive and innovative approach to AFAs. [Am Law Daily]

* Settling the “pink slime” litigation cost Disney/ABC how much? [How Appealing]

* Also not cheap: the costs of bad-faith discovery spoliation. [Big Law Business]

* The government can work out exactly how NSA contractor Reality Winner leaked classified documents, but no one seems capable of explaining how America gave Top Secret clearance to someone named “Reality Winner.” [Quartz]

* An open letter to Tiffany Trump from one of her future classmates. [Teen Vogue]

* A profile of Don McGahn that begins “By day, Don McGahn is a straight-laced lawyer, but by night, he’s a long-haired rocker.” Oh? An affluent middle aged white guy sublimates his sad existence through a Peter Pan complex… tell me more! [NPR]

* If you were wagering, we now know that Robert Barnes picked up his client Cassandra Fairbanks on Twitter. I’d have bet on the Pepe the Frog subreddit. [National Law Journal]

* Kokesh puts kibosh on SEC disgorgement. [Corporate Counsel]

* Chamber wants a rule to expose litigation financing. [Law.com]

* Now the Trump administration is hitting firms in the wallet — with partner Charles Tobin moving to Ballard Spahr, bailing on Holland & Knight over their alleged policy of never taking on matters adverse to Donald Trump. [Legal Intelligencer]

* Speaking of Ballard Spahr, they’re moving to a new office in New York. [NY Post]

* Wanda Sykes’s is a big fan of Sally Yates. Wanda Sykes is all of us. [Jezebel]

* If this happens I will be gladly paying my New York State income taxes from now on. [Salon]

* No, Tiffany Trump cannot take (most of) these classes next year because, you know, she’ll be a 1L. [Slate]

* Some of these people are making it a habit to argue in front of SCOTUS. [Empirical SCOTUS]

* JDs don’t have the same power as MBAs. [Law and More]

* It’s like it never even happened. [The Root]

* Sure, this they’ll prepare for. Health-care reform? Not so much. [The Hill]

* According to reports, Donald Trump is “obsessed” with his next possible Supreme Court nomination, and it seems like the president is trying to use their sons’ friendship to remain in Justice Kennedy’s good graces — after all, he’s banking on the high court’s swing justice to retire. [POLITICO]

* The new year has not been kind as far as employment in the legal profession is concerned. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector took a beating in March, losing about 1,500 jobs. This is the third month in a row that the legal sector has lost jobs. Ouch. [Am Law Daily]

* Ajit Pai, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is planning to repeal Obama-era landmark net neutrality rules in the hope of internet providers volunteering to maintain an open internet, and then binding them to compliance through their terms of service. Let’s see how well this works out… [Reuters]

* Remember Shon Hopwood, the bank robber who won a SCOTUS case as a jailhouse lawyer, went to law school, and clerked for the D.C. Circuit? He’s got a new job as a Georgetown Law prof. Talk about a remarkable career path. Congrats! [Seattle Times]

* “SCOTUS judge, feminist icon, Bubby. Notorious.” Believe it or not, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg won a March Madness bracket. Click the link to see what we mean. [Jewcy]