Google

* Antitrust laws are going strong... in the EU. [Huffington Post] * And antitrust might just be getting a little boost right here at home. [The Hill] * Trolling journos is a great way to kill democracy. [Forward] * Confused by the travel ban ruling? You're not alone. [Slate] * Marilyn Mosby is under attack. [The Root] * Trump could be hurting the perception of the American legal system. [Law and More] * Liz Warren is out in front on health care. [Salon]

A great tool for small businesses is a perfect fit for small firms.

* As voters head to the polls in Montana, they’re finding out that frontrunner Greg Gianforte allegedly beat up a reporter in front of a bunch of witnesses. Will this doom his chances? Pfft. I present the case study of Michael Grimm. [Huffington Post]

* Here comes the “Marc Kasowitz’s ties to Russia” stories. Newsflash: Russians have a lot of businesses that get sued. Let’s not make an equivalence between representing a Russian bank and handing them classified intelligence. [CNN]

* The D.C. Circuit seems like they might actually save the CFPB. At least until there’s an appeal to some politically hostile higher court. [Law.com]

* Google fighting to avoid becoming a generic term. This is apparently called “genericide” which I’d never heard of. I’ll have to Bing that. [Law360]

* Dentons cutting jobs in the UK. [Legal Week]

* If you want to know more about lobbying, Bracewell lobbyist Josh Zive just started a podcast called “The Lobby Shop.” Apparently “Big Bags O’ Bribes” reflects negatively on the practice. [National Law Journal]

This legal battle between Google and Uber has it all: cutting-edge technology, juicy facts, and top-tier legal talent.

Even the smartest, most tech-savvy folks can get caught in trade-secret shenanigans.

* On the one hand, Trump men seem to have an unhealthy relationship with their daughters. On the other hand, celebrating your daughter’s sexuality is a thing that’s kind of progressive. [BBC]

* Neil Gorsuch will likely recuse himself from this burping case if it comes to the Supreme Court. Which is too bad, because his 10th Circuit dissent in the underlying case seems exactly right. [NPR]

* It’s always fun when Uber loses in court. [Forbes]

* The ACLU is going to fight Donald Trump every day. [ACLU]

* I have an opinion on masturbation as speech… I’m just going to keep it to myself. [Popehat]

* All those U.S. Senators who confirmed Jeff Sessions should be forced to answer for his actions now. [The Root]

* “Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador” — Headline, Washington Post. I mean, of course he did. Nobody is surprised. Nobody will stop him. [Washington Post]

The increased assault on privacy at the border is a wake-up call for lawyers on cybersecurity.

* Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam, the nation’s first female Muslim judge and the first African-American woman to serve on New York’s highest court, was found dead in the Hudson River. We’ll have more on this later. [New York Daily News]

* The Ukraine-related activities of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort are under legal scrutiny — and one of his daughters, lawyer Andrea Manafort, described some of her father’s actions as “legally questionable.” [New York Times]

* Hawaii says “aloha” to the Ninth Circuit in its challenge to Trump Travel Ban 2.0 — and seeks initial en banc review, bypassing a three-judge panel. [ABA Journal]

* So the filibuster is now dead for SCOTUS nominees; are blue slips for lower-court nominees next? [Roll Call via How Appealing]

* Melania Trump settles her defamation litigation with the Daily Mail, getting an apology, a retraction, coverage of her legal fees, and what her lawyer Charles Harder describes as “millions of dollars in damages.” [New York Law Journal]

* Biglaw firms aren’t the only workplaces with gender pay gaps; it’s an issue for in-house legal departments too, including Google’s. [Corporate Counsel]

* Seriously, North Carolina? After its half-hearted repeal of the “bathroom bill,” three lawmakers in the state want to ban gay marriage. [WNCN]

* Judge Janice Rogers Brown of the D.C. Circuit seems to be a fan of Justice Neil Gorsuch’s views on Chevron deference. [Law.com]

* And Justice Elena Kagan will be throwing a party to welcome Justice Gorsuch to the Court. [Washington Post via How Appealing]

Section 230 is still getting the shaft.

Cloud products are getting better and safer every year, as tech columnist Jeff Bennion explains.

Ed. note: In observance of the holidays, Above the Law will be on a reduced publication schedule today and dark Monday, December 26th. We hope you don’t have to bill too much more in 2016! Have a happy holiday!

* Be careful when shopping last-minute holiday deals on Amazon — counterfeits are aplenty. [Slate]

* This terrible Missouri law makes school fights a felony. [Huffington Post]

* Some law professors have their panties in a twist over the University of Oregon’s handling of a law professor’s decision to wear blackface to a Halloween party. [Tax Prof Blog]

* Lessons from the North Carolina political shit show. [Salon]

* Google’s employee confidentiality agreement is the subject of a lawsuit. [Law and More]

Why don't you tell us how you really feel?

Oops.

Innovation and invention are two different things, as columnist David Perla explains.

Binge-watching season 2 of Daredevil on Netflix doesn't seem like quite the accomplishment anymore, does it?

* If Justice Scalia had lived to July, he may have undone all of the advances of the Obama administration, which probably explains why the Republicans are so hard up about Merrick Garland’s nomination. [Slate]

* Feeling inspired by HBO’s Confirmation? Get the skinny on what it’s like to try a discrimination case. [Forensis Group]

* The Office of the Solicitor General has had quite the heavy workload this term. [Empirical SCOTUS]

* The Supreme Court won’t hear the Authors Guild appeal to the Second Circuit ruling in favor of Google for its book scanning project. [Techdirt]

* Gay republican confronts Ted Cruz over religious-freedom inspired laws. Let’s just say Cruz didn’t come off as a defender of LGBTQ rights. [Huffington Post]

* An illuminating interview with Wendy Davis, on what’s next following her defeat in the Texas Gubernatorial race. [Jezebel]

* St. Mary’s law professor David Grenardo on why the NCAA system is unfair, and as a former college football player, he knows what he is talking about. [San Antonio Express-News]

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