Japan
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 07.23.18
* As it turns out, this Supreme Court gig was Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s from the start. According to a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire released this past weekend, the judge received a call from the White House within hours of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement announcement being made public. [National Law Journal]
* But hey, at least law students say that Judge Kavanaugh has “great hair!” — and the Trump team thinks this is a very important fact that the American public ought to know, so it’s been republished on the White House website. [New York Times; TIME]
* Per President Trump, taping client conversations is “inconceivable,” “totally unheard of,” and “perhaps illegal,” but his legal team decided to waive attorney-client privilege on the secret recording made by his former lawyer Michael Cohen with regard to possible payments to a Playboy model Karen anyway. [CBS News]
* Matthew Bresette, a T&E attorney who formerly served as the managing partner of Nutter McClellan’s Hyannis, Massachusetts, office, recently resigned after being temporarily suspended from practicing law following his misappropriation of funds from the firm and funds from his clients’ trusts. [American Lawyer]
* Fordham Law School has helped one of its incoming students invoke the anger of an entire country. In announcing that Kei Komuro, who is engaged to Princess Mako of Japan, would be attending the school, he was referred to as her fiancé, even though their “betrothal ceremony has not yet been held.” People are MAD! [New York Times]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 04.06.17
* Every question you ever had about dead alligator permits. [Everyday Should be Saturday]
* Remember when filibusters used to be a thing? They were glorious and noble and they live on in movies and TV. [Slate]
* The legal battle over President James Polk’s remains. [Pictorial]
* Want some awful ideas for team building at your firm’s next event? Don’t say I never did nothing for ya. [Bitter Empire]
* Excellent news for same-sex couples in Japan. [Mashable]
* How do you make a legal comeback? [Law and More]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 12.31.15
Ed. note: Happy New Year! Above the Law will be dark tomorrow, New Year’s Day. We’ll be back on Monday, January 4, 2016.
* Everything you read about the Supreme Court is wrong. [The Hill]
* Is it even possible for Bill Cosby to get a fair trial? [New York Personal Injury Law Blog]
* Maybe the best ever defense for a DUI. [Slate]
* There are law schools in the world facing a worse enrollment crisis than U.S. programs. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Important issues: Ohio Supreme Court won’t hear case about pet ducks. [ABC News]
* A book review of Alice Paul: Claiming Power (affiliate link) which provides the basics you need to know about the suffrage movement. [Lawyers, Guns and Money]
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Crime
Lawyer Loses Manhood -- I Don't Mean Figuratively
A lawyer in the middle of a violent love triangle has paid a hefty price for his actions. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 02.02.15
* Fun fact: Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson’s uncle is the managing principal of of Beverage & Diamond’s D.C. office. Thanks to a gentlemen’s bet, because Wilson’s team lost the Super Bowl, his uncle will have to wear a Gronk or Tom Brady jersey. Ouch. [Legal Times]
* One of the homeless dogs who played in Animal Planet’s 11th annual Puppy Bowl was adopted by Bob Bernstein, a former partner at Kaye Scholer. The adorable Great Pyrenees-mix now leads a life of privilege, as any Biglaw pet should. [New York Post]
* We know all about the former law school dean who was recently arrested on some pretty salacious charges. We’ll have more on this later today. [Dallas Morning News]
* The interim dean of religiously affiliated Liberty Law thinks challenges to the school’s heteronormative honor code are a “concern for the future” — especially since a Canadian Christian law school is under fire for a similar code. [Deseret News]
* It’s not just law schools in the United States that are feeling the pinch of a fewer applicants amid a pathetic legal job market. Japan’s legal education system is also struggling, and some law schools may merge in order to survive. [Japan Times]
* Prosecutors say formal charges won’t be filed in George Zimmerman’s latest aggravated assault case because his current girlfriend recanted her claims, just like his ex did. His lawyer was wrong — his client does have luck with the ladies. [CNN]
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Free Speech, Racism, Romance and Dating, Sexism, Sexual Harassment
Pick-Up Artist Gets Hilariously Scathing Legal Rebuke
"Julien Blanc may bully Japanese girls, but he will not bully our client." -
Banking Law, Gay, Job Searches, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Rankings
Morning Docket: 11.03.14
* Two women will be making their oral argument debuts before the Supreme Court this week. One of them will be arguing two cases in the span of a month, which is absolutely insane. [National Law Journal]
* Big banks are putting aside big money for legal costs: Citi squirreled away an extra $600 million, RBS is ready to hand over $600 million, and Barclays has $800 million on tap. [DealBook / New York Times]
* In preparation for the prestige frenzy come March 2015, law schools will have about three weeks to complete their survey information for the annual U.S. News law school rankings. [Morse Code / U.S. News]
* The controversial, anti-gay Trinity Western University Law School may not be able to open after all. The B.C. Law Society just voted to overturn its prior approval of the school’s accreditation. [CBC News]
* It seems the United States isn’t the only place where recent law school graduates are struggling to find jobs. In Japan, newly licensed lawyers can’t find work either. Saitei, my friends, saitei. 🙁 [Japan Times]
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Asians, Biglaw, Blog Wars, Blogging, California, Politics, Reader Polls, Weirdness, Women's Issues
An Update On Mayer Brown's Curious And Controversial Case
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Asians, Biglaw, Blog Wars, Blogging, California, Politics, Reader Polls, Weirdness, Women's Issues
A Biglaw Firm's 'Disgusting' And 'Despicable' Lawsuit?
Is this lawsuit, filed by a leading law firm, deserving of condemnation? Or is it just par for the Biglaw course? -
6th Circuit, Biglaw, Celebrities, D.C. Circuit, FCC, Federal Judges, Food, john quinn, Labor / Employment, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Nude Dancing, Technology, Trials
Morning Docket: 09.11.13
* Earlier this week, Verizon faced off against the Federal Communications Commission in a net neutrality battle royal before the D.C. Circuit. Next time, make FiOS work before trying to get a do-over on the way the internet runs. [New York Times]
* “I see my job as an air traffic controller. And I see an unending line of airplanes.” Federal judges are buckling under the heavy weight of their caseloads, and from the sound of it, they’re not at all happy about the situation. [National Law Journal (sub. req.)]
* Which Biglaw firms strike the most fear into the hearts of their opponents when it comes to litigation? One firm got the boot from last year’s list, and we’ll have more on this later today. [Law360 (sub. req.)]
* Duane Morris is the first U.S. firm to open an office in Myanmar on some prime real estate. Be jealous of their associates as they bask in the splendor of its beautiful architecture. [Philadelphia Business Journal]
* A trio of Quinn Emanuel partners, including John Quinn himself, teamed up to open a high-class sushi joint in L.A. If he waits tables, he’ll definitely need someone to break a hundred. [Am Law Daily (sub. req.)]
* The Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a former student’s suit against Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and now he’ll have to live with shame for all eternity after being branded a cheater. [Law360 (sub. req.)]
* Strippers aren’t independent contractors, they’re employees entitled to minimum wage, says a judge. Taking off their clothes for only $7.25 an hour will do wonders for their self-esteem. [New York Daily News]
* Lady Gaga is being taken to trial over the wage-and-hour lawsuit filed by her former personal assistant. We wonder if the pop star will be as foul-mouthed on the stand as she was in her deposition. [ABC News]
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Biglaw, ERISA, Gender, Intellectual Property, Labor / Employment, Litigators, Litigatrix, Old People, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, Patents, Women's Issues
Does Ropes & Gray Hate the Old and Gray?
Wouldn't you love such generous retirement benefits? -
Gay, Gay Marriage, Job Searches, john quinn, Non-Sequiturs, Running, Student Loans
Non-Sequiturs: 01.29.13
* I’m not usually the editor to comment on the appearance of shirtless men, but this Aaron Tobey kid looks fine. And righteous. [Wired] * That sound you hear could be the student loan bubble starting to burst. [FICO] * The Supreme Court’s DOMA ruling will have an impact on immigration reform. I’m kind of interested to see what happens, given that the Court contains at least four conservatives who are immune to the rising electoral power of Hispanics and gays. [Buzzfeed] * Recruiter Scott Love offers tips on lateral partner hiring. Here are mine. Step one: throw money at them. Step two: Hire a prostitute to make love to them on a beach, then take pictures you can threaten to send to their spouses. Hey, it worked for Bendini, Lambert and Locke. [Attorney Search Group] * John Quinn (of Quinn Emanuel fame) wrote a great article about running in Roppongi. I had to Google that. Apparently “running” is a forward locomotion that people do for fun or fitness. [Wall Street Journal] * There’s still room to meet with ABA president Laurel Bellows and talk about women’s issues like “how am I supposed to get a job in this f**king economy.” That’s not to be confused with men’s issues like “dude, how am I supposed to get a f**king job in this economy.” [Ms. J.D.] -
9th Circuit, Document Review, Drinking, Gay Marriage, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 02.07.12
* The fact that this guy got so drunk off of beer pong means he’s probably the best pong competitor who has ever lived. [New York Post] * This is the best document review job ever. I’m not joking. Does $85/hour sound like a joke? You might need to learn Japanese, though. [Constitutional Daily] * […]
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Abortion, Fabulosity, Gay, Health Care / Medicine, Insider Trading, Morning Docket, Paul Bergrin
Morning Docket: 09.13.11
* Mississippi’s “personhood” ballot measure could ban not only abortion, but birth control, too. This is supposed to “protect women.” Protect women from what, their right to choose? [Huffington Post] * This defense attorney has seen plenty of big cases before, but this may be his biggest one yet. Paul Bergrin has been given the […]
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Biglaw, ERISA, Gender, Intellectual Property, Labor / Employment, Litigators, Litigatrix, Old People, Partner Issues, Patents, Women's Issues
Ropes & Gray Sued for Age and Sex Discrimination By Former Partner
On Tuesday, Ropes & Gray was sued in Manhattan federal court by a former partner, Patricia A. Martone. Martone’s lawsuit claims age discrimination, sex discrimination, retaliation, and interference with protected retirement benefits in violation of ERISA (the basis for federal jurisdiction in the S.D.N.Y.). As you might expect from an ex-Ropes partner, Martone has some […] -
Holidays and Seasons, Insider Trading, Non-Sequiturs, Tax Law, Videos, YouTube
Non-Sequiturs: 03.17.11
* Is associate hiring bouncing back? Not so fast. [Young Lawyers Blog] * Tape-recorded trash talk at the Raj Rajaratnam trial. [Dealbreaker] * Here’s a good response to Mark Herrmann’s request for examples of crappy behavior by partners: “Miss a deadline, and then throw your secretary and associate under the bus when called out for […] -
Biglaw, Disasters / Emergencies, Holland & Knight, Pro Bono, Public Interest
More Law Firms Contributing to Japanese Relief Efforts
On Tuesday we told you that McGuireWoods, Dewey & LeBoeuf, and Weil Gosthal were all contributing to the relief efforts under way in Japan. The response has been pretty great. While some people seem to think Japan’s status as a rich nation means it doesn’t need any international aid, I don’t see how the country’s […] -
Biglaw, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Disasters / Emergencies, Pro Bono, Public Interest
Biglaw Firms Poised To Help Japanese Relief Efforts
After the Haitian earthquake last year, we saw law firms step up in a big way to support relief efforts down there. Hopefully we will see the same reaction to the ever-increasing tragedy unfolding in Japan. Given an 8.9 a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, a massive tsunami, and a nuclear disaster that is already the second-worst nuclear […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 03.11.11
* How lawyers in Tokyo were affected by the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan. [Am Law Daily] * Former Judge Jack Camp gets 30 days in prison — even less time than Paris Hilton. That’s some weak sauce. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] * An interesting account, by former Dealbreaker editor (and Skadden lawyer) John Carney, of […]