Judicial Nominees

* In a perfect example of everything wrong with GDPR there are now concerns that, under its terms, blockchain is prohibited. So a law designed to protect privacy might derail the most secure privacy protection technology on the market. Good job! [Legaltech News]

* For months, I’ve used the phrase “GDPR-Y2K-2018.” Looks like someone agrees with me. [Corporate Counsel]

* The lesson we’ve learned over the past week is that being pro-segregation really boosts your chances for the federal bench these days. [Courthouse News Service]

* The air is no so sweet down on Sesame Street, where they’re suing Brian Henson over his new movie, “Happytime Murders.” [Law360]

* A deep dive into that dispute that’s put Michael Avenatti’s firm on the hook for millions. [New York Law Journal]

* Trump’s trade policy may result in economic ruin, but it’ll make a lot of money for lawyers. [American Lawyer]

* Payday lender who tried to skirt the law by claiming to be on Indian reservations slapped with 8-year sentence. [WTOP]

* An interesting (although depressing) factoid, courtesy of Ed Whelan: this former SCOTUS clerk and prominent Florida litigator has been nominated to the federal bench by three different presidents, but has yet to serve as a judge. [Bench Memos / National Review]

* If you’re an older lawyer and “in transition,” you need to get yourself a “temporary identity,” as Jane Genova explains. [Law and More]

* If you’re interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence and the law, Complex/vLex Canada’s CEO, Colin Lachance, provides a framework for understanding the world of legal AI. [3 Geeks and a Law Blog]

* Jonathan Bernstein offers a rebuttal to my recent New York Times op-ed celebrating the demise of blue slips. [Bloomberg]

* When can creators depict real people without risking liability? The ambiguity of the law on this question poses significant problems, according to Jennifer Rothman, author of a new book (affiliate link) about the right of publicity. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason]

* Noted media lawyer Charles Glasser wonders: when it comes to covering President Trump, are news editors “confusing the public interest with what is merely of interest to the public”? [Daily Caller]

* Thomson Reuters gets in on the blockchain action, bringing a blockchain-based legal arbitration platform, Kleros, into its Incubator Labs start-up program. [Artificial Lawyer]

* Final reminder: please support the Jersey City Free Public Library — and enjoy some delicious Filipino food by celebrity chef Dale Talde — by joining me on Thursday, May 17, for what should be a great evening! [Jersey City Free Public Library]

* “Plaintiffs’ claim to being the only ones in the world who can refer to players playing and haters hating is frivolous.” Taylor Swift has successfully shaken off an absurd copyright infringement lawsuit thanks to her lawyer’s player-hating. [THR, Esq. / Hollywood Reporter]

* President Trump has nominated 87 judges thus far, and of those nominees, 80 are white, five are Asian-American, one is Hispanic, and one is African-American. Trump’s nominees are 92 percent white, which “turns the clock back on years of work and effort that went into promoting judicial diversity.” [USA Today]

* Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! What better way for a law firm to celebrate the special occasion than to offer a free divorce? We may have more on this later. [UPI]

* Yesterday was the second anniversary of Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, and [t]hanks to [his] disruption, the Supreme Court may never be the same.” Admirers, critics, and clerks share their memories of the man, the myth, the legend. [National Law Journal]

* Elizabeth Rose, a former employee of Vice Media, has filed a proposed class-action suit against the company, alleging that women were “systemically and intentionally” paid less than their male counterparts in violation of equal pay laws in New York and California, as well as in violation of the Equal Pay Act. [Los Angeles Times]

* Judge Sandra Townes, the first African-American woman to be appointed to the Eastern District of New York, has died of cancer at 73. RIP. [New York Law 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 White House announces ten new judicial nominations, including two for circuit courts (previously predicted in these pages). We’ll have more on this later. [Washington Times]

* King & Spalding joins Jones Day and Sullivan & Cromwell as a “feeder firm” for the Trump administration. [Law.com]

* Will the Trump Justice Department’s possible attack on affirmative action succeed? Law professors disagree. [How Appealing]

* Michelle Carter, the woman convicted for basically texting her boyfriend into committing suicide, gets sentenced to 15 months. [ABA Journal]

* White-collar criminal defense lawyers discuss what to expect from the grand jury convened by special counsel Robert Mueller. [National Law Journal]

* The trend continues: fewer law school graduates, better employment statistics. [ABA Journal]

* Elliot Katz, a leading lawyer in the self-driving-car space, motors from DLA Piper to McGuireWoods. [Law.com]

* If you’ll be online in the afternoon on Wednesday, August 16, join me and ABA Legal Career Central for a Twitter chat about career paths for lawyers, especially alternative careers. [American Bar Association]