Law School Deans

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.08.16

* "Our goal will be to be as transparent as possible about our results, while complying with our various legal obligations." The Justice Department may have chosen not to bring charges against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, but that didn't stop the State Department from reopening its investigation into her email scandal just one day later. [Associated Press] * Has the Roberts Court turned liberal? Not really, says Linda Greenhouse. Considering that "today's conservative justices are a good deal more conservative than the liberal justices are liberal," the results of the high court's last two blockbuster cases were really about righting wrongs that flew in the face of existing laws. [New York Times] * This month, Risa Goluboff, the first woman to ever serve at the helm of UVA Law, began her stint as dean, and a great number of the burning questions that she was asked in this interview relate to work/life balance. Perhaps the next time another man is named dean at a law school, he'll have to answer similar questions. [Big Law Business] * A judge has ruled that Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial may proceed over the objections of his lawyers, who were apparently upset they weren't able to cross-examine Andrea Constand, the comedian's accuser, during a preliminary hearing earlier this year. "It's our position we're not going to re-traumatize victims," said a prosecutor. [NBC News] * Arthur Olick, bankruptcy pioneer and Anderson Kill partner, RIP. [WSJ Law Blog]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.30.16

* In case you haven't been keeping score like we have, these are the firms that recently raised salaries: Kaye Scholer, Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst, and Kasowitz Benson. If you’re worried you’ve missed any of our coverage on pay raises, you can check out our omnibus 2016 salary chart where we collect these stories. [2016 Salary Increase / Above the Law] * Brexit isn't just the financial undoing of a nation anymore: Boston Beer, the brewer of Sam Adams Boston Lager, has filed an intent-to-use trademark application to turn Brexit into a hard cider made from apples sourced in the UK. Just close your eyes, think of England, and take a swig before the next time you look at your 401(k). [WSJ Law Blog] * This term at the Supreme Court was a big letdown for conservatives. First, Justice Antonin Scalia passed away, and then the high court continued to shift leftwards, leading liberals to prevail in some of the Court's most influential decisions, from affirmative action to abortion rights. Better luck next term, conservatives. [Washington Post] * Even though the school has offered buyouts to all of its tenured faculty and laid off staff, Dean Andrea Lyon says the worst is over for Valparaiso Law. Meanwhile, the school's former dean says it could close, but doesn't think it's likely. Right now, he's more worried about whether Valpo's former students will survive. [Indiana Lawyer] * Trinity Western University may have to take its law school aspirations to the Supreme Court of Canada. As it stands, there are three provinces that refuse to accredit the law school based on the fact that students and staff must sign a discriminatory covenant to abstain from sexual activity unless it's between husband and wife. [CBC News] * Former TV Judge Joe Brown can no longer practice law in Tennessee because he's been placed on disability inactive status. Brown had a petition for discipline filed against him this fall after an unseemly outburst in court, which he now blames on complications from diabetes medication, hypertension, and stress. Get well soon. [Commercial Appeal]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.06.16

* Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has already attacked a federal judge due to his "Mexican heritage," and now he's speaking out about judges' religious beliefs. Trump apparently thinks Muslim judges would be biased against him due to his plans to ban Muslim immigrants. [New York Times] * Reviled pharma bro Martin Shkreli finds himself on the wrong side of the law, again: He -- along with his ex-attorney, Evan Greebel (formerly of Kaye Scholer) -- has been accused of scheming to defraud potential investors of Retrophin, the drug company Shkreli founded in 2011. [Associated Press] * Ouch! Last week, Norton Rose stole an entire practice group from Sidley Austin. The 17-member public finance group, including six partners, will move to San Francisco, marking the firm's entrance into the Northern California market. [Big Law Business] * Dean Phyliss Craig-Taylor of North Carolina Central University School of Law has been appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Congratulations! [News & Observer] * A suit filed against Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby that accused her of firing prosecutors due to their political associations has been dismissed. According to Judge J. Frederick Motz (D. Md.), prosecutors can be fired for political reasons. [Baltimore Sun]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.26.16

* John LaTorre, the former chief financial officer of Barry Law School, recently pleaded guilty to second-degree grand theft after spending tens of thousands of dollars on school corporate card to finance his Hooters outings and pay his utilities bills. LaTorre faces up to 10 years of probation and will have to pay the school $24,838 in restitution in monthly payments of at least $175. [Orlando Sentinel] * Professor Sujit Choudhry may have resigned from his position as dean of Berkeley Law School after being accused in a sexual harassment scandal, but now he says the school is trying to strip him of his tenure, and he's not going to go down without a fight. In a grievance letter, Choudhry claims school officials smeared him in the press and violated his due process rights. We'll have more on this development later today. [WSJ Law Blog] * This "sets back every blind person who wants to be a lawyer out there": Three blind law students have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against BARBRI, alleging that the bar exam test preparation company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to properly accommodate them with usable study materials, thereby "preventing them from fully, equally, and adequately preparing for the bar exam." [Dallas Morning News] * Just when you thought this ugly legal dispute couldn't get any messier, one of Dennis Hastert's sexual assault accusers decided to sue the former Speaker of the House for breach of contract. Identified as James Doe in his pleadings, he alleges that Hastert agreed to pay him $3.5M in hush money for keeping quiet about the abuse he endured when he was a teen, but thus far, he's only seen $1.7M of those funds. [CBS Chicago] * It's late April, and if you're still looking for advice on your personal statement for your law school applications, then you're probably already in trouble. However, if you're desperate for a helpful hint even this late in the game and your law school of choice has a late submission deadline, you may want to try including a thesis -- it'll keep your essay from becoming a regurgitation of your résumé. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News]

By Staci Zaretsky