Military / Military Law

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.25.19

* Some think Justice Clarence Thomas may be dropping hints that he's about to retire (e.g., this little First Amendment gem), but those who know him well think he's getting ready for a conservative revolution, and he's got an army of former clerks to back him up. [CNN] * It’s Mueller time! Special counsel Robert Mueller’s sentencing memo for Paul Manafort is 800 pages long and makes the president’s former campaign chairman out to be a "hardened" and "bold" criminal who “repeatedly and brazenly” broke the law and “presents a grave risk of recidivism.” [New York Times] * A federal judge has ruled that the all-male military draft that requires men to register with the Selective Service System is unconstitutional, as "the time has passed" for debate on women's roles in the armed services. [USA Today] * Paul Manafort's get out of jail free card might not save him from more charges. New York prosecutors are ready to file a case against Donald Trump's ex-campaign chairman if he's pardoned by the president for all of his other crimes. [Bloomberg] * Benjamin Rauf, the Temple Law School graduate accused of killing one of his classmates in a drug deal gone bad, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and a weapons charge and been sentenced to 15 years behind bars. [Delaware News Journal] * Thanks to ATL's 2018 Lawyer of the Year Michael Avenatti, R. Kelly was indicted and arrested on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. His bond was set at an "exceedingly reasonable" $1 million, but he's already spent some time in jail because he couldn't come up with the $100,000 bail needed to leave. [Chicago Tribune] * In case you missed it, Brooklyn Law School graduate Shawn Sinclair was kicked out of the running to become DJ Pauly D's girlfriend on MTV's "Game of Clones" because she's more "dinner, couch, sweatpants" than "gym, tan, laundry." [MTV]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.26.18

* In an effort to bypass the decisions -- and injunctions -- of lower appellate courts, the Trump administration has taken the "highly unusual step" of asking the Supreme Court to issue a ruling on its transgender military ban. [USA Today] * In other news, the Trump administration has reportedly struck a deal with Mexico that will completely overhaul our asylum system so that seekers will have to Remain in Mexico (the plan's eloquent name) while their cases move through our courts. [Washington Post] * Sorry, but you're not "immune" to this one: A New York judge has asserted jurisdiction over Donald Trump in a lawsuit brought by AG Barbara Underwood against the Trump Foundation, the president, and three of his children. [NPR] * "We shouldn’t be in this position where the future of certain policies turn on whether this old woman is healthy or not." The Supreme Court's future is resting on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's health, and people are starting to get nervous. [The Hill] * "Let's have a hearing and invite everyone to see." Former FBI director James Comey says he'll fight a subpoena to testify privately before the House Judiciary Committee if for no other reason than because he wants the world to know what happened. [CNN] * In case you missed it amid this year's bonus frenzy, senior associates at top-tier Biglaw firms taking in $465K are now making more in total compensation than partners from at least a dozen Am Law 200 firms. Ouch. [American Lawyer]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.22.17

* After about two weeks of silence, President Trump has finally spoken out about the sexual misconduct allegations that Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore is facing. Seeming to indicate support for the accused child molester, the president said, "Roy Moore denies it. That's all I can say," before he ripped into Moore's opponent. [AL.com] * "Practically every law school in the country is offering more tuition discounts or scholarships than they did pre-2010." Now is apparently a great time to apply to law school, if only because it'll wind up being cheaper than it's been in years. [U.S. News] * Biglaw is getting in on the green rush in Canada ahead of its nationwide legalization of recreational marijuana. Dentons, Cassels Brock, and Stikeman Elliott each have roles as counsel in a huge cannabis deal in the Great White North. [Am Law] * Another federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from banning transgender people from serving in the military, ruling that the ban "cannot possibly constitute a legitimate governmental interest." We can't wait to see the president's angry tweets about this. [Reuters] * When it comes to parental leave at Biglaw firms, staff members are really getting the short end of the stick. In fact, at some firms, hourly staff members aren't even considered for parental leave benefits. [Big Law Business] * Judge William M. Hoeveler, legendary jurist (S.D. Fla.), RIP. [Miami Herald]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.28.17

* The Senate rejects the latest GOP effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act -- with Senator John McCain casting the decisive "no" vote. [Washington Post] * Riley Safer Holmes and Cancila continues its rapid expansion, adding 13 new lawyers -- including eight from Bryan Cave, led by former managing partner Joseph McCoy. [Law360] * More bad news for the LGBT community from the Trump administration: the Justice Department takes the position that Title VII doesn't cover discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. [How Appealing] * Meanwhile, civil rights and LGBT groups get ready to file suit if President Trump's plan to ban transgender people from the military becomes a reality (which is not yet the case). [National Law Journal] * And these groups might just prevail -- Michael Richter and Anna Pohl, chairs of the New York City Bar Association’s Military Affairs and LGBT Rights Committees, lay out the case for why the transgender ban is unconstitutional. [The Hill] * Stephanie Francis Ward takes a long, hard look at the woes of Charlotte School of Law -- and the rest of the beleaguered Infilaw consortium of law schools. [ABA Journal] * Closing statements in the Martin Shkreli case paint very different pictures of the infamous "Pharma Bro." [Law.com] * Nuisance claims, or nuisance suits? Judge James Donato (N.D. Cal.) seems skeptical of a purported class-action case targeting Pokémon GO (which recently added Legendaries to the game). [The Recorder]

By David Lat