Nebraska

  • Morning Docket: 09.15.20
    Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 09.15.20

    * A Florida city has repealed an ordinance against saggy pants over claims that the law unfairly targeted people of color. [Fox News]

    * An Iowa lawyer, who transferred a case to another lawyer without client consent, has been suspended from practice. [Bloomberg Law]

    * The Mayor of Rochester, New York, has fired the city’s police chief and suspended the Rochester City Attorney over the death of Daniel Prude. [Hill]

    * The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that the Green Party will be off the presidential ballot in Wisconsin for the upcoming election. [CNN]

    * Law school deans are asking for an open-book bar exam given the hardships that bar candidates presently face. [ABA Journal]

    * A Nebraska lawyer has been sentenced to up to four years in prison for purportedly keeping thousands of dollars of settlement money meant for clients. [Lincoln Journal Star]

    * Attorneys General of several states are calling on Netflix to remove the show Cuties due to alleged sexualization of children. [ABC News]

  • Morning Docket: 06.29.20
    Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 06.29.20

    * The estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is suing Netflix for its depiction of Sherlock Holmes as a kind and caring sleuth. Wonder if there was ever legal action over Holmes and Watson… [CNN]

    * Texas law firms are rethinking reopening plans amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. [Texas Lawyer]

    * A disciplinary panel has suggested a two-year suspension for a lawyer who showed “aggressive tactics and relentless vindictiveness” in practicing law. Some clients might like those qualities. [ABA Journal]

    * A lawyer claims that he was retaliated against for exposing financial irregularities at a healthcare company. [Dallas Morning News]

    * Justin Bieber has filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against women who have accused him of assault. [CNN]

    * A Nebraska attorney who accepted cocaine as compensation has been disbarred. He should have just stuck to cash, check, or credit card… [Associated Press]

  • Morning Docket: 03.31.20
    Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 03.31.20

    * A federal judge has dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by a tattoo artist who claims his work was copied when the video game NBA 2K depicted Lebron James with his tattoo. That’s a fact pattern worthy of a law school exam. [New York Post]

    * A Nebraska attorney has been disbarred for punching his 83-year old father in the face. [Bloomberg Law]

    * A federal judge in Texas has blocked the state’s ban on non-essential abortions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. [CBS News]

    * A federal judge has agreed to advance a lawsuit against Panera alleging that it misled customers when it only used trace amounts of blueberries in its blueberry muffins. Please tell me they only don’t use trace amounts of chocolate in their chocolate chip muffins… [Reuters]

    * An attorney who interrupted a deposition around 145 times and made 106 objections has been sanctioned $1,000. [ABA Journal]

    * In-house counsel at a variety of companies, including The Cheesecake Factory, are facing pay cuts because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not even joking, I would gladly accept cheesecake as part of my compensation package. [Bloomberg Law]

  • Morning Docket: 12.27.16
    Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 12.27.16

    * According to CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford, sources have said that President-elect Trump has narrowed his list of potential Supreme Court nominees down to five candidates: Bill Pryor (Eleventh Circuit), Thomas Hardiman (Third Circuit), Steve Colloton (Eighth Circuit), Diane Sykes (Seventh Circuit), and Joan Larsen (Michigan Supreme Court). Which judge do you think the PEOTUS will choose? [Face the Nation / CBS News]

    * President-elect Trump isn’t just inheriting a Supreme Court vacancy — he’s inheriting much, much more. Thanks to an “unprecedented level of obstruction” on the part of Republican senators when it came to President Obama’s federal judicial nominees, there are more than 100 judicial vacancies, which will give the Trump administration the leeway to reshape the judiciary through lifetime appointments. [Washington Post]

    * Is the end near for the European and Middle Eastern branch of King & Wood Mallesons? As other Biglaw firms poach partners, the firm has filed a notice to appoint administrators, and according to a spokesperson, this legal move was “designed to protect the firm from its creditors … as it continues to explore all available options.” The firm is not expected to file for pre-pack administration until January. [Am Law Daily]

    * There is a dire shortage of rural lawyers in flyover country, and it’s causing the justice gap to become even wider in some states. For example, Nebraska has 93 counties, and 11 of them are without a single lawyer. This is a problem that’s left other lawyers traveling far and wide to see clients and potential clients attempting to handle their legal matters themselves — which has caused errors in business matters, divorces, and wills. [NPR]

    * If you’ve applied to law school, you may be wondering how you can best prepare for a recorded video interview. You may think it’s tough to impress an admissions committee through such impersonal means, but if you prepare for this as if it were a live interview, keep your answers short and sweet (think one minute or less), and be yourself, you’ll have this one in the bag. You can review some of these practice questions. [U.S. News]

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  • Morning Docket: 03.24.16
    Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 03.24.16

    * “If you give a judge a meeting, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk, because he is probably very thirsty from that one time you compared him to Idi Amin.” In light of the stranglehold Republicans have on Chief Judge Merrick Garland’s fate when it comes to his confirmation hearings, Dahlia Lithwick composed this cute riff on the children’s book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. [Slate]

    * In an attempt to get with the times, Vermont Law is offering a Reduced-Residency Juris Doctor program, where students will be able to take up to 15 credits online in an off-campus location. Unfortunately, this flexibility comes at a price — the same exact price as the school’s regular J.D. program. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg]

    * Considering the high tensions during oral arguments yesterday in Zubik v. Burwell, a legal battle having to do with the ACA’s contraceptives mandate, the Supreme Court seems poised to issue another 4-4 split decision in one of the most controversial cases this term. If that happens, the lower court ruling would be left intact. [New York Times]

    * The ABA Journal wants to know how much you paid in law school tuition. If you graduated before the cost of a three-year legal education was akin to a mortgage, please take a moment to reflect on how lucky you are. If you’re a recent graduate, you’ve got plenty of people to commiserate with about your hefty debt burdens. [ABA Journal]

    * “Did the Supreme Court make weed legal across America?” No, no it did not, and you must be stoned if you think that’s what the high court did in its decision, or lack thereof, in the Nebraska v. Colorado case that it begged off on earlier this week. For now, the federal legalization of marijuana is nothing more than just a pipe dream. [Inquisitr]

  • Morning Docket: 02.17.16
    Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 02.17.16

    * “There’s no unwritten law that says it can only be done in off years. That’s not in the constitutional text.” Angering armchair constitutional scholars, President Obama vowed to appoint someone to replace Justice Scalia following his death, despite the fact that it’s an election year. [New York Times]

    * “My gut tells me there is something fishy going on in Texas.” The fact that Justice Scalia was found dead with a pillow over his head has made conspiracy theorists come out in droves. Some are “stunned” that an autopsy wasn’t performed on the late justice. [Daily Intelligencer / New York Magazine]

    * Dickstein Shapiro partners were informed via letter that they’d face “the almost certain loss of all firm capital.” For some equity partners, that’s more than $1 million — and the letter wasn’t even signed “sincerely.” How rude! [National Law Journal via ABA Journal]

    * Justice Scalia’s passing could have an impact on the anti-marijuana legalization suit filed by Nebraska and Oklahoma against Colorado. The Court was supposed to discuss it this week, but the justices may not want to overpack their bowls, so to speak. [Guardian]

    * Troubled Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane will not be seeking reelection after her term expires in January 2017. With her license to practice law suspended and criminal charges pending, we’ll see if she’s even able to make it that far. [WSJ Law Blog]

    * Vigilante justice on the internet swift: Despite Google listing the firm as “permanently closed” and its brutal one-star Yelp rating, “Making a Murderer” prosecutor Ken Kratz assured reporters his law firm was still open, contrary to appearances. [Post-Crescent]

    * Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former U.N. Secretary General, RIP. [New York Times]

  • Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 12.17.15

    * Donald Trump has been having a rollicking good time on the campaign trail as the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, but he may have to take a break to testify in a trademark dispute over “Trump Your Competition.” [WSJ Law Blog]

    * It seems that Venable has been dragged into a huge Facebook stock scam, and thanks to a former partner’s alleged conduct, the Biglaw firm is now being accused of assisting a con man in a $11.3 million fraud related to the social media giant’s initial public offering. [New York Post]

    * The Obama administration has finally made a move in the SCOTUS case filed by Oklahoma and Nebraska seeking to overturn legal weed in Colorado. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli thinks the justices would have to be high to even entertain it. [Reuters]

    * Trinity Western Law grads were previously banned from practicing law in British Columbia, Canada, due to the Christian school forcing students to sign abstinence pledges, but because of this recent ruling, the tides have turned. [NewBostonPost]

    * “This will not be the end of the road for solitary confinement reform, but we really think it’s a watershed moment.” Thanks to a $62M settlement, New York will be changing the way it deals with solitary confinement in state prisons. [New York Times]

    * After finding out that Justice Scalia was rejected from two of his top-choice schools, the ABA Journal wants you to reflect on your own rejections and acceptances. Where did you apply to law school, and where did you decide to go? Let us know. [ABA Journal]

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  • Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 10.19.15

    * After a recent vote, the Florida Bar flat-out rejected a supposedly “controversial” proposal for bar reciprocity. Attorneys in the Sunshine State absolutely, positively do NOT want you practicing law there if you haven’t taken the Florida bar. [WSJ Law Blog]

    * Tomorrow, Oscar Pistorius will be released from prison after having only served a fifth of a five-year sentence for killing his girlfriend, a law school graduate. He’ll begin a stint of house arrest, and he’s not allowed to have guns there… for very obvious reasons. [UPI]

    * The case of the missing mistrial? After four weeks of deliberation, and after having acquitted the defendants of a slew of lesser charges, the jury in the criminal trial against the ex-execs of Dewey & LeBoeuf will enter a new month without a full verdict. [Reuters]

    * The Nebraska Legislature voted to abolish the death penalty in the state, but supporters of capital punishment have forced a November 2016 referendum vote instead. Not to worry, “[n]obody’s going to be executed in Nebraska anytime soon.” [New York Times]

    * This week, Connecticut’s Appellate Court will hear cases at the state’s most famous — and most prestigious — law school. Don’t get too excited, Yalies, because this has nothing to do with you. In fact, you’ve probably never even heard of this place. [Associated Press]

  • Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 02.17.15

    * Following NBC’s announcement of his six-month suspension without pay, Brian Williams turned to Robert Barnett of Williams & Connolly to save his career. The pair met when they were Supreme Court clerks — oopsie, we guess that’s another misrepresentation. [Am Law Daily]

    * “We weren’t about to ask them to risk life and limb to get in.” As Boston braces for yet another snowstorm, Biglaw firms are trying to figure out how they can continue to operate. Punxsutawney Phil is keeping the wheels of justice from turning. [National Law Journal]

    * The Supreme Court has granted Colorado an extension to respond to a lawsuit filed by Nebraska and Oklahoma which claims that its decision to legalize marijuana was unconstitutional. Puff, puff, pass this cert vote, SCOTUS. [Cannabist / Denver Post]

    * Regulators! Mount up… and then run away to your new Biglaw firms. Preet Bharara’s S.D.N.Y. roster is constantly changing thanks to the golden handcuffs large law firms offer, but Bharara still “love[s] all [his] children equally.” [DealBook / New York Times]

    * David Messerschmitt, the DLA Piper associate who was found dead in a Washington, D.C., hotel room last week, is remembered by his colleagues as “someone so talented and so nice.” There have been no new breaks in his murder investigation. [Legal Times]

  • Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 02.16.15

    Ed. note: Due to the Presidents’ Day holiday, we will be on a reduced publication schedule today. We will still be publishing, but less frequently than usual. We will be back in full force tomorrow.

    * The news is in, and it seems that Davis Polk’s financial numbers were at record highs. The firm’s revenue beat the $1 billion mark for the first time ever, and its PPP rose to $3.29 million. No wonder its 2014 bonuses were so awesome! [Am Law Daily]

    * Yes, we know that William Mitchell Law and Hamline Law are merging to survive as a result of a quickly disappearing applicant pool. We’d really love to know how many other law schools are considering this as an alternative to closing their doors. [Star Tribune]

    * How are Nebraska and Oklahoma, which neighbor Colorado, where marijuana has been legalized, handling the situation? Not well. Their AGs want SCOTUS to rule the weed law in the state where you can get Rocky Mountain High is unconstitutional. [PBS NewsHour]

    * Thanks to a recent ABA rule change, schools are beginning to admit students without LSAT scores. One of those schools is Iowa Law (ranked in the top 30 by U.S. News), but those students need to have done really well on other standardized tests. [Daily Iowan]

    * “How have I done as a judge today?” “Not bad, but you could do better.” Judge John Hurley had a run-in with an 80-year-old criminal defendant who wouldn’t stop calling him sweetheart. Flip to the next page to see the entertaining video. [NBC 6 South Florida]

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mEQp33kr2O8#t=0

  • Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 02.04.15

    * When we first reported on this former law school dean’s arrest for prostitution, we weren’t sure if he was the alleged john. Now we know: SMU Law’s John Attanasio allegedly offered to pay an undercover officer $100 for “specific sexual acts.” [Dallas Morning News]

    * It seems that a lawyer in Nebraska lost his “special pen” at the courthouse, and he’d really like it to be returned to him. It’s not just any pen — it’s a $500 Montblanc Meisterstück. Help this man get his prestigious pen back. [Omaha World-Herald]

    * The early numbers on Cadwalader’s ranking in the Am Law 100 seems to indicate that would-be chair James Woolery got the hell out while the getting was still good. The firm’s profits per partner dropped by 15.3 percent in 2014. Ouch. [Am Law Daily]

    * “Being in the law school business looked like a good idea. Those days are over.” Enrollment continues to decline at law schools across the country, and in Virginia, class sizes are about 20 percent smaller than they were in 2011. [Roanoke Times]

    * When it comes to the recent murder-suicide of two Tulane Law students, “[p]eople are really surprised and baffled about what happened” because they say there were no warning signs. If you’re depressed, please seek help. [New Orleans Advocate]

    * Given the fact that children’s vaccinations have become a topic presidential candidates are debating, you should know that almost half the states allow anti-vaxxer parents to opt-out. Thanks for the measles, everyone! [WSJ Law Blog]

  • Non-Sequiturs

    Non-Sequiturs: 12.19.14

    * Still looking for a great gift for your assistant? Corporette presents their annual secretary gift guide! [Corporette]

    * Marijuana law may be hot, but marijuana legalization may be in hot water: Oklahoma and Nebraska take their case to the Supreme Court that Colorado’s law is damaging them. [The Denver Post]

    * Associates are super excited about their shiny — but discretionary — bonuses. Note that base pay hasn’t taken a similar leap. Thanks for throwing a wet blanket on the season. [Law and More]

    * Who are the new lawyers in Congress? Mike Sacks profiles them. [National Law Journal]

    * The law firm trying to kill the internet is Jenner & Block. That’s unfair — the law firm employed by people trying to kill the internet is Jenner & Block. And they’re willing to write a whole letter and make a state Attorney General just sign it! That’s some pull. [The Verge]

    * At this special time of year, let’s remember who this season is all about: pagans. [What About Clients?]

    * U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley just resigned to settle an ethics probe. Not as a federal judge of course, but as a trustee to THE Ohio State University. The Ohio Ethics Commission raised issues with Judge Marbley serving as a trustee while simultaneously teaching as an adjunct at the law school. [Columbus Dispatch]

    * Brad and Da Boyz with a nice little ditty about copyright infringement and fair use. [YouTube]