New York
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Law School Deans, Law Schools, Pro Bono, Public Interest
New York's New Pro Bono Requirement Succeeds in Pissing Off Law Schools Nationwide
Will New York's new pro bono requirement for bar admission cause law school tuition to rise? -
Bankruptcy, Biglaw, California, Celebrities, Defamation, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Law Schools, Lindsay Lohan, Michael Jackson, Money, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Pro Bono, Rap, Small Law Firms, Unemployment
Morning Docket: 08.16.12
* Dewey have some false expectations of success for this partner settlement agreement? Only one in four affected partners have signed on the dotted line, but advisers think the plan will win bankruptcy court approval. [Am Law Daily]
* “There comes a point where the prospects of substantially increasing your income just outweigh everything else.” Even on his $168K salary, this appellate judge wasn’t rich in New York City, so he quit his job. [New York Law Journal]
* The middle class needs lawyers, and unemployed law school graduates need jobs. The solution for both problems seems pretty obvious, but starting a firm still costs money, no matter how “prudent” you are. [National Law Journal]
* “This is a time when law schools are trying to look carefully at their expenses and not add to them.” New York’s new pro bono initiative may come at a cost for law schools, too. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Much to Great Britain’s dismay, Ecuador has announced that it will grant political asylum to Julian Assange of Wikileaks fame. Sucks for Ecuador, because Assange is known to not flush the toilet. [New York Times]
* A smooth criminal gets a break: Michael Jackson’s father dropped a wrongful death suit against Dr. Conrad Murray. It probably would’ve been helpful if his attorneys could actually practice in California. [Washington Post]
* Did Lindsay Lohan’s lawyers plagiarize documents from internet websites in their defamation filings against Pitbull? You can deny it all you want, but his lawyer is out for blood and sanctions. [New York Daily News]
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Family Law, Gay Marriage, Weddings
Above the Law Can Now Legally Perform Weddings: Now Tell Me How Marriage Is A Sacred Institution
How sacred is the institution of marriage if Above the Law can now perform them?
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Admin, Advertising, Announcements, Drinking, Food, Shameless Plugs
Sign Up for the ATL Newsletter, and Get a Chance to Win ‘Meat & Moonshine’
Sign up for the Above the Law Newsletter and be entered to win tickets to an awesome barbecue and drinking event. -
Bar Exams, Ohio State - Moritz College of Law
Bar Review Diaries: Into the Great Law Yonder
Our final installment of the Bar Review Diaries. Where are Andrew, Jeanette, and Nathan going next? -
Jury Duty, State Judges, Television
Best Way to Get Out of Jury Duty? Tell the Judge You've Got an Audition for 'Law & Order'
A Brooklyn judge delays an attempted murder trial so a juror can audition for a "Law & Order" spinoff show.... -
Admin, Advertising, Announcements, Drinking, Food, Shameless Plugs
Sign Up For The ATL Newsletter, Get A Chance To Win 'Meat & Moonshine'
Sign up for the Above the Law Newsletter and be entered to win tickets to an awesome barbecue and drinking event. -
Bar Exams, Ohio State - Moritz College of Law
Bar Review Diaries: Thank God That's Over!
How did our Bar Review Diarists feel about the bar exam? - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Bar Exams, BARBRI, California, Screw-Ups, UVA Law
Congratulations to All Bar Exam Finishers!(And more horror stories from across the land.)
Congratulations to everyone who finished the July 2012 bar exam. Here are reports - and horror stories - from half a dozen different states. -
Election 2012, Law Schools, Politics, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: Mindy Meyer Is, You Know, She's Like, State Senate Material, or Whatever
Is Mindy Meyer more like Elle Woods or Kim Kardashian? Definitely the latter... -
Election 2012, Fabulosity, Law Schools, Politics
Meet Mindy Meyer! You’ll Remember Her...
Which Touro Law student is running for New York State Senate? This one, and she's fabulous... -
Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Cars, Contract Attorneys, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Football, Law Professors, Law Schools, Lesbians, Money, Morning Docket, Murder, Romance and Dating, Sports
Morning Docket: 07.24.12
* Dewey know how much Stephen Horvath has made since D&L went belly up at the end of May? Thus far, he’s raked in $190K, and that just covers his pay through the end of June. That’s only $1.97M a year, no big deal. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* You might not be able to get a full-time job in this economy, but if you’re a contract attorney with foreign-language skills, you’ll probably be able to land some pretty sweet Biglaw firm gigs, even if you’re just doing doc review. [Wall Street Journal]
* Did the NCAA overstep its legal boundaries when sanctioning Penn State? At least one sports law professor thinks so, and he actually wishes that the school had challenged the scope of the sports organization’s authority. [CNN]
* Wait, female Senate aides in Minnesota can have affairs with their superiors and get away with it, while male aides get fired for doing the same exact thing? That’s blatant sexism, and you should totally sue. [ABC News]
* Rather than be “super boring,” this would-be Senator has dubbed herself “the diva of the district.” We know all about the Touro Law student who’s running for New York Senate. We’ll have more on this later. [POLITICO]
* Law school debtor Jason Bohn was arraigned on first-degree murder charges, and entered a not-guilty plea. According to his attorney, Bohn apparently suffers from “extreme emotional disturbance.” [New York Post]
* Know your rights? If you’re accused of hit-and-run and vehicular assault charges, it’s always a great idea to cry, repeatedly ask if you’re under arrest, and tell everyone that you’re a law student. [Spokesman-Review]
* Well, this is graphic: the trials and tribulations of a law student interning at a law firm and blogging about all of the hot lesbian action she’s getting, including encounters with a co-worker. [Daily Intel / New York Magazine]
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ACLU, Biglaw, California, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Federal Judges, Gender, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Senate Judiciary Committee, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, Silicon Valley, Trials
Morning Docket: 07.20.12
* Dewey know why the deadline for agreeing to a proposed $103.6M settlement for former D&L partners has been pushed back? It looks like these people are still unhappy with the very thought of parting with their money. [Am Law Daily]
* Four judicial nominees were approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee to fill federal district court positions in California, New York, and Pennsylvania. Now it’s time to hurry up and wait for a final vote on the Senate floor. [National Law Journal]
* “This is a garden variety sex harassment case.” That may be true, but when you’re dealing with a high-profile venture capital firm, and the plaintiff is an ex-Biglaw associate, you’re probably going to get some really bad press. [Washington Post]
* Opening statements in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s racial discrimination trial were heard yesterday. Even “America’s Toughest Sheriff” might cower in light of plaintiff representation by Covington & Burling and the ACLU. [CNN]
* Washburn University School of Law is planning to build a new facility for $40M. Unfortunately, the school will never be able to amass the funds needed to kill all the gunners, but we can still dream. [Kansas City Star]
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Education / Schools, Gay, Lawsuit of the Day, Sexual Harassment
New York Assistant Principal Claims He Was Fired for Refusing to Participate in Gay Foursome Fun With His Boss
According to the allegations in this complaint, it looks like someone was a little too hot for teacher... -
American Bar Association / ABA, Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Gay Marriage, Health Care / Medicine, Insurance, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Police, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Unemployment
Morning Docket: 07.09.12
* Vicious infighting, “arm twisting,” and discord at the Supreme Court? It almost sounds like the justices are in a sorority. According to this report, there hasn’t been so much bitterness and tension at the high court in almost 70 years. [CBS News]
* The Supreme Court might have issued a ruling on the Affordable Care Act, but the battle is far from over. With a repeal vote coming this week in the House, critics are now on the offensive about interpretations of insurance subsidy provisions. [New York Times]
* Dewey have a bankruptcy filing potpourri for you! With countless objections from the U.S. Trustee and many D&L motions on tap, advisers for the failed firm may be in for a long, bumpy ride at this afternoon’s hearing before Judge Martin Glenn. [Am Law Daily (sub. req.)]
* Noting that legislators hadn’t violated the New York Open Meetings Law, an appellate court overturned a trial court decision and refused to push the Empire State’s gay marriage law back into the closet. [Bloomberg]
* Lincoln Memorial’s Duncan School of Law has again been denied ABA accreditation. Seeing as the ABA would likely accredit a shoe, maybe the administration should throw in the towel. [Knoxville News Sentinel]
* If you’re having trouble getting a job as a scientist, you might want to consider going to law school instead. Many schools have near-perfect employment rates nine months after graduation. /trolling [Washington Post]
* Footloose in NYC: a middle-aged couple was arrested for dancing on a subway platform, and now they’re suing. We shudder to think what would would have happened if the pair was drinking soda. [New York Post]
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Books, Fabulosity, Lawyerly Lairs, Money, Old People, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, Real Estate
Lawyerly Lairs: Retired Skadden Partner 'Downsizes' to $3 Million Penthouse
A retired Skadden partner "downsized" to a $3 million penthouse. It's a tough life, but somebody's got to live it. -
Biglaw, California, Deaths, Football, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Police, Silicon Valley, Texas, Trials, Women's Issues
Morning Docket: 06.14.12
* Kleiner Perkins responded to Ellen Pao’s gender discrimination suit, and it’s not pretty. Not only does the firm’s answer deny her allegations, but it also calls into question her work product. [San Jose Mercury News]
* Joe Amendola’s preferred strategy at the Jerry Sandusky trial seems to be the use of the “tried and tested technique” of ignoring all of the alleged accusers’ tears and making them cry all over again. [New York Times]
* Who in their right mind would attempt to fake being a lawyer these days? Michelle Fyfe, a 43-year-old woman from Texas, is accused of forging a law degree from SMU Dedman School of Law. [Dallas Morning News (sub. req.)]
* Say hello to Baltimore Law’s new dean, Ronald Weich, the former assistant attorney general who penned the notorious false gun letter to Congress. Surely this ex-DOJ official will stand up to Bogomolny. [The Hill]
* This must be like getting it caught in your zipper — but much, much worse. A Brooklyn man claims that members of the NYPD “strangled his penis,” so he’s suing. [Huffington Post via Courthouse News Service]
* Reuben G. Clark Jr., a founding partner of Wilmer Cutler & Pickering (WilmerHale), RIP. [Washington Post]
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Football, Insider Trading, Jed Rakoff, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Paul Clement, Real Estate, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Trials
Morning Docket: 06.11.12
* Have you ever wondered why Justice Clarence Thomas hasn’t spoken during oral arguments before SCOTUS in more than six years? It’s probably because he hates them so much that he thinks we should “do away” with them entirely. [Charlotte Observer]
* Former Solicitor General Paul Clement, he of unparalleled oral advocacy skills, claims that there’s “no magic formula for time management” — but having a superior legal mind certainly helps the situation when preparing for argument. [Appellate Daily]
* It’s “highly likely” that Rajat Gupta
willwon’t take the witness stand to testify in his own defense at his insider-trading trial. Query what Benula Bensam would have written to Judge Rakoff about that. [Los Angeles Times]* If you’re thinking of hopping on the “blame the ABA” bandwagon in defense of your employment statistics, think again. A federal judge rejected Cooley Law’s argument on that front last week. [National Law Journal]
* Meanwhile, Cooley “isn’t interested in reducing the size of its entering class on the basis of the perceived benefit to society,” but at least ten other schools will be reducing class sizes. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* A judge denied Jerry Sandusky’s motion to dismiss the charges against him. The former football coach clearly needed 1-800-REALITY check if he seriously thought that his request was going to be granted. [CNN]
* If you’re planning on living rent-free in New York City for almost a decade, make sure you’re doing it in a building that isn’t up to code. You’ll never be evicted thanks to this Court of Appeals ruling. [New York Times]
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Bar Exams, Quote of the Day
Fun Fact of the Day: That's Supposed to Be a Discount?
How much does it really cost to take the New York Bar Exam? -
Alan Dershowitz, Antitrust, Baseball, Biglaw, Bill Clinton, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Football, Heller Ehrman, Howrey LLP, Law Professors, Morning Docket, Paul Clement, S.D.N.Y., State Judges, Texas, Trials
Morning Docket: 06.07.12
* You know what’s really got to suck hard? Turning down a Supreme Court nomination to be governor, and then losing your gubernatorial re-election bid. Mario Cuomo is the Bad Luck Brian of our time. [New York Daily News]
* And speaking of bad luck, this prominent antitrust lawyer is like the harbinger of Biglaw doom. In the last four years, Marc Schildkraut has bounced from Heller to Howrey to Dewey. Good luck to his new firm, Cooley LLP. [Washingtonian]
* Another judge — this time from the S.D.N.Y. — has found that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. Paul Clement, the patron saint of conservative causes, is probably facepalming right now. [Reuters]
* Judge Jed Rakoff “politely” benchslapped a Cardozo Law student for playing pen pal over his evidentiary rulings in the Rajat Gupta insider trading trial. Time to get a new hobby, girl. [DealBook / New York Times]
* “I don’t know how you all practice law in Texas.” It looks like the judge presiding over the Roger Clemens case hasn’t been keeping up with all of our crazy stories from the Lone Star state. [Wall Street Journal]
* “[T]he epitome of unprofessionalism”: State Attorney Angela Corey couldn’t take the heat from Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, so she threatened to sue the school and get him disbarred. [Orlando Sentinel]
* “What did you guys do to deserve me? How did you guys get stuck with this? Ay yi yi.” At least Jerry Sandusky’s got a sense of humor about a potential 500 year sentence. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* The election outlook for birthers may not be so bleak after all. Sure, Orly Taitz lost her bid to be a senator, but Gary Kreep might get to be a judge in San Diego County. We’ll find out later today. [North County Times]