North Dakota

  • Morning Docket: 12.05.16
    Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 12.05.16

    * Although it may seem far from what’s occurred given some questionable statements and tweets about freedom of speech and freedom of religion, House Speaker Paul Ryan says that he’s discussed the Constitution “extensively” with President-elect Donald Trump, including the separation of powers. Let’s see if any of Ryan’s Con Law lessons have an impact. [Huffington Post]

    * Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein is dropping her recount bid in Pennsylvania because of an inability to afford the $1 million bond required by the state to proceed; after all, “petitioners are regular citizens of ordinary means.” She may not be done with her efforts to prevent President-elect Trump from securing an electoral victory, though. She’ll probably try her hand at a federal case. [New York Times]

    * After months of sometimes violent protests by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and others, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to turn down the permit necessary to grant an easement to build a segment of the Dakota Access pipeline under Lake Oahe, which could contaminate the water supply and damage sacred tribal lands. Will President-elect Trump reverse this decision after he is inaugurated? [Reuters]

    * Cook County Circuit Judge Valarie Turner — who allowed former law clerk Rhonda Crawford to don her robes and hear cases in her stead — has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss, which has led the Judicial Inquiry Board to declare her “mentally unable” to perform her job. It is unclear whether Turner had been diagnosed prior to this summer’s incident with Crawford. [Chicago Sun-Times]

    * Valparaiso is facing down a tough decision after years of admitting students with less-than-desirable credentials: Continue to do more of the same, or “face reality and close its law school.” Given the way that things like this generally proceed with law schools, we suppose we can expect the school to try for at least a few more years with diminishing returns for graduates before it decides to throw in the towel. [Chicago Tribune]

    * Katherine Magbanua, the woman indicted on first-degree murder charges and accused of acting as a conduit between two alleged hitmen and whoever ordered Professor Dan Markel’s murder, can access the grand jury testimony of Luis Rivera, who has already taken a plea deal and is working with prosecutors. [Tallahassee Democrat]

  • Morning Docket: 10.18.16
    Morning Docket

    Morning Docket: 10.18.16

    * “I promise you that we will be united against any Supreme Court nominee that Hillary Clinton, if she were president, would put up.” So much for honoring the will of the people: Senator John McCain has pledged that Senate Republicans will continue to block Supreme Court nominees from receiving hearings to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the high court. We’ll have more on this later today. [CNN]

    * Matthew Apperson, the man who fired a gun at George Zimmerman during a road rage incident, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Apperson’s wife said Zimmerman is getting “a hall pass to go out there and continue to be reckless.” [New York Daily News]

    * “Returning to Cadwalader at an exciting time of growth for the firm was an easy decision.” After losing two of its litigation practice leaders earlier this year, Cadwalader has started to replenish its ranks by rehiring Jason M. Halper, a former 14-year veteran of the firm who decamped to Orrick in 2014. Welcome back! [Big Law Business]

    * Sigfredo Garcia, the suspected shooter in the murder of Florida State law professor Dan Markel, was supposed to be tried on November 14, but his trial date was pushed back to December 6. In the meantime, perhaps co-defendant Katherine Magbanua will be inclined to flip on those who allegedly arranged the hit. [Tallahassee Democrat]

    * Citing a lack of evidence, a judge has thrown out riot charges against radio journalist Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! for her coverage of the North Dakota oil pipeline protests. She says she’ll continue to cover the protests, noting that “[t]he state’s attorney must respect freedom of the press and the First Amendment.” [New York Times]

  • Non-Sequiturs: 04.15.16
    Non-Sequiturs

    Non-Sequiturs: 04.15.16

    * Pharmacists are hoping the Supreme Court will allow them to stop upholding the law. [Bloomberg BNA]

    * The University of Mississippi tried to contextualize a Confederate statue on its campus. It failed. Miserably. [Lawyers, Guns and Money]

    * The phenomenon of rap lyrics being used against criminal defendants in court. [Genius]

    * Yes, you may be an educated professional, but social media can still be hard. [Med City News]

    * The evidence is mounting: basic legal services may soon stop being the province of lawyers in favor of tech solutions. Can anything be done to stop the future? [Law and More]

    * The Eighth Circuit may not be happy about it, but North Dakota is paying a settlement over its overly restrictive abortions laws. [Slate]

    * Don’t forget, the deadline is Monday at 5pm! We are taking submissions for ATL’s annual Law Revue Contest. Deadline is April 18th. [Above the Law]
    * The University of Mississippi tried to contextualize a Confederate statue on its campus. It failed. Miserably. [Lawyers, Guns and Money]

    * The phenomenon of rap lyrics being used against criminal defendants in court. [Genius]

    * Yes, you may be an educated professional, but social media can’t still be hard. [Med City News]

    * The evidence is mounting: basic legal services may soon stop being the province of lawyers in favor of tech solutions. Can anything be done to stop the future? [Law and More]

    * The Eighth Circuit may not be happy about it, but North Dakota is paying a settlement over its overly restrictive abortions laws. [Slate]

    * Don’t forget, the deadline is Monday at 5pm! We are taking submission for ATL’s annual Law Revue Contest. Deadline is April 18th. [Above the Law]

  • Biglaw, Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Gender, In-House Counsel, Lateral Moves, Law Schools, Mergers and Acquisitions, Morning Docket, Sports, Tax Law, Women's Issues

    Morning Docket: 09.10.13

    * Even at the top of the in-house food chain, women lawyers are still paid less than their male counterparts. But hey, at least they’re not being forced to cry poverty like their in-house staff attorney brethren. [Corporate Counsel]

    * Neil Barofsky, the former King of TARP in the United States, is making the move to Jenner & Block, specifically because as opposed to all other firms, “Jenner took the side of really getting to the truth of the matter.” [Reuters]

    * Luxury fashion is fun: four Biglaw firms, including Cleary Gottlieb, Cravath, Torys, and Proskauer Rose, all took Tim Gunn’s mantra to heart to make it work for the $6 billion sale of Neiman Marcus. [Am Law Daily (sub. req.)]

    * If you want to try some lawyer, we hear that they taste great when poached this time of year. Speaking of which, Troutman Sanders just reeled in three attorneys from Hunton & Williams. [Richmond BizSense]

    * Law schools in the Dakotas are renovating their buildings in the hope of enrolling more students. Luckily, South Dakota has that sweet indentured servitude plan. [Prairie Business; National Law Journal (sub. req.)]

    * If you’re thinking of applying to law school, here’s a plan of attack for the month of September. That’s right, friends, you can start gunning right now! [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]

    * Are you ready for some tax law?! The NFL and other professional sports leagues might lose their nonprofit status if new tax reform legislation makes it through the House and the Senate. [Businessweek]

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  • Abortion, Affirmative Action, Baseball, Education / Schools, Gay Marriage, Morning Docket, Nina Totenberg, Prostitution, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Supreme Court

    Morning Docket: 06.20.13

    * Today is most likely going to be a banner decision day for the Supreme Court, so in wild anticipation, SCOTUS expert Nina Totenberg was on call to answer some need-to-know questions for the people about the innermost workings of the Court. [NPR]

    * One of the opinions we hope will drop at the Supreme Court today is that of the Fisher v. Texas affirmative action case. If you want some hints on how the three justices who attended Princeton (not counting Kagan) might rule, check this out. [Daily Princetonian]

    * Justice Samuel Alito is out in Texas where he threw the first pitch — “a bit wide of the plate” — in last night’s Rangers game. Will SCOTUS unleash anything important in his absence? [Washington Post]

    * Meanwhile, while we eagerly await decisions in the gay marriage cases next week, consider for a moment the possibility that this is all just but a gigantic train wreck waiting to happen. [New Republic]

    * Things are heating up in North Dakota where the battle over abortion regulations continues to rage on. What a shame, especially since we supposedly took care of this stuff in the early 70s. [ABC News]

    * “If this is what these women signed up for, who is anybody to tell them differently?” Two pimps were acquitted of sex trafficking after prostitutes testified on their behalf. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]

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