Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe

Columnists Joe Borstein and Ed Sohn launch the alt.legal podcast with a special guest: Ralph Baxter, former chairman and CEO of Orrick.

* Given the fact that Senate Republicans have remained firm in their opposition to Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland receiving a confirmation hearing, it seems all the more likely that the vacancy left on the high court by the late Justice Antonin Scalia will remain unfilled until after Election 2016. [Bloomberg Politics]

* But is someone having a change of heart? “I would have to admit it’s a gamble.” Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, claims that while he hasn’t second-guessed his decision not to hold confirmation hearings for Judge Garland, that it’s anyone’s guess as to who Donald Trump would choose to fill the position if elected as president. [Huffington Post]

* “He said that I had to keep my attorney happy.” A Texas lawyer who was accused of trading sex with court-appointed clients for performing legal work was recently indicted on 18 counts of sexual assault and 17 counts of compelling prostitution. He faces up to 20 years in prison. We may have more on these allegations of misconduct later. [KSAT]

* As we mentioned previously, Judge Rosemary Collyer of the District Court for the District of Columbia will be taking senior status on May 18, but we didn’t know that she was chosen by Chief Judge John Roberts to take over as the presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court the next day. Congrats! [National Law Journal]

* Biglaw gets in on the green rush: Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has partnered with Americans for Safe Access Foundation, a medical marijuana advocacy group, to update a series of manuals on state medical marijuana laws. In the future, Orrick attorneys will man a hotline for medical marijuana patients in need of legal advice. [Am Law Daily]

* James Hurlock, former two-decade chairman of White & Case, RIP. [Big Law Business]

This is what happens when a federal judge has a penchant for... unprofessional behavior.

Which firms had pay that was high enough, perks that were good enough, and environments that were nurturing enough to make the cut?

These aren't the biggest bonuses of the season, but associates seem quite content.

Should women learn to take sexism in stride and move along with their careers?

* Justice Judy? According to a poll conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, about 10 percent of college graduates think that Judith Sheindlin, aka Judge Judy, serves on the bench of the Supreme Court. [CNN]

* If you haven’t heard, Houston-based firm Bracewell & Giuliani lost one of its famous name partners this week. Former New York Mayor and founding New York partner Rudy Giuliani is taking his nouns and verbs about 9/11 and heading to presumably greener pastures at Greenberg Traurig. [DealBook / New York Times]

* Yeehaw! Ride ’em, partners! Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe is the latest Biglaw firm to open an outpost in Houston, Texas, and there’s no better way to staff an office in the Wild Wild West than to poach 20 partners from your competitor firms. [Texas Lawyer]

* Texas Wesleyan Law graduates have officially lost the diploma war they’ve been waging against Texas A&M Law. A judge recently dismissed their case for want of any evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever. [National Law Journal via Courthouse News Service]

* Martin Shkreli is sick and tired of being depicted as nothing more than a “pharma bro” in the press, so he’s decided to get new legal representation in his securities fraud case, as if that’ll somehow solve all of his problems. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* The most difficult thing to inherit may just be an Apple ID — a widow is told by the technology behemoth she needs a court order to continue playing her games on a jointly owned iPad. [Digital Passing]

* Your trusty Bluebook is going to need some help if it is going to continue to be the bane of law students’ existence. [Harvard Crimson]

* Is it too much to ask for a picture of RBG playing Xbox? A class action over Xbox’s tendency to scratch discs heads to the Supreme Court. [Forbes]

* Orrick is casting its lot with the energy market — they are opening up a Houston office with the addition of 20 new partners. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Is threatening someone with blackmail merely a courtesy? [Associates Mind]

* ATL managing editor David Lat will be in San Francisco next month, and you’re cordially invited to meet him at this cocktail reception and Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link) book signing. [FBANC via Eventbrite]

There have been a lot of partner departures, but the firm's leader claims that things are looking up.

Looks like Pillsbury may finally have found the law firm of its dreams.

You know it's gonna be a fun case when the parties are already willing to take shots.

It may be difficult at times, but it is possible to be an attorney with a family while working at a large law firm.

Remember, as lawyers, your most valuable asset is your reputation. Do you want to be known in your community as an unethical, unnecessarily aggressive jerk who is always difficult to work with?

* Oh Texas. Judge gets in trouble for posting about an ongoing trial on Facebook, violating HER OWN RULE about posting about an ongoing trial on Facebook. [Texas Lawyer]

* Head of the Georgia state judicial ethics committee resigns after billing questions arise. [Daily Report]

* Ach nein! Orrick closes two German offices. [Am Law]

* Yup, if you graduated law school (even from a great school like Columbia) in 2010, you are well and truly screwed. [NY Times]

* Get ready for the gay marriage oral arguments with a fascinating history of codified homophobia in public service. [WaPo]

* Irony alert: Judge’s son got a DUI when he was driving recklessly in front of — yup, you guessed it — the courthouse. [Times Free Press]

* NY State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman comes out in favor of decriminalization of seven “broken windows” offenses that account for ~42% of NYPD summonses. [NY Daily News]

* RIP Harvey Miller, 82, Weil Gotshal bankruptcy partner passed away after a fight with ALS. [NYLJ]

* The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County are teaming up with Touro Law to create a justice patch so young women can learn about the law and legal careers. If only the law school would help its grads earn the jobs patch! [National Law Journal]

* After going through the fuss of having Greenberg Traurig send out a cease and desist letter to a designer who created a 3D printed figurine of Left Shark after the Super Bowl, Katy Perry’s trademark application for cartoonish sea creature has been denied. [SPIN]

* Douglas Boggs, son of the late Thomas Boggs, Jr., is planning to ditch Squire Patton Boggs for Manatt Phelps & Phillips as soon as next week. Poor SPB, because now the firm isn’t going to have a single Boggs left to speak of. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* ” This is a country that has made great progress, but there is still more to do.” Now that Loretta Lynch has finally been confirmed as our next attorney general, it’s time to step back and take a look at Eric Holder’s historic legacy in the position. [MSNBC]

* The Orrick partner who defeated Ellen Pao’s gender discrimination case against Kleiner Perkins has now been hired to fend off another gender-bias suit filed against Twitter. Imagine what it’s like to be the go-to lawyer for Silicon Valley tech bros. [WSJ Law Blog]

One firm is paying $500; another firm is paying $1,000 (or more). What's your firm doing?

This Biglaw ad is a failure unless the goal was unintentional comedy.

A mixture of satisfaction and sadness from Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

* Senate Republicans are contemplating abolishing filibusters for SCOTUS nominees. This could go one of two ways: it could work out nicely for them, or explode in their faces. It’s like a choose your own adventure game. [POLITICO]

* When it comes to the upcoming gay marriage cases before SCOTUS, “[e]very lawyer involved will want to argue.” Remember, when you’re given the chance to make history, you better hope that you’re on the right side of it. [National Law Journal]

* “[I]f there is one decision I would overrule, it is Citizens United.” Even RBG thinks this campaign finance decision is one of the Supreme Court’s “darkest hour[s].” [Salon]

* SCOTUS refused to stay Charles Warner’s execution, but it agreed to grant cert on his lethal injection case days after his death. Better late than never? [New York Times]

* The NFL has drafted Ted Wells of Paul Weiss to blow up the absurd controversy that is “Deflategate.” Come on, who cares if the Patriots cheated again? [WSJ Law Blog]

* Do you know any chronic Biglaw firm-hoppers? How many firms are too many to lateral to? Three? Five? Seven? Jesus Christ, for this guy, try 10 firms. [Am Law Daily]

Good news for associates at Orrick -- and firms that consider themselves Orrick's peers.