Politics
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Crime, Politics, Texas
Does It Matter That Waco DAs Charged 100+ Bikers In A 'Murder' That May Never Have Happened?
District Attorney Abel Reyna may not be able to get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich, but he could probably get a grand jury to indict defendants for the murder of a ham sandwich. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 12.21.15
* Nobody puts Bernie in the corner! The Democratic race for president has been a little more exciting ever since the Bernie Sanders campaign sued the Democratic National Committee over a data breach involving Hillary Clinton’s voter information. [New York Times]
* Everyone else and their mother has been disciplined in the Pennsylvania Porngate scandal — except for AG Kathleen Kane’s twin sister, prosecutor Ellen Granahan. Her emails were just as awful, but nothing’s going to happen to her. Ain’t nepotism grand? [Morning Call]
* A few weeks ago, Dentons announced that it was interested in swallowing up two Latin American firms, and now a three-way merger has been approved. With 7,400 lawyers, Dentons will become an even bigger Biglaw behemoth. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg]
* The house always wins? Before its sale to billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, Las Vegas Review-Journal reporters were asked to investigate and write about a judge who may soon make a ruling adverse to his interests. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Arkansas Law wants to dismiss Prof. Robert Steinbuch’s suit over its admissions data. The school’s defense essentially amounts to this: “Just because we accidentally gave you all that info last time doesn’t mean we’ll do it again now.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Hillary Clinton, Trivia Question of the Day
Hillary Clinton's Legal Pedigree
Do you know your Hillary facts?
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Technology
Why The New CISA Is So Bad For Privacy
The proposed Cybersecurity Act of 2015, basically wipes out any ability by the FCC or the FTC to make service providers respect user privacy, and instead, is designed to encourage more monitoring of user behavior. -
Constitutional Law, Politics
'Unconstitutional': The New Liberal Catchphrase
Whatever you might think of Trump’s plan as a policy matter, it is in full accordance with the Constitution, as columnist Kayleigh McEnany explains. -
Politics, Racism
I Know How Donald Trump Will Be Stopped, But Somebody Will Probably Have To Die
It's not hard to see where this Trump thing is going next. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 12.15.15
* Are lawyers for Officer William Porter, on trial for charges in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, using a “color blind” term that is actually a dog whistle for racist tendencies to get their client off? [Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle]
* Yesterday’s SCOTUS decisions in haiku! [Supreme Court Haiku Blog]
* Hey, you guys, Jeb! is apparently seething with anger towards Trump. Maybe this will spice up tonight’s debate. [Politico]
* Greeeaaaat, it might get even harder to sue airlines. [American Bar Litigation News]
* Can a single photo ruin your life (assuming it isn’t a nudie)? The answer is yes if ISIS is involved. [Houston Chronicle]
* Unless you’re a gigolo, you don’t get paid for passion. Something worth remembering if you’re considering a post-legal career. [Daily Lawyer Tips]
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Trivia Question of the Day
Disabusing Idealistic 1Ls Of Their Dreams
About those lawyers that want to be president... - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Law Schools, Politics
This Boalt Hall 1L Has The Answer To Liberal Prayers
This 1L is winning at the game called life. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 12.14.15
* Donald Trump has opinions on Supreme Court justices. He thinks that Roberts is “disgraceful,” that Scalia was “very tough” on black students, and that he loves Thomas. Perhaps he should take a cue from his favorite justice and shut up. [CNN; Associated Press]
* An easy peasy solution? Rather than amend the Constitution, Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio says that he’ll just appoint Supreme Court justices who will overturn the decision in the Obergefell case because he thinks that gay marriage is “bad law.” [ThinkProgress]
* Gibson Dunn has billed about $8 million to defend New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in the Bridgegate scandal thus far, so here’s a thought: perhaps you should show your hard-working associates some appreciation and announce bonuses already. [Fox News]
* Taylor Swift filed trademark applications for five signature phrases (Swiftmas, Blank Space, And I’ll Write Your Name, A Girl Named Girl, and 1989). If you infringe upon any of them, you can expect that she’ll be writing your name — on a lawsuit. [USA Today]
* Braeden Anderson, the Seton Hall law student and ball player who divides his time between the courtroom and the basketball court, has had one hell of a 1L year. When he graduates, this extremely lucky guy may have a job — with the NBA. [New York Times]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 12.11.15
* We’ve been super lucky that Old Man Winter hasn’t pelted us with terrible, bitter cold weather… yet. But as Westerosians know, it is coming. Here’s how to look good — and professional — when it does. [Corporette]
* The sad state of immigration law in this country is a big ball of tragedy and comedy. Not exactly an ideal policy. [Huffington Post]
* We already reported on Freshfields announcing holiday bonuses today, but another Magic Circle firm is also in a giving mood. Slaughter & May bumped up its “new solicitor bonus” in time for the holidays. That should make this year’s Christmas party almost as fun as 1981’s. [Legal Cheek]
* An historical analysis of how prohibition law led to the modern right wing. Fascinating stuff. [Slate]
* Following up on a benchslap from back in April, Judge Charles Rendlen suspends another lawyer as “dishonest and dangerously incompetent.” Feel free to read the whole thing here. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
* Gibson Dunn’s Debra Wong Yang, who has billed NJ taxpayers more hours in connection with the Bridgegate investigation than any other lawyer, is now hosting a big-dollar fundraiser for Christie 2016. Time for some traffic problems everywhere! [WNYC]
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SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Trivia Question of the Day
Picking Justices Is Half The Fun Of A Presidency
Which president has had the most fun? -
Donald Trump, Election Law, Politics
An Awesome Response To A Cease-And-Desist Letter From Donald Trump's Lawyer
It's highly likely that Donald Trump will call his attorney a "loser" after this fiasco.
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
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Antonin Scalia, Donald Trump
What's The Difference Between Donald Trump And Antonin Scalia?
Their resemblance on this issue is uncanny. -
Guns / Firearms, Politics
In Defense of Guns… And Facts
Lost in the unsound rhetoric and facile reasoning around gun control are the facts, according to columnist Kayleigh McEnany. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 12.09.15
* Has technology created a real-life Lord of the Flies? [Law and More]
* “The Love Song of J. Anthony Kennedy” — a SCOTUS-themed spoof on “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” I’m just happy we live in a world where these things exist. [Green Bag]
* Are you tired of all those pretentious hipsters who pretend that soccer (yes, asshole, we live in America and it’s called f*cking soccer here) is the only “real” sport? Yeah, so is the DOJ. [Sidebars]
* What’s the best way to deal with the dreaded performance review? [Corporette]
* SCOTUS is tiptoeing around race in this term’s voting rights case. [Talking Points Memo]
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Racism
Does Supporting Donald Trump Make You A Racist?
The mainstream media has been happy to call Trump a racist and a bigot. Other Republican candidates have even called him a bigot. -
Politics, Racism, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Aloha, Racism! The Supreme Court Stops The Vote Count In A Hawaii Election That Excludes White People & Foreigners
Is it legal legerdemain for the state to authorize and fully fund a racially discriminatory election while still insisting that the election is a private matter? -
Public Interest
Members of Congress Launch Bipartisan Legal Aid Caucus
A strong conservative joins the struggle for more legal aid funding. -