Politics
-
Public Interest
The White House Turns Its Attention To Legal Aid With LAIR
The federal government is formally making legal aid a priority. -
Politics, Quote of the Day, Weirdness
Goat-Sacrificing Lawyer Making Headlines Again
Longtime readers were not surprised by the recent controversy surrounding a Florida lawyer. - Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Politics, SCOTUS
Time Spent On SCOTUS Bench Makes Justices Lean Left
Which of your favorite SCOTUS justices will be next?
-
Morning Docket, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 10.05.15
* Today’s the first Monday in October, and we all know what that means. The Supreme Court starts its Term as disapproval of its work reaches a new high for recent years. [Gallup via How Appealing]
* And here’s Adam Liptak’s excellent overview of the new Supreme Court Term, so you can sound smart at cocktail parties this month. [New York Times]
* In other SCOTUS news, Senator Bob Menendez is fighting the bribery charges against him by relying upon a high court decision he once condemned — can you guess which one? [The Record How Appealing]
* Which presidential candidates get the most in campaign contributions from Silicon Valley lawyers? The second-place finisher might surprise you. [The Recorder]
* Elsewhere in presidential politics, Hillary Clinton will announce new gun-control proposals later today. [New York Times]
* Don’t rush off to law school just yet, but the legal sector did gain a few thousand jobs last month, layoffs notwithstanding. [American Lawyer]
* Dewey have any idea of when this jury will reach a verdict? [Law360]
* Super-mediator Kenneth Feinberg’s latest challenge: pension reform. [National Law Journal]
-
Technology
Secret Service Agents Dug Through Personal Info To Discredit Legislator Investigating Agency Wrongdoing
Nope. No overbearing governmental power at play here. -
Benchslaps, Politics
Republican Party Brutally Benchslapped
"[T]his is not the first, second, third, or even tenth time [the GOP] had missed a deadline in this case...." -
White-Collar Crime
The Senate Criminal Justice Reform Bill Is Here! (And It’s Disappointing)
Can Congress even capable of passing criminal justice reform? Let alone meaningful criminal justice reform? -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 09.29.15
* PETA’s general counsel swears his organization isn’t monkeying around when it comes to asserting the IP rights of Naruto the selfie-taking monkey, but he may have to deal with a jungle of jurisdictional issues first. [Motherboard / VICE]
* Mmmm, Dewey smell a mistrial? On the eighth day of deliberations in the criminal trial of D&L’s former leaders, the jurors likely made defense counsels’ hearts skip a beat when they asked the judge for instructions on what to do concerning their undecided colleagues. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Chief Justice John Roberts, who has voted conservatively in 85 percent of the Supreme Court’s most divisive 5-4 decisions, apparently isn’t conservative enough for our conservatives. It’s the damn Affordable Care Act. Thanks, Obama. [New York Times]
* According to the latest Acritas Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index 2015, for the sixth year running, Baker & McKenzie has the most recognizable Biglaw brand in the world. DLA Piper will continue to “churn [those] bill[s], baby!” in second place. [PR Web]
* Take the deal: Ex-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who’s accused of hiding large sums used as hush money to conceal his prior sexual misconduct, is negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors. If he were convicted at trial, he’d face up to 10 years in prison. [Reuters]
- Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 09.28.15
* Jurors in the criminal trial for former leaders of Dewey & LeBoeuf have reviewed evidence for a full week already, and will return to court today for their eighth day of deliberations. At least the defendants will be able to keep killing time on Candy Crush. [WSJ Law Blog]
* A federal judge denied the UFC’s motion to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit that was filed against it by current and former fighters over the organization’s monopolization of the MMA industry. It’s time to bring in an armbar submission artist to stop the UFC for good. [ESPN]
* “I don’t want to leave my successor a dirty barn.” Hot on the heels of his surprise resignation, House Speaker John Boehner has vowed to avoid a government shutdown and pass some legislation before his time is up. Well, it’s good to have goals. [Reuters]
* Volkswagen can expect nothing less than a “tsunami” of lawsuits and legal proceedings thanks to its emissions scandal. On the bright side, Kirkland & Ellis is going to be able to reap the rewards of thousands of billable hours. [Chicago Tribune; Automotive News]
* TV staffers who worked on “The Following” and “The Blacklist” filed suit against production companies Warner Brothers, NBC, and Sony, alleging they were forced to work 24 hours straight — and pee in bottles — without being paid overtime. [New York Post]
-
Defamation, Politics
Donald Trump's Amazing Cease & Desist Letter
Donald Trump goes after a conservative group for calling him a liberal. -
Gay Marriage, Weddings
Kim Davis Rejects Yet Another Same-Sex Marriage License?
Who were the denied applicants? It seems one was Jesus Christ himself. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 09.18.15
* The outcomes of misconduct complaints against members of the federal judiciary will now be posted online for your viewing pleasure to “provide for greater transparency” — and schadenfreude. This could wind up being entertaining, so keep your eyes peeled. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Apparently there are people out there who don’t know that law schools are in trouble and have been for a while, which is certainly news to us. See how the dean of UNLV School of Law explains the “new normal” to a human interest writer. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
* The White House just launched a nationwide movement to encourage legal immigrants in America to become U.S. citizens. What a happy coincidence that this campaign will likely add millions of voters to the rolls just in time for Election 2016. [New York Times]
* Per a report from The Real Deal, real estate practices are heating up in Biglaw firms across New York City. Firms like Fried Frank, Skadden, and Proskauer are expanding their real estate groups, so be on the lookout, laterals. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]
* Harvard Law is supposed to be overseeing the rollout of a new Title IX program for the reporting of sexual harassment, but so many of the administrators who were in charge of its implementation have left that its come to a standstill. Oopsie! [Harvard Crimson]
-
Drinking, Politics
GOP Debate Drinking Game -- Second Round: This One Goes To 11
Let's get drunk again and talk politics and Spinal Tap.
Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
-
Politics, Pornography
Republicans' Hypocritical Stance on Alabama's Proposed Porn Tax
Conservative columnist Tamara Tabo takes aim at hypocrisy. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 09.11.15
* The Juice is not loose. The Nevada Supreme Court rejected O.J. Simpson’s latest appeal. [CBS News]
* Governor Huckabee explains that Dred Scott is still the law of the land. To recap, Donald Trump thinks he can unilaterally overturn the 14th Amendment while Huckabee just thinks it never happened. Elie will have to explain this whole thing to his old friend when Huckabee gets his show back. [The Hill]
* Jesus wept. Then celebrated his Ninth Circuit victory. [Lowering the Bar]
* Sanctions for foul-mouthed judge. I wonder what she said when she heard that? [Daily Business Review]
* Wanton endangerment charge for a law student who crashed a drone into Kentucky’s football stadium. Take solace kid: you’re not the most embarrassing legal news item out of Kentucky this month. Thanks Kim Davis. [WLKY]
* David explains that more “shakeout” is coming for Biglaw. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]
-
Politics
Did Elizabeth Warren Sink Her Chances At Being Biden's Running Mate While At Harvard Law?
Is there tension between Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden? -
Gay Marriage, Politics
Donald Trump Offers Wisdom Of Solomon On Kim Davis And The Supreme Court
The debate is over folks! We have the right answer now. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 09.02.15
* The GOP field is getting a heads up on what to expect at their next debate, but the real question is: how will this change JoePa’s drinking game… [Politico]
* Let Judge Matthew Sciarrino take you through the minutiae of how exactly Batman would testify in court. [Legal Geeks]
* Good news: Missouri failed at gerrymandering. Better news: it’s gotten the Taiwanese animation treatment. [Lowering the Bar]
* Men’s rights activists are using the legal system to derail women’s networking events. [Yahoo]
* Navigating employment contracts outside of the U.S. [JD Supra]
* In the beginning of a startup, everyone is friends…. but it doesn’t always end that way. [Concurring Opinions]
* Former governor Jan Brewer threatens a lawsuit over the use of her picture. [Jezebel]
-
Ann Coulter, Constitutional Law, Immigration, John Yoo, Politics
Ultimate Fighting Conservatives: John Yoo v. Ann Coulter
Two prominent conservative pundits argue about birthright citizenship, "anchor babies," and immigration policy more generally. -
Clarence Thomas, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
A Supreme Court Justice Who Does His Job Well, But Bores The New York Times While Doing It
Conservative columnist Tamara Tabo's take on Adam Liptak's recent (and controversial) article about Justice Clarence Thomas.