Prosecutors

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 04.11.16

* TRUCE! In the wake of his settlement with Paul Cassell, Alan Dershowitz looks to make peace with David Boies after a vicious fight. [Big Law Business] * Speaking of making peace, Chris Christie has made a deal with New Jersey Democrats to end a six-year stalemate over the state Supreme Court. He is nominating Bridget Kelly's old lawyer, Walter Timpone. [New Jersey.com] * More analysis of bar exam results: see what happened in Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, Tennessee, and Kentucky. [Bar Exam Stats] * Is it ethically acceptable -- and does it work -- to shame prosecutors for wrongful convictions? [Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics via Slate] * Yes, that's billions with a B: Goldman Sachs to pay $5 billion in settlements over charges it contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. [Gawker] * Kevin Abikoff, partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed, cleared Unaoil in an anti-corruption report, and is now facing questions about that representation. [Huffington Post]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 11.27.15

* That was fast! When Howard Bashman (of our sister site How Appealing) talks, the U.S. Supreme Court listens. [How Appealing] * She doesn't mention it much on the campaign trail, but Carly Fiorina is the daughter of Article III aristocracy -- the late Judge Joseph T. Sneed III, a prominent conservative on the Ninth Circuit. [New York Times] * Is the supposed "hate crime" at Harvard Law School, involving the placement of black tape on the portraits of African-American law professors, actually a hoax? [Powerline via TaxProf Blog] * Elsewhere in academia, Professor Glenn Reynolds wonders: "If a cabal of Evil Conservatives set out to destroy academia from within, what, exactly, would it be doing differently?" [Instapundit] * Star Wars fans, discuss: "The Law is a Sith," according to Professor Adam Kolber. [PrawfsBlawg] * Can states bar Syrian refugees? Professor Ilya Somin thinks not (at least under current Supreme Court precedent). [Volokh Conspiracy] * Thoughts from Professor Ronald K.L. Collins on Hines v. Alldredge, the occupational speech case previously discussed by Tamara Tabo. [Concurring Opinions] * What can be done about problematic prosecutors? [New York Times via How Appealing]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 11.16.15

* Is Andrews Kurth facing a possible mega-malpractice judgment? If you know more, please drop us a line. [MahanyLaw] * Elsewhere in Texas, a UT law student stands accused of leading an intimidation campaign against a professor of Israel studies. [Legal Insurrection] * Advice from our columnist Keith Lee on how to write an excellent legal memo. [Associate's Mind] * Did Michigan prosecutors pressure the state’s crime lab to falsely classify the origins of THC the lab was testing? [The Intercept] * An interview about interviews: Richard Hsu interviews Bryan A. Garner about Professor Garner's famous series of interviews with Supreme Court justices. [Hsu Untied] * Does your employer offer assistance with student loan repayment as an employee benefit -- and should it? [Tuition.io]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 10.09.15

* A biting take on legal system reform. [The Onion] * A law school class that actually changed something. [Chronicle of Higher Education] * Justin Bieber's lawyers send around nasty notes after naked pics of the singer go viral. [TMZ] * Paid justice? Prosecutors are paid by an insurance company for "handling" their cases. Sounds suspect. [Texas Tribune] * Badass Ph.D. coldly takes down lawyer during a deposition. [Medium] * Highlights from the Academy for Private Practice. [CodeX] * The behavior that got Dewey into so much trouble is still going on. [Big Law Business / BNA]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.09.15

* Bob McCulloch, the prosecutor who handled (mishandled?) the Michael Brown / Darren Wilson case in Ferguson, Missouri, was recently named as "Prosecutor of the Year" by the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. This probably wasn't a good idea. [Slate] * American Apparel filed for bankruptcy, and rather than Biglaw firms representing the embattled clothier, they're trying to snatch up fees. Skadden, White & Case, and Paul Hastings are each owed quite the pretty penny. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg] * Which law school dean was just named as senior counsel at Dentons, the largest law firm in the world? That would be Nicholas Allard of Brooklyn Law School. Perhaps this law dean's academic cash flow wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. [Brooklyn Daily Eagle] * "Unless the industry cleans itself up, we can expect more lawsuits like this in the future." In an interesting turn of events, the marijuana industry is now seeing its first product liability suit. A protip for growers: No one wants to smoke fungicide. [Los Angeles Times] * Just when you thought patent trolls couldn't get any worse, they started to harass members of the fashion industry. Copyright trolls (i.e., Stephen Doniger and Scott Alan Burroughs) are suing over textile prints left and right, and that's so last season. [Fortune]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 09.30.15

* Is there a pattern of dishonesty in the Orange County, CA District Attorney's office? [New York Times] * Does a lack of SEC enforcement on clawback rules actually create a perverse incentive to manipulate earnings? [MarketWatch] * Shocking news: Men admire their own work more than women do. I know that sentence is full of gender norms, but sometimes it is what it is. [TaxProf Blog] * Is it ever okay for Biglaw associates to have privacy in the office? [What About Paris?] * What you need to know right now in the world of legal tech. [CodeX] * Thinking of using Google AdWords for your firm? Careful if you're bidding on opposing counsel's name, it could land you in ethical hot water. [Legal Profession Blog] * What are the biggest threats for your corporate data? [Bloomberg BNA]

By Kathryn Rubino