Prospective Law Students

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.27.16

* “Every school has had to make choices, even at the top. This has been upheaval for everyone.” With a significant drop in applicants, the crisis in legal education has reached the members of the T14, the very best law schools in the country. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * Another lawyer has filed […]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.04.15

* It's only been two weeks since Charlie Sheen's HIV reveal, and the lawsuits are already starting to roll in. The actor's ex-fiancée is suing him for big bucks and claims he failed to disclose his status to her before having unprotected sex, which is a felony in California. [Deadline] * When you somehow avoid jail time by asserting an improbable "affluenza" defense after killing people in a drunk-driving wreck, it figures that your downfall comes via tweet. Start out your day by checking out the video of "ya boy ethan couch [allegedly] violating probation." [Dallas Morning News] * Remember the law prof who was banned from SUNY Buffalo Law's campus for allegedly violating its workplace violence policy and then sued the former dean for defamation? A judge has recommended that the case be dismissed. [Buffalo News] * Biglaw attorneys are descending upon the 21st annual Conference of the Parties (COP 21), because after all, they'll be able to entertain clients with tales about the legalities of renewables to cut greenhouse gas emissions. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * Law school admins are confident the number of applicants will increase, and while fee waivers still abound, pre-law students are expecting the cycle to be "competitive." A pulse AND the ability to sign loan docs will now be required. [Daily Pennsylvanian]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.21.15

* Arizona Summit Law wasn't the only law school to post an embarrassing passage rate on the July 2015 administration of the bar exam. Only 28 percent of test-takers from this law school passed, but its dean says that the scores don't "reflect a problem with the school's quality." Hey, whatever helps you get to sleep at night. [Tennessean] * Speaking of bar passage rates, if you're applying to law school, should you care about them? Job statistics are probably a more telling measurement when comparing schools, but then again, it's harder to get a job when you can't pass the bar exam. [U.S. News] * “It’s a huge blow to his tenure as DA." The mistrial in the criminal case against Dewey & LeBoeuf's former executives is putting a major damper on what was supposed to be Manhattan DA Cy Vance's crackdown on corporate crime. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg] * Thanks to the Department of Education's "gainful employment rule," for-profit law schools could be in trouble when it comes to eligibility for federal student loans under the "debt-to-earnings" test. This certainly may put a crimp in Infilaw's style. [Huffington Post] * The vast majority of all class members in the Subway "footlong" lawsuit aren't likely to see a dime. This is fine because they don't need to see any "dough," but a guarantee that the company's next spokesperson won't be a child predator would be nice. [WSJ Law Blog]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.16.15

* John Stamos of Full House fame was formally charged with driving under the influence earlier this week following his arrest for erratic driving this summer. He faces up to six months in jail if convicted. We have faith that his beautiful hair will survive time in the slammer. [USA Today] * While the vast majority of the law school lawsuits containing allegations related to deceptive employment statistics have been dismissed, a few are still alive and kicking. The very first one filed -- Alaburda v. Thomas Jefferson School of Law -- is heading to trial in 2016. [WSJ Law Blog] * Trick or treat? Per federal prosecutors, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert will plead guilty before Halloween as part of a deal in his ongoing sexual misconduct hush-money case, but whether he’ll serve time is a question that’s yet to be answered. [Reuters] * Headcount at real estate firms with once-prominent foreclosure practices continues to shrink thanks to the recession's end. To that effect, two Chicago firms have eliminated hundreds of positions for legal professionals since 2013. [Chicago Business Journal] * Thanks to a new online system, Northwestern Law will be able to interview prospective students any time, anywhere. The school is the first in the country to offer awkward casting couch sessions as part of its admissions process. [Northwestern University News]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.08.15

* FYI, it may be a “nine-week job interview—for both sides,” but summer associates hardly have room to complain when they're being wined, dined, and paid up to $3,000 per week to work at the Biglaw firms where they landed jobs. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)] * Hot take alert: Per our favorite (and sometimes controversial) blogging jurist, Richard Kopf of the District of Nebraska, “Senator Ted Cruz is not fit to be President” because he wants to allow voters to boot SCOTUS justices. [WSJ Law Blog] * Maria Mitousis, the divorce lawyer who was seriously injured after a bomb allegedly mailed to her by a client's ex-husband exploded in her office, says she'll be back to work ASAP. Her hand got blown off and she still wants to bill. What's your excuse? [CBC News] * Former Galveston County (Texas) Court-at-Law Judge Christopher Dupuy was recently arrested and charged with two counts of online harassment after he allegedly created sex ads featuring his exes. He sounds like a real winner, y'all. [Crimesider / CBS News] * This prospective law student got a 173 on the LSAT and wants to know whether it would be advisable to retake the exam. Are you actually kidding me with this? You'll get in almost anywhere with a 173 and a pulse. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]

By Staci Zaretsky