Rap
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Courts
Lip-Syncing Judge In Hot Water Over ‘Inappropriate’ TikTok Videos
Yikes, this isn’t exactly behavior that you’d expect from a judge. -
Government
Gavin Newsom Offers Protection For Musicians Getting A Bad Rap For Their Lyrics
I took the Wock to Cali. - Sponsored
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Biglaw
Lin-Manuel Miranda Is Teaching Neal Katyal To Rap As Impeachment Enters Its Broadway Phase
The burgeoning career of MC Former SG.
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Law Schools
How Learning To Hustle Helped This Rapper's Law School Game
He went from opening for Kendrick Lamar to studying for the bar exam. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non Sequiturs: 03.10.19
* “I Thought I Could Be A Christian And Constitutionalist At Yale Law School. I Was Wrong.” So writes Aaron Haviland, a 3L at Yale Law School. [The Federalist]
* But if you can survive YLS as a conservative, you might thrive in the world beyond — just ask Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who’s now a powerful voice on judicial nominations. [Bench Memos / National Review]
* How often does the Notorious RBG see a brief citing the Notorious BIG? Check out this fun read, filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of a constellation of hip-hop stars represented by Alex Spiro and Ellyde Thompson of Quinn Emanuel. [Supreme Court of the United States via New York Times]
* Yes, I’ve been on a hiatus from Twitter — and maybe I’m on to something, if you agree with Stephen Cooper. [Spectator]
* “For your information,” Georgia trial judges, “the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint.” [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason]
* Retired Judge Nancy Gertner (D. Mass.) believes that U.S. sentencing needs reform — but Paul Manafort’s case is far from the ideal vehicle for it. [Washington Post]
* Congratulations to Fastcase on its latest alliance, this time with credit-reporting giant TransUnion. [Dewey B Strategic]
* And congrats to Neota Logic on its new Dashboard feature, which sounds nifty. [Artificial Lawyer]
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In-House Counsel
Before Becoming GC Of The Golden State Warriors, This Lawyer Was A Rapper
He once judged Eminem in a rap battle. How cool is that?! -
Crime, Music, Rap
Rap-Crimination
Rappers, write what you're going to write, but be aware -- the police are watching. -
Law Schools
Moving From The Rap Game To Law School In Search Of Stability
The transition to 1L year is always difficult. Now imagine you were leaving behind a successful rap career. - Sponsored
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Celebrities, Privacy
Taylor Swift's Legal Recourse After Leaked Convo By Kanye West And Kim Kardashian West
It's safe to say there's now "bad blood" between Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian West. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 02.24.16
* After being called to court by the judge on his bankruptcy case for flaunting cash on Instagram, 50 Cent posted a photo of himself in a room filled with money. When reached for comment, the allegedly bankrupt rapper had this to say: “I don’t know what you heard about me, but this judge will write a benchslap about me.” [New York Daily News]
* Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have said that they will refuse to hold any hearings on a Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia until the next President is sworn in on January 20, 2017. In fact, they won’t even give President Obama’s future appointee the courtesy of a meeting. Lovely. [WSJ Law Blog; New York Times]
* According to a letter from Justice Scalia’s doctor, the late jurist suffered from a number of ailments that could have contributed to his sudden death, like coronary artery disease, obesity, and diabetes, just to name a few. Coupled with the fact that he was a smoker, all of his conditions were “quite dangerous.” Rest in peace, Your Honor. [Associated Press]
* “If you look at the women-of-color research, the numbers are abysmal.” Minority women are disappearing from Biglaw firms, and research has shown that it may be due to the fact that they receive less compensation than men and white women, they’re denied access to assignments, and they receive fewer promotions. [ABA Journal]
* Good riddance to bad rubbish: Robert Hosch Jr., the founder and former managing partner of Butler & Hosch — the large, Florida-based firm that seemingly collapsed overnight, leaving hundreds of legal professionals jobless and 60,000 foreclosure cases in limbo — has surrendered his license to practice law in Florida. [Orlando Sentinel]
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Bankruptcy, Celebrities
50 Cent Says Bankruptcy Plan Will Force Him Into Indentured Servitude
It's hard out here for a bankrupt rapper. -
Boutique Law Firms, Music, Small Law Firms
Partner Absolutely Kills It At Holiday Party
I never expected this partner rap to be this... good. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 12.23.15
* It’s the Miss Universe pageant lawsuit you’ve all been waiting for: attorneys at a Colombian law firm say they will be filing suit due to Miss Colombia’s crowning and de-crowning, noting “the crown is an acquired right that cannot be taken away from us.” [WGNO]
* The Federal Circuit handed down a major ruling yesterday, saying that the government can no longer bar the registration of offensive trademarks due to restrictions on free speech. This will likely be appealed to SCOTUS, but the Redskins must be pretty pumped. [Reuters]
* In an effort to avoid another Kim Davis fiasco (and to protect clerks’ religious beliefs), Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin has signed an executive order directing that his state prepare new marriage licenses without the names of county clerks. [Associated Press]
* Lil Wayne may be a “motherf**kin’ cash money millionaire,” but he reportedly can’t spare the cash to pay his attorneys’ fees. This marks the second time in recent months that he’s been sued for allegedly failing to pay his lawyers what they’re owed. [SPIN]
* Lakeisha Holloway, the woman accused of using her car to mow down and kill a pedestrian and injure many others on the Las Vegas Strip, has been charged with murder with a deadly weapon. She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. [NBC News]
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Free Speech, Rap, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Rapper's Delight? Hip-Hop Stars Line Up To File Amicus Brief In First Amendment SCOTUS Case
Will the Supreme Court be capable of separating art from rap lyrics, or do they love opera too much? -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 12.02.15
* Did 50 Cent’s lawyers spend too much of the bankrupt rapper’s money while representing him? With $123,455.92 in expenses, sex-tape plaintiff Lastonia Leviston says Fiddy’s lawyers from Brewer Attorneys & Counselors were partying like it was their birthday throughout trial. [New York Daily News]
* Roger Ailes, the chairman and CEO of Fox News, isn’t laughing at ABC’s news comedy called Fair and Balanced. Fox trademarked that slogan in 1997, and Ailes says ABC “wouldn’t know fair and balanced if it hit them in the ass with a fish.” [Adweek]
* Following in Dentons’ footsteps, yet another Biglaw firm has entered into a “strategic alliance” with a Chinese firm. McGuireWoods will create a referral network with FuJae Partners, but there’s no talk of a merger — yet. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]
* NJ Gov. Chris Christie says he’s been researching legal action he can take against Syrian refugees who have been placed in his state. He’s acknowledged it’s a federal issue, but this would-be president is going to try to oust them anyway. [NJ Advance Media]
* The Illinois Department of Corrections has been suing newly released inmates to recover the cost of their room and board while they were incarcerated. Lovely. This surely “raise[s] moral questions that legislators need to address.” [Chicago Tribune]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 10.22.15
* Brush that dirt off your shoulder: Jay-Z may have 99 problems, but this copyright lawsuit about his song “Big Pimpin'” is no longer one of them. The suit filed against the rap mogul in 2007 was dismissed on standing grounds, but the plaintiff says he plans to appeal. [Los Angeles Times]
* When it comes to the death penalty, Justice Antonin Scalia says that it “wouldn’t surprise [him]” if the Supreme Court were to strike it down as unconstitutional. It seems that a capital punishment case could become the next SCOTUS blockbuster. [CBS Minnesota]
* No one is a fan of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s in-house court system, and legislation to give financial defendants the right to opt out will be introduced in Congress later this week. Would you rather face trial before a federal judge or jury? [WSJ Law Blog]
* Earlier this week, a state-court judge brought a live grenade to the courthouse, but only because he wanted to have it properly disposed of by police. The jurist currently remains unidentified, which is a good thing, because this is pretty embarrassing. [CBS Los Angeles]
* Jurors in New York are paid $40 per day for their service, so you may be wondering how the confused members of the jury in the Dewey & LeBoeuf (mis)trial were able to survive on only $2,920 after five months spent in the courtroom. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.17.15
* This October, rappers Jay Z and Timbaland will have to testify in a lawsuit concerning copyright infringement and improper music sampling. We’ll see how “Big Pimpin'” they really are when we find out which lawyers and law firms are repping them. [Page Six / New York Post]
* This judge apparently doesn’t appreciate fighting words in pleadings. “Do you want to fight me? Is that what you want?” A West Virginia magistrate judge challenged a litigant — one who previously called the magistrate a “fat sweaty slob” in motion papers — to come to his house and “see what happens.” [Charleston Gazette-Mail]
* An ex-Texas judge was sentenced for his side job of smuggling guns into Mexico and selling them. He faced up to 70 years when he pleaded guilty to two felony counts in May, and was handed his 18-month sentence on Friday. Yeehaw! [Austin American-Statesman]
* The Idaho College of Law will begin to host first-year law school classes at its Boise campus starting in 2017. The Boise campus now serves 1Ls, 2LS, and 3Ls, but not to worry, this flyover law school’s main campus isn’t going anywhere. [Idaho Statesman]
* Julian Bond, civil rights icon, SPLC board member, former NAACP chair, RIP. [NYT]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.07.15
* Graffiti artist Rime alleges that Katy Perry wore a dress designed by Moschino that ripped off some of his copyrightable work. This dark horse has injected herself into a lot of IP issues this year. Your lawyer fans thank you. [WSJ Law Blog]
* The Seventh Circuit is totally sorry about the case that it completely forgot about for the past five years. It seems that the court pleadings were “placed in the wrong stack” on remand from the Supreme Court in 2010. Congratulations, America: This is your justice system. Oopsie! [ABA Journal]
* Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane has been charged with perjury, conspiracy, obstructing justice, and several other crimes in connection with a grand jury leak. She’s the second state AG to be criminally charged this week. Nice job. [USA Today]
* Arizona Summit Law filed a motion to dismiss former employee and alumnus Paula Lorona’s pro se retaliation and consumer fraud lawsuit with prejudice. The school claims the complaint is pleaded deficiently. Well… you educated her. [National Law Journal]
* Rapper Busta Rhymes was charged with second degree assault this week after he allegedly threw a protein drink at a gym employee. His lawyer calls the charge “a bunch of bull.” Hmm, we apparently should’ve listened when he told us he was dangerous. [MTV]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 07.27.15
* A jury has ruled that rapper 50 Cent must pay an additional $2 million in punitive damages to a woman whose sex tape he posted online, on top of the $5 million he already owes her. This wanksta better hope the judgment gets discharged in bankruptcy. [Associated Press]
* California is America’s breeding ground for unaccredited law schools, and “[m]ost jurisdictions simply don’t allow [these] kind of law school[s] to exist at all. Period.” Nearly all students (about 9 out of 10) drop out before graduation. How much money is being wasted? [Los Angeles Times]
* Since 2007, the pay gap between the highest- and lowest-paid positions in many specialized fields has widened — but that isn’t the case when it comes to the legal profession. Unfortunately, not as many people are making it rain. [New York Times]
* “[M]aybe legislation should fix this. Not the court.” A San Diego judge has suggested that he’ll likely dismiss a right-to-die lawsuit filed by Christy O’Donnell, a civil rights attorney who’s fighting a battle against lung, brain, spine, rib, and liver cancer. [NBC San Diego]
* You’ve seen reactions to Harper Lee’s portrayal of Atticus Finch as a racist in Go Set A Watchman (affiliate link) from everyone and their mother and their dog, but maybe you haven’t seen reactions from law professors yet, so have a look. [National Law Journal]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 07.17.15
* “I don’t know what you heard about me, but a bitch can’t get a dollar out of me.” Truer lyrics have never been rapped. 50 Cent’s legal team will face off in bankruptcy court against lawyers for a woman owed $5 million thanks to a sex-tape scandal. [Business Insider]
* You may be happy that income-based loan repayment exists and is saving you from defaulting on your law school debts, but in a few decades, you’re probably going to get F’d in the A by a ticking tax time bomb. [Student Loan Ranger / U.S. News]
* If you missed it, James Eagan Holmes, the shooter in the Dark Knight movie theater massacre in Colorado, was convicted for killing 12 people and wounding 70 others. Next up is the sentencing phase of his trial, and the death penalty is on the table. [Denver Post]
* The head honchos at Goldman Sachs are sad their second-quarter profits were reduced by ~half thanks to protracted litigation stemming from the financial crisis. The bank had to put away $1.45B for “mortgage-related litigation.” [DealBook / New York Times]
* The stars at night may be big and bright deep in the heart of Texas, but Berg & Androphy, led by attorney David Berg, is trying its hand at big city life in New York. It got the hang of things, y’all: B&A has already poached two Kasowitz partners. [Lawdragon]