SCOTUS

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 05.26.16

* Did you know Virginia allows people with only a bachelor's degree to be magistrates? And they are the ones approving search warrants. [Katz on Justice] * Domino's Pizza is the latest target of Eric Schneiderman, and the pizza chain is accused of discounting the hours employees have worked. [Pacific Standard Magazine] * One way to avoid law firm layoffs is to totally restructure the way law firms operate. [Bloomberg BNA] * What does one do when they retire from the Supreme Court? [SCOTUSblog] * How much do Supreme Court justices interrupt each other? An interesting analysis. [Empirical SCOTUS] * The Baston rule and the integrity of the criminal justice system. [Slate] * The repeal of Connecticut's death penalty will now apply to the men currently on death row. [Huffington Post]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 05.24.16

* So, you've found a new job. Yay! You give your boss your two-week notice and your current job comes back with a counter offer. Should you take it? [Manila Recruitment] * Evaluating the impact of the ghosts of decisions past on this term's Supreme Court. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Law school applications are down, but medical school applications are up. A look at the trends that have created this phenomenon. [Law School Cafe] * Are Justices Alito and Thomas in denial? [Slate] * If a student commits suicide after being bullied, is the school liable? [Litigation Daily] * Interesting podcast about what it is really like to be a criminal defense attorney. [LST Radio]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.20.16

* Donald Trump is expected to announce his choice for Vice President at the Republican National Convention in July, and he's turned to former longtime O'Melveny chair A.B. Culvahouse Jr. to vet his potential running mates. The last VP Culvahouse vetted was Sarah Palin, and look how well that turned out. [Big Law Business] * Uh-oh... Revenue may be up, but demand is way down, and there's no longer enough work to go around. According to a recent report from Altman Weil, "[f]jrms are having trouble keeping their lawyers utilized." Will layoffs follow thanks to Biglaw's overcapacity problems? We'll have more on this later today. [Philadelphia Inquirer] * Back in March, 53% of Americans polled said the Senate should vote on whether to confirm SCOTUS nominee Chief Judge Merrick Garland now, instead of waiting for the next president. Last week, only 48% of Americans polled felt the same. Quick! Somebody get Taylor Swift to endorse this man to hold the public's interest! [New York Times] * In the meantime, Senate Democrats held a mock confirmation hearing for the would-be SCOTUS justice this week, but Judge Garland didn't attend. It's too bad, because at this point in the game, thanks to the political wrangling that's been going on, it may have been his only chance to attend a hearing held in his honor. [The Guardian] * From the "abortion of taxpayer dollars" file: Oklahoma legislators passed a bill that would make abortion a felony punishable by up to three years in prison. Per the Center for Reproductive Rights, the proposed law is "harmful, discriminatory, clearly unconstitutional, and insulting to Oklahoma women and their families." [Reuters]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 05.19.16

* An analysis of Judge Garland's rulings on the D.C. Circuit -- what type of judge he is, who has he been historically, and what he might be like as a Supreme Court justice. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Ex-Skadden lawyer Charles Bennett, who pled guilty to running a Ponzi scheme, got sentenced to 5 years in prison. [Law360] * Some of the most damning evidence in the lawsuit against Rolling Stone over its (since retracted) UVA rape story may be a law firm's involvement. [Gawker] * Super. One of Donald Trump's delegates was just indicted on child porn and weapons charges. I'm fascinated to know how that will lead to a bump in Trump's polling numbers. [Law Newz] * This criminal defense attorney actually enjoys his job. I thought a lawyer that was fulfilled by their job existed only on TV. Nicely done, sir. [Katz on Justice] * Securities lawyer is getting two years in jail for tax evasion. You should really know better, dude. [Daily Business Review] * An attorney faced disciplinary action for letting her deadbeat boyfriend do illegal s**t in her basement. [Legal Profession Blog] * A cool opportunity in legal journalism: full-time editor of SCOTUSblog. [SCOTUSblog]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.19.16

* In case you've been wondering about what happened to Jill Easter, the lawyer who, along with her attorney husband, planted drugs on a former PTA president at her son's school, we've got you covered. Easter, who has since changed her name to Ava Everheart, shared her trials and tribulations on the Dr. Phil show yesterday afternoon. We'll have more on this later. [OC Register] * Wisconsin law grads don't have to take the bar to be admitted to practice, so you have to do something heinous to be denied admission. All this guy did was inflate his GPA on a transcript, falsely claim to be on law review, and "forget" about some speeding tickets. The state Supreme Court granted him conditional admission anyway. [Journal Sentinel] * Being a member of the Supreme Court Bar is pretty awesome and comes with some prestigious perks. Not only do SCOTUS Bar members get an impressive-looking membership document, but they also get "preferred admission and seating at key Court arguments." That's not bad for the $200 price of lifetime admission. [Big Law Business] * Led by Alan Dershowitz, a slew of law professors are speaking out against the Department of Education to condemn actions that have led to the "pervasive and severe infringements" of students' due-process and free-speech rights with regard to sexual harassment and misconduct complaints across college campuses. [WSJ Law Blog] * Which law schools have enrolled the highest percentage of students from underrepresented minorities? At 10 legal institutions, minority enrollment exceeded 52 percent, which is a rarity in the stereotypically lily-white land of law schools. More law schools should strive to be as diverse as the those named in this ranking. [U.S. News]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.18.16

* "[He] exited the passenger seat wearing nothing but what appeared to be an adult diaper." Andrew and Alecia Schmuhl, the husband-and-wife lawyers accused of torturing and nearly killing a law firm partner and his wife, are back in the news. Andrew's trial began this week, and he's utilizing an involuntary intoxication defense. [Washington Post] * President Obama needn't worry about what he's going to do to keep busy after his presidency ends -- job offers are already pouring in for him, including one from Bin Haider Advocates & Legal Consultants, a smaller firm in Dubai. But why go to the Middle East when he could easily become a partner at Sidley Austin? [Am Law Daily] * "If I had my way, I would make pro bono a service requirement." During the American Law Institute's annual meeting, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said she thinks pro-bono work should be mandatory for lawyers, and that she "believe[s] in forced labor" when it comes to access to justice and closing the justice gap for the poor. [National Law Journal] * Non-lawyers likely won't be able to stake a claim in law firm ownership anytime soon since the ABA Commission on the Future of the Legal Profession failed to submit a formal proposal to the ABA House of Delegates before a deadline had passed. It's just as well, as lawyers remain adamantly opposed to the proposition. [Big Law Business] * IP lawyers better get ready to party like it's 1999, because Minnesota lawmakers have introduced the broadly written Personal Rights in Names Can Endure Act, perhaps better known as the PRINCE Act, named for the recently deceased musician to establish a right of publicity for celebrities and their heirs within the state. [WSJ Law Blog]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 05.17.16

* Does anyone have any idea what Merrick Garland should be doing right now? If so, give him a buzz -- he needs your help. [The Onion] * Interview with a restaurant lawyer. See, you can specialize in anything. [First We Feast] * If law professors act like divas, should they get tenure? Does it matter how much the publish? [Tax Prof Blog] * Advice for those interested in becoming a legal writing specialist. [Reboot Your Law Practice] * Surprised by the Supreme Court punting on Zubik? You shouldn't be, it was entirely predictable. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Thanks to Arizona Law, undergrads who haven't decided what to do can keep their options open with the GRE. [NPR] * This is why legislators have to be careful about what they vote for -- otherwise unscrupulous politicians will change the name of a bill to make it look like it provides support for a potential pandemic, when it does nothing about it. [The Slot]

By Kathryn Rubino