Student Loans
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.15.18
* “If the law’s not going to be improved by Congress, we have to help these young people who are drowning in student loan debt.” In the past, judges would rarely consider helping people who were bankrupted by student debt payments, but now offering their support through the court system. [Wall Street Journal]
* Guess which Biglaw firm helped the United States Soccer Federation secure the 2026 World Cup? If you guessed it was the firm that celebrated its bid by not raising its associates’ salaries yet, you were right. Thanks, Latham! [American Lawyer]
* A judge approved AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner on Tuesday, and two days later, it’s now complete. Although the Justice Department isn’t filing for a stay, that’s not going to stop lawyers in the Antitrust Division from appealing the judge’s decision in the case, though. [CNN]
* As our personal-finance columnist Jordan Rothman complained of earlier this week, it’s messed up that you can lose your law license after defaulting on your student loans. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Marco Rubio thought it was messed up too, so they introduced a bill to stop it from happening. [Law.com]
* RBG, the documentary about the life and times of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is quite literally stealing the show. The film has made $9.2 million since its release, making it the highest-grossing movie of the Sundance Film Festival. I highly recommend seeing this movie. [Hollywood Reporter]
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Law Schools
An Orthodontist's One Million Dollar Student Loan Debt Exposes The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly About Income Based Repayment Programs
At what point does paying your student loans in full no longer make financial sense? - Sponsored
The Ethical use of Generative AI
What’s the key to empowering your legal team with the efficiency and insight of AI while protecting the integrity of their work? Read this article… -
Law Schools
You Can Lose Your Law License After Defaulting On Student Loans, And That's Messed Up
If policymakers were truly interested in having student loans paid on time, they would not be suspending law licenses.
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.13.18
* Even the mainstream media is covering Biglaw’s new salary scale, but dare we say, our coverage is much better. Check it out here while you cross your fingers and pray that your firm follows the latest in associate compensation trends. [New York Post]
* “We don’t create or adjudicate under secret law or procedure.” Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has filed suit against the Department of Justice, alleging that the DOJ has repeatedly refused to turn over any documents or identify any policy or procedures that were relied upon when firing him. [Associated Press]
* There’s no vacancy on the Supreme Court right now, but Demand Justice, a liberal nonprofit group, has already spent a hefty sum on digital attack ads against some of the judges on President Trump’s short list. Thus far, Judges Amy Coney Barrett of the Seventh Circuit, Brett Kavanaugh of the D.C. Circuit, and Amul Thapar of the Sixth Circuit have been treated to campaign coverage. [BuzzFeed]
* In case you somehow missed it, over the government’s antitrust objections, a federal judge has approved AT&T’s $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner following a six-week trial. They hope to close the deal by or before June 20. Have hope, everyone, maybe Time Warner Cable will actually function sometime soon. [USA Today]
* The ABA’s president has asked members of the House to oppose the part of the PROSPER Act that would end Public Service Loan Forgiveness, because “[w]ithout PSLF, the organizations that provide life- and livelihood-sustaining services will be even farther away from being able to meet these important challenges.” Plus, many law school graduates wouldn’t be able to survive. [ABA Journal]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.12.18
* Proskauer tells the EEOC that there’s nothing “sinister” about employers demanding that sexual harassment victims sign away their legal rights to be railroaded through employer-chosen kangaroo courts and then forcibly silenced. Welcome to 2018. [National Law Journal]
* In emoluments news, Judge Peter Messitte asked the Justice Department if, based on their chosen defense, “Wouldn’t that be bribery?” which he seemed to think would be a bad thing as if the Supreme Court hadn’t legalized bribery in McDonnell. [US News]
* Chris Christie is starting his own law firm and somehow Rudy Giuliani has already managed to lie about that. [NJ.com]
* Betsy DeVos succeeded in keeping fraud victims indebted to the government. She was also ordered to stop pursuing collection actions against the victims, but she still gets to destroy their credit ratings, which is still a great day for kleptocracy. [Courthouse News Service]
* Nelson Mullins merging with Broad and Cassel as part of the growing trend of super-regional firms designed to keep the Am Law elite at bay. [Daily Report]
* In a lesson on putting carts ahead of horses, the former general counsel for Portland, Oregon’s public school district was just admitted to the bar… after the state bar lodged ethics violations against him for serving in that role without a law license in the state. [Portland Tribune]
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Law Schools
This Lawyer's Law School Loans Have Ballooned To Insane, Unpayable Amounts
Think your law school debt is crazy now? This could be you in the future. -
Law Schools
Don't Cheap Out (Too Much) When Studying For The Bar Exam
There are certain things you can be thrifty about when studying for the bar exam, and certain things you should invest money on to ensure that you pass. -
Law Schools
The 10 Law Schools That Offer Students The Most Help With Tuition
Some law schools are interested in keeping their graduates out of the poorhouse. - Sponsored
How To Maximize Productivity With Westlaw Precision With CoCounsel
Westlaw Precision with CoCounsel helps legal professionals get a faster start to their research. Over time, that added productivity can lead to higher-quality research and… -
Law Schools
Graduation Gift Ideas For Debt-Burdened Law School Graduates
Hint: You might want to think about alleviating a financial burden law school graduates typically face. -
Small Law Firms
If You Are A Small-Firm Owner, It Is Important To Pay Off Your Student Loans As Soon As Possible
Here is a refutation of some of the common reasons why people don’t want to pay off their loans. -
Law Schools
If Your Parents Paid For Your Law School Expenses, You Better Help Them If They Need It
If your parents helped you pay for law school, then you have a moral responsibility to help them if they need it. -
Law Schools
Income-Driven Repayment Plans And Student Debt Forgiveness Are Not Going Anywhere
There is just not enough political will to make huge changes, and political winds are shifting so that making such alterations will become more difficult. -
Law Schools
Many Professionals Have It Way Worse Than Lawyers When It Comes To Student Loans
It is important to consider other professionals in order to contextualize the student debt burdens attorneys face.
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Mitigating M&A Cyber Risk: Pre- & Post-Acquisition Due Diligence
The Ethical use of Generative AI
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Law Schools
Congress Plans To Take Away Your Student Loan Money -- What Happens To Legal Education Then?
Efforts are underway to radically change America's student loan regime. Are you ready? -
Law Schools
First-Generation Students Get Screwed The Most By Law School Loans
Why? Because law schools do a poor job educating first-generation students about student debt. -
Law Schools
How I Paid Off My First Law School Loan By Using Coupons
Saving 25 cents on groceries today can help you pay off $25K tomorrow. -
Law Schools
Hey Parents, Don't Feel Bad If You Can't Pay For Your Kid's Law School Expenses
Law school is extremely expensive, and tuition and fees for most law students exceed what the average person earns in a year. -
Law Schools
The Top 20 Most Affordable Law Schools
Which law schools won't leave students drowning in debt after graduation? -
Law Schools
Legal Institutions Are Not Prepared For More Student Loan Bankruptcies
Things must change, or law students and lawyers burdened by student debt might not feel truly empowered to declare bankruptcy to erase their student loans. -
Law Schools
Middle-Class Borrowers Get Screwed The Most By Student Loans
Reforms should be implemented to make financial aid more accessible to middle-class students.