Student Loans

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.03.15

* According to this former Supreme Court clerk, Justice Scalia's judicial zingers are just like porn in that they're "titillating, but over time they coarsen the culture of which they are a part." (Plus, for what it's worth, the jurist's audience usually never gets a money shot.) [Washington Post] * Better late than never? The ABA dropped the hammer on law schools trying to game their employment stats with a new rule that'll force them to report school-funded jobs as part-time unless certain length and salary reqs are met. [WSJ Law Blog] * The largest of D.C.'s largest law firms grew even larger over the past year, and thanks to a merger, an outsider firm -- Morgan Lewis -- managed to infiltrate the capital's Big Four. Sorry, WilmerHale, but maybe 2016 will be your comeback year. [National Law Journal] * In other ABA news, the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar rejected a plea for academic credit for paid externships, because we apparently want to keep students as indebted as possible before they begin their professional legal careers. [ABA Journal] * A judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Richard Lee, a known conspiracy theorist, who sought the release of the Seattle police department's death-scene photographs from Nirvana star Kurt Cobain's suicide. Hey! Wait! He'll file a new complaint. [Seattle Times]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.20.15

* "I would hope that we've already hit the bottom." America's legal educators and admissions deans are wishing, hoping, and praying that the upcoming school year will be the last year that merely having a pulse is a prerequisite for law school admission. [National Law Journal] * Bankruptcy court, here we come: We all know that right now, exorbitant law school debt can't be discharged in bankruptcy, but judges have started to rally in favor of student debtors, noting that the Brunner test is simply incompatible with today's high tuition costs. [New York Times] * “A professional education will never be cheap,” and the ABA has finally decided to give the appearance of caring about the average graduates of private law schools with six figures of loans. Enhanced financial counseling for all! [Big Law Business / Bloomberg] * Indiana Tech Law School won't be appealing its denial of accreditation by the American Bar Association. Before you get too excited about a law school accepting failure and throwing in the towel, it seems that the school is just going to reapply instead. [KPC News] * "[O]ne’s face may determine one’s fate, at least in the judicial domain." Per a new study, the more untrustworthy a criminal defendant looks, the more likely it is that he'll receive a harsher sentence. Boy, Dewey know defendants in need of a makeover. [WSJ Law Blog]

By Staci Zaretsky
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]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 06.17.15

* With student loan forgiveness earning public approval, the other shoe had to drop. Critics campaigning that any escape is "welfare." If you were grasping for the proper pejorative it's "Homecoming Queen." [Concurring Opinions] * Hot mic alert! Lawyer broadcasts during recess that prosecutor is "in my pocket." Only to the extent the prosecutor is now up your ass. [ABA Journal] * Maybe there's hope for sentencing reform: 130 former judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officials sign a letter advocating for the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2015. The key is "former." I'll bet while they were running for office harsh sentencing was a-OK. [Sentencing Law and Policy] * Using the show Serial to teach good brief writing. [Legal Writing Pro] * Had you considered the marriage equality dimensions of Kerry v. Din? Me neither. But Professor Dorf did. [Verdict] * Law schools are increasingly hiring deans from within. Just another way of keeping Elie out of that dean's job he wants so badly. [The Faculty Lounge] * What to do when hiring a contract attorney? Hm. Look for fear and desperation? Oh... oh, you're being serious about ethics and stuff. [Daily Report] * The best description of the conservative argument in King: "the card says 'Moops.'" [Lawyers, Guns & Money] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia02fGpUQfU

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.04.15

* If you're having trouble making payments on your law school debt, don't fall prey to a loan-relief scam. You may already be six figures in the hole, but you should take this quiz to see if you're about to lose your shirt -- yet again. [U.S. News & World Report] * For the second time in two years, the ABA will reconsider whether law students should be able to receive pay for credit-bearing externships. Come on already, give these people a chance to make a buck before they graduate. [National Law Journal] * Here's an important memo for Judge Mark Fuller of the Middle District of Alabama: Just so you know, if you don't resign on August 1 as promised, the House Judiciary Committee is probably going to bring impeachment proceedings against you. HTH. [Daily Report] * It's not a merger (yet), they're just "exploring synergies": Albany Law School and SUNY Albany will affiliate in order to help students from both schools. Check out the memo, complete with an exploding fellowship offer for new students. [Albany Business Review] * Vice is suing a small business named Virtue Marketing, alleging trademark infringement. Apparently the media company's in-house marketing agency is also called Virtue. Hey, Vice, just change the name to Greed and you'll be set. [THR, Esq. / Hollywood Reporter]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.08.15

* We mentioned earlier this week that Charleston School of Law may suspend enrollment of first-year students next year. Perhaps the law school's ultimate failure wouldn't be a bad deal for students -- a closed school loan discharge would actually be a blessing for them. [WSJ Law Blog] * With law school graduation right around the corner, you can kiss your dreams of a Supreme Court justice delivering your commencement speech goodbye. Thus far, not a single SCOTUS jurist will deliver remarks at a 2015 ceremony. [National Law Journal] * Per the latest report from Citi Private Bank’s Law Firm Group, law firm expenses outpaced revenue in the first quarter of 2015. Some of the biggest expenses are salaries, so maybe this is another reason why some firms are resorting to layoffs. [Am Law Daily] * They should've just watched The Wire? Under Attorney General Loretta Lynch's leadership, the Department of Justice is going to launch an investigation into whether the Baltimore Police Department has been involved in any discriminatory police work. [NPR] * If you're still trying to decide which law school to attend, you may want to consider one that has robust practicum offerings. Being "practice ready" after graduation supposedly does wonders for your job prospects. (Just kidding.) [U.S. News & World Report]

By Staci Zaretsky