Terrorism

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.22.16

* It's not always the best law schools whose grads perform the best on the bar exam: For the third year in a row, FIU Law posted the greatest passing percentage out of all Florida law schools. Which one did the worst? We'll have more on this later. [Miami Herald] * "[T]he court will be looking for cases that don't break along traditional partisan lines. IP cases fit that bill." With only eight justices, the Supreme Court has shied away from dealing with any hot-button political or social issues this term, instead choosing to deal with business-related cases like intellectual property disputes. [Reuters] * According to court documents, New York and New Jersey bombing suspect Ahmad Rahami now has an attorney. David E. Patton, a Sullivan & Cromwell alum who leads the Federal Public Defenders of New York and is known as a "vigorous critic of the criminal justice system," will be representing the 28-year-old alleged terrorist. [WSJ Law Blog] * "We believe there's really an unmet need here in El Paso to have a law school." Now that UNT Dallas Law School is struggling to be accredited by the ABA, it's high time that we open yet another Texas law school. Right now, El Paso Law is just a poorly conceived idea, but it could be a poorly conceived diploma mill in the future. [Texas Lawyer] * "We're competing with people who have been laid off and have five to 10 years of experience." With loan debt looming large as "the tax you pay for not having a college fund," law students are slowly but surely adapting to the realities of the "new normal" when it comes to their post-graduation employment options. [Cleveland Scene]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.21.16

* Florida AG Pam Bondi admits she took donation money from Donald Trump when she was toying with an investigation of Trump University, but says she has no regrets about keeping the cash. "If I had returned it, you would have reported 'Bondi accepted a bribe, got caught and returned it." [AP] * Could President Barack Obama sue Donald Trump over the "birther" conspiracy? If so, what would be his cause of action? He could potentially file suit for defamation, but as a public figure, he'd have an uphill battle proving actual malice and damages. [Big Law Business] * Ahmad Rahami, the man accused of Saturday's bombings in New York and New Jersey, has been federally charged with use of a weapon of mass destruction, bombing, destruction of property, and use of a destructive device. His bail has been set at $5.2 million. There's been no word yet as to whether he has hired an attorney. [CNN] * According to Judge Alison Nathan of the Southern District of New York, bitcoins are, in fact, money -- at least under this federal anti-money laundering statute. If you think "funds" are "pecuniary resources… generally accepted as a medium of exchange or a means of payment," you better believe bitcoins are a form of money. [WSJ Law Blog] * "We think that they are attempting to use civil discovery to get around the limits on criminal discovery in the criminal case." According to Gloria Allred, the civil sexual abuse case her client has filed against Bill Cosby in California is going to be put on the back burner for a time into his criminal charges can be more fully litigated. [Reuters]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.02.16

* Dentons asks its European partners to kick in more money. Is this no big deal or something they should be verein worried about? (Ugh.) [Legal Week] * Melania Trump is suing the Daily Mail over escort stories. [Law360] * Judge Rakoff sides with Beyoncé in "Lemonade" suit. He stated the result and added that "a memorandum explaining the reasons for this ruling will issue in due course, at which time final judgment will be entered." All the greats build hype before their next opinion drops. [Hollywood Reporter] * After Brock Turner, California passed a new rape law... and it could backfire badly. [Rolling Stone] * USC linebacker accused of raping a woman twice and sending pictures of it to her ex. [Deadspin] * "So you want to sue your firm." [Law.com] * For your long weekend, here's a deep dive into the tale of the pair of lawyers who lost a massive civil suit over framing a PTA rival. [LA Times] * Suicide bombing kills 12 at Pakistani courthouse. [BBC]

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 04.12.16

* Gauging the importance of Supreme Court decisions this Term based on media coverage. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Georgia is changing state law because UGA's football coach thinks it might help the team cover up a scandal and somehow the legislature thinks this makes sense. [SB Nation] * Did President Obama outthink himself on the Merrick Garland pick? [Guile Is Good] * Using expert witnesses to defeat class certification... an emerging tradition. [The Expert Institute] * Some graphics cross-referencing the laws around "burners" and global terrorism. [imgur] * Restraining order be damned! Montgomery Blair Sibley is releasing D.C. Madam contacts for our viewing pleasure. [WTOP] * What lawyer Scott Limmer learned from a yoga retreat. [Law Reboot]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.23.16

* International Biglaw firms in Brussels are "just trying to soldier on" in the wake of the terror attacks that rocked the city yesterday morning. A White & Case secretary was on the metro train that was bombed, but she managed to escape from the wreckage unscathed. All lawyers and staff members have been accounted for and are alive and well. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * Singer Kesha has appealed the decision of a judge who declined to void her contract with Sony Music, a record label where she claims she'd be forced to work with a producer who allegedly raped her. This time, her lawyer, Mark Geragos, has likened the pop star's situation to slavery. Hmm... let's see how well that goes over for her in court. [Reuters] * “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court.” For the first time since Justice Antonin Scalia's death, the Supreme Court issued a 4-4 split decision along ideological lines. That very sentence could have a huge impact on some of the high court's more significant cases for a year or more if Merrick Garland isn't confirmed. [WSJ Law Blog] * Professor Melissa Murray of UC Berkeley Law has been tapped to stand in as the school's interim dean in the wake of Sujit Choudhry's resignation following the news that he'd been named as a defendant in a sexual harassment suit. Law students chose Murray as their "overwhelming choice" for dean in a poll. [L.A. Now / Los Angeles Times] * Since the GRE is regarded as an easier test than the LSAT, and at least one school will no longer require it for admission, some pre-law students may be wondering whether they should bother to take the LSAT at all. Don't be silly. Much like the word "fetch," the GRE isn't going to happen. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]

By Staci Zaretsky