Trials
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Plaintiffs Firms, Rankings
There's Something Weird About These 'Elite Lawyers' Rankings
We don't have the official congratulations message from the National Law Journal to the firms, but this reader created one that perfectly captures the problem... -
Biglaw, Litigators, Technology, Trials
alt.legal: I Bet You Haven’t Heard This One Before
Why would a tech-illiterate Biglaw associate leave her promising career at a top law firm to work on a startup? - Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
1st Circuit, Bar Exams, Crime, Gay, Gay Marriage, Jersey Shore, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Morning Docket, New Jersey, Tax Law, Trials
Morning Docket: 09.25.14
* Per the First Circuit, plaintiffs who successfully challenge the Defense of Marriage Act in court aren’t entitled to attorneys’ fees. The Department of Justice had no comment. [National Law Journal]
* Florida Coastal Law finished second-to-last in bar passage for the July 2014 exam, with 58% of grads passing. It was one of Florida Coastal’s worst performances to date. [Florida Times-Union]
* ASU Law got a $10M donation, its largest ever. “The remarkable thing about it is we didn’t ask him for it,” says the dean, which is a slightly better response than Drexel’s dean had. [The Republic]
* Much to his defense team’s chagrin, accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s trial will remain in Boston. The media spectacle is set to begin in January 2015. [New York Times]
* Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino of Jersey Shore fame was indicted on tax fraud charges to the tune of $8.9M. He pleaded not guilty yesterday afternoon. There aren’t tanning beds in jail. 🙁 [Asbury Park Press]
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Antonin Scalia, Biglaw, Crime, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Federal Judges, In-House Counsel, John Paul Stevens, Morning Docket, Murder, SCOTUS, Small Law Firms, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court, Trials
Morning Docket: 09.16.14
* If you want to know why Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s summer was “really not fun,” it’s because she spent it reading a book about Justice Antonin Scalia and a book written by Justice John Paul Stevens. [Washington Whispers / U.S. News & World Report]
* “There is less money to pay everybody.” Corporations are shifting more and more of their legal work to their in-house lawyers, and some law firms — especially smaller ones — are feeling the financial squeeze. [WSJ Law Blog]
* If you’ve wanted to know what federal judges discuss during their bathroom breaks, stop wondering, because it’s not that exciting. All they talk about is their “stupid little trials,” and get overheard by jurors and forced into disclosures. [New York Daily News]
* Dewey know why the former leaders of this failed firm want their criminal indictment dismissed? It’s because the case is allegedly based on a “flagrant misunderstanding of the law.” [New York Law Journal]
* If you want to own a “piece of history,” Jodi Arias is auctioning off the glasses she wore during the first phase of her murder trial. She intends to donate the proceeds of the sale to (her own?) charity. [Daily Mail]
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Lateral Moves, Litigators, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, Trials
Pinning Your Partners: 3 Ideas For Ensuring That Your Firm Treats You Fairly
Short of bringing in all your firm's business, what can you do to cause the firm to treat you right? A former Biglaw partner offers his advice. -
Andrew Cuomo, Deaths, Election Law, Law Professors, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Murder, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Trials
Morning Docket: 09.12.14
* Following the divisive decision in Shelby County v. Holder, voting rights cases may be heading back to the SCOTUS sooner than we thought. Thanks, Texas and Wisconsin. [USA Today]
* Bienvenidos a Miami? Cities compete to be designated as sites where global arbitration matters are heard. Miami is an up-and-comer, but New York is king. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Thanks to anonymous donors, the reward for info related to FSU Law Professor Dan Markel’s murder has been raised to $25,000. Not a single suspect has been named since his death. [Tallahassee Democrat]
* After losing the Democratic primary to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Professor Zephyr Teachout drank some gin and tonics like a boss before returning to her class at Fordham Law to teach property. [New York Times]
* Try as he might, the Blade Runner just can’t outrun the law: Oscar Pistorius might have been cleared on the murder charge he was facing, but now he’s been found guilty on a culpable homicide charge. [CNN]
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Biglaw, Drugs, Education / Schools, Gambling / Gaming, Gay, Gay Marriage, Law Professors, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Murder, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Trials
Morning Docket: 09.11.14
* The justices of Supreme Court of the United States will discuss gay marriage cases from five states during their “long conference” at the end of the month. Which ones will they decide to take? Help us, Justice AMK! [National Law Journal]
* This law school is having some troubles adjusting to the “new normal.” Not only is its administration planning back-to-back tuition hikes, but it’s asking the state for help with its deficits. Yikes, that’s not good. [The Republic]
* This Gonzaga Law professor thinks that playing poker is part of having a balanced life. He might not come home with much after his games, but “it’s better than a kick in the head.” [Spokesman-Review]
* Remember Kent W. Easter, the Biglaw partner who was accused of planting drugs in a school volunteer’s car? During his recent retrial, he was convicted of false imprisonment by fraud and deceit. [OC Weekly]
* Following a “marathon trial marked by screams, tears, vomit, anger,” Oscar Pistorius has been found negligent, but not guilty of premeditated murder. Expect a final verdict tomorrow, perhaps. [USA Today]
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Abortion, Bankruptcy, Gay, Gay Marriage, Morning Docket, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, Tim Wu, Trials
Morning Docket: 09.02.14
* Could Columbia law professor Tim Wu become New York’s next lieutenant governor? He has a shot, according to the Times. [New York Times]
* Which same-sex-marriage case is the best vehicle for Supreme Court review? [BuzzFeed]
* A federal judge takes the wheel in steering Detroit into the future. [American Lawyer]
* Is it “shameful” of the ALS Association to attempt to trademark the phrase “ice bucket challenge”? [ABA Journal]
* Jury deliberations are expected to begin today in the corruption trial of former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell. [Washington Post]
* Voter ID laws are back on trial, this time in Texas. [New York Times]
* Speaking of Texas, the state seeks to stay a recent ruling that struck down the requirement that abortion clinics comply with standards for ambulatory surgical centers. [ABA Journal]
- Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Benchslaps, Court Reporters / Stenographers, Screw-Ups, State Judges, Trials
Bench Berates Contemptuous Court Reporters Over Tardy Transcripts
If a court reporting service just didn't prepare transcripts in criminal cases for months on end, they might earn themselves a hearty benchslapping. -
Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Litigators, Partner Issues, Small Law Firms, Trials
Beyond Biglaw: Warming the Chair (Part 2)
How can you play an active role as "second chair" at a hearing or trial, even without speaking in open court? -
Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Litigators, Partner Issues, Small Law Firms, Trials
Beyond Biglaw: Warming the Chair (Part 1)
What does it mean to be a "second chair" in litigation, and why is the role so significant? -
Bad Ideas, Crime, Death Penalty, Murder, Pro Se Litigants, Quote of the Day, Sentencing Law, State Judges, Trials, Violence
Much Maligned Murderess To Represent Herself In Death Penalty Case
This is probably a very bad decision on her part. -
Jury Duty, Small Law Firms, Social Media, Social Networking Websites, Solo Practitioners, Trials
Should Attorneys Be Prevented From Googling Jurors During Voir Dire?
Looking up people online has become the de facto response to, well, everything -- so why not during voir dire?
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Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
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Depositions, Litigators, Technology, Trials
The Best Way To Organize Your Depo Transcripts Is With Free Software
What would happen if Dropbox and TrialDirector, two great programs, had a baby? That baby would be awesome. -
Celebrities, Department of Justice, Kids, Lateral Moves, Law Schools, LSAT, Morning Docket, Munger Tolles & Olson, Solicitor General's Office, Trials, Trusts and Estates
Morning Docket: 07.22.14
* From Big Government to Biglaw: Our congratulations go out to Benjamin Horwich, most recently of the Office of the Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of Justice, as he joins Munger Tolles & Olson as counsel. Nice work. [Munger Tolles & Olson]
* The number of law school applicants took a nose dive for the fourth year in a row, this time by 8 percent, summarily crushing the hopes and dreams of law deans praying for a change of their otherwise most dismal fortunes. [National Law Journal]
* Considering the latest slump in applicants, whether a law school evaluates your average LSAT score or highest LSAT score matters little. Admissions officers will jump for joy that you have a pulse. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News]
* “You don’t have to convict on every count to have a win.” Azamat Tazhayakov, friend of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was convicted of obstruction and conspiracy to obstruct justice. [Bloomberg]
* Per documents filed by a lawyer appointed to represent Philip Seymour Hoffman’s children, the actor didn’t set aside money for them because he didn’t want them to become “trust fund kids.” [New York Post]
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American Bar Association / ABA, Biglaw, Bill Clinton, Dan Markel, Deaths, Document Review, Health Care / Medicine, Law Professors, Law Schools, LSAT, Morning Docket, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Technology, Tobacco / Smoking, Trials
Morning Docket: 07.21.14
* NO, NO, NO, NOTORIOUS! Previously unpublished documents from the Clinton White House have been released, and it looks like Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was criticized for her “laconic” nature. Not cool, Bill. [Legal Times]
* Document review jobs aren’t going anywhere, folks. Exhibit A: Winston & Strawn’s e-discovery practice is bringing in the big bucks, earning the firm more than $20 million in revenue last year. [Capital Business / Washington Post]
* More lawyers are being treated for substance abuse for drugs and alcohol than ever before. In fact, a founding partner of Farella Braun + Martel, one of California’s largest firms, was once a “functioning alcoholic.” [Am Law Daily]
* A Florida jury apparently set on “sending a message” to tobacco companies awarded $23.6 billion in punitive damages to a chain smoker’s widow against RJ Reynolds. That was a costly message. [Reuters]
* June 2014 marked the fewest people who sat for the LSAT in 14 years, but it may get even lower if a new ABA proposal which would allow the test to be waived for 10% of students passes. [Central Florida Future]
* Dan Markel, FSU Law prof, criminal law theorist, and PrawfsBlawg founder, RIP. [Tallahassee Democrat]
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Attorney Misconduct, Crime, Divorce Train Wrecks, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Legal Ethics, Murder, Pro Se Litigants, Trials, Violence, White House Counsel
Ex-White House Lawyer And Fortune 500 General Counsel Gets Convicted Of Attempted Murder
The latest chapter in a sad and disturbing story. -
Jury Duty, Plaintiffs Firms, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners, Technology, Trials
Today's Tech: How A California Personal Injury Attorney Uses Google Glass
Is Google Glass actually useful for attorneys, or is it simply too new a tool? -
Jury Duty, Litigators, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners, Technology, Trials
Using Graphics In Trial
Tech columnist Jeff Bennion tackles this topic: How can you use graphics and visuals to communicate effectively at trial? -
Baseball, Biglaw, Defamation, Jury Duty, Law Schools, Madonna, Morning Docket, Murder, Privacy, SCOTUS, Sports, Supreme Court, Technology, Trials
Morning Docket: 07.08.14
* Squire Patton Boggs has announced the new leadership structure of its lobbying and public policy practice. It’s really no surprise that the head honchos of the group hail from the Patton Boggs side of the recent merger. [Politico]
* “It’s funny how the Supreme Court reaches down and picks this case.” The most important digital privacy case of our time just happened to be filed by Stanford Law’s SCOTUS Litigation Clinic. Awesome. [San Jose Mercury News]
* If you’re caught on camera sleeping during a Yankees/Red Sox game, you can probably expect abuse from ESPN announcers. If you call someone an “unintelligent fatty” as an announcer, you can probably expect a $10M defamation suit. [New York Post]
* “I’m proud to do my job.” Madonna finally rescheduled her jury duty session in New York City, but she was dismissed early so as not to create a “further distraction for the courthouse.” [New York Daily News]
* It’s been three years since Casey Anthony was acquitted of her daughter’s murder. Let us remember this most amazing voicemail: “CASEY ANTHONY NEEDS TO ROT IN HELL! SHE NEEDS TO DIE!” [CNN]