United Kingdom / Great Britain
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Intellectual Property, Patents, Technology, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Conflicts of Interest Are Just Classier With English Accents
UK judge who sided with Samsung a few months ago takes consulting job for Samsung. There's no way people will draw negative inferences from that. -
American Bar Association / ABA, Attorney Misconduct, Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Bonuses, California, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Federal Judges, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Money, Morning Docket, Munger Tolles & Olson, Partner Issues, Patents, Privacy, SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court, Travel / Vacation, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Morning Docket: 02.18.13
Ed. note: Due to the Presidents’ Day holiday, we will be on a reduced publication schedule today. We will be back in full swing tomorrow. We hope that you will enjoy your day off, but please feel free to lament your lack thereof in the comments.
* “[T]hey don’t want to hear nothing.” Vedel Browne, the man accused of robbing Stephen Breyer at machete-point while the justice was vacationing in his home in the Caribbean, now claims that he’s innocent, mon. [St. Kitts-Nevis Observer]
* You know what, the farmer in the Super Bowl commercial probably didn’t have to deal with bullsh*t like Monsanto’s seed patents, but today’s farmers do, and they’ll argue their case before the Supreme Court this week. [New York Times]
* “I’m a betting man. And I would bet and give odds that Sullivan & Cromwell has never said that publicly.” Who dares question S&C’s stance in the hot mess that is Herbalife? None other than Carl Icahn. [Am Law Daily]
* Here’s an important Biglaw math lesson that’s been provided to us via California-based firms like Irell & Manella, Munger Tolles, and Orrick: a little revenue minus a lot of partners equals profitability. [Recorder]
* Amid a flurry of filings on Valentine’s Day, love must’ve been a battlefield for the embattled Dewey & LeBoeuf refugees who were in desperate search of their once promised 2011 bonuses. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)]
* From the department of things that suck: having to defend your office’s alleged “underhanded tactics” in a $150 million wrongful conviction case while you’re trying to get re-elected as district attorney. [New York Times]
* We got bitches in the office lawyerin’ on, and they ain’t leavin’ till six in the mornin’ — unless they want to be fired. An ex-Travers Smith trainee claims she was canned for leaving the firm “early”… at 6:30 a.m. [Telegraph]
* If it weren’t for Cosmo, this woman wouldn’t have known her landlord was an alleged creeper. A Maryland lawyer now faces criminal charges for allegedly filming his female tenants in the nude. [Washington Post]
* “We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious!” The ABA officially put Florida A&M on notice that its law school accreditation may be in jeopardy if they don’t shape up in terms of bar passage. [Orlando Sentinel]
* What do you do the second you step off a cruise ship that’s been described as “a floating toilet, a floating petri dish, a floating hell”? You grab the very first lawyers you see, and sue! [Nation Now / Los Angeles Times]
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How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Attorney Misconduct, Crime, Legal Ethics, Trials, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Lawyer Busted Barrister of the Day: Liar Liar, Wig on Fire?
A Georgetown Law graduate finds herself in very hot water....
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Gay Marriage, Law School Deans, Law Schools, United Kingdom / Great Britain, Women's Issues
Non-Sequiturs: 02.08.13
* Same-sex couple says their Eagle Scout badges helped prepare them for marriage. I don’t remember badges for nagging incessantly and dealing with your goddamned mother-in-law. [The Atlantic] * The British legal system: Now with more farting! [Legal Cheek] * #wheninlawschool and the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia comment on the 3L job market. [#wheninlawschool] * Out in Michigan, Judge Wade McCree is suspended with pay in escrow. Say it ain’t so? He’s had such a sterling reputation before this. [My Fox Detroit] * Because “You’ve Barely Gotten Anywhere” doesn’t have the same ring of female empowerment. [The Careerist] * You may think there wasn’t more to say about University of Denver dean Martin Katz’s bogus plea for more students. But you’d be wrong. [Lawyers, Guns & Money] * A pretty good description of American reactions to the drone strike memo. [The Onion] * The woman who flipped off a judge has apologized. [NBC Miami] * And Elie just sent me this one: “Sometimes, illegal hackers reveal something so beautiful they cannot be charged with a crime.” [Free Beacon] -
Crime, Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Quote of the Day, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Quote of the Day: Diamonds Are a Convict's Best Friend
Ever seen a bedazzled ankle monitor on a beautiful convict? Now you can! -
2nd Circuit, BARBRI, Constitutional Law, Guns / Firearms, Law Professors, Non-Sequiturs, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Non-Sequiturs: 01.30.13
* Congress isn’t standing up to the Supreme Court as much as it used to. [SCOTUSblog] * The Second Circuit really wants you to use a current email address. [Find Law] * A bar exam for teachers? Why would we create a system that would make BAR/BRI more money? [Constitutional Daily] * I kind of wish that everybody who offers an opinion on gun safety laws was required to have a law degree just so they could understand what’s actually being proposed. [Media Matters] * Not that getting a bunch of constitutional lawyers together is a recipe for compromise on the Second Amendment. I just want people to know what’s being talked about. [Huffington Post] * Stupid law firm slogan time! [Legal Cheek] * Henry Blodget defends internet trolls everywhere. [The Awl] -
Biglaw, Blogging, Clerkships, Federal Judges, Gay, Gay Marriage, Law Professors, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, SCOTUS, State Judges, Supreme Court, Videos
Non-Sequiturs: 01.07.13
* Here’s the answer to the question everyone’s been asking since December: the Supreme Court will be hearing the gay-marriage cases on March 26 (Prop 8) and March 27 (Windsor). No extra time for args? [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)] * Wherein Scott Greenfield responds to Mark Herrmann’s thoughts on bench memos — or, in Greenfield’s words, why our important appellate decisions shouldn’t be left “in the hands of children” (aka law clerks). [Simple Justice] * Will the latest massive mortgage settlements lead to lawyer layoffs? [Going Concern] * Cy Vance’s ears must’ve been ringing when this opinion came out, because the judges on this appellate panel said the prosecution’s case was based on “pure conjecture bolstered by empty rhetoric.” [WiseLawNY] * Apparently a Santa Clara law professor is getting pummeled in the comments on various law blogs because of his thoughts on law school. As Rihanna would say, “Shine bright like Steve Diamond.” [Constitutional Daily] * Meditation and mindfulness are more mainstream than ever in the practice of law, but given all the tales of stressed out lawyers’ alleged misconduct we hear about, you certainly wouldn’t know it. [Underdog] * And from our friends at RollOnFriday, you can see what the folks at Norton Rose do in their spare time…. Thanks to the Norton Rose / Fulbright & Jaworski merger, lawyers at Fulbright will soon be working Gangnam Style with all of this fabulosity. Aren’t you excited to be joining them in doing the hallway horsey dance? -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues, Tax Law, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Inside Straight: The Best Things I Heard in 2012
In-house columnist Mark Herrmann reminisces about 2012. - Sponsored
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ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Fat People, Law Professors, Law Schools, LexisNexis / Lexis-Nexis, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.03.13
* I didn’t make this list of the 25 most influential people in legal education. That pisses me off. I’m going to start writing about how people shouldn’t trust legal educators because law schools are only interested in profits and not the employment outcomes of their students. That’ll show ‘em! [Tax Prof Blog] * … Of course, you know what else doesn’t make any list of influencing legal education? The truth. [Constitutional Daily] * This has been a big day for our friends at Thomson Reuters and at LexisNexis. [3 Geeks and a Law Blog] * Time Warner Cable is well within its rights to act like feckless cowards. [Huffington Post] * I like watching the Feds try to roll rich people. I’ve got no horse in the race, I’m just there for the competition. [Dealbreaker] * U.K. considers forcing fat people to lose weight in order to keep their benefits. I was going to make a “Britain, outsource, BBW” joke, which somehow led me to the Wikipedia page for BBW, a page that has really not at all what you’d expect the graphic on BBW to be. [Legal Blog Watch] -
Crime, Suicide, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Dear World: Prank Calls Do Not 'Cause' Suicides
Nobody is criminally responsible for suicides... -
Kids, Quote of the Day, United Kingdom / Great Britain, Women's Issues
Quote of the Day: Mothers, Be Good to Your Daughters, Too
A lawyer from London doesn't think women need to close the door on their professional careers after having children, and rightly so. -
Education / Schools, Food, In-House Counsel, Travel / Vacation, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Inside Straight: A Native's View Of London
In-house columnist Mark Herrmann shares his reflections on London, where he has been living for the past few months. -
Advertising, Bad Ideas, Election 2012, Music, Politics, State Judges, United Kingdom / Great Britain, Videos
Politics Gangnam Style, Or Why Lawyers Shouldn’t Dance
Lawyers and political candidates are milking the "Gangnam Style" craze for all its worth.
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
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Blackberry-Crackberry, Intellectual Property, iPhone, Technology, United Kingdom / Great Britain
British Court Says Apple Is Way Cooler Than Samsung; But Coolness ≠ IP Infringement
A European appellate court clears Samsung on trademark violation accusations, based partly on the "awesome" factor. -
In-House Counsel, Lawyerly Lairs, Magic Circle, Money, Partner Issues, Real Estate, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Inside Straight: London Partners Can't Afford Homes . . .
In-house columnist Mark Herrmann now lives in London -- and he can't believe the real estate prices over there. Partners at major law firms in London can't afford to live in the city itself.... -
Education / Schools, Kids, Non-Sequiturs, United Kingdom / Great Britain, Weddings
Non-Sequiturs: 10.09.12
* Can we please fill this Facebook pay-for-posts rabbit hole with cement, ASAP? Then let’s grow a forest on top of the cement, and then napalm the whole thing for good measure. [Not-So Private Parts / Forbes] * In America, law school dropouts turn to aggressive blogging. In Syria, they join the rebel army. [LA Times] * A U.S. judge upholds the government’s indictment of Kim Dotcom and Megaupload, despite the whole “they’re based in another hemisphere” snag. The only tricky part is getting him here. [Ars Technica] * This insane wedding ended with a dead uncle, a relative in jail, and several dozen cops on the scene. I”ll bet ten-to-one Zach Galifianakis was somewhere nearby. [Dealbreaker] * Hello, Jimmy, welcome to the Pleasantville Middle School Scrapbooking Club! We’re so glad to have you. But, first, could you please pee in this cup? [Overlawyered] * This is an amusing video of British law students sucking up to William and Kate. More importantly, a reminder that Kate is gorgeous, even when she is unpixelated and wearing clothes. [Legal Cheek] -
Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Toobin, John Roberts, Lawyerly Lairs, Layoffs, Non-Sequiturs, SCOTUS, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants, Sentencing Law, Staff Layoffs, Supreme Court, United Kingdom / Great Britain, Videos, YouTube
Non-Sequiturs: 10.08.12
* In light of Chief Justice Roberts’s historic vote to uphold Obamacare, should we expect JGR to be more liberal going forward? According to Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Oath (affiliate link), “Do not expect a new John Roberts. Expect the conservative he has always been.” [Talking Points Memo via How Appealing] * Law firm staff layoffs: they’re not just an American thing. Slaughter and May is dropping the ax on 28 secretaries. [Roll On Friday] * “[A]ny robot or high school graduate can calculate numbers in a matrix to arrive at the highest possible sentence. But it takes a Judge — a man or woman tempered by experience in life and law — to properly judge another human being’s transgressions.” [Justice Building Blog] * Professor Dershowitz’s $4 million Cambridge mansion? Robert Wenzel is not impressed: “if I lived in that house, I would want to attack Iran and most of the rest of the world, also.” [Economic Policy Journal] * A man sues a strip club, alleging that a stripper ruptured his bladder when she slid down a pole and onto his abdomen. Ouch. [Legally Weird / Findlaw] * Still on the subject of Torts, two attractive blonde sisters walk into a bar — and discuss who can be held liable if a man suffers a heart attack during a threesome. Video after the jump…. -
Social Media, Social Networking Websites, Twittering, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Law Firm Buys Fake Twitter Followers, Public Mockery Included at No Charge
Is it worth buying a Twitter following? This law firm thought so, but now they may want to reconsider. -
Benchslaps, Divorce Train Wrecks, Money, Unemployment, United Kingdom / Great Britain, Vicious Infighting
Abandon The Wedding Ship -- And Then Set Fire to the Lifeboats!
These British attorneys are going through divorce hell like you wouldn't believe... -
Pictures, Privacy, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Judge Orders Tabloid to Hand Over Topless Kate Middleton Pics; Rest of Internet Laughs and Right-Clicks 'Save Image As'
Kate MIddleton wins a French court ruling protecting the privacy of those topless sunbathing photos.