United Kingdom / Great Britain
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.05.17
* The Supreme Court has a few options when it comes to President Trump’s travel ban. The justices can grant or deny certiorari to hear the case, or grant or deny a stay on lower court rulings blocking various aspects of the ban. Either way, this case could become moot before it’s ever heard. [New York Times]
* Meanwhile, the man who’s the worst client in the universe lashed out at Justice Department lawyers this morning in a series of Tweets, demanding that the travel ban be referred to as a travel ban instead of the “watered down, politically correct version they submitted to [SCOTUS].” Congrats on undermining your case! [New York Times]
* Get your popcorn ready, because according to two senior administration officials, President Trump will reportedly not be invoking executive privilege to block former FBI director James Comey from testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee later this week in the ongoing Russia probe. [The Hill]
* During a speaking engagement at Harvard, the Supreme Court’s freshman, Justice Neil Gorsuch, recounted the time he met Sandy, the dean of Oxford’s naked sex doll, who was dressed in only a boa. Although she could be counted on for answers, Gorsuch said she didn’t provide him with any. [Washington Post]
* Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will soon be the star of her very own fitness book. Co-authored by her longtime trainer Bryant Johnson and illustrator Patrick Welsh, “The RBG Workout: How She Stays Strong … and You Can Too!” (affiliate link) will be out the first week of October Term 2017. [Associated Press]
* Womble Carlyle is entering into a transatlantic merger with British firm Bond Dickinson to become Womble Bond Dickinson. The combined firm will have about 1,080 lawyers across 23 offices, with revenues exceeding $410 million. A spokesperson claims the tie-up will not result in layoffs. [News & Observer]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 05.25.17
* As voters head to the polls in Montana, they’re finding out that frontrunner Greg Gianforte allegedly beat up a reporter in front of a bunch of witnesses. Will this doom his chances? Pfft. I present the case study of Michael Grimm. [Huffington Post]
* Here comes the “Marc Kasowitz’s ties to Russia” stories. Newsflash: Russians have a lot of businesses that get sued. Let’s not make an equivalence between representing a Russian bank and handing them classified intelligence. [CNN]
* The D.C. Circuit seems like they might actually save the CFPB. At least until there’s an appeal to some politically hostile higher court. [Law.com]
* Google fighting to avoid becoming a generic term. This is apparently called “genericide” which I’d never heard of. I’ll have to Bing that. [Law360]
* Dentons cutting jobs in the UK. [Legal Week]
* If you want to know more about lobbying, Bracewell lobbyist Josh Zive just started a podcast called “The Lobby Shop.” Apparently “Big Bags O’ Bribes” reflects negatively on the practice. [National Law Journal]
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Intellectual Property, Trademarks
Give Me A Break, Give Me A Break
Candy maker suffers legal setback.
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Biglaw, Women's Issues
Biglaw Firm Eliminates Performance Reviews, Earns Praise From Female Associates
Will any additional Biglaw firms adopt this model? -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 05.09.17
* Littler acquires UK firm, marking their third European deal in the last year and a half. That’s very interesting. Or should I say, “that’s vereinteresting.” No? OK, that’s very interesting. [Am Law Daily]
* Miami firms shepherd the $60 million sale of “Jungle Island.” So when the Velociraptors start rampaging through South Beach, don’t say we didn’t warn you. [Daily Business Review]
* Five hypotheticals posed by the Fourth Circuit in its travel ban hearing. Spoiler: some of them are incredibly stupid. [Law.com]
* Bill Clinton is writing a thriller with James Patterson entitled “The President Is Missing.” In the end they find the president campaigning in the Rust Belt which is where no Democrat bothered to look. [Huffington Post]
* Dentons partner launches campaign for lieutenant governor in California. [The Recorder]
* Meanwhile, Morgan Lewis partner David I. Miller is in the running for the SDNY U.S. Attorney gig which would put him in charge of looking the other way in most cases of financial crime. [Law360]
* Judge holds company publicly accountable in waterslide decapitation. But the real story here is, as always, just how terrible Kansas is. [Litigation Daily]
* How Michigan uses the law to trap people in poverty. [Jalopnik]
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Biglaw, Fashion
Biglaw Firm Lays Off Stuffy Dress Code Instead Of Lawyers
This law firm is ditching its suits and ties for t-shirts and sneakers. -
Law Schools, Minority Issues, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Crispin Passmore: 2017's Champion Of Diversity In The Law
Big change -- for the better -- in how the United Kingdom trains its lawyers. -
Fashion, Labor / Employment, On The Job
Mandatory High Heels At Work: Sexist Or Empowering?
Only the totally obtuse would endorse a mandatory dress code requiring women to wear high heels to work. - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Money, Women's Issues
The Gender Pay Gap – Don't We Have Bigger Problems?
We're dealing with a larger problem of workplace culture, according to columnist Jayne Backett. -
Money, Technology, United Kingdom / Great Britain
This Week In Legal Tech: A Big Investment, A Virtual Lawyer, A Price-Quoting Chatbot, And A Notable Pivot
Which legal startup just closed on a $12 million funding round? -
Biglaw, Money
Trendspotting? Major U.K. Client Refuses To Pay Junior Biglaw Attorneys
Are junior associates really this "worthless"? -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 03.07.17
* Antonin Scalia’s papers donated to… Harvard, obviously. What did you expect? Did you seriously think it was going to be ASSLaw or Ave Maria or something? [Harvard Gazette]
* What state is looking to legalize dachshund racing? Because daddy needs a new pair of shoes! [Lowering the Bar]
* The surprise dismissal of the Gavin Grimm case complicated the struggle for transgender rights, but it was far from a death knell. [Rewire]
* Professor Tribe thinks accusing Obama of illegal wiretapping is grounds for Trump’s impeachment. Somewhere, Mike Pence is putting together a nice little scrapbook of all these articles. [Raw Story]
* On that note, John Dean is back in the news to explain Watergate to Trump. [The Hill]
* With TaxProfBlog’s Paul Caron taking over as dean of Pepperdine, here are some changes we expect to see. [PrawfsBlawg]
* Sex and the Constitution (affiliate link) is not just a book, it’s also peak 3L course name. [Concurring Opinions]
* Discussing cybersecurity and our new Russian overlords. [Lawfare]
* Law student raps about bar prep to the tune of Gangsta’s Paradise. Most of the Anglo-centric jokes go over our heads, but it’s some good stuff. [Legal Cheek]
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Biglaw, Job Searches, Small Law Firms, Women's Issues
In It For The Long Run
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Job Searches, Technology
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 01.24.17
* SEC probe into whether or not Yahoo had an obligation to disclose data breaches to shareholders could set a precedent, which would mark the first time Yahoo’s been on the cutting edge of something since the mid-90s. [National Law Journal]
* Dewey know anyone looking to get out of jury duty? [Law360]
* If you’re trying to become a fugitive from justice, dream a little bigger than a Quality Inn in New Jersey. [NY Post]
* The top Biglaw firms continue to pull away from the rest of the pack. This isn’t so much news as a quarterly reminder that the rich get richer. [The Am Law Daily]
* Britain’s Supreme Court blocks Theresa May’s effort to trigger Article 50 without a parliamentary vote. Because breaking up is hard to do. [BBC]
* A bevy of laws to criminalize peaceful protests coming soon. At least the death of American democracy is still running on schedule. [The Intercept]
* Finally someone willing to stand up to the tyranny of snow globes. [Clickhole]
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Movies
Standard Of Review: 'Denial' Is An Average Movie That Hits Close To Home
A film about a bloviator who supports authoritarianism, has no regard for the truth, and tries to stifle free speech. -
Family Law, Health Care / Medicine, Kids
What Happens When A Court Rules That Twins Aren't Related?
It could have been worse; this is actually a partial victory for the parents. -
Biglaw, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms, Partner Issues, Small Law Firms
Profits Margins In Law Firms – Dumb And Dumberer
Profit margin is a dangerous metric to use in comparing law firm profitability, per managing partner Bruce Stachenfeld. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 12.29.16
* The “Obama can still appoint Merrick Garland” trope always seemed stupid and easily reversible. Here’s a thorough explanation of why. [Washington Post / Volokh Conspiracy]
* Now that Twitter has officially begat a president, it’s time for law professors to fully embrace the platform. Make Academia Great Again! [Prawfsblawg]
* Someone at Barclay’s is a Simpsons fan… and that knowledge has spawned a DOJ investigation. [Lowering the Bar]
* The Top 5 Fantasy Sports and Law stories of the year. [Forbes]
* Discussing the legal status of the different participants in the Rogue One mission. [The Legal Geeks]
* Should Facebook be in the business of labeling fake news? [Dorf on Law]
* What’s it like to work in an American firm in London? [Legal Cheek]
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Immigration, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Even Non-EU Countries May Start Throwing British People Out
Immigration law is a bitch.