UC Hastings Law
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Bar Exams, Biglaw, Constitutional Law, D.C. Circuit, Drugs, Gender, Job Searches, Law Professors, Law Schools, Marijuana, Money, Morning Docket, Police, Politics, Summer Associates, Texas, Unemployment, Women's Issues
Morning Docket: 12.06.12
* “Why drag us into it?” Constitutional or not, it seems that not even the D.C. Circuit wants to deal with the political hot mess that’s been caused by President Barack Obama’s recess appointments. [National Law Journal]
* There’s something (allegedly) rotten in the state of Texas: Bickel & Brewer was booted from a multi-million dollar lawsuit due to accusations that the firm paid top dollar for insider information. [Dallas Morning News (sub. req.)]
* There are many more women in the legal profession these days than there were 40 years ago, but — surprise, surprise, here’s a shocker — they’re still getting paid less than their male counterparts. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)]
* And here’s today’s opportunity to beat the horse that just won’t die. This law professor says he pities those who buy into the media’s law school scam narrative, while in reality, most would pity the many unemployed graduates of his law school. [Huffington Post]
* Here’s a protip for the February bar: don’t fake a disability to get extra time. Even if you end up passing, the bar examiners will find out and pretty much ruin your life. Just ask this UC Hastings Law grad. [Am Law Daily]
* “Also, you probably shouldn’t bring pot with you to the federal courthouse (or any other federal property).” Umm, come on, were the Washington police officers who created this marijuana guidebook high? [CNN]
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American Bar Association / ABA, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: The Top Eight Things Wrong With Law Schools
A law school dean admits that law school is too expensive -- and identifies other problems with legal education, in a hard-hitting letter to the American Bar Association. - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
California, Election 2012, Law Reviews, Politics
A Political Candidate's Controversial Law Review Tenure
A tipster speaks in Julian Davis's defense, and we learn about Davis's law journal drama.
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California, Election 2012, Gender, Politics
UC Hastings Grad and Would-Be San Francisco Politician Faces Allegations of Royal D-Baggery
A Hastings law grad is running for office in San Francisco, but things aren't going so well... -
Attorney Misconduct, Barack Obama, Depositions, Election 2012, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Morning Docket, SCOTUS
Morning Docket: 10.30.12
* People realize that the next President will probably get to appoint a couple of SCOTUS justices, right? [Slate]
* That’s some costly attorney misconduct: a lawyer who got slapped with a $10,000 sanction for “egregious conduct” at a deposition now has to pay an additional $36,274 in legal fees. [New York Law Journal]
* The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau better hope for Obama wins. [National Law Journal]
* Fun legal times at the Village Voice. [Corporate Counsel]
* When Sandy got real for people in Manhattan. [New Yorker]
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9th Circuit, Death Penalty, Election 2012, Election Law, Gay, Gay Marriage, Non-Sequiturs, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Non-Sequiturs: 10.29.12
* A Hurricane Sandy survival guide. Key components? Food, water, booze, and prophylactics. Who’s ready for a hurricane Halloween party? [FindLaw] * California’s longest serving death-row inmate just got his sentence set aside by the Ninth Circuit. [WSJ Law Blog] * A few days before Thanksgiving, SCOTUS will decide whether to hear the Prop. 8 and DOMA cases. Happy holidays? [American Foundation for Equal Rights] * Sometimes the most effective self-defense weapon isn’t a gun, it’s a pot of soup. [Consumerist] * Harold Koh, former Yale Law School dean and current legal adviser to the State Department, sits down for a Legally Speaking interview at UC Hastings. [California Lawyer] * Additional thoughts, this time from Professor Eugene Volokh, on employers urging employees to vote a certain way. [Volokh Conspiracy] -
Election 2012, Jury Duty, Non-Sequiturs, Politics, Technology
Non-Sequiturs: 10.12.12
* Even silly prime-time television shows can raise serious, interesting legal questions. [PrawfsBlawg] * Joe Biden is hilarious, Paul Ryan is Eddie Haskel, yadda yadda, but let’s not forget that judicial appointments are kind of a big deal here in this election, too. [Volokh Conspiracy] * For anyone interested in the prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) program, check out the new Path to PMF initiative, which will prepare you for the application process. [Path to PMF] * This judge is upping the ante for prospective jurors who can’t stay off the Google machine. [Tampa Bay Times] * Go see the America’s Funniest Attorney competition next week AND help fight juvenile diabetes. [Gotham Comedy Club] * Meet David Lat in the flesh — or at least hear him speak — at UC Hastings on Monday evening. [California Lawyer] After the jump, check out Lee Pacchia of Bloomberg Law interview the author of Adam Smith, Esq., on the implications of “suicide pricing”…. -
Bar Exams, Gay, Murder, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 10.11.12
*James Henderson, former senior counsel at the American Center for Law & Justice, is no longer with the ACLJ — and there are interesting theories as to why. [Metro Weekly] * Part one of an epic story about a Texan’s wrongful murder conviction, written by Pamela Colloff, one of the best investigative reporters in the state, if not the country. Get a drink and a comfy chair; you won’t want to get up for a while. [Texas Monthly] * Chief Judge Alex Kozinski is going to be in pictures — or a picture, at least. Check out Atlas Shrugged: Part II, which hits theaters tomorrow. [Atlas Shrugged] * Our tipster provided a nifty blurb for this article: “This has everything. Bumbling Frenchmen dependent on a heroic (albeit opportunistic) American to save the day? Check. Twenty-first century application of 19th century maritime law? Check. Overblown invocation of piracy? Check.” [San Francisco Chronicle] * San Franciscans, come see David Lat speak at U.C. Hastings on Monday. It’s free and open to the public! Heck, I’ll probably go too. [Legally Speaking] * You gotta admit, trying to get rich off claims about the death of an imaginary cat (and/or parrot) is a pretty imaginative way to commit insurance fraud. [Seattle Weekly] * Colorado Bar Exam results are out. Congratulations to those who passed. [Colorado Supreme Court] - Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
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Barack Obama, Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Election 2012, Law School Deans, Law Schools, McCarter & English, Mergers and Acquisitions, Morning Docket, Politics, Women's Issues
Morning Docket: 10.04.12
* According to a CNN poll, 67 percent of people who watched the debate thought Mitt Romney won, while only 25 percent thought Barack Obama won. Well, either way you slice it, there was definitely one loser: poor old Jim Lehrer. [CNN]
* If Barack Obama could’ve had his way, he would’ve put Osama bin Laden on trial to display American due process and the rule of law. We suppose that now he’ll just have to take credit for being the man who ordered the kill shot. [WSJ Law Blog]
* A handful of Biglaw firms advised on the T-Mobile and MetroPCS merger, but Telecommunications Law Partners, a boutique firm, showed up to prove it could hang with the big boys. [DealBook / New York Times]
* From boutique to Biglaw? Joseph Bachelder, an executive compensation expert, shuttered his 10-lawyer firm in favor of joining McCarter & English as special counsel in New York. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Remember Ellen Pao, the former Cravath associate who sued Kleiner Perkins for sex discrimination? She now claims that the VC firm fired her. Of course, like everything else, KPCB denies it. [Bits / New York Times]
* A J.D. isn’t a hoax, but if law schools keep admitting huge classes, the degree will become one. The dean of UC Hastings Law thinks law schools should’ve reduced their class sizes a long time ago. [Huffington Post]
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Biglaw, Cozen O'Connor, Jersey Shore, Job Searches, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Morning Docket, New Jersey, Prostitution, Reality TV, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 09.26.12
* To prepare for the upcoming term, the Supreme Court added six new cases to its docket. Much to our chagrin, none of them are about gay marriage. In other news, Matt Kaiser was right: this is a term only a lawyer can love. [National Law Journal]
* “We are not going to forget where we came from.” As it turns out, not everyone at this firm is a “huge [bleep]hole.” Cozen O’Connor announced this week that Michael J. Heller will step up to serve as the firm’s chief executive officer. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
* Apparently law school deans are “merely middle management.” Frank Wu, Chancellor and Dean of UC Hastings Law, gives an interesting insider opinion about what the view is like from the top of the ivory tower. [Huffington Post]
* “Caveat emptor makes for a lousy law school motto”: an exposition on why law schools should tell their prospective students the truth about their job prospects after graduation. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Anna Gristina, the Millionaire Madam, pleaded guilty to one count of promoting prostitution. Does this mean we’ll never find out more about the “prominent Manhattan lawyer” who was allegedly a client? [New York Post]
* New Jersey Assemblyman Ronald Dancer (ne Fist Pumper) proposed a piece of legislation called the “Snookiville Law.” If it means more cash for the towns that have to suffer wrath of reality TV, then so be it. [CNN]
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8th Circuit, 9th Circuit, Abortion, Bankruptcy, Barack Obama, Biglaw, Celebrities, Constitutional Law, Copyright, Deaths, Fashion, Kiwi Camara, Law Professors, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Richard Epstein
Morning Docket: 09.12.12
* Good news, everyone! According to Citi’s Managing Partner Confidence Index survey, firm leaders are feeling pessimistic about their business due to an overall lack of confidence in the economy. [Am Law Daily]
* Per the Ninth Circuit, an Idaho statute that essentially criminalizes medication-induced abortions imposes an undue burden on a woman’s ability to terminate her pregnancy. Really? You don’t say. [Bloomberg]
* Kiwi Camara’s circuitous route to SCOTUS: thanks to the Eighth Circuit, Jammie Thomas-Rasset started and ended her journey with $222K damages for copyright infringement. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* “Fashion law is a real career choice,” says Gibson Dunn partner Lois Herzeca. This niche practice area is one of the hottest new trends in the wonderful world of fashion, and it’s not likely to go out of style any time in the remote future. [Reuters]
* Your clawback suit is a wonderland? John Mayer was named as a defendant in a suit filed by trustees seeking to recover money paid out by Ponzi schemer Darren Berg. [Bankruptcy Beat / Wall Street Journal]
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Bar Exams, California, Music, Rap
Rapping California Girl Giving You A Property Primer Before The Bar Exam
Time for the bar, it's a rap... -
Bar Exams, Job Searches, Law Schools, Libraries / Librarians
Bar Review Diaries: How Did Last Year's Diarists Do?
Whatever happened to last year's Bar Review Diarists? Did they pass the bar? Do they have jobs?
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Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
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Law School Deans, Law Schools, Rankings, U.S. News
The Hastings Gambit
Hastings Law Dean Frank Wu announced that his school would be voluntarily reducing its enrollment by 20% over the next three years, and the press has taken notice.... -
American Bar Association / ABA, Animal Law, Deaths, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Pro Bono, Real Estate, Trendspotting
Morning Docket: 05.02.12
* Starting next year, if you want to be a lawyer in New York, you’re going to have to work for free. Because nothing says “we care” like indentured servitude. Thank God for law school clinic hours… maybe. [New York Times]
* Mo’ law schools, mo’ problems? That’s what Dean Wu thinks. Here’s a new trend to watch: UC Hastings will be joining forces with lower ranked law schools in an effort to reduce its incoming class sizes. [USA Today]
* MOAR TRANSPARENCY! Support has been shown for the ABA’s proposed changes to law school disclosure requirements. All the better for those “sophisticated consumers,” eh, Judge Schweitzer? [ABA Journal]
* “Dogs are always happy to see you, no matter how you do on your Evidence exam.” Only real bitches would throw shade. Emory has joined the therapy dog pack for finals. [11 Alive News]
* In trying to dismiss a $50M suit against billionaire George Soros, his lawyer claimed that his ex would have had to suffer an “unconscionable injury.” Dude, she did. She banged an octogenarian. [New York Daily News]
* Ann Richardson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the UDC School of Law, RIP. [Washington Post]
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Interview Stories, Small Law Firms
Inside Straight: Tales From The Interview Crypt
Mark Herrmann wishes he could name names; he really does. But he works at the world's leading insurance broker for law firms, and he can't go around offending the clients (or potential clients). You'll just have to guess. All of these interviews actually took place. He swears it. He didn't say these stories were uplifting. He said only that they were true.... -
Bar Exams, Boalt Hall, California, Law Schools, Loyola Law School
California Bar Passage Rate Holds Steady; Shame For Underperforming Schools Deepens
California has released some macro-level results from the July 2011 administration of the bar exam. The California bar is notoriously difficult, and every year we like to take a look at which schools prepared their students well for the exam, and which schools did not. You might be surprised at which California law school had the best passage rate on the California bar. Hint: it's not Stanford, or Boalt Hall, or UCLA.... -
Airplanes / Aviation, Federal Judges, Old People, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Justice Ginsburg Evacuated From Plane at Dulles
Along with all of the other passengers, according to the Washington Post. The plane reportedly experienced engine trouble. United Airlines Flight 586 was scheduled to depart Dulles for San Francisco at 12:34 p.m. The engine problems apparently started before the plane took off. The passengers were evacuated from the smoky plane via emergency chutes and […] -
California, Exercise, Law School Deans, Law Schools
Walk With Me
Editor Elie Mystal isn't a big fan of walking. He finds the activity primitive in terms of travel. So, it should go almost without saying that the person ready to implement the walking meeting concept is an academic out in California. That's right, a law school out west is ready to bring you the walking office hours.... -
Bar Exams, Immigration, Job Searches, Libraries / Librarians, Travel / Vacation, Unemployment
Bar Review Diaries: The End Is The Beginning
If you took the bar exam last month, you might be trying hard to forget the experience, or you might be flying far, far away on an exotic vacation. Maybe you are counting the days until results come out in November, or maybe you’re frantically searching for employment before those organ bill collectors start knocking. […]