Working Mother

* “The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that Congress will launch a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. [Washington Post]

* Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have promised to quickly do away with any articles of impeachment that are passed by the House, especially if they’re based on the Mueller report, says Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham. This Ukraine incident, on the other hand… [The Hill]

* That having been said, Senate Republicans actually participated in and unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution calling on the White House to disclose the Ukraine whistleblower complaint. [Vox]

* And in the interim, the White House seems to be working on a deal to allow the whistleblower who filed a complaint against Trump to speak with congressional investigators, and the director of national intelligence is likely to release a redacted version of the complaint. [New York Times]

* Former Vice President Joe Biden supports the impeachment effort against Trump, saying that “[d]enying Congress information to which it is constitutionally entitled and obstructing its efforts to investigate actions is not the conduct of an American president.” [New York Times]

* According to Working Mother’s ranking of the Top 100 Companies, only five Biglaw firms made the cut for 2019. Not only that, but those firms are getting beaten by the Big Four when it comes to women’s success and family-friendly policies. [American Lawyer]

* In case you missed it, a “notable convicted murderer” in Wisconsin has reportedly confessed to the murder of Teresa Halbach — the murder for which Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey of Making a Murderer fame have spent years behind bars, all the while proclaiming their innocence. [Newsweek]

* “Eat sh*t, Bob.” Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver convinced a judge to dismiss a defamation suit filed by Robert Murray of Murray Energy, finding that the comedian was well with his First Amendment rights to criticize the coal baron and his company on HBO. [Hollywood Reporter]

* Former Skadden associate Alex van der Zwaan has already pleaded guilty to lying in the Russia investigation, but special counsel Robert Mueller isn’t nearly done with the Biglaw firm. According to sources, “[l]awyers at Skadden are on edge,” which means we should get ready for some juicy Skaddenfreude. [New York Times]

* This weekend, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee released their declassified rebuttal to Republican claims that FBI and DOJ officials abused their powers, calling those claims a “transparent” attempt to undermine the special counsel’s investigation into Russian election interference. [NBC News]

* “Do better NKU. Dont let him teach us.” Students and alumni of Northern Kentucky University Law School are demanding action after former dean Jeffrey Standen was allowed to resign and then return as NKU’s highest-paid full-time professor following sexual harassment allegations, but the school says it can’t fire him. [Cincinnati.com]

* How are you reacting to the scrutiny of sexual harassment in the workplace? That’s just one of the questions the ABA Journal and Working Mother want you to answer in this important survey for women and men working in law firms. [ABA Journal]

* So much for Prof. Lawrence Lessig having flipped at least 20 Republican electors: Only two “faithless electors” from Texas refused to cast their votes for President-elect Donald Trump, choosing John Kasich and Ron Paul instead. At the end of the day, more Democrats chose not to support their party’s nominee, Hillary Clinton. [The Hill]

* Sorry, but Chief Justice John Roberts won’t grant your emergency petition to force the Senate hold a confirmation vote on President Obama’s SCOTUS pick, Judge Merrick Garland (D.C. Cir.). Instead, Judge Garland will resume hearing cases on January 18, and President-elect Trump will make his nomination after his inauguration. [Reuters]

* With the new year almost upon us and 2017 financial forecasts being made for the largest firms in the country, the great salary increase of 2016 has come up again and again as a major cost suck for some Biglaw firms. How costly was it? According to Aric Press, “[t]his will cost the average Am Law 100 firm, with headcount at 930 lawyers, about $11.6 million a year, or $57,300 per equity partner.” [Big Law Business]

* Working Mother is surveying law firms to determine which ones offer the best environment for lawyers with kids. The publication will release a list of the 50 best firms, and the deadline for participation is February 10. Help your firm get recognized for something that could help steer the direction of an associate’s career. [ABA Journal]

* Are you running behind on purchasing your gifts this holiday season? Worry not, because thanks to the legalization of marijuana in these eight jurisdictions, you can give your friends and family the gift of ganja without being criminally prosecuted: Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, California, Maine, Alaska, and Washington, D.C. [INVERSE]

* Let’s get ready to rumble! Not wanting to be left out of the party, Oklahoma has also asked the Supreme Court to take a look at its same-sex marriage statute which was recently slapped down by the Tenth Circuit. [National Law Journal]

* Dewey know what financial restructuring adviser Joff Mitchell of Zolfo Cooper said to this failing firm’s partners right before it flopped for good? “Look, there is no way here to save this firm.” Ouch. That had to have sucked. [Forbes]

* The examiner who was appointed to monitor law firm billing for the City of Detroit’s bankruptcy is now questioning Dentons’ fees of up to $27K per month to talk to the press. Whoa there… [Detroit Free Press]

* Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers have released the latest ranking of the Top 50 Law Firms for Women. Vivia Chen feels “a bit dirty” after reading the list — and you probably should, too. [The Careerist]

* Leisure Suit Larry’s successors are here to stay for a while: Case Western Reserve Law’s co-interim deans will stay on in their current positions for the upcoming school year. [Crain’s Cleveland Business]