Texas
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Defamation, Guns / Firearms, Harold Baer, International Law, Non-Sequiturs, O.J. Simpson, Technology, Television, Texas
Non-Sequiturs: 05.10.13
* Texas law student/international small-arms dealer Cody Wilson got shot down (pun!) days after revealing a fully security-proof 3D printable gun. The State Department pointed out that Wilson seems to be violating all manner of international arms agreements, which was pretty obvious when he went on video boasting about how his weapons were being used in hotbeds of civil strife. [Foreign Policy: Passport] * The Juice may soon be loose! But probably not. O.J. Simpson has a hearing seeking a new trial in Vegas and blaming his former lawyer, Yale Galanter. Best part? Simpson claims Galanter approved the whole “armed, threatening confrontation” plan beforehand. Oops. [FOX News] * Michael Arrington, a lawyer and "one of the most powerful people on the Internet," is suing his ex-girlfriend for defamation. The complaint compiles some pretty salacious claims that she made via social media. [Valleywag] * Just when you thought being an unpaid intern couldn’t be sadder, Judge Baer makes it sadder. [Fashionista] * The “Thug’s Lawyer” got a reprieve when a judge tossed his indictment for conspiracy, obstruction of justice, theft, and perjury. [The Advocate] * The EEOC filed suit against a Miami company that required its employees to become Scientologists. In other news, someone actually thought they could get away with making all their employees join the Church of Scientology. [Lowering the Bar] * The history of the Madison Avenue IPOs alluded to in last week’s Mad Men. [DealBook] -
Constitutional Law, Religion, State Judges, Texas
Texas Cheerleaders Win Right To Do Religious Cheers. Give Me a G! Give Me an O!
The problem isn't that the signs are overtly religious, it's that they're terrible signs. - Sponsored
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Bar Exams, Texas
February Bar Exam Results Are Fine In Texas, Pathetic In New York
LOTS of people failed the New York bar exam, but I don't think that's a bad thing...
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Free Speech, Nude Dancing, Quote of the Day, Sex, Texas
Judge Strips Gentlemen's Club Case to Bare Facts
To the Judge: I see what you did there... -
Attorney Misconduct, Legal Ethics, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns, Texas
Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged (By an Ethics Panel)
Which came first, the power-crazed judge or the power-crazy person running for judge? -
Biglaw, Crime, Deaths, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Law Professors, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Texas
Morning Docket: 04.24.13
* The DOJ is seeking treble damages against Lance Armstrong over his USPS sponsorship funds, alleging the athlete was “unjustly enriched.” This lawsuit is clearly on steroids; the bike dude’s got an eye for that sort of thing. [NBC News]
* Dewey know how much Steven Davis had to fork over to the firm’s estate to settle its mismanagement claims against him? It’s pocket change compared to what some former partners had to pay into the partner contribution plan. [Am Law Daily]
* “Golden handcuffs,” law school style: the Texas attorney general’s office is looking into the UT Law School Foundation. Apparently giving out forgivable loans to law profs like candy is a big no-no. [Austin Business Journal]
* Duncan Law hopes to get ABA accreditation through its conflict resolution center, which will “attract more students.” Yep, because more students equals more job opportunities. [Knoxville New Sentinel]
* The accused ricin guy might’ve been a whackjob, but the charges were dropped. His lawyer believes he was framed by a guy who was recently arrested on child molestation charges. Cray! [Bloomberg]
* Edward de Grazia, defender of sexually explicit novels in Jacobellis v. Ohio, RIP. [New York Times]
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Celebrities, Drinking, DUI / DWI, Texas
Legally Blonde: A Potpourri of Disorderly Conduct Claims
What would Elle Woods have to say about these legally blonde antics? -
Media and Journalism, Morgan Stanley, Murder, Texas
Morning Docket: 04.19.13
* Fast moving developments in the Boston case. The FBI wanted your help finding these guys. Now it says one is already dead and the other is on the run. [New York Times] * Wow. The accused ricin mailer is messed up. [Washington Post] * Lawyer turns down an $8M settlement and wins $130M. If […] - Sponsored
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Akin Gump, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Canada, Environment / Environmental Law, Federal Government, Guns / Firearms, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Murder, Patton Boggs, Texas
Morning Docket: 04.18.13
* “[T]hese senators decided to do nothing. Shame on them” Yesterday, the Senate blocked gun-control legislation that could have saved lives, and Gabrielle Giffords, a victim of gun violence, wrote a powerful op-ed in reaction. [New York Times]
* DLA Piper won’t be churning that bill anymore because the firm managed to settle its fee dispute with Adam Victor, but it’s certain that the firm’s embarrassment over the overbilling incident will know no limits. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Ahh, best-laid plans: Kim Koopersmith, the first woman to serve as Akin Gump’s chair, never thought that she’d be working in a law firm. In law school, she wanted to work in public interest. [Bloomberg]
* You’ll never guess which firm has the best brand in Canada according to the latest Acritas survey, but that’s probably because you don’t care. Come on, it’s Canada. Fine, it’s Norton Rose. [Am Law Daily]
* Oopsie! Burford Capital claims that it would never have funded plaintiffs’ representation by Patton Boggs in the Chevron case if it weren’t for a partner’s “false and misleading” statements. [CNN Money]
* The wife of a former justice of the peace has been charged with capital murder after she confessed to her involvement in the slayings of Texas prosecutors Mike McLelland and Mark Hasse. [Reuters]
* Baltimore Law has a beautiful new building that cost $112 million. Just a thought: perhaps more of that money should’ve been spent putting the class of 2012 to work as lawyers. [National Law Journal]
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Benchslaps, Breasts, Copyright, Federalist Society, Intellectual Property, Law Schools, Music, Non-Sequiturs, Pets, Running, Tax Law, Texas, Violence
Non-Sequiturs: 04.15.13
* Thoughts go out to all those in Boston. [CNN] * I hope you’ve all got your taxes finished. Here’s a fun fact: most tax cheats live in the South and the West. The two areas of the country filled with people who think taxes are evil cheat more? Go figure. [NBC News] * Remember, it’s not polite to say “thank you.” [Las Vegas Law Blog] * And now the rare, “self-benchslap.” [Associated Press] * A detailed look at how the Federalist Society became so powerful in American law schools. Unfortunately, it neglects the “they tend to order better pizzas for their events” gambit. [Chronicle of Higher Education] * Remember the new, depressing, public domain Happy Birthday song? The sponsor of that contest, WFMU, is at it again with a new contest to create modern, entertaining covers of public domain ditties. Despite my ragging on the birthday song, this is a pretty cool idea. [Free Music Archive] * Are you a young lawyer complaining about your lot in life? You’re at this site, so statistically you are. Well, quit your bitchin’! [Associate's Mind] * The Texas Supreme Court does not value emotional attachments to dogs. This is surprising because I can think of at least 10 country songs on this very point. [Law and More] * Mocking law school couples with a GIF from Veep? Get out of my head, UChiLawGo! [UChiLawGo] * Boob-induced failure. [Legal Juice] -
Gender, Labor / Employment, Texas, Women's Issues
Gender Discrimination Suit Alleges Men and Women Couldn't Be 'Alone Together' at This Texas Law Firm
Would you be happy working at a firm where men and women couldn't even be alone together in the same room? -
Crime, Deaths, Guns / Firearms, Murder, Texas, Violence
Another Texas Prosecutor Is Killed in Cold Blood
Additional thoughts on the recent killing of a second prosecutor in Texas, Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland. -
Adam Liptak, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Books, California, Crime, Deaths, Disability Law, Gay, Gay Marriage, In-House Counsel, Job Searches, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Murder, Sandra Day O'Connor, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas
Morning Docket: 04.01.13
* Can you DIG it?! Well, SCOTUS can’t, at least when it comes to the Prop 8 case, but perhaps that’s what the conservative justices planned all along. You can probably expect a judicial punt on this one. [New York Times]
* The case for cameras at the high court became even more compelling last week, because people just now realized that having to “spend money to see a public institution do public business is offensive.” Damn straight. [National Law Journal]
* Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s new book, Out of Order (affiliate link), didn’t exactly get a glowing review from the NYT’s Supreme Court correspondent, Adam Liptak. It’s a “gift shop bauble”? Ouch. [New York Times]
* Oh, Lanny Breuer, you tried to be all coy by saying you were interviewing elsewhere, but we knew you’d return to Covington. That “vice-chairman” title is a pretty sweet new perk, too. [Legal Times]
* DLA Piper’s bills may “know no limits,” but in-house counsel claim that while the firm’s emails were “flippant,” they won’t have an impact their already meticulous billing review. [New York Law Journal]
* The true love’s kiss of litigation: Bingham McCutchen’s Sleeping Beauty may have found her prince in Judge Vincent O’Neill Jr., because he ruled that the firm won’t be able to compel arbitration. [Recorder]
* It’s really not a good time to be a prosecutor in Texas. Two months after the murder of ADA Mark Hasse, DA Mike McLelland and his wife were gunned down in their home. RIP. [Dallas Morning News]
* Good news, everyone! The class of 2012 — the largest on record, according to the ABA — was only slightly more unemployed than its predecessors. Cherish the little things, people. [National Law Journal]
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Bad Ideas, Guns / Firearms, Technology, Texas, Violence
3D Printers Don't Kill People, Guns Made With 3D Printers Kill People.
A law student tries to ruin 3D printing for everyone by turning it into a loophole to evade gun laws. Because... freedom! -
American Bar Association / ABA, Attorney Misconduct, Crime, Crowell & Moring, Federal Government, Law Schools, LSAT, Money, Morning Docket, Texas
Morning Docket: 03.21.13
* The Senate approved a bill that will keep the government running through September, and it will likely pass in the House, but much of the sequester is still in place. I think we’re supposed to be excited about this. Uh… yay? [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* Douglas Arnsten, the former Crowell & Moring associate who embezzled $10.7M in client funds and spent it at fancy restaurants and strip clubs, has been officially disbarred in New York. But he was just trying to support single moms. Sigh. [Am Law Daily]
* Sorry, folks, but you’re going to have to continue taking the LSAT in order to get into law school because the ABA says so. Drop that $118 into the burgeoning money pit that is law school, stat! [National Law Journal]
* For all of that work allegedly spent trying to protect their yield rate, UVA Law didn’t even make the Top 10 list of the most popular schools. You might be surprised at some of the schools here. [U.S. News & World Report]
* You must remember that time when the University of Texas Law School Foundation authorized $5.5M in forgivable loans to faculty. Well, now the regents are calling for a probe. Yikes! [San Antonio Express-News]
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Texas, White-Collar Crime
Dallas DA Learns You Don't Mess With Texas... Judges
The Dallas DA is held in contempt over a high-profile mortgage fraud case against a high-profile rich kid. -
Football, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Politics, Prostitution, Sports, Texas
Morning Docket: 03.05.13
* Pennsylvania prosecutors are “outraged” that the new Attorney General is investigating how the office dropped the ball in the Sandusky case. Their frustration is understandable… looking into obvious wrongdoing seems to be a new concept for them. [Legal Intelligencer]
* New charges brought in the Florida A&M Band hazing case. Twelve defendants will now face felony manslaughter charges. [Los Angeles Times]
* Nixon Peabody’s annual firm cook-off just concluded. This is a much better firm morale boost than, say, writing a firm theme song. [ABA Journal via Capital Business / Washington Post]
* A plan is in the works for a new University of Texas system law school. On the one hand, the new school could improve the diversity of the Texas bar. On the other hand, no one in the state was saying, “Wow, we’re really suffering from a dearth of lawyers.” [The Daily Texan]
* A model depicted in the opening credits of Mad Men has filed suit, alleging that the show is using her image without permission. The show has used the same opening for six years. Looks like someone just got Netflix! [The Wrap]
* According to the escort who made the allegations, she was paid to falsely claim that she was hired by Senator Menendez. [Washington Post]
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Small Law Firms, State Judges, Texas, White-Collar Crime
Stanford-Educated Attorney Convicted of Racketeering Jumps Off Bridge
Authorities are searching for a convicted attorney who jumped from a Texas bridge. -
Bar Exams, Texas
Bar Exam Horror Stories: Losing Power > Losing Bladder Control
This is the kind of ridiculousness that happens when you don't pass the July bar and have to sit for it again in February. -
Attorney Misconduct, Benchslaps, Drugs, Minority Issues, Racism, SCOTUS, Screw-Ups, Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Texas, Trials, U.S. Attorneys Offices
Benchslap of the Day: Justice Sotomayor Thinks You Should Turn Off Your Racist Light Bulb
Justice Sotomayor is generally very nice, but don't get her angry. A federal prosecutor in Texas who made improper, racially charged remarks during a trial learned this the hard way.