Above the Law

Can You Get In Any Legal Trouble By Flipping The Bird To Gaudy Trump-Branded Properties?

'Legal' is not synonymous with 'consequence-free.'

Pentagon Formally Requests Name Change To War Department, Setting Up Fight With Dems

The Defense Department stated in a legislative proposal that it will likely spend about $50 million in fiscal 2026 to get the ball rolling on a name change.

Morning Docket: 04.29.26

* Taylor Swift attempts to register her voice and likeness as trademarks to combat deep fakes that copyright law can’t address. [ABA Journal]

* This morning, the Supreme Court will hear the government’s argument that it can arbitrarily strip Haitians over temporary protected status while simultaneously still classifying the country as dangerous. [NPR]

* The Alien Tort Act doesn’t reach everything, but it probably reaches claims that a U.S. company aided and abetted overseas torture. [Law360]

* “Firm Leaders ‘Determined’ to Train Attorneys to Avoid Using AI-Produced Mistakes.” Sure, but since the firm leaders are the ones signing the briefs, have they considered “bothering to edit them?” [Daily Report]

* Popehat breaks down the Comey indictment and is not impressed. [Popehat Report]

* ABA settles diversity scholarship suit after promising not to let it improve diversity.[Law.com]

Disappearing Bullets At The White House Correspondents’ Dinner — See Also

Did Todd Blanche Really Just Say That?: The best and the brightest can’t manage forensics.

…Did Donald Trump Write This?: This DOJ ballroom brief looks a LOT like a Truth Social post.

How Did Obama Get Swept Into This?: Georgetown Law professor tries turning a former president mourning a murdered boy into comedy.

One Hell Of A Streak!: Law student finishes Jeopardy! run with nearly $900k in winnings!

Rowing For Gold

What is true of the cox in an Olympic race is often true of a funder in a high-stakes IP dispute.

8am Now Guarantees Next-Day Payments To Its LawPay Customers

The company also announced new capabilities that it says streamline billing and improve visibility into financial performance for its customers.

Climbing Karma Mountain: The Rainmaker’s Advantage No One Teaches In Law School

Why the lawyers who give more, listen better, and follow through faster win the business everyone else is chasing.

The Gap Is Closing: Why AI Is Breaking The Billable Hour Model

For legal operations professionals, the question is no longer whether AI will change the billable hour model, but whether your department is ready to manage that change.

Has Legal Industry Upheaval Changed Your Career Goals? 

Please share your thoughts in this (always) brief and anonymous survey.

Georgetown Law Professor’s Tweet About Correspondents’ Dinner Attack And Barack Obama Is Just As Bad As You’re Imagining

That's not fair, it's much more racist than you're imagining.

AMA Calls On Congress To Improve Safeguards For AI Mental Health Chatbots

The American Medical Association is urging Congress to add safeguards for AI mental health chatbots amid safety concerns, while noting their potential to expand access.

Morning Docket: 04.28.26

* SEC begs Congress for legislative action on crypto regulation. Congress nodded and held a press conference about using taxpayer dollars to build a ballroom instead. [National Law Journal]

* Big day for Milbank as one of its own breaks world record for fastest marathon dressed as a comic character. [LegalCheek]

* Southern University looks to open a new law school. [ABA Journal]

* White House officially endorses renaming ICE as “NICE,” which will absolutely be pronounced “Nice-ee” to sound like Nazi because the White House is incapable of thinking things through. [Mother Jones]

* When it comes to charges against Terry Rozier, hopefully you took the over. [Courthouse News Service]

* Despite a desperate demand letter and a remedial English government filing, the National Trust refuses to drop its ballroom lawsuit. [Law360]

* Sam Altman’s sister loses her legal team in case against her brother. [Reuters]

Suspicious Time To Talk About The Ballroom — See Also

No Room For Thoughts And Prayers This Time: Bad White House Correspondents’ Dinner optics fan false flag flames.

Did They Forget Other People Would Read This Email?: What’s worse? That a Perkins Coie partner said this or HR’s response time?

Inclusion Matters: Vault ranked the best law firms for inclusion!

You’re Up, SCOTUS: Judges and former clerks ask the Supreme Court to hear Pauline Newman’s case.

Todd Blanche Really Doesn’t Want To Talk About The Epstein Files: Shame people keep bringing it up. Like this.

The Biglaw Attorney Who Billed 3,451 Hours Last Year Deserves A Nap

Please, someone check on them.

The First Draft Is the Power Move Law Firms Keep Ignoring

Every experienced litigator knows this, even if the profession rarely names it outright.