Above the Law

Morning Docket: 08.21.26

* Judge suspended for — among other things — not disclosing stepson’s appearance in front of him. [ABA Journal]

* “Parking Company Apologizes to Formerly Dead Woman for $80 Ticket.” [Lowering the Bar]

* Administration brings places partisan in charge of FOIA office. [Bloomberg Law News]

* New ICC sanctions pose threat to American democracy. [Just Security]

* Trump has cut off migrant children from their attorneys and suggests giving them military lawyers instead. [NBC News]

* Jay-Z asks appellate court to bring back his extortion claim against Tony Buzbee. [Bloomberg Law News]

* New York Times loses defamation suit to former Alabama basketball player. [NY Times]

* Pentagon official called in personal lawyer to handle DoD business. [American Prospect]

* Is it a problem when the judge tells you that you’re “absolutely wrong” on the law? Asking for Meta. [Law360]

The First Big ‘Yes’ In Private Equity’s Slow March Into Law — See Also

Private Equity’s Law Firm Takeover Isn’t Here, But It Just Got A Lot Closer: The reported $700 million Charlesbank deal for Wood Smith Henning & Berman gives PE a toehold in the industry.

Todd Blanche’s Potential Successor Has A Slush Fund Problem Too: The Senate is going to love this.

Federal Judges Say The Darnedest Things: Judicial complaint compiles judge’s media hits and there’s just a whole lot of bigotry.

Texas Says ‘No Thanks’ To The Constitution: Well, at least its Governor did.

That’s One Way To Get Out Of A Hearing: Condolences on losing the election.

Neuroscience For Lawyers, A Texas Two-Step, And Rinse And Repeat In DC

Some lawyers don’t know how to spell collegial, let alone act that way.

Law Practice Management Company Smokeball Unveils New Global Brand Built Around ‘Powering People-Law’

Smokeball is unveiling a new global brand that focuses on both its duty to empower the lawyers who are its customers and their duty to do their best for the clients who are their customers.

How To Get Your Nonfiction Book Published

What to know about traditional publishing, self-publishing, literary agents, platforms, and why you are writing in the first place.

To Use AI Slop, Or Not To Use AI Slop

We may already be at the point of no return.

AI Prompt Injection Has Entered The Courtroom

The court did not take kindly to this.

Antonin Scalia Would’ve Hated Today’s Supreme Court Security Restrictions

Today’s security restrictions would have put the brakes on one of Scalia’s favorite pastimes.

TX Gov Opts Out Of Constitution, Thanks

Try that in a small courtroom.

Law Firms Are Getting Faster With AI. Are They Getting Better At Growth?

This is the first article in a three-part series examining why connecting the practice of law and the business of law is becoming one of the defining strategic questions of the AI era.

Lawyers Want To Figure Out AI, But Many Struggle To Know Where To Start

Bells Up is a new AI offering that focuses on the lawyer who doesn't want to lock themselves into one technology... which is a lot of lawyers.

Private Equity Found A Law Firm That Said Yes

Wood Smith Henning & Berman's reported $700 million deal with Charlesbank is the clearest sign yet of which way the wind is blowing.

Meet Me At ILTACON: Neostella, Case Management For How Firms Actually Work

Stop by Booth 575 to see what an open approach to legal technology can look like.

Why Congress Will Be In A Hurry After August Recess

Can both chambers reach an agreement to fund the government before the start of the new fiscal year?

Morning Docket: 08.20.26

* Biglaw facing backlash over super early 1L hiring. [Financial Times]

* Judge’s law license suspended for vulgar, racist language. [Bloomberg Law News]

* Defense team hopes jurors won’t believe their client in Tupac murder trial. [Reuters]

* Seventh Circuit strikes down Indiana ban on telling minors that abortion exists in other states. [ABA Journal]

* Bar complaint lodged against DHS general counsel over comparing federal judges to murderers. [The Hill]

* Many legal products are built on OpenAI tech. It’s time to seriously consider the possibility that OpenAI goes out of business soon. [Where’s Your Ed At?]

* Maintaining poker face throughout, Lady Gaga prevails over intellectual property claim brought by surf brand claiming that she violated their trademark. [Law360]

* Oklahoma Secretary of State arrested for being drunk at a late night McDonald’s. As if there’s a sober reason to be at a late night McDonald’s. [TMZ]

* Solicitor disciplined for answering legal questions on advice website… where he earned almost double his actual legal salary. [Legal Cheek]

* Court gives Uber’s RICO suit against personal injury firms zero stars. [Insurance Journal]