* Virginia is for lovers — gay and straight alike. Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen (E.D. Va.) just struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage (but stayed her ruling pending appeal). Happy Valentine’s Day! [Washington Post]
* The Ninth Circuit, in an opinion by Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, issued a major Second Amendment ruling. Is it correct, and what will happen next? Professor Eugene Volokh shares his thoughts. [Volokh Conspiracy; Volokh Conspiracy]
* Which leading law firms are trying to make the Comcast/Time Warner Cable monstrosity into reality? [American Lawyer]
Why Bigger Legal Budgets Buy Less Relief Than Ever
Introducing Axiom’s 2027 In-House Legal Budget Report. Read on to see the details.
* Did a Biglaw firm make a big-time mistake by blowing a deadline to appeal a $40 million verdict? [Law360 (sub. req.)]
* Speaking of screw-ups, making them in the e-discovery realm can be costly — a lesson that California is learning the hard way, to the tune of $32 million. [ACEDS]
* Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin thought he’d be acquitted; he thought wrong. [ABA Journal]
* George Washington wasn’t a member of the one of the 8 magic groups — but his story still illustrates the truth of The Triple Package (affiliate link), according to Washington biographer Logan Beirne. [Fox News]
From ‘Associate’ To ‘Doppelganger’: The Evolution Of The Legal AI Persona
Confronting Biglaw’s ‘snake eating its own tail’ problem.
* Authorities have made an arrest for the package bombing that killed a retired Tennessee lawyer and his wife. [CNN]