February 2015

Non-Sequiturs: 02.27.15

* Leonard Nimoy has died at 83. While he's best known as Spock, he also starred in some legal works, such as producing and starring in the story of Mel Mermelstein's pro bono case. [New York Times] * Analyzing the Supreme Court on style over substance. Probably for the best because the substance has been pretty shoddy for a lot of the last few years. [SCOTUSblog] * "Constitutional oriented" judge has some issues with the First Amendment. I guess he's a "pre-Amendment Originalist." [Popehat] * Lawyers should find a niche in connected devices. It's true. But since the partners I used to work with still printed out all their emails, good luck with that. [Law and More] * The psychic toll of bankruptcy work. [The Docket] * Ninth Circuit overrules lower court, holding that an arbitrator is not inherently plaintiff-biased because he or she has participated in litigation financing. [LFC 360]

Here’s The Pivotal Track Of The ‘Blurred Lines’ Copyright Case

Here's the actual controversy in the Blurred Lines/Marvin Gaye trial.

Is The Lateral Market In Texas Really Hotter Than A $2 Pistol At An All-Night Shootout?

Opportunities abound in Texas.

From the Career Files: How to Forget You’re A Lawyer When You Travel

Being a lawyer is, by no means, an easy career. It’s demanding and stressful and can be downright nasty at times, which is why most attorneys revel in their vacations.

Stats Of The Week: The Case Against Net Neutrality

The telecom industry contends that the new FCC net neutrality rules will stifle innovation.

Dan Markel’s Father Speaks Out

Does Phillip Markel have a theory as to who murdered his son?

Killing The LSAT Is A Bad Deal For Students

Removing the LSAT requirement is just the latest law school trick.

This Law Student Made A Damn Campaign Video For SBA

It's an A+ for effort for this student who shared his campaign video with the whole Internet.

Yale Law Professors’ Triple Package: The Key To Success For Minorities In The Legal Profession?

Thoughts from columnist Renwei Chung on Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld's controversial, bestselling book.

Thanks To Everyone Who Braved The Boston Winter To Come To Trivia

Thanks again to everyone who came out to the ATL/Kaplan Bar Prep trivia night in Boston this week! Despite the chilly weather and yet more snow falling, a number of teams joined the ATL crew at Clery’s to vie for bragging rights and Mini iPads. Some tough questions this time, but if you knew which […]

The FCC’s Historic Day: Voting Yes For Net Neutrality, Voting No On Protectionist State Telecom Law

Net neutrality isn't the only big thing the FCC tackled.

Morning Docket: 02.26.15

* Congratulations to Loretta Lynch, who cleared a divided Senate Judiciary yesterday. And now secret Kenyan Muslim Barack Obama is one step closer to whatever conservatives think he's planning in their fever dreams. [National Law Journal] * Police made an arrest in the bizarre hatchet attack upon a lawyer in Massachusetts. The motive, according to authorities, stemmed from the lawyer representing one of the suspect's family members in probate court. [The Patriot Ledger] * It may not be $2.6 billion in revenue like some firms, but congratulations to Paul Hastings for crossing the $1 billion revenue threshold. [The Am Law Daily] * South Korea legalizes adultery. If you didn't think South Koreans were waiting for the legal go ahead to start screwing around, the market doesn't lie. [New York Times] * Nice rundown from Elizabeth Wydra of the Constitutional Accountability Center: 5 myths about King v. Burwell. [Washington Post] * Prosecutors lodge a number of additional charges against Supreme Court protestors because there's a surprisingly high number of distinct federal crimes for "standing up and chanting in protest." [Legal Times]

Above the Law v. CNN: The Reader Contest

Who wants to write the ATL cease-and-desist letter to CNN?

Non-Sequiturs: 02.26.15

* The FCC declares net neutrality. Now an explanation of what that really means. [Gizmodo] * Today in "delightful things police departments do," we have the tale of a woman held in a black site by Chicago police for 18 hours before being allowed to contact a lawyer. That's the Chicago way. [The Guardian] * Former Georgia Attorney General Mike Bowers -- of Bowers v. Hardwick fame -- now supports LGBT rights. That's got to be the last one, right? Is there anyone still out there against this? [Buzzfeed] * We should have more lawyer unions. To the barricades, colleagues! [Adjunct Law Prof Blog] * Updating a previous item: Cooley filed its opposition to the federal government's motion to dismiss in the troubling case of Judge Tabaddor, whom the government ordered to stop hearing immigration matters involving Iranians because she is Iranian-American. [Cooley LLP] * The Harvard Law School Association Entrepreneurs Network invite you to a legal tech pitch night. It's March 4th at 6:30 p.m. in NYC. Talkin' law and technology. Be there and be square. [EventBrite] * The CAC's "Roberts At 10" series continues, turning its gaze on the racial equality protections we used to have. [Constitutional Accountability Center]

Ask The Professor: Why Do We Need the Bar Exam Anyway?

Why have a bar exam if it is going to be more of what law school is supposed to test and does not test something important to the state giving the test?