Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.11.17

* President Donald Trump rejects reports that he's considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller, while offering a less-than-ringing endorsement of his relationship with Attorney General Jeff Sessions: "It is what it is." [New York Times] * Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, whose house was the subject of a predawn raid by the FBI, parts ways with WilmerHale and goes back to his former lawyers at Miller & Chevalier. [National Law Journal] * Meanwhile, the Trump administration files its opening brief in the Supreme Court in the travel ban litigation. [How Appealing] * Georgetown Law launches a new con-law center, the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, led by star SCOTUS litigator Neal Katyal, former National Security Council official Joshua Geltzer, and former Justice Department official Mary McCord. [ABA Journal] * Some Democratic senators claim that the White House isn't consulting them enough about judicial nominations. [Politico] * The hype may exceed the reality on alternative-fee arrangements -- but not at pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline, which takes an aggressive and innovative approach to AFAs. [Am Law Daily] * Settling the "pink slime" litigation cost Disney/ABC how much? [How Appealing] * Also not cheap: the costs of bad-faith discovery spoliation. [Big Law Business]

By David Lat on August 11, 2017

Georgetown Law

* President Donald Trump rejects reports that he’s considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller, while offering a less-than-ringing endorsement of his relationship with Attorney General Jeff Sessions: “It is what it is.” [New York Times]

* Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, whose house was the subject of a predawn raid by the FBI, parts ways with WilmerHale and goes back to his former lawyers at Miller & Chevalier. [National Law Journal]

* Meanwhile, the Trump administration files its opening brief in the Supreme Court in the travel ban litigation. [How Appealing]

* Georgetown Law launches a new con-law center, the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, led by star SCOTUS litigator Neal Katyal, former National Security Council official Joshua Geltzer, and former Justice Department official Mary McCord. [ABA Journal]

* Some Democratic senators claim that the White House isn’t consulting them enough about judicial nominations. [Politico]

* The hype may exceed the reality on alternative-fee arrangements — but not at pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline, which takes an aggressive and innovative approach to AFAs. [Am Law Daily]

* Settling the “pink slime” litigation cost Disney/ABC how much? [How Appealing]

* Also not cheap: the costs of bad-faith discovery spoliation. [Big Law Business]

DBL square headshotDavid Lat is the founder and managing editor of Above the Law and the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at [email protected].