To Kill A Mockingbird: overrated?
* Which Supreme Court justice wrote the most dissents over the last 30 or so years? The answer might surprise you. (My guesses came in second and third.) [Empirical SCOTUS]
* Does the latest constitutional challenge to Obamacare have merit? The 20 states are right on one issue and wrong on another, Ilya Somin explains. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason]
PI Firms Don’t Need More Tools. They Need Fewer.
Every new tool a PI firm buys solves one problem and connects nothing. The real fix isn't another purchase — it's keeping the whole case in one place, from accident to resolution. Here's how.
* Ann Althouse makes the case against To Kill A Mockingbird. [Althouse]
* Litigation finance and class actions: two great tastes that taste great together? Professor Brian Fitzpatrick breaks it down. [SSRN]
* Artificial intelligence is all the rage, but what should lawyers actually look for when it comes to AI-enabled products? Daniel Lewis, co-founder of Ravel Law (now part of LexisNexis), offers his insights. [Dewey B Strategic]
Why Bigger Legal Budgets Buy Less Relief Than Ever
Introducing Axiom’s 2027 In-House Legal Budget Report. Read on to see the details.
* As a new dad, I find the notion of prosecuting a parent for improper car-seat installation deeply disturbing — especially after the defendant mom lost her daughter, an already horrific punishment for that mistake. [Slate]
* Has the Trump Administration drained the swamp, or made it more swampy than ever? The latter — at least if you view Biglaw partners as swamp creatures. [The Nation]
* Utah legislators try their hand at “Schoolhouse Rock,” and the result is… something. [Twitter (@RobertMaguire_)]
* Another interesting use case for blockchain: solving IP challenges. [Artificial Lawyer]
David Lat is editor at large and founding editor of Above the Law, as well as 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].