Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.20.23

* Clients might be "at the end of their rope on rate hikes." They say after Biglaw billing has lagged behind inflation. "We're done with your rate increases!" is the "my girlfriend lives in Canada, you don't know her" of corporate legal. [American Lawyer] * Lisa Monaco tells Congress that warrantless surveillance is key to keeping abreast of Russian activity in Ukraine. If you want to make an omelette, you've got to break a few core constitutional protections. [CNN] * Court rules against effort to block Mark Pomerantz from testifying to Jim Jordan's "We Don't Need To Go After Every Crime We See" Committee. [Law360] * The Supreme Court extended the stay of the Fifth Circuit's mifepristone ruling. It's still up in the air, but Ian Millhiser's theory sounds plausible that Alito must lack votes or he would've just let the stay lapse. [Vox] * Putting aside the political ramifications... remember that some of those Dominion lawyers were on contingency. Ka-ching. [Reuters] * Federal Circuit drama continues as Chief Judge Moore digs into 95-year-old Judge Newman's ability to stay on the bench. Now, if we would adopt judicial term limits like a sensible country... [Bloomberg Law News]

By Above the Law on April 20, 2023 9:07 am

Female Fingers Pinching and Bending a Penny* Clients might be “at the end of their rope on rate hikes.” They say after Biglaw billing has lagged behind inflation. “We’re done with your rate increases!” is the “my girlfriend lives in Canada, you don’t know her” of corporate legal. [American Lawyer]

* Lisa Monaco tells Congress that warrantless surveillance is key to keeping abreast of Russian activity in Ukraine. If you want to make an omelette, you’ve got to break a few core constitutional protections. [CNN]

* Court rules against effort to block Mark Pomerantz from testifying to Jim Jordan’s “We Don’t Need To Go After Every Crime We See” Committee. [Law360]

* The Supreme Court extended the stay of the Fifth Circuit’s mifepristone ruling. It’s still up in the air, but Ian Millhiser’s theory sounds plausible that Alito must lack votes or he would’ve just let the stay lapse. [Vox]

* Putting aside the political ramifications… remember that some of those Dominion lawyers were on contingency. Ka-ching. [Reuters]

* Federal Circuit drama continues as Chief Judge Moore digs into 95-year-old Judge Newman’s ability to stay on the bench. Now, if we would adopt judicial term limits like a sensible country… [Bloomberg Law News]