Morning Docket: 08.27.26

* ABA votes to continue allowing law schools to seek variances to admit students without standardized test scores. A big deal if law schools need to care ABA accreditation anymore. [ABA Journal] * Court refuses DOJ bid to scrub Steve Bannon's conviction. [Daily Beast] * Sam Alito apparently told Clarence Thomas that they weren't friends in law school because "Clarence, you were scary." So much to unpack there. [Fox News] * Law school applications surging. [TaxProf Blog] * KKR will fork over $250 million for breaching Hart-Scott-Rodino premerger notification rules. [Law360] * Justin Baldoni's studio ordered to pay Blake Lively roughly $407,000 in legal costs tied to their litigation. [Courthouse News Service] * Third Circuit allows prosecution against Rep. McIver to move forward. [Roll Call]

By Above the Law on August 27, 2026 8:56 am

* ABA votes to continue allowing law schools to seek variances to admit students without standardized test scores. A big deal if law schools need to care ABA accreditation anymore. [ABA Journal]

* Court refuses DOJ bid to scrub Steve Bannon’s conviction. [Daily Beast]

* Sam Alito apparently told Clarence Thomas that they weren’t friends in law school because “Clarence, you were scary.” So much to unpack there. [Fox News]

* Law school applications surging. [TaxProf Blog]

* KKR will fork over $250 million for breaching Hart-Scott-Rodino premerger notification rules. [Law360]

* Justin Baldoni’s studio ordered to pay Blake Lively roughly $407,000 in legal costs tied to their litigation. [Courthouse News Service]

* Third Circuit allows prosecution against Rep. McIver to move forward. [Roll Call]