Above the Law

The Ninth Circuit Confirms What Should Have Been Self-Evident: A Wager Is A Wager 

The terminology associated with prediction markets may change the perception of gambling, but it does not change the risk associated with it.

Why Bigger Legal Budgets Buy Less Relief Than Ever

Introducing Axiom’s 2027 In-House Legal Budget Report. Read on to see the details.

Space Force Has ‘Space Control Weapons’ On Orbit, Air Force Secretary Reveals

Troy Meink didn't elaborate on what ‘weapons’ the US deployed, but revealed new info on other space and unmanned Air Force programs.

Morning Docket: 09.15.26

* Supreme Court majority opts against playing Calvinball and decides that presidents can’t unilaterally throw out mail-in ballots they don’t like. Alito and Thomas dissent, naturally. [NPR]

* Election law expert Professor Rick Hasen spotlights the fact that while the Supreme Court has a center block primed to attack voting rights, but unwilling to accept vote rigging. For now. [Slate Jurisprudence]

* Following up on the Judge Roy Altman ethics complaint, Professor Steven Lubet argues that, regardless of the ultimate outcome, refusing to even assign the complaint for investigation lowers the bar for federal judges. [The Hill]

* Plastic surgeon allegedly killed lawyer over billing dispute. [ABA Journal]

* EPA will drop pollution limits on fossil fuel power plants. [Stateline]

* North Carolina DAs and state bar argue that the state must maintain its ban on paralegals giving legal advice. North Carolina has an abysmal access to justice record, but monopolists gonna monopolize. [Carolina Journal]

* Law firm finance company Scan Logic facing a lawsuit from co-founder alleging he was improperly forced out while recovering from leukaemia. [Legal IT Insider]

Weil Isn’t Even Pretending To Be Sad About Losing Its Most Powerful Partner — See Also

Weil Insiders To Mike Aiello: Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

AI Is Now Making Up Witness Testimony: It’s not just fake cites anymore, but fake humans, too! Watch your filings, lest you face a benchslap like this lawyer.

A Federal Judge Just Hit Pause On Trump’s Federal Hiring Loyalty Question: Turns out you can’t make career applicants write an essay praising the president’s executive orders.

Trump’s DOJ Lawyers Try To Save His Personal Lawyers: One of these things is not like the other… sort of.

For Most Of Its History, The Supreme Court Was Just A Tenant

No building, no problem: the Court's long wait for a home.

People I Never Care To Hear About Again

Enough already!

Legal Ethics Roundup: Welcome Back! Headlines, Ethics Reforms, Reading Recommendations, Trivia, Events, Jobs & More 

Your tour of all things related to lawyer and judicial ethics, with University of Houston law professor Renee Knake Jefferson.

Lawyers Are Even More Miserable Than We Knew

The largest-ever study of lawyer wellness paints a deeply troubling picture.

The AI Workplace Gender Gap In The Legal Profession

Women’s reluctance to use AI may also impact career advancement.

AI For New Jersey Public Defenders: Solving The A2J Problem One Bite At A Time

The NJ Office of the Public Defender partnered with a think tank and a prestigious university to get the AI program it needed.

Trump’s DOJ Lawyers Leap In To Save Trump’s Personal Lawyers

Because these two things are the same.

‘Counsel, Do You Watch The News?’: Lawyer Gets Benchslapped Over AI Hallucinations In Murder Appeal

The New Mexico Supreme Court imposed a fine and referred the attorney for disciplinary investigation.

The Cravath Shade Wasn’t A One-Off: Weil Insiders Line Up To Say Good Riddance

Biglaw usually manages a gentler goodbye than this.

Legal AI Needs An Escalation Layer

The legal profession has spent considerable energy teaching AI to answer. The next phase requires teaching it when an answer is not enough.