Civil Rights

Morning Docket: 12.19.12

* Oh mon dieu! Cela ne semble pas bon! As confirmed by The Lawyer, Nixon Peabody will definitely be closing its four-year-old international outpost in Paris, France, leaving the firm with only two offices outside of the United States. Triste. :( [Am Law Daily] * “I just wanted somebody to pat me on the head.” Aww, all this former Winston & Strawn partner wanted was for someone to tell him he was a good boy, so he helped Kenneth Starr launder money. At least he didn’t get jail time. [New York Law Journal] * Sorry, lady, but when you work in an HR capacity and you publish tripe about gays not being civil rights victims because they “choose” their lifestyle, the Sixth Circuit will just laugh at your appeal. [National Law Journal] * At least one law school has gotten the point that tuition is too damn high. Starting next year, Seton Hall Law will allow qualifying first-year students to save about 50 percent on the cost of attendance. [Associated Press] * What are some benefits of taking a gap year between the completion of your undergraduate degree and law school? Well, for one, you might reconsider your decision to enroll. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News]

The Best Law Firms For LGBT Lawyers

Of the 145 firms that participated in the Human Rights Campaign’s survey, 71 received perfect scores. Absolutely fabulous!

Morning Docket: 10.15.12

* What effect will the Supreme Court’s ruling in Miller v. Alabama, regarding life sentences without the possibility of parole for juvenile offenders, have in the real world? [New York Times] * Some good news on attorneys fees for civil rights lawyers. [WSJ Law Blog] * Speaking of fees, which firms are raking them in as emerging market companies starting emerging onto the M&A scene? [American Lawyer] * You’ve got to fight… for your right… to teach legal writing at the University of Iowa. At least if you’re a conservative. That’s the allegation by an aspiring academic, Teresa Wagner, that hits a courtroom this week. [Houston Chronicle] * Former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn wants to know: is enjoying the occasional orgy such a crime? [Gothamist] * Career alternatives: Mary Wittenberg — chief executive of New York Road Runners, which puts on the New York Marathon — is a Notre Dame law grad and former Hunton & Williams lawyer. [New York Times] * Former Senator Arlen Specter, an active participant in historic Supreme Court nomination battles, RIP. [Philadelphia Daily News]

The Circus Goes to Washington: Insane Clown Posse Sues the FBI Over Gang Designation

ICP and its rabid Juggalo fanbase are suing the FBI after being labelled as a gang.

Insane Clown… Plaintiffs? Juggalos Consider Suing the FBI

The hip-hop duo, Insane Clown Posse, objects to its fans, aka "Juggalos," being classified as a "a loosely-organized hybrid gang."

Quote of the Day: The Law Is Serious Business (Seriously)

Famed Chinese civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng has come to America to study law…

Morning Docket: 05.11.12

* Dewey seriously have one chairman again? Good Lord, this law firm is literally falling apart! Martin Bienenstock had “no plans to file bankruptcy” because he knew he was taking the first life raft off this sinking ship. [WSJ Law Blog] * When Dewey WARN people? When it’s already too late. In case you missed it last night, the firm was served with its first suit following its en-masse layoffs. The more the merrier, because it’s a class action. [Bloomberg; WSJ Law Blog] * Elizabeth Warren can’t decide whether she’s white or Native American. Apparently it depends on her geographic location, because she was white at UT Law, but a minority while at Penn Law. [Boston Globe] * Racial profiling still ain’t easy, but Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio “will fight this to the bitter end.” The Department of Justice has filed a civil rights suit against the no-nonsense Sheriff and his department. [Associated Press] * New Jersey Governor Chris Christie must be gearing up for his inevitable 2016 presidential run, because yesterday he vetoed an online insurance marketplace required by the Affordable Care Act. [New York Times] * Syracuse Law recently broke ground on a $90M building that will serve as its new home. May political plagiarizers continue to grace the law school’s halls for years and years to come. [National Law Journal]

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Yesterday, January 15, was the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the great American civil rights leader and Nobel laureate. As noted on the Nobel website, Dr. King was just 35 years old at the time he was honored, making him the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. Please take some […]

Letter from London: What Would Jesus Do?

It’s been a bad few days for the Church of England. First, it gets slammed for siding with the bankers, rather than the protesters, after its flagship venue, St Paul’s Cathedral, finds itself at the heart of Occupy London. Second, a change to the U.K.’s ancient royal succession laws strikes a blow for its great […]

Benchslap of the Day: Shouldn’t Cheerleaders Know How to Spell?

Judge Jerry Smith of the Fifth Circuit had some harsh words about a cheerleading-related litigation: "[T]his is nothing more than a dispute, fueled by a disgruntled cheerleader mom, over whether her daughter should have made the squad. It is a petty squabble, masquerading as a civil rights matter, that has no place in federal court or any other court."

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Today we honor the birthday of the late great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929 (so he would have been 82 today). The holiday of MLK Day is observed on the third Monday of January. Legislation for a holiday honoring Dr. King was first introduced […]

Race/Religion Baiting Question of the Day: Muslim Truck Driver Objects to Trucking Beer

Truck driver Vasant Reddy is not living the high life. Reddy, a Muslim, refused to transport a shipment of Miller Lite as part of his duties. He claims he was forced to resign because of adherence to his religious beliefs. Normally refusing to deliver something would seem to be a pretty big problem if your […]

Almost 100 Biglaw Firms Are Perfectly Gay

The Human Rights Campaign has released its annual Corporate Equality Index, which assesses corporate America’s progress towards equal treatment of the LGBT community. It’s a pretty great day to be gay and searching for career advice. Gawker has a list up right now on the top ten gay colleges, and the Human Rights Campaign is […]

Does Our Nation’s Transportation Policy Violate the Civil Rights Act?

“New York is a great city to live in if you can afford to get out of it,” wrote American author William Rossa Cole. The same thing works the other way around too. The wealthier you are, access to the city becomes easier. Manhattan (the city’s richest and whitest borough) is abundantly better connected to […]

Lawsuit of the Day: White Man Claims BBQ Joint Violates His Civil Rights

This one is going to get really weird, really quickly. See if you can spot the civil rights violation. Issue 1: City council of Alexandria, Virginia, approves a permit for a new barbecue restaurant. Issue 2: The restaurant will have an open-air, gas grille. Did you see the potential violation? No? Well, you’re just not […]