2nd Circuit
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* “What did Rudy say? Oh. OK, so, you see, the thing is, Cohen was paid back, but through his monthly retainer so I didn’t know he was paying hush money to porn stars that I definitely didn’t sleep with because that might trigger an out in my prenup… are we done here?” [Twitter]
* A look at Biglaw firms still owed big bucks by bankrupt clients. [American Lawyer]
* Yale Law is so far ahead of the curve, they’ve got 1Ls suing Jeff Sessions. [Connecticut Law Tribune]
* A webcam is drawing attention to the osprey nest on the roof of Oregon’s Law School. Anything to keep attention off the blackface-wearing professor they still employ… [Around the O]
* In case you were looking for another reason to feel revulsion over the Washington NFL team, the cheerleaders allege the team asked them to be literal escorts for wealthy sponsors on a trip to Costa Rica… that they didn’t get paid for. [CNN]
* Which law firms boast the best legal tech game? [Legaltech News]
* The Second Circuit is bringing back the lawsuit over abuse of the no-fly list. The government allegedly dumped people on the no-fly list if they refused to be informants[Law360]
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* The Second Circuit vacates the corruption convictions of former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Congratulations to his counsel, the high-powered litigation boutique of MoloLamken (which handled the appeal as well as the trial). [How Appealing]
* And congrats to federal judicial nominees John K. Bush (Sixth Circuit) and Kevin Newsom (Eleventh Circuit), who just got voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. [Washington Examiner]
* In other nomination news, the White House seems to be taking its time in announcing a Ninth Circuit nominee from Oregon. Delay may strengthen the case for frontrunner Ryan Bounds; his main competition, Chief Judge Michael Mosman, gets older by the day (turning 61 later this year). [Portland Tribune]
* Meet Michael Murray, an ex-SCOTUS clerk and Jones Day alum, who is the Justice Department’s new point person on pot. (Fun fact: Kevin Newsom, Ryan Bounds, and Michael Murray all clerked for my former boss, Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the Ninth Circuit.) [U.S. News]
* Former Ropes & Gray COO Hugh A. Simons wonders: “Are Law Firms Too Sophisticated for Their Own Good?” [Am Law Daily]
* Will law school applications see a “Trump Bump,” as idealistic aspiring attorneys seek law degrees to join the resistance? We might have more on this later. [Law.com]
* Yes, lawyers should stand up for their beliefs — but they also can (and must) understand the arguments on the other side, as new Yale Law dean Heather Gerken explains. [Time]
* The Ninth Circuit has ruled in the Case of the Tweeting Judge. We might have more on this later as well. [How Appealing]
* Congratulations to Stephen Kane, an alum of O’Melveny & Myers and Lex Machina, on securing $1.8 million in funding for his FairClaims startup — which he describes as “a virtual Judge Judy.” [TechCrunch]
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