11th Circuit

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 05.19.17

* Holy smokes! What subject just led the en banc Eleventh Circuit to issue almost 300 pages worth of opinions? [How Appealing] * I'm all in favor of anonymous blogging, but there's no denying that it can be hazardous to one's Article III ambitions. [BuzzFeed] * It's not just President Donald Trump's handshakes that can be dangerous (just ask Justice Neil Gorsuch); he's weaponized the hug as well, as James Comey learned. [Althouse] * A high-profile visitor over at the Volokh Conspiracy: renowned First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams will be blogging about his new book, The Soul of the First Amendment (affiliate link). [Volokh Conspiracy / Washington Post] * Speaking of books, here's Professor Lisa Pruitt on J.D. Vance's (critically acclaimed, bestselling) memoir, Hillbilly Elegy (affiliate link): "I knew Yale law degrees were valuable, but Vance’s seems to be working miracles." * And here are some reflections from Professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson on whether fear should be part of the law school experience. [PrawfsBlawg] * Mark your calendars: June 14 in San Francisco, Battle of the (Law Firm) Bands! [Family Violence Appellate Project]

By David Lat
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.21.16

* Only two firms issued raises yesterday. Congrats to associates at Alston & Bird and K&L Gates. [Above the Law / 2016 Salary Increase] * A profile of James Hamilton of Morgan Lewis whom Hillary Clinton recruited to find her running mate. As the story notes, he led the searches that picked Joe Lieberman and John Edwards so... yeah. [Washingtonian] * Concerns over the looming Brexit vote leads UK attorneys to register in Ireland in big numbers. So much for St. Patrick driving all the snakes out. [Law360] * Judge sentences elderly woman to prison who billed the government millions in hospice care for people who weren't dying. In a way, aren't we all always in the process of dying? [Courthouse News Service] * The Eleventh Circuit will hear arguments over Florida's "Docs vs. Glocks" law in an en banc hearing later today. Expected to rule that it's the coolest name for a law. [CBS Miami] * A look at the wild events sponsored by D.C. summer associate programs. [National Law Journal]

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 12.17.15

* Fresh off the heels of a lawyer that was trying to sneak a gun into Disney World, the Mouse has tightened up security measures. I told you he was going to ruin everything. [Chip and Co.] * Chicago Law Prof. Eric Posner proposes limiting the First Amendment -- no, not over campaign finance reform, but because of ISIS. Ummm, okay? [Slate] * What will happen in the legal profession in 2016? Here are 41 guesses. [Business of Law Blog] * Overcoming the anxiety of starting at a new firm. [Attorney at Work] * Did the 11th Circuit screw up this rule limiting doctors' ability to speak with their patients about guns? [Volokh Conspiracy / Washington Post]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.25.15

* Dildos and cock rings. Just another day for the Eleventh Circuit down in America's wang. [Southern District of Florida Blog] * Everything you need to know about today's Alabama redistricting decisions from Professor Rick Hasen. It's a longer and more nuanced way to say "Pyrrhic victory." [Election Law Blog] * The Supreme Court is way eloquent. [Lowering the Bar] * Looks like we already have a real-life example of what happens when white-collar industries adopt new technology. Enjoy unemployment! [Law and More] * Another scintillating legal debate coming up next week: do the President's war powers exceed constitutional authority? [Intelligence Squared] * If you're in Nashville, you can see Lat in person. It's on April Fool's Day, so start thinking of how you want to punk him. [Vanderbilt Law] * Harvard Law's Lambda chapter kills its diversity amendment. Guess it was too much to hope a bunch of law students had solved de Tocqueville's "tyranny of the majority" puzzle. [Harvard Law Record] * Another installment in David's chat with Bloomberg. Lat compares some firms to Ferraris... I'm guessing he doesn't watch much racing unless he meant to say, "some firms spend massive amounts of money to remain woefully second-rate to Mercedes and Renault." [Bloomberg BNA / Big Law Business] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoS0wdteBS0

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 12.15.14

* Allegations abound that Tori Spelling's signature was forged on a bunch of settlement documents. But she says it's hers. What wacky adventures will Donna Martin get into next? [National Enquirer] * A reminder to send in those holiday card contest submissions by Wednesday! We've seen some fun ones so far, but don't let your firm be left out. [Above the Law] * The 11th Circuit's ECF system appears to be infected with a virus. Crackerjack technology work there. [South Florida Lawyers] * Nothing really new here, but it's a very specific, personal account of the broken law school model. [The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)] * Meanwhile, Dean Daniel Hamilton of UNLV Law joins the chorus of deans pitching the "because everyone's figured out law school's a bad deal it's suddenly become a good deal." [Vegas Seven] * Aaron Sorkin stands up for his Hollywood buddies and that means he's fig leafing rampant racism and sexism. [Redline] * Former SF mayor Willie Brown is confused by the nomination of Leondra Kruger to the California Supreme Court because she lives in D.C. He asks whether "there [were] no qualified African Americans in California?" Perhaps, but as a former SCOTUS clerk, Chicago Law instructor, U.S. deputy assistant attorney general, and assistant to the solicitor general there are few more qualified people anywhere for this job. [SF Gate] * There's been a void in all our hearts since we lost the genius UChiLawGo Tumblr. Hopefully its intellectual successor can fill that void. [UChiLawls]

By Joe Patrice
11th Circuit

Non-Sequiturs: 10.20.14

* Eric Holder gave millions to Nazis! Or at least that’s how Darrell Issa will put it. But seriously, the Department of Justice has a long-standing policy of allowing Nazi war criminals to collect Social Security payments if they agree to get the hell out of the U.S. [Associated Press via New Europe] * A Cleveland attorney, Peter Pattakos, is not worried about contracting Ebola, even though he was in a room with a current Ebola patient, because Pattakos is neither a crazy person nor a cable news producer and realizes that he never exchanged bodily fluids with the patient. As he points out, “I’m much more likely to be mistakenly killed by a police officer in this country than to be killed by Ebola, even if you were in the same bridal shop.” [Cleveland.com] * Chanel is suing What About Yves for trademark infringement. The question Professor Colman asks is whether “we really want a trademark ‘protection’ regime in which mark ‘owners’ can prevent creative, non-confusing uses of ‘their property.'” [Law of Fashion] * One for the career alternatives file: Miami lawyer who ranks local restaurants opens his own restaurant. At ATL we rank law schools, maybe we should open our own law school. [Southern District of Florida Blog] * Academic publishers fighting the war on common sense by charging an arm and a leg for access to research that is written and peer reviewed by other people for free scored a victory on Friday when the Eleventh Circuit rejected the lower court’s articulation of educational fair use in the digital age. [The Chronicle of Higher Education] * Balancing parenthood and the “jealous mistress” that is the practice of law. [Jed Cain] * An amazing symposium on campaign finance reform from the NYU Law Review and the Brennan Center for Justice. It’s a wealth of content. [NYU Law Review] * Josh Gilliland from The Legal Geeks gave a presentation on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Law at the San Diego Comic Fest, which sounds much more fun than any “and the Law” class I ever took. He’s provided his slideshow presentation…

By Joe Patrice
11th Circuit

Morning Docket: 09.09.14

* Mathew Martoma, the former Harvard law student who fabricated his transcript when applying for clerkships, gets nine years in prison for insider trading. [DealBook / New York Times] * If Bingham McCutchen moves forward on merger talks with Morgan Lewis, a bunch of Bingham partners might bail. [American Lawyer] * Congratulations to Judge Jill Pryor, who will join Judge Bill Pryor on the Eleventh Circuit. [Fulton County Daily Report] * Can you be fired for medical marijuana in Colorado, where the drug is legal even for recreational purposes? [ABA Journal] * Dewey have some good news for the embattled ex-leaders of the defunct law firm? [New York Law Journal] * Home Depot is the latest major retailer to be hit by a data breach. [Washington Post]

By David Lat