8th Circuit

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 10.14.18

* Adam Feldman examines the historical record to look at how Justice Brett Kavanaugh's brutal confirmation process could affect his jurisprudence. [Empirical SCOTUS] * And Joel Cohen looks at how Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation fight might affect his judging of the accused. [Law and Crime] * Meanwhile, David Oscar Markus argues that criminal defendants in federal court get treated much worse than Justice Kavanaugh. [The Hill] * Jemele Hill points out the support and sympathy for Justice Kavanaugh from a possibly surprising quarter: African-American men. [The Atlantic] * Packing the Supreme Court? There ought to be a constitutional amendment about that, Jim Lindgren says. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason] * In fact, is it time for progressives to fight against, rather than within, the courts? Howard Wasserman offers thoughts on the recent Slate debate between Daniel Hemel and Christopher Jon Sprigman. [PrawfsBlawg] * Patrick Gregory reports on the latest controversy in the world of lower-court nominations: the ABA's "not qualified" rating of Eighth Circuit nominee Jonathan Kobes. [Big Law Business] * Edmund Zagorski has multiple legal challenges to his execution (which is now on hold); former federal defender Stephen Cooper looks at the one based on the method of execution. [Tennessean] * Congratulations to Pedro Hernandez on the dismissal of his case -- and to his counsel, Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, on the great result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2YPLmtwkug

By David Lat
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.01.17

* "Nothing about recent events or any of these actions of the special counsel has altered the president’s determination to support the special counsel and fully cooperate and that is where we are," said White House lawyer Ty Cobb, twirling his mustache as he presumably wondered how to extricate himself from this situation. [Big Law Business] * An Akin Gump partner who initially refused to testify before the grand jury in Paul Manafort's case was ordered to do so under the "crime fraud" exception to attorney-client privilege. She's (understandably) not responding to media requests for comment at this time. She's already said her fair share. [National Law Journal] * The American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary gave Eighth Circuit nominee Leonard Steven Grasz, who happens to be a Husch Blackwell partner, a "not qualified" rating because its members were concerned he wouldn't be able to follow precedent due to his "passionately-held social agenda." [ABA Journal] * Foley & Lardner is in merger talks with Gardere Wynne Sewell. Last we heard, the firm was in merger talks with New York boutique Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman. While the firm claims that a final decision on the merger hasn't been made yet, they've already set up a new website. That's probably just a coincidence. [Am Law Daily] * Speaking of mergers, the one between Womble Carlyle and Bond Dickinson is now official, and the combined firm, Womble Bond Dickinson, is now one of the world's 100 largest. More than 1,000 lawyers work for the new firm across 24 offices in the U.S. and U.K. As with most mergers, some layoffs could be ahead. [Chronicle Live]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 04.15.16

* Pharmacists are hoping the Supreme Court will allow them to stop upholding the law. [Bloomberg BNA] * The University of Mississippi tried to contextualize a Confederate statue on its campus. It failed. Miserably. [Lawyers, Guns and Money] * The phenomenon of rap lyrics being used against criminal defendants in court. [Genius] * Yes, you may be an educated professional, but social media can still be hard. [Med City News] * The evidence is mounting: basic legal services may soon stop being the province of lawyers in favor of tech solutions. Can anything be done to stop the future? [Law and More] * The Eighth Circuit may not be happy about it, but North Dakota is paying a settlement over its overly restrictive abortions laws. [Slate] * Don’t forget, the deadline is Monday at 5pm! We are taking submissions for ATL’s annual Law Revue Contest. Deadline is April 18th. [Above the Law] * The University of Mississippi tried to contextualize a Confederate statue on its campus. It failed. Miserably. [Lawyers, Guns and Money] * The phenomenon of rap lyrics being used against criminal defendants in court. [Genius] * Yes, you may be an educated professional, but social media can't still be hard. [Med City News] * The evidence is mounting: basic legal services may soon stop being the province of lawyers in favor of tech solutions. Can anything be done to stop the future? [Law and More] * The Eighth Circuit may not be happy about it, but North Dakota is paying a settlement over its overly restrictive abortions laws. [Slate] * Don’t forget, the deadline is Monday at 5pm! We are taking submission for ATL’s annual Law Revue Contest. Deadline is April 18th. [Above the Law]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.28.15

* Police can shoot beanbags from drones. Oh good, that doesn’t sound like a recipe for abuse at all. [Ars Technica] * Lawyers for Steven Davis move to dismiss as the prosecution rests. Dewey think the judge will laugh this motion out of court? You know, I hate the “Dewey” jokes but they are kind […]

By Joe Patrice