Abortions

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The ramifications of a Gorsuch-like conservative replacing a Kennedy swing vote would reverberate for a lifetime.

* In case you haven’t been keeping score like we have, these are the firms that have recently raised salaries: Thompson & Knight, Chapman & Cutler, Sterne Kessler, Edelson, and BakerHostetler. If you’re ever worried that you’ve missed any of our coverage on pay raises, you can check out our omnibus 2016 salary chart where we collect these stories. [2016 Salary Increase / Above the Law]

* Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit, who is known well for his longtime feud with the late Justice Antonin Scalia, isn’t going to let a little thing like death keep him from lobbing “posthumous swipe[s]” at the deceased jurist. Constitutional historian David Bernstein was quick to call Judge Posner’s comments “revolting.” [WSJ Law Blog]

* “The ruling deals a crushing blow to this most recent wave of state efforts to shut off access to abortion though hyper-regulation.” The Supreme Court’s decision in Whole Woman’s Health could open doors to challenges to other laws concerning restrictions on abortions — or inspire narrowly tailored anti-abortion legislation. [New York Times]

* “[O]ur concern is not with tawdry tales of Ferraris, Rolexes, and ball gowns. It is instead with the broader legal implications of the Government’s boundless interpretation of the federal bribery statute.” In case you were too caught up with the abortion-rights decision, SCOTUS also tossed former Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell’s conviction. [NPR]

* The aftermath of the United Kingdom’s Brexit referendum has left law firms in Great Britain scrambling to provide answers to questions about legal uncertainties. From Baker & McKenzie to Allen & Overy to Clifford Chance, several Biglaw firms are trying to assist their clients with webinars, white papers, and 24-hour hotlines. [ABA Journal]

* Tony Villegas was convicted of the murder of Melissa Britt Lewis, a former partner at Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein’s firm. Villegas blamed Lewis for the breakup of his marriage thanks to her friendship with his ex-wife, who once served as the Rothstein firm’s chief operating officer. Villegas was sentenced to life in prison. [Sun-Sentinel]

* Polsinelli has gutted Novak Druce by hiring away 44 lawyers from the firm in a mass lateral move, including two of its name partners. The suffering IP boutique will shutter its doors and wind down its legal practice for good. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* A source says that Judge Jane Kelly of the Eighth Circuit is being vetted as a potential nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. The Iowa judge could make Senate Republicans squirm since she was confirmed unanimously just three years ago. [New York Times]

* “You’re making a commitment that has very little room for escape.” Kirkland & Ellis increased its notice period to 120 days, and partners are wondering whether other firms will follow suit and make it even harder for them to leave. [Crain’s Chicago Business]

* SCOTUS watchers say the justices appeared “deeply divided” during oral arguments in the Whole Woman’s Health case, but some think Justice Kennedy may decide to punt it — perhaps giving time for Justice Scalia’s replacement to be confirmed. [USA Today]

* Attention sports fans: The NFL’s Hail Mary appeal of the Deflategate case will be heard by a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit today. At an estimated $20 million total, the legal bill on this action could be one for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Louisiana is a state with notoriously harsh punishments for marijuana-related crimes, but it may be considering legalizing weed for recreational use. Dealing drugs seems like it’d be a quick and easy way for the state to get out of its $850M debt. [Daily Beast]

* It seems that Dentons didn’t have its fill after fattening itself up with a Luxembourg firm over Thanksgiving, so now the megafirm is considering feasting upon two Latin American firms — Cárdenas & Cárdenas and López Velarde Heftye y Soria — for its dessert. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* Election 2016 is a year away, but it’s easy to see the makeup of the Supreme Court will continue to be an issue for presidential candidates, especially since both parties know “[w]e are one justice away” from a liberal or conservative majority. [MSNBC]

* Dean Martha Minow says Harvard Law will create a committee to investigate whether the school’s shield should be changed due to its ties to a cruel slaveowner. Send your comments, questions, and complaints to royall@law.harvard.edu. [Harvard Law Today]

* Robert Lewis Dear, the alleged gunman behind the Colorado Planned Parenthood shootings, is expected to be charged with first-degree murder next week. It’s not yet been disclosed whether he’ll be charged with federal domestic terrorism. [Los Angeles Times]

* This turkey won’t be pardoned: The Thanksgiving Day White House fence-jumper who draped an American flag over the fence while gripping a U.S. Constitution pocket guide in his teeth was criminally charged after ruining the Obamas holiday. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit completely obliterated a Wisconsin law that required doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Posner said any health benefits conferred by the law were “nonexistent.” [Reuters]

* Judge Richard Sullivan (S.D.N.Y.) wasn’t a fan of the Bank of China essentially telling Gucci to “suck it up” when it came to “ridiculous” delays in providing counterfeiters’ records, so he held the bank in contempt and is considering assessing millions of dollars in fines. [WSJ Law Blog]

* A Pennsylvania attorney activist who launched the “Kane is not Able” campaign has asked the state’s highest court to provide clarification on how AG Kathleen Kane should delegate her duties considering the fact she has a suspended law license. [PennLive.com]

* A proposed class-action suit has been filed against fashion company Kate Spade over its alleged “imaginary discount prices.” If this goes the way of the $4.88M Michael Kors settlement over the same issue, then Kate Spade could be in trouble. [Consumerist]

* “Talk about being uprooted!” Vendors who sell wares outside of Brooklyn Law are pissed about the school’s plans to install planters on the sidewalks around the building, thereby kicking the vendors not to the curb, but out onto the street. [Brooklyn Paper]

* Which Biglaw firm is going to be changing up the way that it recruits new attorneys? That would be Quinn Emanuel. It’s planning to majorly scale back on summer associates and do something completely different. We’ll have more on this news later today. [WSJ Law Blog]

* An undergrad who once had high hopes for law school decided to ditch his legal aspirations in favor of stand-up comedy. His mom is mad since it’s a “path that has no specific stability.” She obviously hasn’t read up on law school job stats lately. [Indy Channel]

* Justice Kennedy should consider trading in his robes for a superhero’s cape, because he just swooped in to the rescue, again. With a 5-4 vote, SCOTUS stayed the Fifth Circuit’s decision regarding the closure of the majority of abortion clinics in Texas. [NPR]

* Damn you, Dewey leaders! Per recent testimony in the criminal trial of the failed firm’s former top brass, but for news of the criminal probe spreading like wildfire throughout the profession, D&L could’ve merged with any number of firms to save itself. [Am Law Daily]

* Some pretty major firms think they have better things to spend their Biglaw bucks on than donations to legal aid organizations. Only five firms were willing to publicly disclose more than $1 million in donations. [DealBook / New York Times via American Lawyer]

* Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich isn’t the only politician who will be joining Dentons. After Dentons completes a merger with McKenna Long & Aldridge, former DNC Chair Howard Dean will also be working for the largest law firm in the world. YEEEAAAH! [The Intercept]

* Now that New York has adopted the Uniform Bar Exam, other states are considering it. Hurry up, because the UBE will “break down the long persistent barriers that keep lawyers from moving” — which isn’t a bad thing. [National Law Journal]

* In half a century of reproductive and gay rights cases, it’s worth noting that “arguments based on a right to privacy have tended to weaken and crack; arguments based on equality have grown only stronger.” Let’s see what SCOTUS does in June. [The New Yorker]

* All six of the Baltimore police officers who were arrested following the death of Freddie Gray have been indicted on homicide and assault charges. Despite the fact there’s now an indictment, the officers’ lawyers are calling the prosecution’s case weak. [New York Times]

* “Can you #trademark a #hashtag?” It’s somewhat of a tricky issue for people who are trying to register their marks at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but these attorneys from IP powerhouse Morrison & Foerster have a pretty good explanation. [Law.com]

* Here’s some JOLTing news: Megon Walker, the Harvard Law graduate who claims her life was ruined because the school accused her of being a plagiarist, just lost her defamation suit against her alma mater. [National Law Journal]

* “You have a party like this and it’s as though you’re handing out hand grenades as party favors.” Jeff Lake, a California lawyer, was arrested and faces social host liability issues thanks to his kid’s Playboy party. [Denver Channel]

* Congress is back in session, and President Obama resubmitted his nomination of Loretta Lynch for U.S. attorney general, along with other judicial nods. She’ll be a “terrific attorney general,” so get this show on the road. [Legal Times]

* “How many clinics do you have to close before the court says, ‘Enough’?” Lawyers for abortion clinics and Texas state attorneys faced off before the Fifth Circuit over the viability constitutionality of the Lone Star State’s abortion laws. [New York Times]

* It’s a new year with new laws in effect, and it looks like 27 states, plus D.C., have made major moves with regard to weed, be it through the legalization medical marijuana or decriminalization of its possession. Do you know your rights? [CNN]

* Allowing abortions only in cases where the life of the mother is at stake doesn’t actually protect the life of the mother. [Slate] * Chief Justice Roberts decided that living in a glass house shouldn’t prevent him from throwing a few stones. [Atlantic] * It’s that time of year when we start seeing lists of things to buy for the lawyers in your life. [Constitutional Daily] * You realize that people aren’t actually going to pay these loans back, you know. [Economix / New York Times] * Wow, there was a whole day in New York City where nobody got shot, stabbed, or raped. [Reuters] * While you contemplate living in a dangerous city, check out this list of most dangerous campuses. [Business Insider] * Hopefully you guys have noticed Above the Law in the News category on the ABA Blawg 100, but don’t forget to look at all the different sections and vote for your favorite sites. [ABA Journal]