Access Hollywood

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.17.16

* Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may have vowed to "open up our libel laws" if wins the election, but it turns out that despite his many threats to do so, he hasn't actually sued a newspaper for libel in more than three decades. The last time he sued a newspaper for libel was in 1984, and his suit was ultimately dismissed. [Reuters] * "If Billy had been passive or responded 'Shut the f— up' to Trump, Billy would have been out of a job the next day." Billy Bush, formerly of Access Hollywood, has hired Orrick partner Marshall Grossman as he tries to negotiate his exit deal from NBC and further defend himself in light of his role in the now infamous Donald Trump "grab them by the p*ssy" tape. [Hollywood Reporter] * New Jersey Governor Chris Christie wants to bring sports gambling to his state. He's asked Ted Olson to take the fight to the Supreme Court, where he'll argue that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act is an unconstitutional assault on state sovereignty. What's your over/under bet on this split decision? [WSJ Law Blog] * Where do the members of Wall Street's secret society of in-house lawyers for the world's most powerful banks meet for their yearly gathering? Reportedly organized by Shearman & Sterling partner Robert Mundheim, the 2016 soirée was held at the Trianon Palace Versailles, a place opulent enough to discuss banking woes. [Big Law Business] * A federal judge has temporarily enjoined the Houston College of Law (formerly known as South Texas College of Law) from using its new name because it's confusingly similar to the University of Houston Law Center's name, and has created a "substantial threat of irreparable injury" to the school. We'll have more on this later. [Houston Chronicle]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.10.16

Ed. note: In honor of Columbus Day (and Canadian Thanksgiving), Above the Law will be on a reduced publication schedule today. We will be back in full force tomorrow. * NBC News was aware of Donald Trump's "grab 'em by the p*ssy" remarks days before they were made public, but the network's lawyers took so long to review the footage for fear of being sued by the presidential candidate that it was scooped on the story by another publication. The lewd footage was allowed to languish for nearly a week. [Washington Post] * Thanks to Donald Trump's latest scandal, the Republican National Committee has "an army of lawyers" exploring whether it would be possible to replace the party's presidential candidate with another nominee. What have they found? His cooperation would be necessary, and "[t]he fact remains that [Trump] can only be replaced if he quits or dies. And he’s declared ... he’s not planning on doing either." [POLITICO] * As our readers know well, the vast majority of New York's top law firms have raised first-year associate salaries to $180,000 from $160,000, but those new salaries will surely cut into the law firms' profits. How will they be able to make up for it? "Part of what makes this easier for law firms to absorb is that billable rates go up every year, and maybe this year they go up a little bit more than usual." [Crain's New York Business] * According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector added about 400 jobs in September, with the biggest job gains coming in the form of management consulting, which seems fitting given the depressed demand for legal services right now. In case you were wondering, the legal profession would need to add around 55,000 jobs to return to pre-recession levels of employment. [Am Law Daily] * "His behavior was disturbing enough to warrant action...." A former Montana Law student was permanently barred from campus late last week after he returned to the school and allegedly disrupted a professor's class, prompting the dean to send out a warning email to the student body. A police officer was stationed outside the professor's classroom thereafter. We may have more on this story later today. [Missoulian] * Kenneth Thompson, Brooklyn District Attorney, RIP. [New York Law Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky