Amicus Briefs

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.06.16

* Former Wisconsin District Attorney Ken "I Am The Prize" Kratz -- perhaps better known as the lead prosecutor in Netflix series "Making a Murderer" -- outlines nine reasons why Steven Avery is actually guilty, despite the convict's claims to the contrary. [The Wrap] * Two law schools can expect to receive greater federal scrutiny when it comes to their student-aid dollars. Charleston Law and Thomas Jefferson Law join a host of for-profit beauty schools that will receive heightened cash monitoring. At least beauty school drop-outs have better job prospects. [Wall Street Journal via ABA Journal] * More than 100 women lawyers, including former judges, law professors, and Biglaw partners, have filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, each detailing their own abortion stories in order to "humanize the issue." [National Law Journal; USA Today] * DEY TERK ERR JERBS! A new presidential campaign ad for candidate Ted Cruz which discusses immigration features an "invasion" of foreign lawyers, bankers, and journalists entering the country illegally and taking American jobs. NOOOOO!!! [American Mirror] * States that have legalized marijuana or are considering doing so are constantly making headlines, but it's time to highlight the states where the possibility of marijuana reform seems laughable. These are the 11 states likely to be the last to legalize it. [USA Today]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 01.05.16

* British trainee lawyer arrested for Christmas Eve murder of a young teacher. [Legal Cheek] * Judge John Gleeson is stepping down and returning to private practice. [New York Daily News] * 31 law professors think this case about the right of publicity and video games should be heard by the Supreme Court. [The Volokh Conspiracy] * Are Harvard Law professors unfairly going after a former student and alleged sexual assault survivor? [Huffington Post] * Even people in liberal states should care about the erosion of reproductive freedom rights in Red States: NYC, joined by a coalition of other cities, has filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to strike down Texas's restrictive abortion law. [Jezebel] * Looks like legal work won't be outsourced to the robots any time soon. [New York Times] * If you are on the criminal defense side of things, you'd always better be ready for a battle. [Katz on Justice]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.04.15

* Silk Road's Ross Ulbricht found guilty. [Law360 * Valentine's Day gifts for lawyers. [Law and More] * "7 Things You Only Find Out as a Lawyer to the Poor." [Cracked] * On the day high school athletes sign away their futures, this article explains that law school is almost as bad when it comes to transfers. [Inside Higher Ed] * The lawyer who won Survivor: Racism Survivor: Cook Islands is now in charge of keeping Facebook users from throwing privacy hissy-fits. [Fusion] * Win your case... still lose your license. [Associated Press via Philly.com] * On the subject of law-related scents, does you law school have a custom fragrance yet? [TaxProf Blog] * Should law professors serve as both parties and counsel on amicus briefs? An interesting question of ivory towerness. [Josh Blackman's Blog] * The duty to vaccinate: or not all libertarians are as crazy as Rand Paul. [The Volokh Conspiracy / Washington Post]

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.02.15

* D.C. Circuit upholds FTC decision that Pom Wonderful deceived consumers with disease-fighting claims. Next thing you know they're going to say Red Bull doesn't really give you wings. [Chronicle of Higher Education] * Macklemore is looking for an intern. Probably going to find a lawsuit instead. [LXBN] * Now that the Super Bowl is over, Glendale can get back to focusing on how they're going broke because of that stadium. Once again, publicly funded stadiums are a terrible idea on par with running a quick slant instead of running the best back in football up the gut for one yard. [Americans For Tax Reform] * In case you were interested, Sheldon Silver's former employer makes serious bank. [Page Six / New York Post] * A quick and easy summary of amici briefs filed in King v. Burwell. [Balkinization] * Dean Chemerinsky in a wide-ranging interview about the Supreme Court and its failings. As you'd expect from the author of The Case Against the Supreme Court (affiliate link). [Concurring Opinions] * Richard Hsu talks to Kelly Perdew, who won the Apprentice back when the show was about finding competent businesspeople instead of helping Jose Canseco squeeze out 15 more minutes of fame. [Hsu Untied]

By Joe Patrice
Conferences / Symposia

Non-Sequiturs: 03.31.14

* A surefire way to make your mom proud of you is to file a funny amicus brief with the Supreme Court, get called out for it in the New York Times, and be lauded by us at Above the Law as having filed the “best amicus brief ever.” [Daily Beast] * Cynthia Brim, a state judge who’s been declared legally insane, wants to return to the judicial bench she’s been suspended from. Hey, you could look at it this way: at least she’d be working for her $182K salary. [Chicago Tribune] * Our readers will be thrilled to know that beginning this year, lawyers will become obsolete. Artificial intelligence will start taking over your jobs within the next six months or so. [Wired] * Join the Fordham OUTLaws for a Transgender Law symposium, co-sponsored by Skadden and the LGBT Bar. One of the panelists, Erin Buzuvis, is an amazing professor from my school. [Fordham Law School] * If you care at all about how well women and minority law students are represented on law reviews, then you’ll want to come to this important event. I’ll be there, and I hope to see you there, too! [Ms. JD] * In case you were wondering, Penn Law successfully beat the crap out of Wharton (in terms of head to head win-loss record) during the 10th annual Wharton vs. Law Fight Night. [Wharton vs. Law: Fight Night] * Meet Anthony Halmon, the second-year student at FIU Law who’s relying on his coolness to rock the vote for the SBA presidency. Check out his rap video, after the jump. [Daily Business Review (reg. req.)]

By Staci Zaretsky
3rd Circuit

Morning Docket: 03.06.14

* Foreclosure attorney Bruce Richardson alleges that Hogan Lovells partner David Dunn hit him with a briefcase in front of a court officer. That’s how they roll in state court. (Expect more on this later.) [New York Daily News; New York Post] * From cop killer to nomination killer: Mumia’s the word that stopped Debo Adegbile’s nomination to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. [Washington Post] * In happier nomination news, congratulations to former Breyer clerk Vince Chhabria, as well as to Beth Freeman and James Donato, on getting confirmed to the federal bench for the Northern District of California. [San Francisco Chronicle] * It’s been a good week for amicus briefs. Congrats to Professors Adam Pritchard and Todd Henderson for getting the attention — and perhaps the votes — of several SCOTUS justices. [New York Times] * How a Cornell law student got her father to foot the bill for half of her pricey legal education. [ATL Redline] * As I predicted, the Ninth Circuit’s ruling in United States v. Maloney didn’t sweep the alleged prosecutorial misconduct under the rug by granting the government motion without comment. [The Atlantic] * RACEISM™ alert: federal prosecutors allege that deputies to a North Carolina sheriff accused of racial profiling of Latinos shared links to a violent and racist video game. [Raleigh News & Observer] * Speaking of mistreatment of Latinos, a recent Third Circuit decision spells good news for some immigrant communities. [Allentown Morning Call] * Sarah Tran, the law professor who taught class from her hospital bed, RIP. [Give Forward]

By David Lat
Bankruptcy

Morning Docket: 10.10.12

* Dewey know whether Judge Martin Glenn approved this failed firm’s $71.5 million partner contribution plan? We certainly do, and D&L’s chief restructuring officer, Joff Mitchell of Zolfo Cooper, is simply “delighted” about it. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)] * Bitch better have my money? The United States is suing Wells Fargo under the little known Financial Institutions Reform, Recover, and Enforcement Act for allegedly screwing it out of approximately eleventy billion dollars. [DealBook / New York Times] * “Flat is the new up for the legal sector,” except in Cleveland, because law firms there have been on hiring sprees throughout 2012. But unfortunately, there is a down side — it’s Cleveland. [Cleveland Plain-Dealer] * Diversity: no longer just an old wooden ship. Almost every law school-related amicus brief filed in Fisher v. University of Texas has backed the consideration of race in admissions decisions. [National Law Journal] * There’s officially at least one benefit in attending Thomas M. Cooley Law — the school collects so much money from students that it’s able to attract big-name speakers, like ex-rocker Henry Rollins. [Michigan Live]

By Staci Zaretsky