Amy Wax

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.13.18

* Winston & Strawn revenue up 19 percent last year after securing a hefty contingency fee in the pink slime matter. Despite their victory, we suspect these lawyers are using their windfall on grass-fed free-range beef. [American Lawyer] * In the continuing war on class actions as a lingering nuisance to our corporate overlords, the Supreme Court may be taking aim at cy pres settlements to "protect the class" by making class actions harder to pull together. [National Law Journal] * The photographer from the horrendous decision ruling that embedded Tweets are copyright violations is fighting an effort by defendants to get an interlocutory appeal to clear up this travesty as quickly as possible. You know, to save the Internet. [Law360] * In an article that manages to avoid any reference to Ready Player One, Rhys Dipshan considers the IP challenges facing widespread adoption of VR and AR products. As an example, the article considers what would happen if someone put that famous picture of Albert Einstein into the game. Perhaps the better question is why isn't that in the public domain and can VR be the technology that finally reverses the broken IP regime Sonny Bono dropped on us? [Legaltech News] * Can California's sanctuary laws survive federal assault? Professor Noah Feldman says they should. [Bloomberg] * Professor Tobias Barrington Wolff considers the sideshow of a career his Penn Law colleague Amy Wax has decided to pursue. [Faculty Lounge]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.28.17

* Federal law enforcement's crackdown on NCAA coaches has likely brought an end to Rick Pitino's career. That said, we thought his career was over when we all learned that Louisville hired hookers for recruits so maybe he still has a shot. [ESPN] * Law firm mergers continue at a record place. Yep, there's no fundamental market weakness here at all. [Am Law Daily] * DOJ lawyers face an unpleasant grilling at the Second Circuit. Maybe someday Sessions can disinvite judges he doesn't want criticizing his unsupported legal theories. [Slate] * Women losing pregnancies while detained by the administration. I'd say we're going to look back on this era of immigration policy in horror, but we can probably go ahead and be horrified now. [Huffington Post] * The USD Alumni Board has weighed in on the Wax/Alexander op-ed. They take a "let's all come together" approach, which isn't wrong as much as it seems asymmetric. When one-side throws bombs about cultural superiority, decrying divisiveness puts the onus on the wrong side side to move. [Motions Online] * The most likely grants from the long conference. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Here's how you get $4 billion in punitive damages (hint: be in Texas). [Law.com]

By Joe Patrice