Barack Obama

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.02.16

* WHATCHA GONNA DO, BROTHER, WHEN HULKAMANIA SELECTS A JURY TO RUN WILD ON YOU?!?! Jury selection has started in Hulk Hogan's $100M sex-tape case against Gawker. The trial begins next week, and if he wins, his 24-inch pythons could put the site out of business. [New York Post] * President Obama met with Senate leaders yesterday to talk about his impending Supreme Court nomination, and the Republicans present held steady in their adamant refusal to hold hearings or vote on any of his prospective candidates. After all, President Trump's 2017 nominee will obviously be a far greater choice. [The Hill] * "They're just normal people. They weren't always judges." Being a federal judge with a lifetime appointment may be a "surprisingly monastic existence" at times, but the fact of the matter is that our Supreme Court justices are really just like us. Off the bench, some of them are social butterflies, and others are complete hermits. [Washington Post] * According to a recent study on federal law clerks, "judges appointed by Republicans are more likely to hire clerks who come from the left-side of the ideological spectrum," but that's likely because the pickings are slim when it comes to conservative clerks. Top law school grads tend to lean liberal, so the applicant pool is a bit skewed. [WSJ Law Blog] * K&L Gates is leaking partners, practice leaders, and executive committee members like a sieve once again, but Peter Kalis, the firm's usually outspoken chairman, hasn't said a peep about the departures yet. What's going on at the firm? If you have any information, please feel free to email us or text us (646-820-8477). [Big Law Business / Bloomberg]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.01.16

* Senior White House adviser Brian Deese has assembled a crack team to help President Obama choose a Supreme Court nominee who will be able to win confirmation before an angry Senate to replace Justice Scalia. Let's see which way the 2009 Yale Law School graduate steers this important project. [Reuters] * Australian law firm Slater & Gordon is feeling the pain of being the world's first publicly traded law firm after a $958.3 million first-half loss. The firm, which is now being referred to as a "corporate catastrophe," hopes to lay out a restructuring plan in the next few months amid the likelihood of multiple shareholder suits. [Herald Sun] * Texas State District Judge Julie Kocurek returned to court this week after a shooter opened fire on her in November 2015 in what police are now calling an assassination attempt. She lost a finger during the shooting, but says she feels "very lucky that is all [she] lost." Welcome back to the bench, Your Honor! [Austin American-Statesman] * Sorry, FBI, but a judge has ruled that Apple doesn't have to help the security service unlock an alleged New York drug dealer's iPhone. This isn't binding precedent for the tech company's San Bernardino case, but you can bet your ass its legal team will try to convince the judge handling the order at issue that it should be considered. [NBC News] * If you've been waitlisted at the lowest-ranked law school you applied to this admissions cycle, it doesn't mean you'll be rejected from every other school you applied to this admissions cycle -- it just means you may have to work a little bit harder on all of your letters of continued interest. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report] * Law firms aren't the only businesses that go through break-ups; the communications firms that represent these elite firms apparently have rocky relationships, too. Spencer Baretz and Cari Brunelle of Hellerman Baretz Communications have split to found their own firm, and they took the entire HBC team with them when they left. [Business Wire]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.24.16

* After being called to court by the judge on his bankruptcy case for flaunting cash on Instagram, 50 Cent posted a photo of himself in a room filled with money. When reached for comment, the allegedly bankrupt rapper had this to say: "I don't know what you heard about me, but this judge will write a benchslap about me." [New York Daily News] * Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have said that they will refuse to hold any hearings on a Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia until the next President is sworn in on January 20, 2017. In fact, they won't even give President Obama's future appointee the courtesy of a meeting. Lovely. [WSJ Law Blog; New York Times] * According to a letter from Justice Scalia's doctor, the late jurist suffered from a number of ailments that could have contributed to his sudden death, like coronary artery disease, obesity, and diabetes, just to name a few. Coupled with the fact that he was a smoker, all of his conditions were "quite dangerous." Rest in peace, Your Honor. [Associated Press] * "If you look at the women-of-color research, the numbers are abysmal." Minority women are disappearing from Biglaw firms, and research has shown that it may be due to the fact that they receive less compensation than men and white women, they're denied access to assignments, and they receive fewer promotions. [ABA Journal] * Good riddance to bad rubbish: Robert Hosch Jr., the founder and former managing partner of Butler & Hosch -- the large, Florida-based firm that seemingly collapsed overnight, leaving hundreds of legal professionals jobless and 60,000 foreclosure cases in limbo -- has surrendered his license to practice law in Florida. [Orlando Sentinel]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.22.2016

* Most lawyers have a relationship to the fictional Atticus Finch. [Guile is Good] * Is Donald Trump's popularity based, at least in part, on a critique of capitalism? Sure, he's in favor of it, but that doesn't mean he won't exploit discontent with the system to get elected. [Lawyers, Guns and Money] * Hey 1Ls! Wanna know why you aren't getting laid? Blame it on Scalia. [20 Somethings] * Burning question alert: When your work actually makes you sick, can you bill vomit time? [Daily Lawyer Tips] * TSwift is putting her money where everyone else's tweets are -- the singer donated $250,000 to Kesha after her devastating court loss, but is it enough. [Huffington Post] * Is the stalemate over who gets to appoint the next Supreme Court justice really about race? [Talking Points Memo] * Anti-gay laws may finally hurt supporters in one place they care about -- their pocketbooks. Why one business is relocating on the precipice of a new "religious liberty" law in Georgia. [Slate] * Justice Scalia's real legacy was pro-big  business. [The Atlantic]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.22.16

* If there was ever a time to breach a contract, it would be now. A judge ruled that singer Kesha won't be able to escape from a six-album deal with Sony, despite the fact that her producer, Dr. Luke, is alleged to have psychologically abused her for a decade and raped her when she was an 18-year-old virgin. #FreeKesha [New York Daily News] * Justice Antonin Scalia's funeral offered DCers the chance to take a break from political wrangling, if only momentarily, to mourn a legend of the Supreme Court. It was "very non-Washington," and he "would have loved it." [Washington Post] * President Obama was spotted carrying a "thick binder filled with papers," presumably briefing documents from his staff related to potential SCOTUS picks to replace the late Justice Scalia. You can likely expect an announcement in the next few weeks. [Reuters] * Dickstein Shapiro's ex-chairman is blaming the media for his firm's demise, saying that since July, many of its partners' departures were "programmed" and had little to do with its performance. Don't stop believin', James Kelly. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * Judge Thomas Griesa plans to lift an injunction that was keeping Argentina from raising new capital. Holdouts on the country's defaulted debt seem pissed about this decision, but it could eventually turn out well for them. [DealBook / New York Times]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.19.16

* According to Harry Reid, Obama should have a Supreme Court nominee within the next three weeks. As everyone knows, the senior Senator from Las Vegas sets the official line on these things. [Huffington Post] * Cravath people bitching about their jobs is now the leading cause of insider trading. [Law360] * Students using the moniker of "Reclaim Harvard Law School" have occupied the student center to protest the school's continued use of the family crest of a slave trader and the lack of faculty diversity. I'd be sympathetic, but it was Harvard's terrible diversity policy that brought some of my favorite professors to NYU Law so it worked out pretty well for me. [Daily Princetonian] * Sir Nigel Knowles is stepping down as the global co-chair of DLA Piper. I would say it's time to relax and take a cruise, but that sounds like work for DLA Piper people. [Am Law Daily] * The ABA has pulled out of its joint venture with Rocket Lawyer to provide a cheap initial consult service. [Am Law Daily] * Hey, hey, hey. Lawyer claims that Bill Cosby comes off as a bully for suing his accuser. [Associated Press via Trib Live] * The ACLU is challenging a Kansas voter suppression law requiring proof of citizenship. Seems like now is a good time to bring that case. [New York Times]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.18.16

* How low can you go? For the first time in years, enrollment is up at Cooley Law -- by three students. That's the only thing the school will be able to brag about, because the average GPA and LSAT scores of its most recent entering class are the lowest the school has seen in at least a decade. Yikes. [Lansing State Journal] * President Obama has to make quite the decision when it comes to choosing who will be his next SCOTUS appointment. He already faces an uphill battle, so if he were to pick any these five candidates (even the one who was recently confirmed 97-0), it'd likely make things even harder than they already are. [The Fix / Washington Post] * "I'll stay as long as necessary." Activists from Reclaim Harvard Law are occupying a lounge to create a safe space for minorities, and they plan to remain there indefinitely. Armed with blow-up mattresses and blankets, they mean business. [Harvard Crimson] * Charlotte Law launched a compliance certificate program, and anyone who can pay can receive training. Since compliance is booming right now, as InfiLaw graduates, they're better equipped than most for jobs that don't require a law degree. [Charlotte Observer] * A New York judge who prosecuted drunk driving cases earlier in her career was arrested for allegedly driving drunk... while on the way to work to handle arraignments. It's unlikely that she'll return to the bench any time soon. [Democrat and Chronicle]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.17.16

* "There’s no unwritten law that says it can only be done in off years. That’s not in the constitutional text." Angering armchair constitutional scholars, President Obama vowed to appoint someone to replace Justice Scalia following his death, despite the fact that it's an election year. [New York Times] * "My gut tells me there is something fishy going on in Texas." The fact that Justice Scalia was found dead with a pillow over his head has made conspiracy theorists come out in droves. Some are "stunned" that an autopsy wasn't performed on the late justice. [Daily Intelligencer / New York Magazine] * Dickstein Shapiro partners were informed via letter that they'd face "the almost certain loss of all firm capital." For some equity partners, that's more than $1 million -- and the letter wasn't even signed "sincerely." How rude! [National Law Journal via ABA Journal] * Justice Scalia's passing could have an impact on the anti-marijuana legalization suit filed by Nebraska and Oklahoma against Colorado. The Court was supposed to discuss it this week, but the justices may not want to overpack their bowls, so to speak. [Guardian] * Troubled Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane will not be seeking reelection after her term expires in January 2017. With her license to practice law suspended and criminal charges pending, we'll see if she's even able to make it that far. [WSJ Law Blog] * Vigilante justice on the internet swift: Despite Google listing the firm as "permanently closed" and its brutal one-star Yelp rating, "Making a Murderer" prosecutor Ken Kratz assured reporters his law firm was still open, contrary to appearances. [Post-Crescent] * Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former U.N. Secretary General, RIP. [New York Times]

By Staci Zaretsky