Third Time’s A Charm: Will California Finally Manage To Regulate Hemp-Derived Products?
Like its predecessor bills, the goal of AB-45 is to 'legalize' a plethora of hemp-derived products.
New California College Sports Bill Would Actually Hurt Schools In The State
The bill (AB 609) was only introduced on February 12, 2021, and has not yet been heard in any committee.
Schenck Price Competes Smarter With Lexis+ With Protégé
LexisNexis sat down with John Ursin, Managing Partner at Schenck Price, to learn how the firm is using legal AI to strengthen client service and daily legal work.
As The Litigation Churns
Even though most trials are in abeyance, filings continue, as do demand letters.
Morning Docket: 02.18.21
* A lawsuit has been filed over the name for Corona Hard Seltzer. Maybe they can resolve the despite by kicking back a few... [Chicago Tribune] * A California woman is accused of impersonating two lawyers and committing PPP loan fraud. Going to refrain from making a My Cousin Vinny reference here... [SF Gate] * A former Disney employee is accusing the company of bad accounting in a new lawsuit. Maybe they just lost track of their Star Wars money. [Orlando Sentinel] * The defense teams of three individuals charged in the killing of George Floyd are asking for charges to be dismissed against their clients. [Star Tribune] * Check out this article on the rate at which federal courts of appeal grant oral argument. The data should be "appealing" to many litigators. [Juris Lab]
Inequalities In Lawyer Discipline Demand Action
Bar discipline skews toward minority lawyers; it's time to fix that.
Morning Docket: 02.11.21
* Starbucks is being sued for allegedly failing to have real vanilla in its chilled Frappuccinos. Hope the plaintiff doesn't settle like Kramer... [National Law Review] * A California lawyer was arrested earlier this week for allegedly defrauding investors of nearly $5 million on a bogus real estate opportunity. [KTLA] * A Texas lawyer is claiming that receiving stimulus money can lead to a higher divorce rate. [CBS News] * A lawyer has been sentenced to a prison term for charging a client for immigration work and never doing the promised tasks. [Go Erie] * One of Donald Trump's impeachment lawyers apparently sued Trump last year. Must be water under the bridge... [Vanity Fair]
AI Is Reshaping Legal Practice—But Tools Aren’t The Real Differentiator.
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
Morning Docket: 02.08.21
* President Trump's impeachment lawyer has asked that the impeachment trial be paused for the Jewish Sabbath. Guess he doesn't roll shomer shabbos... [CNN] * A Florida lawyer accidentally flashed his medical marijuana card instead of his driver's license in a video that has gone viral. [Fox News] * The Supreme Court has ruled that some of California's restrictions on in-person worship are unconstitutional. [NPR] * Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager accused of shooting protestors in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has fired an attorney who raised a substantial amount of money for Rittenhouse's legal defense. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] * Subways is offering 15% off tuna sandwiches after a lawsuit was filed alleging the company does not use real tuna. Something smells fishy... [Yahoo News]
California FINALLY Opens Door For Anyone Who Met The New Bar Exam Cut Score On Older Tests
This shouldn't have been this difficult.
Is This A Good Idea?
'You want to make a difference in the world. Becoming a lawyer is a powerful way to have real impact.' (The State Bar’s language, not mine.)
Morning Docket: 01.22.21
* Google is asking that an antitrust lawsuit filed against it be moved from Texas to California. Interesting, seems like Silicon Valley types keep moving from California to Texas... [Reuters] * A group called Lawyers Defending American Democracy are calling for Rudy Giuliani to face professional discipline over his work for President Trump. [Hill] * A judge has ruled that a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the National Rifle Association can move forward. [ABC News] * Numerous lawsuits have been filed over the helicopter crash last year that killed NBA star Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and several other passengers. [USA Today] *Alan Dershowitz claims that the Senate does not have jurisdiction to hold President Trump's impeachment trial. Sounds a little like a "sovereign citizen" argument... [Law & Crime]
Filevine’s New Legal AI Platform LOIS Turns AI Into A True Legal Coworker
Legal work isn’t slowing down, and the firms that win won’t be the ones working harder — they’ll be the ones working smarter.
News Is A 4-Letter Word
Did these lawyers take evidence, a required course in law school? Do they understand the concept of facts to lay a 'foundation'?
Morning Docket: 01.08.20
* A Tennessee lawyer has been suspended from practice for allegedly taking controlled substances from an evidence room while serving as a prosecutor. Maybe he wanted to see if the drugs were legit...? [ABC News] * Former Attorney General William Barr has condemned President Trump's alleged role in the riot that occurred at the U.S. Capitol earlier this week. [New York Daily News] * Check out this interview with Judy Sheindlin in which she discusses her career on the bench and on Judge Judy as the show reaches its final episodes. [ABA Journal] * The lawyer for a California man accused of having a New Year's Eve party attended by around 100 people at Eddie Murphy's former mansion said it "wasn't supposed to be a big affair." [Sacramento Bee] * The DEA has asked that a lawsuit concerning hemp regulations be dismissed. Bet many hope this challenge goes up in smoke... [Capital Press]
Morning Docket: 12.29.20
* A new lawsuit alleges that New York City restaurants should be open for indoor dining because this "saves lives." Since I can't cook for my life, I might agree... [New York Post] * A Connecticut lawyer allegedly shot his wife on Christmas Day and then killed himself in an apparent murder-suicide. [Connecticut Law Tribune] * The New York Attorney General is warning of COVID-19 vaccine scams. [Rochester Democrat & Chronicle] * California is now allowing lawsuits for emotional distress even when events are seen virtually. [San Francisco Chronicle] * A new lawsuit alleges that the plot of Outer Banks on Netflix was stolen from a novel written by a North Carolina teacher. Maybe the writer of The Goonies also has a case... [News & Observer]
So Not Ho, Ho, Ho For Bar Exam Takers
I never thought I would be writing about the bar exam 44 years after I passed it, but here I am.
California Bar Exam Flagged A THIRD Of Applicants As Cheating
And rather than say, 'well then this filter was obviously overly aggressive' they're sending tons of Chapter 6 notices.