campaign finance

At this point only the thinnest rhetorical veneer separates us from corporations simply being able to give money outright to their favorite politicians -- to be able to legally bribe them.

Trump’s fundraising total is impressive, but when you add up what all the Democratic candidates are generating, they are outraising him.

There's a point worth making here, if you can ignore who is making it and his proposed solution.

* “It’ll never happen. I guarantee it won’t happen for six years.” Contrary to what Democratic presidential candidates are suggesting, President Trump doesn’t want anything to do with expanding the size of the Supreme Court. [Reuters]

* As it turns out, special counsel Robert Mueller was investigating Michael Cohen much sooner than he originally led on, and the Cohen probe was handed off to the S.D.N.Y. long before campaign-finance violations were even discovered. [Wall Street Journal]

* Thanks to a record-setting $10.5 million gift, Georgetown Law is expanding its campus. The school recently purchased a 130,000-square-foot building for $70 million and plans to use the new space as a home for all of its clinical progams. [National Law Journal]

* Congratulations to Michèle Alexandre, who was recently appointed as dean of Stetson University College of Law. She will be the school’s first black dean in history. [Philadelphia Tribune]

* Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been offered a pre-trial diversion deal on his solicitation charge. All he has to do is admit he would’ve been found guilty, do 100 hours of community service, and attend a class on the dangers of prostitution. [AP News]

* What do Trump “fixer” Michael Cohen, Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland, and Jersey Shore star Mike Sorrentino all have in common? They may soon be inmates together at FCI Otisville, one of America’s “cushiest” prisons. Oooh, looks like we’ve got a situation! [INSIDER]

* “New York State’s campaign finance system is generally a scandal, and this is another example of it.” Disgraced former New York AG Eric Schneiderman used campaign funds to pay the law firm that represented him during an investigation into allegations of his physical abusiveness, and people are pissed. [Associated Press]

* Remember that meeting Ginni Thomas had with President Trump where she expressed her displeasure with transgender military service? Rest assured that Justice Clarence Thomas likely won’t be recusing over it anytime soon. [Bloomberg Law]

* A meaningful mouthful: The ABA passed a resolution asking that legal employers stop requiring mandatory arbitration for discrimination, harassment, or retaliation complaints “based upon race, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or status as a victim of domestic or sexual violence.” [ABA Journal]

* Confused about your legal bills? You’re not the only one. That’s why the Standards Advancement for the Legal Industry Alliance is trying to introduce its “matter category standard” billing codes to simplify things for everyone. [American Lawyer]

No one can predict the outcome because his supporters exist in a cult-like atmosphere, but the merits have begun to weigh heavily against the president.

This really sums things up quite nicely.

The agreements today should forever end this stupid connection between Donald Trump's alleged crimes and John Edwards's acquittal.

No Trump Administration official’s financial snapshot would be complete without some campaign finance violations.

The hits just keep on coming.

* Per recently filed FEC paperwork, the Republican Party’s campaign arm has severed financial ties with would-be Alabama senator Roy Moore thanks to his allegedly pervy predilections. If there’s no grass on the field, the GOP won’t play ball, but this man will probably still be elected. [The Daily Beast]

* Starting today, members of the public will be able to access briefs and relevant case documents from the Supreme Court’s website for the first time in history. This will be pretty cool for a day or two, and then people will go back SCOTUSblog, to the OG of high court documentation. [Washington Post]

* After seeing a five-year nose-dive, the number of LSAT-takers has ticked upwards ever so slightly over the course of the past two years. Law schools are probably thrilled given the dearth of quality applicants, but this is likely little comfort for the LSAC given the unexpected rise of the GRE. [Law.com]

* Late last week, a judge ruled favorably for Kerrie Campbell in a discovery dispute in her gender bias case against the now-defunct Chadbourne & Parke. Campbell will be able to review the personal email accounts of the firm’s former leaders for any documents relevant to the case. [American Lawyer]

* A 12-year-old girl who suffers from debilitating seizures and was forced to move from Texas to Colorado for treatment is suing Attorney General Jeff Sessions in an effort to legalize medical marijuana nationwide. The government has already lost its first motion to dismiss her case. [The Hill]

The law cannot help those who don't help themselves.

* How do the candidates on Trump’s short list thing stack up on campaign finance? [Empirical SCOTUS]

* Yeah, the electoral college was never going to save us. [Slate]

* Newt Gingrich wants Donald Trump to pardon his advisors that break the law. [Salon]

* Judge Aaron Persky has been cleared of misconduct in connection with the lenient sentence given to Brock Turner, the Stanford University athlete who was convicted of sexual assault. [Jezebel]

* Will the Trump administration spell the end for many law schools? [Law and More]

* A software glitch is leading to false arrests in California. [Ars Technica]

* Get your Grinch on: 16 of the best holiday themed lawsuits.[Reeves Law]

* Legal tech and the fight for civil rights. Not everyone thinks they’re sitting this one out. [Curo Legal]

* Drain the swamp my ass. Donald Trump SCOTUS pick won’t be on board for campaign finance reform. [Salon]

* President Obama ‘pardoned’ his last turkey. [DCist]

* Yes, the Trump Foundation’s self dealing is disturbing, no the Donald probably won’t face any legal liability over it. [Politico]

* How do you measure the “Scalia-ness” of the next Supreme Court Justice? [SSRN]

* Useful reading: the surgeon general’s latest report on substance abuse. [Law and More]

Co-mingling of resources between the Trump Organization and the Trump campaign could be a no-no.

Y'all need to stop putting all your eggs in the Supreme Court's basket.

* Thinking of suing Donald Trump? Here are 5 things you need to know. [Law.com]

* Knowing what you know now, would you do law school all over again? Fascinating thought experiment. [Reboot Your Law Practice]

* Using the fraud defense to discharge law school debt at for profit schools is the new hotness. [Tax Prof Blog]

* Donald Trump is asking for campaign contributions from British politicians. They’re pissed about it, oh and by the way, it’s against campaign finance laws. [Talking Points Memo]

* RIP Ed Davis. Described as the best of the legal profession: smart, a fierce advocate for civil rights and above all, kind. [New York Times]

It looks like hedge fund manager Steve Mnuchin can take some time off from “getting away with murder”…