Chris Geidner

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 07.12.17

* The allegations about Marc Kasowitz's drinking problem might be salacious, but the issue of alcohol abuse by lawyers is serious. [Law.com] * Fun for legal nerds everywhere: Chief Judge Diane Wood benchslaps parties for shoddy jurisdictional statements! [On the Case / Alison Frankel via How Appealing] * And more fodder for #appellatetwitter types: Adam Feldman ranks the most-cited justices of the last Supreme Court Term. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Chris Geidner wonders whether another shoe will drop concerning the emails of Donald Trump Jr. [BuzzFeed] * The trial judge in this defamation case ought to read this analysis by Professor Eugene Volokh -- or at least watch The Big Lebwoski ("For your information, the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint."). [Volokh Conspiracy / Washington Post] * Professor Paul Horwitz comes to the defense of the latest controversial comments by the artist formerly known as Judge Richard Posner. [PrawfsBlawg]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 06.21.17

* "Trump's Most Lasting Legacy? America's courts." [The Atlantic via How Appealing] * Speaking of the Supreme Court, which justice is most frequently first out of the gate when it comes to questioning at oral argument? Adam Feldman runs the numbers. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Floyd Abrams, celebrated First Amendment lawyer and author (affiliate link), laments the sad state of freedom of speech on college campuses today. [Concurring Opinions] * Well, this is interesting: DOJ Pride, the Justice Department's group for LGBT employees, will honor Gavin Grimm this year, as Chris Geidner reports. [BuzzFeed] * Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who's not exactly a Donald Trump fan, thinks the Donald has a better than even chance of winning reelection in 2020. [Instapundit] * And he's not alone, as Ann Althouse's round-up of reactions to Jon Ossoff's failed congressional run suggests. [Althouse]

By David Lat
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.10.17

* The confirmation hearings for Jeff Sessions to serve as U.S. attorney general get underway today; here's what to watch for. [How Appealing] * Biglaw faces big challenges today, and even top law firms need to up their game. [DealBook / New York Times] * Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law (and also holder of an NYU Law degree), will serve as senior adviser to President Trump; Kushner's lawyer, Jamie Gorelick of WilmerHale, dismissed nepotism and conflict-of-interest concerns. [Washington Post] * Speaking of conflicts, it's probably a wise idea for Supreme Court justices to unload their holdings of individual stocks -- as a recent snafu involving Chief Justice John Roberts suggests. [New York Times] * Speaking of SCOTUS, the Court heard arguments yesterday in a case about a Colorado law making it more difficult for criminal defendants whose convictions get overturned to obtain refunds of fines and restitution they previously paid. [How Appealing] * Here is Chris Geidner's assessment of the where the Court is right now -- and how it might change after President Trump's first appointment, to be announced sometime after inauguration. [BuzzFeed] * And here is a detailed dossier on one of Trump's SCOTUS finalists, Judge Neil Gorsuch of the Tenth Circuit. [U.S. Law Week / Bloomberg BNA] * What can we expect from the SEC if Sullivan & Cromwell partner Jay Clayton is confirmed as chair? Thoughts from Peter J. Henning. [DealBook / New York Times]

By David Lat
Christopher Christie

Morning Docket: 10.22.13

* President Obama defends Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act), saying that the dysfunctional HealthCare.gov website will get fixed. [Washington Post] * “Calling All Unemployed Law Grads: Greenberg Traurig Is Hiring.” But there’s a catch. We’ll have more on this later today. [Am Law Daily (sub. req.)] * The Supreme Court agrees to hear a case regarding how to determine mental disability in death-penalty cases. [National Law Journal] * If you’re thinking of selling legal services over Groupon, proceed with care. [ABA via WSJ Law Blog] * Want to get out of jury duty? Try flipping the bird at the defendant. [ABA Journal] * Chris Geidner takes a closer look at Chris Christie’s decision not to keep fighting marriage equality in New Jersey. Is it all about 2016? [BuzzFeed] * More details on the circumstances surrounding a Reed Smith partner’s profane and ill-advised tweet. Expect Steven Regan to be sent back to “Tweet School.” [Am Law Daily (sub. req.)]

By David Lat
Free Speech

Non-Sequiturs: 09.19.13

Ed. note: Above the Law will be signing off early to begin the ATL/Kaplan Bar Crawl Review. Follow along on social media (Twitter and Facebook) or on the liveblog post after NS, or better yet, come out and join us! * A Facebook “Like” is protected by the First Amendment. ATL Likes this. [Atlantic] * You can’t get a Frappuccino to go with your Kalashnikov any more. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)] * The stand-up comic judge has been shut down by the New Jersey Supreme Court in a 7-0 decision. Everyone’s a critic. [ABA Journal] * An interview with Alan Page of the Minnesota Supreme Court, and formerly a Defensive Tackle for the Minnesota Vikings. Page’s hometown has a bust of him on display. Not so impressive until you realize he’s from Canton, Ohio.[Coverage Opinions] * If you’re looking for some more legal content related to International Talk Like a Pirate Day, check out Buried Treasure: Finders, Keepers, and the Law. [ABA] * A list of everything you should be doing with your time instead of getting a law degree. [Yahoo!] * Welcome Chris Geidner as the new legal editor of BuzzFeed. In addition to some great content, like his amazing profile of Edie Windsor (first link), stay tuned for “25 Ways Justice Alito Is Like This Cat.” [New York Observer] * If you’ve upgraded your iPhone to iOS 7, you’re probably annoyed right now. Here are some tips to help preserve your battery life. We can do nothing about fixing how ungodly ugly it is. [Tuaw]

By Joe Patrice
Bloomberg

Non-Sequiturs: 01.11.13

* Go to BuzzFeed to see pictures of cute animals, or go to BuzzFeed to see some quality journalism — like Chris Geidner’s profile of Edith Windsor, plaintiff in one of the landmark gay-marriage cases before the Supreme Court. [BuzzFeed] * “A python is fairly dangerous. There’s definitely a turn-on about hunting something carnivorous that could, in theory, eat you,” says the NYU law student heading to Florida to hunt pythons for prize money. [Bloomberg] * Looking for work? It’s time to head south, before everyone else does. Word is starting to get out about Texas, which boasts a low cost of living, no state income tax, and jobs — yes, actual freaking jobs. [Instapundit] * But there’s no shortage of jobs in the housewife sector. If that’s what you want to do, then be fruitful, multiply, and remove your résumé from consideration at the jobs you’ve unwillingly applied to. [The Careerist] * Although a reference from this century would’ve been appreciated, both Lat and Elie agree that I’m pretty damn great at “mak[ing] everything be okay.” Where’s a cute hat to toss when you need one? [Law and More] * Lat sometimes dabbles in Biglaw predictions (despite the risks of being wrong). If you’re interested in seeing more, watch him in this interview with Lee Pacchia of Bloomberg Law….

By Staci Zaretsky
9th Circuit

Breaking: Ninth Circuit Issues Landmark Ruling on Gay Marriage

The Ninth Circuit has issued a landmark ruling on gay marriage. Or, if you prefer, a ruling on marriage equality. We knew this ruling was coming because the Ninth Circuit kindly informed us in advance that its opinion would be issued. Now, let's find out how the three-judge panel ruled in Perry v. Brown (formerly known as Perry v. Schwarzenegger)....

By David Lat