Eric Schneiderman

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.30.19

* 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]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.10.18

* McDermott Will & Emery has a new plan to protect Michael Cohen: get Michael Avenatti's pro hac motion denied. That seems... weak. [National Law Journal] * Another list of possible successors to Eric Schneiderman. Still no one talking about Eliot Spitzer... that guy has experience! [Law360] * David Lat argues that the end of blue slips is a good thing for the judiciary over the long-term. He's totally right, and regardless of the naked cynicism involved, it's refreshing that Senate Republicans have decided to ditch their states' rights principles over this. [New York Times] * Interesting election-related legal issue: can Facebook ban international advertisers from buying ad space related to the upcoming midterms? The answer seems to be yes. [Corporate Counsel] * Have lawyers finally embraced the cloud? [Legaltech News] * Managing clerk isn't known as a particularly lucrative position. But a former Simpson Thacher clerk figured out how to make ends meet. Unfortunately, he's going to have to go to jail for it. [American Lawyer] * Lawyers for white guy accused of murdering a black student argue that his Facebook posts are too offensive to be shown to the jury. They say stuff about him hating black people and, really, what's the probative value of that in a case where the defendant had no apparent motive other than racial animus? [Daily Beast]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.08.18

* With NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigning, the negotiations to determine his successor are in full swing. Expect someone no one has ever heard of from some upstate DA's office who will then hold the job for a decade. [New York Law Journal] * Trouble in paradise? Donald Trump reportedly frustrated with Rudy Giuliani because Fox is starting to let him know that Rudy's completely screwing him. But is he? It may be embarrassing, but if he sells the story that Cohen paid off women all the time, then it may not be a campaign law violation because it's something he does in the ordinary course. Giuliani's may be crazy like a fox. Or just crazy. [Time] * GDPR = Y2K 2018? European regulators claim they aren't ready for the planned switch over to GDPR. The law is definitely more stringent than what most of Europe was used to, but it's not wildly out of sync with what some countries were already doing. Stop hyperventilating and get it together, people. [Reuters] * The SEC wants a completely open-ended opportunity to meet with Jay-Z. He says this is unreasonable and offered them a full day of testimony. Why are we wasting a judge's time with this? Give the SEC one whole day with the right to come back to make a request for more. It's an SEC investigation, it's not Bonnie & Clyde. [Law360] * The administration may have pardoned Sheriff Joe for his crimes, but that doesn't mean the county who elected him over and over can avoid paying for it. The Ninth Circuit determined that Maricopa County is on the hook for the illegal activity Sheriff Joe perpetrated behind his badge. [The Recorder] * Forget Amazon, drones are now delivering contraband and other smuggled goods. Ah, the future. [Futurism] * A financial technology firm claims Perkins Coie and Bracewell cost it millions of dollars by leading it into a contract with Morgan Stanley without protecting it from changes the bank made to the contract. Are you saying a major bank tried to screw someone over? [American Lawyer]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.19.18

* The proposed cap on federal student loans for graduate students will make life a lot rougher for law students who will have to resort to the more expensive private market for tuition bucks. On the other hand, it could devastate the bottom-tier schools who rely on the government gravy train to bilk students into buying a degree they can't use. So it's not all bad news. [Law.com] * When it comes to appointing a Special Master, the government and Michael Cohen have wildly different preferences. The government would like a retired Magistrate, someone well-versed in making tough calls in discovery disputes. Cohen's camp would prefer a former prosecutor, which you should read as "someone who currently represents criminals and has a vested interest in defining privilege broadly." Trump's lawyers haven't submitted a list of preferred candidates but we can go ahead and pencil in Jeanine Pirro, Andrew Napolitano, and Judge Judy. [New York Law Journal] * While we're talking about Cohen, he just dropped his libel suits against Buzzfeed and Fusion GPS over the Steele dossier. So there's definitely a pee tape. [Politico] * Oh, and documents suggest he owes $110K in taxes. [Law360] * Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has asked state lawmakers to eliminate a state law that prevents state prosecutions of individuals who have already reached the plea or a jury is sworn in a federal case. Or, more to the point, when someone in that situation is pardoned. [NY Times] * There are hints that the jury may acquit Tex McIver of the most serious charges related to his wife's shooting death. As a reminder, McIver shot her in the back while she rode in the front seat of their car when his gun, which he says he had loaded and ready because he was worried about Black Lives Matter, went off when the car hit a speedbump. [Daily Report Online] * If you notice some new changes to your Facebook privacy protections, you might think that's a response to Zuck's recent congressional testimony. But actually, it's just Facebook playing shell company roulette to make sure you're not covered by GDPR. [Reuters] * The organizer of the Charlottesville "Very Fine People On Both Sides" rally popped into the UVA Law library yesterday. Vigilant students kept an eye on him. [Cavalier Daily] * We'd also be remiss if we didn't express our sadness over the loss of Judge Harry T. Stone. Harry Anderson's portrayal of the free-wheeling but fair judge contributed to making Night Court one of the greatest, and most honest, courtroom television shows of all time. [CNN]

By Joe Patrice