Fantasy Sports

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 12.29.16

* The "Obama can still appoint Merrick Garland" trope always seemed stupid and easily reversible. Here's a thorough explanation of why. [Washington Post / Volokh Conspiracy] * Now that Twitter has officially begat a president, it's time for law professors to fully embrace the platform. Make Academia Great Again! [Prawfsblawg] * Someone at Barclay's is a Simpsons fan... and that knowledge has spawned a DOJ investigation. [Lowering the Bar] * The Top 5 Fantasy Sports and Law stories of the year. [Forbes] * Discussing the legal status of the different participants in the Rogue One mission. [The Legal Geeks] * Should Facebook be in the business of labeling fake news? [Dorf on Law] * What's it like to work in an American firm in London? [Legal Cheek]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.12.16

* Based on reading the oral-argument tea leaves, it sounds like the Supreme Court is about to school the teachers' unions (and public-sector unions more generally). [How Appealing] * Ring in the new year by making the register ring: a slew of Biglaw firms have secured (presumably lucrative) engagements working on the proposed $32 billion merger between drug makers Shire Plc and Baxalta Inc. [American Lawyer] * By a vote of 82-6, and after a wait of more than 400 days, the Senate just confirmed Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo to the Third Circuit, making him the first Hispanic federal judge from Pennsylvania to sit on that court. [Associated Press] * Good news for fantasy-sports fans: it's not (yet) "game over" for DraftKings and FanDuel, thanks to a stay issued by a New York appellate court. [Bloomberg News] * And bad news for student-loan-saddled law grads (like our own Shannon Achimalbe) who were hoping that SCOTUS might make it easier to discharge such debts through bankruptcy. [Wall Street Journal via ABA Journal] * Does Sean Penn face legal risk for his interview of El Chapo, the infamous Mexican drug lord? [ABA Journal] * A former federal prosecutor just secured a six-figure settlement and reinstatement from the Justice Department. [National Law Journal] * U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara -- who came so, so close to winning Lawyer of the Year honors -- announced that Governor Mario Cuomo is off the legal hook for his controversial shutdown of the Moreland Commission, a panel aimed at investigating public corruption. [Law360] * Avvo is starting to roll out a service featuring fixed-fee, limited-scope legal services through a network of attorneys (and Bob Ambrogi has the scoop). [Law Sites] * Professor Peter J. Henning explores the implications of the end of the government case against hedge fund magnate Steve Cohen. [DealBook / New York Times]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 10.22.15

* Hulk Hogan gets to look where? Oh, just Gawker's computer system. [Hollywood Reporter] * Preet Bharara is taking a look at DraftKings -- good thing I like FanDuel. [Dealbreaker] * The lawyerly smirk. Use it wisely, kids. [Law and More] * Here are four things you should never, ever say to an associate. [Law360] * You know that a**hole senior associate whothinks they deserve instant access to you every second of the day and/or night? Yeah, f**k that guy. [Daily Lawyer Tips] * News you can use! Here's how to gracefully get out of a boring conversation at a networking event. [Attorney at Work] * Our very own David Lat chats with Carole Gold and Shelley Albert about Above the Law, Underneath Their Robes, and everything in between. [The Jury Whisperer]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.15.15

* Daaaammmmn. Some serious shade as Greenberg Traurig CEO Richard Rosenbaum takes a swipe at Dentons. Video below the jump. * Lamar Odom is still technically married to Khloe Kardashian, thereby giving his estranged wife authority when it comes to medical decisions. Good, because I think we were all hoping a man's tragic health crisis could be fodder for May Sweeps. [Eonline] * Linklaters is "internally crowdsourcing" to find a solution to provide a better work-life balance. Jesus. Bring on the necessary resources to cap any individual's work week at 60 billable hours and move on. Anything less is just an invitation to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic. [Law360] * Looks like NPR's hit podcast Serial is ready for a second season. [The Onion] * Dewey think these deliberations will ever end? [The Am Law Daily] * Ah, the life of in-house counsel: writing bitchy emails to customers telling them how stupid they are. [L.A. Times] * Rand Paul explains how "liberty" works for gay people. [Gawker] * Before joining a class action, make sure aren't advertising your own criminal behavior to authorities. [Times-Picayune] * And here's that Greenberg Traurig-Dentons swipe. This strikes me as an ill-considered decision given that Dentons is known as a firm that doesn't start fights, but sure as f**k ends them. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

By Joe Patrice
American Bar Association / ABA

Morning Docket: 05.20.13

* Obama might have found out about the IRS scandal “when it came out in the news,” but the Office of White House Counsel knew what was going on weeks ago. Hooray, a new reason for people to lose their sh*t. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)] * Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness through ridiculously expensive litigation: making up almost two percent of our GDP, our legal system is the most costly on earth, which isn’t exactly something we should be bragging about. [Corporate Counsel] * “It’s no surprise these lawyers would want to get off this sinking ship.” It looks like things are going just swimmingly for Steven Donziger now that John Keker’s out as his defense attorney in the Chevron fraud case. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight] * “Fantasy sports is usually the first and last thing I’ll do each day.” Here’s some proof that there’s such a thing as work/life balance in Biglaw… which is only applicable if you’re a partner. [Am Law Daily] * Law school enrollment is down, and so is tuition revenue, so the legal academy is now selling new degrees. It’s only a matter of time before they market employment timeshares. [National Law Journal] * On the bright side, if you’re still looking for a job, our own David Lat has some advice on how to get one (and how NOT to get one). We miss summer associates’ misbehavior. [U.S. News & World Report] * Congrats are in order for this weekend’s graduates, including the first graduates of LMU’s embattled law school — they won’t let a lack of ABA accreditation rain on their parade. [Knoxville News Sentinel]

By Staci Zaretsky
Drinking

Non-Sequiturs: 11.16.11

* Happy American Censorship Day! Sign these petitions in celebration so you can keep your internet the way you like it — full of infringing and fabulous content. [Volokh Conspiracy] * A prospective law student got married at Zuccotti Park this weekend. Best protest wedding ever? I guess the honeymoon ended after they were evicted. […]

By Staci Zaretsky
Football

Are You Ready for Some Fantasy Football?

You know fantasy football has taken over the American consciousness when a fake lawyer threatening fake sanctions in an ad campaign makes the news. This morning the ABA Journal ran a profile of Norman Tugwater, a fantasy sports lawyer played by Gary Busey: “I’m getting ready to clean up with the mop of justice,” Tugwater […]

By Elie Mystal