Federal Prosecutors

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.17.19

* “It's very simple. There was no crime. I did nothing wrong.” President Trump continues to believe that former special counsel Robert Mueller absolved him of any crimes, so that’s special. [POLITICO] * And as for the 1000+ former prosecutors who say that Trump would have been indicted for obstruction of justice were he not a sitting president, per Trump, “They're politicians. ... And these are all -- many of 'em are Trump haters.“ [This Week / ABC] * With just two weeks left, tensions are high as the legal community awaits the Supreme Court’s decisions in the 24 cases that remain on this term’s docket. What fresh hell will be unleashed upon society this week? [The Hill] * The Justice Department claims that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin didn’t break the law when he refused to turn over President Trump’s tax returns to Congress because he was just protecting their confidentiality. [Reuters] * Trump intends to nominate a Biglaw partner to the board of directors for the Legal Services Corporation, the organization whose budget he keeps trying to cut. [Big Law Business]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non Sequiturs: 04.14.19

* "How Tough-on-Crime Prosecutors Contribute to Mass Incarceration." My review of Emily Bazelon's new book, Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (affiliate link). [New York Times Book Review] * When it comes to prosecutors, as former prosecutor Joel Cohen explains, it's all about discretion. [New York Law Journal] * Judge Nancy Gertner (Ret.) defends Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins's exercise of her prosecutorial discretion -- and argues that Thomas Turco's criticisms of Rollins are unfair. [Boston Globe] * Another ex-prosecutor, Quinn Emanuel partner Alex Spiro, is representing tennis star Naomi Osaka in the "repugnant" lawsuit filed against her by her former coach. [Tennis365] * Former federal prosecutors, many of them now partners at Biglaw firms, represent more than half of the defense lawyers in Operation Varsity Blues, aka the college admissions scandal. [Big Law Business] * High-stakes litigation is just one of many factors contributing to Biglaw's robust profit margin these days -- hovering around 40 percent, its highest value in almost 30 years, according to Madhav Srinivasan of Hunton Andrews Kurth. [Law.com] * Ronald Collins interviews Joan Biskupic about her latest judicial biography, The Chief: The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts (affiliate link). [SCOTUSblog] * And speaking of SCOTUS, Will Baude believes that the death penalty "is justifiable and constitutional" -- but argues that the Court has not acquitted itself well in its recent handling of capital cases. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.20.17

* "How to Con Black Law Students: A Case Study," by our very own Elie Mystal. [New York Times] * Professor Rick Hasen responds to Judge Alex Kozinski's colorful dissental in the travel-ban litigation. [Slate] * Speaking of the Ninth Circuit, should it be broken up? Prominent appellate lawyer Ben Feuer makes the case against. [Los Angeles Times] * Professor Ilya Somin hopes senators ask Judge Gorsuch these questions at tomorrow's hearing. [Volokh Conspiracy] * But his co-blogger, Professor Orin Kerr, isn't holding his breath for revealing answers. [Volokh Conspiracy] * Walt Pavlo wonders: are former prosecutors from the S.D.N.Y. padding their résumés? [Forbes] * Almost three years have passed since the death of Eric Garner -- and we still have many more questions than answers. [CityLand / New York Law School] * Jane Genova: What can legal media and marketers learn from Jimmy Breslin? [Law And More]

By David Lat