FISA

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.23.19

* Right now, one out of every four circuit judges in the United States is a Trump appointee. [Washington Post] * Some scholars are arguing President Trump cannot be considered impeached until articles of impeachment are sent to the Senate. Legal experts make things so confusing. [Fox News] *An Alabama judge has been arrested for stealing nearly $50,000, and he left a paper trail of about 70 checks proving his misdeeds. This judge should leave criminal acts to the professionals. [News Maven] * A FISA court judge has ordered the Justice Department to turn over materials related to an F.B.I. lawyer connected with the Carter Page investigation. [New York Times] * An attorney convicted of shooting a fellow club patron has been sentenced to prison. Wouldn't want to be in court with this lawyer... [The Oklahoman] * An NYC realtor is suing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for allegedly stiffing him on a hefty commission. [New York Post]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.12.17

* The Republicans hold on to the House seat vacated by CIA director Mike Pompeo; state treasurer Ron Estes defeated James Thompson, a Wichita civil rights lawyer. [New York Times] * So it seems the FBI did obtain a FISA warrant to monitor the communications of a Trump adviser (foreign policy adviser Carter Page). [Washington Post] * In a time when many firms are closing offices, Adams and Reese is opening new ones, in Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale. [Law.com] * The retirement buzz around Justice Anthony M. Kennedy persists -- and stems from conversations Kennedy has had with people close to him. [Bloomberg and CNN via How Appealing] * As for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has she been enjoying Opus One yet again? [New York Daily News] * Yes, it's possible for an in-house legal department to be too cost-conscious -- just ask Wells Fargo. [Big Law Business] * A professor accused of sexual harassment by a student and a staff member just lost his case before the Sixth Circuit. [Law.com] * Speaking of things sexual... don't write "sexual favors" in the check memo line when paying your taxes. [Billings Gazette]

By David Lat
Alex Kozinski

Non-Sequiturs: 08.21.14

* Judge John D. Bates wrote a letter to the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence Committee leadership “on behalf of the Judiciary” explaining why it’s important to keep FISA an opaque Star Chamber. Chief Judge Kozinsky, um, disagrees with that “on behalf” part, and calls out Judge Bates in this letter for mouthing off where he has absolutely no authority. [Just Security] * The twisted, contradictory, desperate logic behind Halbig. In GIF form!!! [Buzzfeed] * Two InfiLaw schools, Florida Coastal and our Twitter buddies at Charlotte, are offering refunds to students who perpetually fail the bar as well as a refund to students who don’t get clerkships or externships. That’s nice. A whole $10,000 for failing the bar twice and $2000 for not landing a position. Don’t bother comparing that too how much the students shelled out for their degrees because it’s too depressing. [JD Journal] * Do you want to know how to survive Biglaw? [2Civility] * Interesting advice on how to best take advantage of the more informal rules of mediation — let your clients build the narrative. [Katz Justice] * Judge gives a speech and suggests a woman should become a phone sex operator. That’ll work out well for him. [Journal Gazette] * Maybe we should be getting law degrees as undergrads? That way we might have minors that employers will care about. [Chronicle of Higher Education] * Geez, lots of judges in trouble today — here’s an elected judge accused of lying about where she lived to get elected. She denies it, but her filings list three different addresses. Oops. [Times-Picayune]

By Joe Patrice
Attorney Misconduct

Morning Docket: 10.16.13

* Stop bullying the judges on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. They don’t cave to just any government data request — they make changes to about 25 percent of them. But uh… they don’t like to talk about the other 75 percent. [Bloomberg] * Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the number of Biglaw firms with […]

By Staci Zaretsky
Antonin Scalia

Morning Docket: 08.22.13

* The NSA has violated the Constitution for years, you say? And it’s been misleading the FISA court about all of its domestic spying activities? As of this moment, the NSA is on double secret probation! [New York Times] * Imagine how the New York stop-and-frisk case would have turned out if it had been before SCOTUS. The “human toll of unconstitutional stops” may not have been weighed so heavily. [Opinionator / New York Times] * “[N]o one has a crystal ball,” but right now, it’s highly likely that the Supreme Court will take up another gay marriage case. Perhaps it’ll be the one that’s currently unfolding in Pennsylvania. [Legal Intelligencer] * According to a recent survey conducted by Randstad, about 60 percent of lawyers are proud to be members of the legal profession, which is impressive(!) considering how unhappy they are. [The Lawyer] * Birds of a feather really do flock together. Philip Alito, son of Justice Samuel Alito, will join Eugene Scalia, son of Justice Antonin Scalia, at Gibson Dunn’s Washington, D.C. office. [Blog of Legal Times] * Even though the vast majority of his race-based claims were dismissed on summary judgment, this “token black associate” still has a respected Biglaw firm up against the Ropes. [National Law Journal] * Law school applications are plummeting, but top law schools haven’t started scraping the bottom of the barrel — their applicants’ LSAT scores have remained relatively competitive. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)] * I am Chelsea Manning, I am a female.” Considering (s)he was just sentenced to 35 years in prison, Bradley Chelsea Manning sure picked a great time to make this announcement to the world. [Chicago Tribune] * You dare call the Duchess of Dumplins racist and sexist? When it comes to Paula Deen’s new legal team from Morgan Lewis, five are women, and four are black. Take that, Lisa Jackson. [Am Law Daily]

By Staci Zaretsky
Biglaw

Morning Docket: 06.19.13

* You think you know Justice Clarence Thomas, but you have no idea. Here are several myths about the silent Supreme Court star that he was capable of busting in just this term alone. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)] * According to the CBO, the immigration reform bill being considered in the Senate would allow eight million immigrants to gain legal status and lower the deficit by billions. But alas, dey still terk er jerbs! [NPR] * Google is doing its best to try not to be evil by asking the FISA court to ease up on gag orders preventing the internet giant from telling the world about what it’s required to give to the government. [Washington Post] * Florida firm Becker & Poliakoff will withhold 20% of equity partners’ pay, a move that made some lawyers cry. The firm is apparently planning to save the cash for a rainy day. [Daily Business Review] * Paul Mannina, an attorney with the Labor Department charged with sexually assaulting a coworker, was found in his cell with his throat slashed. Police are investigating the death. [Washington Post] * FYI, your aspirational pro bono hours — or complete and utter lack thereof — will now be public record in New York, and you must report them on your biannual registration forms. [New York Law Journal] * Coming soon to a law school near you: really old books from the 13th century that’ll probably turn into dust if you dare try to read them. You can find this nerdgasm over at Yale Law. [National Law Journal] * The family of Lauren Giddings, the slain Mercer Law graduate, has filed a $5 million wrongful death suit in federal court against accused killer Stephen McDaniel in the hopes of finding her remains. [Telegraph]

By Staci Zaretsky