Fisher v. University of Texas
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Supreme Court
Experts Weigh In On The Current State Of The Supreme Court
The end of a most unexpected Term. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 04.05.16
* Sure, the price of oil may be low, but that hasn’t stopped Biglaw shops from descending on Houston. In fact, 9 of the 10 highest grossing firms, according the 2014 Am Law 100, now have Houston offices. Beyoncé must be so proud. [Houston Lawyer]
* Irony is so sweet in the morning. Diane L. Kroupa, a retired U.S. Tax Court judge, and her husband have been accused of tax fraud. [Law360]
* That leak of documents from a Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca — being referred to as the “Panama Papers,” has sparked international reaction. The Department of Justice is launching their own probe into potential wrongdoing. [Huffington Post]
* Meet Edward Blum. He may not be a lawyer, but he is behind some of the biggest civil rights cases in front of the Supreme Court including Fisher v. University of Texas and Evenwel v. Abbott. [Mother Jones]
* California class action lawyers rejoice: the state Supreme Court just paved the way for actions on behalf of retail and banking employees who are not giving suitable seating by their employers. [WSJ Law Blog]
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Affirmative Action, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
A World Without Affirmative Action
What will happen if/when the Supreme Court overturns affirmative action?
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 12.21.15
* Blame Kelly Drye for the lack of exotic snake regulations, because what could go wrong in an unregulated market for spitting cobras? [Slate]
* New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is instating mass pardons for youthful offenders. [New York Times]
* A Texas alumni group has apologized for calling Justice Scalia a racist. I guess scientists are made of sterner stuff. [Chronicle of Higher Education]
* The founding fathers were better about defending the rights of Muslims than (some) modern Republicans. [Washington Post]
* Preet Bharara’s latest target — the evils of auto-subscribing. [Law and More]
* Ah, the Christmas season. That time of the year when customer service is paradoxically at its best and worst. [That’s My Argument!]
* The verdict against former White House counsel J. Michael Farren has been affirmed by the Connecticut Appellate Court. [Legal Profession Blog]
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Supreme Court
Scientists Agree: Justice Scalia Is A Racist Idiot
After igniting controversy with his comments about African-American scientists, a group of physicists and astrophysicists strike back. -
Antonin Scalia, Donald Trump
What's The Difference Between Donald Trump And Antonin Scalia?
Their resemblance on this issue is uncanny. -
Affirmative Action, Supreme Court
Antonin Scalia Is So Racist He Probably Still Thinks Pluto Is A Planet
Scalia evidently doesn't even know the most famous astronomer in the country. -
Affirmative Action, Education / Schools, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Does The Equal Protection Clause Forbid Racial Preferences In State University Admissions?
Consider this your preview of the Fisher redux. - Sponsored
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Westlaw Precision with CoCounsel helps legal professionals get a faster start to their research. Over time, that added productivity can lead to higher-quality research and… -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 07.13.15
* Has America been duped by the greatest double agent in history? That’s one take on Eric Holder’s return to Covington & Burling (they even kept his office waiting for him). [Rolling Stone]
* The merger between Squire Sanders and Patton Boggs may have had a rocky first year, but the merged entity looks to get its lobbying game back on fleek. [Washington Post]
* It’s fairly unlikely Abigail Fisher has experienced discrimination a day in her life, but white privilege means this mediocre student will have yet another day in front of the Supreme Court. [For Harriet]
* One lawyer’s quest against the Commission on Presidential Debates and their implicit perpetuation of the two-party duopoly. [Law360]
* An issue near and dear in the hearts of many of our readers: how do you stay married to a lawyer? [Lawyerist]
* The top 4 funny [boo hoo] moments from the Dewey trial. [American Lawyer]
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Affirmative Action, Minority Issues, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Opponents Of Affirmative Action Will Get Another Bite At The Apple Next SCOTUS Term
Columnist Renwei Chung looks at an important case that's on its way back to the Supreme Court. -
5th Circuit, Affirmative Action, Education / Schools, Texas
Critical Mass Is A Critical Mess: The New Opinion In UT v. Fisher
The concept of “critical mass” highlights a weakness in most college admissions policies. -
5th Circuit, Affirmative Action, Contract Attorneys, Free Speech, Music, Non-Sequiturs, Supreme Court, Technology
Non-Sequiturs: 07.16.14
* The Insane Clown Posse is appealing their loss in the “Juggalos aren’t gang members” case. F**king lawsuits, how do they work? [Lowering the Bar] * After losing before the Supreme Court, the University of Texas affirmative action admissions program looked to be in serious trouble. But the Fifth Circuit just ruled that the UT policy met the strict-scrutiny analysis mandated by the Court. The lesson for Abigail Fisher is once more, “How about you get better grades instead of whining?” Or at least “Get politically connected.” [Chronicle of Higher Education] * Apple agrees to a conditional $450 million settlement with the NYAG’s office in the e-book suit. So you might get some money back from the 50 Shades of Grey purchase. [Reuters] * The Manassas city police have decided not to engage in kiddie porn pursuant to a warrant. Good for them. [Washington Post] * “Judges are not deities. They are humans.” Let’s not tell Lat, the shock might kill him. [Katz Justice] * Maybe it’s time lawyers started looking out for each other. This is a theme we’ve touched on before. [Law and More] * The hell? Parents arrested for letting their 9-year-old go to the park alone? Suffocating parenting is bad enough without the government expecting it of parents. [Slate] * CPAs are suing the IRS because the regulation of tax preparers lacks Congressional approval. Because we need more folks off the street claiming to be tax preparers. [TaxProf Blog] * Lawyer and former South Carolina GOP executive director Todd Kincannon is under investigation by the South Carolina Office of Disciplinary Counsel for basically being a dick on Twitter. As Ken White notes, the First Amendment is all about giving guys like this a forum. [Slate] -
Abortion, Alan Dershowitz, Blogging, Constitutional Law, Football, Guns / Firearms, Law Schools, Layoffs, Media and Journalism, SCOTUS, Sports, Supreme Court
Five Stories That Made This an Exhausting Week of Legal News
My this was a busy week. Here's a list of the big-ticket stories that struck my fancy this week.
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The Ethical use of Generative AI
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Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Elena Kagan, Federal Judges, John Roberts, Politics, Reader Polls, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
How Does This Week Affect The Legacies Of The Nine Supreme Court Justices?
How will history look upon the nine current members of the Supreme Court? And who is your favorite justice? -
5th Circuit, Affirmative Action, Constitutional Law, Education / Schools, Minority Issues, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas
Affirmative Action Is Dead In The Water; Diversity Is The 21st Century Fight
SCOTUS ruling today signals the end of the old era of affirmative action, and the birth of a new one. -
Affirmative Action, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Constitutional Law, Education / Schools, Minority Issues, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas
The Supreme Court Surprises in Fisher v. University of Texas
The Supreme Court just handed down its opinion in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, a landmark affirmative action case. What did the Court rule? -
Affirmative Action, John Roberts, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
No Fisher Opinion? Blame the Supreme Court's Astrologer!
Will the stars be properly aligned next week? We can only hope! -
Abortion, Affirmative Action, Baseball, Education / Schools, Gay Marriage, Morning Docket, Nina Totenberg, Prostitution, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 06.20.13
* Today is most likely going to be a banner decision day for the Supreme Court, so in wild anticipation, SCOTUS expert Nina Totenberg was on call to answer some need-to-know questions for the people about the innermost workings of the Court. [NPR]
* One of the opinions we hope will drop at the Supreme Court today is that of the Fisher v. Texas affirmative action case. If you want some hints on how the three justices who attended Princeton (not counting Kagan) might rule, check this out. [Daily Princetonian]
* Justice Samuel Alito is out in Texas where he threw the first pitch — “a bit wide of the plate” — in last night’s Rangers game. Will SCOTUS unleash anything important in his absence? [Washington Post]
* Meanwhile, while we eagerly await decisions in the gay marriage cases next week, consider for a moment the possibility that this is all just but a gigantic train wreck waiting to happen. [New Republic]
* Things are heating up in North Dakota where the battle over abortion regulations continues to rage on. What a shame, especially since we supposedly took care of this stuff in the early 70s. [ABC News]
* “If this is what these women signed up for, who is anybody to tell them differently?” Two pimps were acquitted of sex trafficking after prostitutes testified on their behalf. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
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Affirmative Action, Labor / Employment, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, SCOTUS, State Judges, Supreme Court
Non-Sequiturs: 06.07.13
* Crafty trial tactics out of C-Town. A Cuyahoga County prosecutor was fired after he admitted to posing as a woman in a Facebook chat with an accused killer’s alibi witnesses in an attempt to persuade them to change their testimony. [Cleveland Plain Dealer] * If you post on Facebook asking your employer to fire you, you can’t get mad when they, you know, fire you. [IT-Lex] * Yeah. Where the hell is Fisher? [PrawfsBlawg] * It’s a week late, but congratulations to whatever genius is behind UChiLawGo on graduating. [UChiLawGo] * Once again, you can’t pay your bill with pennies just to get revenge. [Legal Juice] * Some tips on turning your basketcaseness into eustress, which apparently means “good stress.” [Associate's Mind] * New York eyes raising the retirement age for judges to 80. [New York Times] -
Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Constitutional Law, Police, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The Police Can Take Your DNA Now, and Justice Scalia Doesn't Like It
No affirmative action ruling today, but the Supreme Court did hand down an important criminal procedure decision.