Gender Discrimination

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.14.16

* Senator Mike Lee, an influential member of the Senate Judiciary Committee (and a former Supreme Court clerk himself), explains why Republicans won't confirm Judge Merrick Garland to SCOTUS in the lame-duck session. [Washington Post via How Appealing] * Jaroslawa Zelinsky Johnson, former managing partner of Chadbourne & Parke's defunct Kiev office, wants in on Kerrie Campbell's sex discrimination suit against the firm. [American Lawyer] * In other news about alleged gender bias in Biglaw, it looks like partner Traci Ribeiro's lawsuit against Sedgwick is bound for arbitration. [Law.com] * The latest bad news for Theranos: a hedge fund is suing the company for securities fraud, and it's represented by a pair of high-powered Gibson Dunn partners, former federal prosecutors Reed Brodsky and Winston Chan. [Corporate Counsel] * Kasowitz Benson's recent legal work on behalf of Donald Trump is just the latest example of the firm representing litigious tycoons. [New York Law Journal] * As some firms exit China, others enter the market; Hogan Lovells just announced a strategic alliance with Fujian Fidelity Law Firm in Shanghai. [Big Law Business] * In my ancestral homeland of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte poses a threat to the rule of law, but remains very popular with the people. [New York Times]

By David Lat
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.14.16

* "Your complaint claims that it must speak for us because we are too afraid to speak for ourselves. That is not how we see ourselves and certainly not how any of us believes our clients and colleagues perceive us." Some female partners at Chadbourne & Parke are speaking out against the $100 million class-action sex discrimination lawsuit that's been filed on their behalf. We'll have more on this news update later today. [WSJ Law Blog] * Davis Polk is so desperate to improve gender diversity at the firm that it has launched an alumni rehiring program to give women who have opted to leave the firm to raise children a pathway back to an associate-level position. Participants in the program will earn $190K for one year, and may be offered a permanent job. [Am Law Daily] * Say hello to Michael Gerstenzang, who was elected as Cleary Gottlieb's new managing partner. He's been with the firm for his entire career as an attorney since the 1990s, and he'll continue to maintain his private equity and funds practice during his time serving as the firm's leader, or rather, its "listener in chief." Congratulations! [Legal Week] * The House of Representatives approved the Financial Choice Act, a bill meant to roll back portions of the Dodd-Frank Act, including the Volcker Rule and the Durbin Amendment. Critics had this to say: "This bill is so bad that it simply cannot be fixed. It's clear that this is a rushed, partisan messaging tool.” [DealBook / New York Times] * Sixteen years after the alleged fraud took place, ex-AIG chairman Hank Greenberg is standing trial. Although he's accused of orchestrating multimillion-dollar transactions, David Boies of Boies Schiller says "[t]his case is devoid of any admissible evidence that ties Mr. Greenberg to anything improper in either of these transactions." [Reuters] * Deborah Broyles, global diversity director at Reed Smith, RIP. [Big Law Business]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 08.26.16

* The definitive answer to the question only Elie Mystal cares about -- Who in Game of Thrones would make the best lawyer? [LinkedIn] * It's official: non-profit Truth in Advertising has filed a complaint with the FTC about the Kardashian/Jenner family's sloppily labeled sponsored posts. [The Fashion Law] * Texas is forum shopping in its lawsuits against the federal government -- and it's working. [Huffington Post] * Sedgwick's gender discrimination lawsuit could be headed to arbitration. [Law.com] * Despite knowing better, people are still going to law school. [Law and More]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.16.16

* Many Biglaw firms have raised their salary scales, but that's not all they've done in recent months to attract talent. Considering "the war for talent is intensifying," firms are offering perks like generous parental leave and adoption assistance, student loan assistance, and lifestyle benefits. We may have more on this later today. [Big Law Business] * A former deputy prosecutor in Vermont alleges she was paid less than a man working in the same position. She claims that a male attorney who was hired after she was earned a salary that was 26 percent higher than her own, despite the fact that they "performed equal work that required equal skill, effort, and responsibility." [Burlington Free Press] * The bulk of insider trading cases used to be handled by the SEC through civil suits, but now the DOJ has muscled in on the action with criminal prosecutions. What's the difference between a case that merits a civil suit and a case that results in criminal charges? That's what attorneys are trying to figure out. [DealBook / New York Times] * "I think there's a deep skepticism about the value of these programs." Looking for a law degree as a professional that won't set you back too far in terms of cost? Try a master's of jurisprudence on for size. It's considered law school for non-lawyers, and it might make actual lawyers question the validity of the degree in the first place. Hmm... [Marketplace] * If you're a prospective law student working on an application, it may be wise to try to incorporate a summer internship into your personal statement if it helped shape your desire to pursue a career in law, but remember, "there's no magic internship that's going to get someone admitted into law school." [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News]

By Staci Zaretsky