GW Law School

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.12.18

* Yale Law School's list of the most memorable quotes of the year is out, and Rudy Giuliani's "truth isn't truth" and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's "I still like beer" coming in first and second place, respectively. Congratulations on all of your success. [Newsweek] * After some dealmaking with Republicans, Senator Kamala Harris will remain on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The problem here is that another GOP seat will be added, but right now, it seems like there's no one out there who wants to take up this important role. [Washington Post] * Yup, I'm just going to leave this one right here: "Senate Lawyer Deemed 'Not Qualified' by ABA Confirmed to Eighth Circuit." [National Law Journal] * Kirkland & Ellis will have a new leader soon, but that doesn't mean the firm's lateral hiring spree will end. "[T]he Kirkland threat of poaching isn’t going away anytime soon and might get worse," says one of the firm's partners. [American Lawyer] * The Senate will take a look at a criminal justice reform in a revised version of the First Step Act later this month. Per President Trump, the bill "looks like it’s going to be passing, hopefully, famous last words, on a very bipartisan way." [Reuters] * Remember that dustup at GW Law between the SBA and the Jewish Law Student Association? Students say the administration has "swept the incident under the rug" and won't resolve the situation until next semester. [GW Hatchet] * When do women get seats on corporate boards? When it's required by law. That's certainly less than than inspiring. Time to start lobbying. [Big Law Business]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.11.17

* Sitting en banc, the Seventh Circuit reinstated the conviction of Making a Murderer's Brendan Dassey in a split decision. If you recall, Dassey's conviction was overturned by a federal magistrate in June 2016, and that ruling was later affirmed by a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit this June. [ABA Journal] * Dean Blake Morant says GW Law enrolled a smaller incoming class this fall in order to stop its downward slide in the U.S. News rankings. Because of the smaller class, some programs are being cut and there's a freeze on staff hiring. Yikes. [GW Hatchet] * What is special counsel Robert Mueller's legal endgame in this Russia probe? Some think that this could turn into an obstruction of justice case, while others think this could turn into a conspiracy case. What'll it be? This investigation has no end in sight, so we'll have to wait a bit longer to find out. [NPR] * Kevin McIntyre, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's new chairman, has given us a little $1.8 million peek into the Jones Day black box in his financial disclosure. [National Law Journal] * The legal profession had something to be thankful for this November: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector grew by 600 jobs. [American Lawyer]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.20.17

* Judge Posner wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to help pro ses. Now that he's retired, he's decided to "dedicate [his] post-judicial career" to the cause. He recently filed an affidavit to serve as advisory counsel to a pro se litigant before the Fourth Circuit. [Big Law Business] * This administration is full of Biglaw attorneys: Trump's nominee to lead the FTC is Joseph Simons, co-chairman of the antitrust group at Paul, Weiss. Prior to joining the firm, he served as the Director of the Bureau of Competition at the FTC. Congrats! [National Law Journal] * Harvard Law's Student Government is planning to conduct a mental health survey in an effort to assist students with mental health issues. They're also teaming up with Parody, the school's law revue squad, to film videos addressing mental health issues. Hmm, nothing at all could possibly go wrong here. [Harvard Crimson] * GW Law School has implemented a bunch of diversity initiatives this year, but apparently the members of the faculty have absolutely no idea what they are or what they entail. This... doesn't seem very helpful. [GW Hatchet] * Johnny Depp has filed a malpractice suit against Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman (that's a mouthful), claiming the firm and its lawyers had a hand in putting him in a bad place financially. [Am Law Daily]

By Staci Zaretsky