Kirkland & Ellis Really Leaning Into Its Trump Connection During Saudi Arabia Trip
Firm Chair Jon Ballis spotted lunching with Donald Trump and Saudi leaders.
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]
What Even Is AI ‘Competence’? It Depends.
Takeaways from a Legalweek panel on evolving malpractice risks.
Morning Docket: 12.10.18
* It's official: 2018 has been the best year for law firms since the Great Recession. Per Wells Fargo’s Legal Specialty Group, the legal industry will soon see its "strongest annual performance in a decade." Biglaw is back, baby! [American Lawyer] * Now that federal prosecutors have linked President Trump to crimes committed during his 2016 campaign, the focus has shifted to the family business -- but thus far, special counsel Robert Mueller hasn't tipped his hand as to whether or how Trump's family members will be involved in the case. [New York Times] * The Ninth Circuit recently upheld a district court judge's decision to put a stop to President Trump's limitations on asylum, citing the fact that his new port-of-entry rule was "likely arbitrary and capricious" since it was based "on a criterion that has nothing to do with asylum itself." Sounds about right. [Los Angeles Times] * Jeffrey Hammes, the longtime chairman of Kirkland & Ellis, will retire in early 2020, and his replacement has already been named. Congratulations to Jon Ballis, who will soon rule the roost at the world's highest-grossing firm. [Big Law Business] * It looks like the legal profession is starting early on its New Year's resolution to cut some weight. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector shed 2,400 jobs over the course of November. Yikes... [American Lawyer]