Justice Department

Non-Sequiturs

Non Sequiturs: 12.30.18

* In 2018, what did Donald Trump talk about when he talked about the courts? Adam Feldman dives into the data to find out. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Speaking of President Trump and the judiciary, he continues to appoint federal judges at a record pace -- but the Democrats are doing everything they can to slow down his progress. [Bench Memos / National Review] * If you care at all about affordable housing, then you should be heartened by these developments in the fight against exclusionary zoning, as discussed by Ilya Somin. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason] * Congratulations to the Department of Justice on its ninth consecutive year of civil health care fraud settlements and judgments exceeding $2 billion. [MedCity News] * If you're interested in the hot topics among law librarians, legal technologists, and others in the space, check out Jean O'Grady's most popular stories of 2018. [Dewey B Strategic] * And if you're interested in the year that was in artificial intelligence and the law, check out the Artificial Lawyer's roundup of notable news. [Artificial Lawyer] * Condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues of Bre Payton, who passed away last week at the age of 26. [The Federalist] * Veteran trial lawyer David Berg continues his series on "What It Takes To Win." [YouTube]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.18.18

* Adam Feldman uses BriefCatch, a powerful new tool from legal writing guru Ross Guberman, to find the best writers in the Supreme Court bar -- and some of the top advocates might surprise you. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Prominent First Amendment litigator Charles Glasser makes the (compelling) case in favor of a federal anti-SLAPP statute. [Daily Caller] * Jeff Hauser, executive director of the Revolving Door Project, argues that the Trump Justice Department's installation of Trump allies as interim U.S. attorneys "represent[s] a test of civil society’s ability to fight back against threats to the rule of law" -- and so far, "the test is going poorly." [Slate] * Speaking of the Trump DOJ, Ben Adlin breaks down the latest federal-state fight -- and explains why it's not as simple as just citing the Supremacy Clause. [Leafly] * "Bring me a case!" Reflections from Joel Cohen and Bennett L. Gershman on using litigation to bring about social change. [Law.com] * What can legal marketers learn from... a man using a cat as his hat? [Shana Douglas]

By David Lat