Justice Don Willett

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.30.17

* Former President Barack Obama has been called for jury duty in November, and unlike most Americans, he's not looking for a way to get out of serving. [ABC Chicago] * The pivot you're looking for is in another castle: Now that a grand jury's approved the first charges in the Russian collusion investigation and someone's about to be taken into custody, President Trump took to Twitter to demand that Hillary Clinton be investigated. [New York Times] * Paul Manafort is turning himself in. Surprise! (Is this really a surprise?) [CNN] * Like it or not, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is planning to be around for the long haul. Don't count on this "flaming feminist litigator" retiring any time soon. [The Hill] * Justice Don Willett of the Texas Supreme Court, the state's Tweeter Laureate, hasn't tweeted a single time since he was nominated to the Fifth Circuit. How long will this god-awful silence from everyone's favorite Twitter judge last? [Texas Lawyer] * So long, borrower-defense rule? Betsy DeVos is thinking about only partially forgiving loans for students who were defrauded by for-profit schools. [AP]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.06.17

* What's it like to be the "tweetingest judge in America"? Justice Don Willett of the Texas Supreme Court tells us what it's like to live a week in his life in this endearing column. From letting us know where he spends much of his time (the local Chick-fil-A) to revealing the reason he Tweets so much (to get reelected) to describing his love for his children, Justice Willett is a true gem of the judiciary. [Wall Street Journal] * Judge Timothy Parker of the Carroll County District Court in Arkansas has resigned from his post and agreed to never serve as a judge again to avoid being charged with ethical misconduct. Judge Parker was accused of arranging for defendants' pretrial releases in exchange for sexual favors, but says he never contested the allegations on the record because he has kids and "[didn't] want them exposed to that kind of crap." [AP] * The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund has threatened to file suit against the National Park Service for "stonewalling and refusing to release permits that are vitally needed by organizers in order to plan and execute peaceful, lawful free-speech activities" -- that is, protests and rallies -- of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration. Only three groups out of 26 have received permits, and the inauguration is in two weeks' time. [Reuters] * "While it is encouraging to see small gains in most areas this year, the incredibly slow pace of change continues to be discouraging." The most recent National Association for Law Placement report has revealed that as usual, women and minorities are just barely making progress at the nation's largest law firms when it comes to their representation as a whole and their presence in firm partnerships. [DealBook / New York Times] * Per Altman Weil's latest report on law firm mergers, there were six fewer mergers in 2016 than in 2015. Although just 85 deals were announced last year compared to 91 in 2015, they were "better" than those announced in years prior, and in fact, some of the biggest names in Biglaw agreed to combine, including the Eversheds and Sutherland Asbill merger and the Arnold & Porter and Kaye Scholer merger. [Big Law Business]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 10.04.16

* Why has RBG been speaking up on political issues? And what does that mean for the future? [New Republic] * Should you be using some of your new, higher salaries to invest in Manhattan property? [Law and More] * A look at Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willet and his Twitter account. [Texas Lawyer] * So you say you want to start your own law practice. Now what? [Reboot Your Law Practice] * The bizarre trial of Ammon Bundy. [Huffington Post] * Will Donald Trump inspire a nation of tax evaders? [Slate]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 05.31.16

* Interesting piece by Donald Trump SCOTUS shortlister on how state high courts deal with the "Scalia problem," that is, potential stalemates or ties. [Wall Street Journal] * The Hulk Hogan verdict is looming over the latest addition to the New York rental market: for $15,000 a month, you can rent Nick Denton’s Soho apartment. [New York Post] * A look at the Supreme Court dissents that attack the majority opinion. Spoiler alert: they mainly come from Justice Thomas. [Empirical SCOTUS] * The FBI launched an intense investigation into foreclosure fraud in Florida after the financial collapse of 2008. Why did it only result in one conviction? [Vice] * 7 tips for developing business out of being a social media influencer. [Law and More]

By Kathryn Rubino