Legal Writing

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 11.16.15

* Is Andrews Kurth facing a possible mega-malpractice judgment? If you know more, please drop us a line. [MahanyLaw] * Elsewhere in Texas, a UT law student stands accused of leading an intimidation campaign against a professor of Israel studies. [Legal Insurrection] * Advice from our columnist Keith Lee on how to write an excellent legal memo. [Associate's Mind] * Did Michigan prosecutors pressure the state’s crime lab to falsely classify the origins of THC the lab was testing? [The Intercept] * An interview about interviews: Richard Hsu interviews Bryan A. Garner about Professor Garner's famous series of interviews with Supreme Court justices. [Hsu Untied] * Does your employer offer assistance with student loan repayment as an employee benefit -- and should it? [Tuition.io]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 10.19.15

* A must-have for all those Biglaw overachievers gunning for partner. [Next Shark] * Racists don't even know how to racist right. [Wonkette] * To recap acceptable responses to tickets: writing on the ticket “FUCK YOUR SHITTY TOWN BITCHES” = totally fine; wiping your butt with the ticket and throwing it at the police officer = not okay. [The Smoking Gun] * Welp, this is an interesting clause to stick into a settlement agreement. [Deadspin] * Maybe, just maybe, the Supreme Court will weigh in on the student debt crisis. [Bloomberg Business] * Is it possible to make your writing benchslap-proof? [Legal Writing Pro] * It's best to be vague yet forceful when trying to escape new Biglaw work. [Daily Lawyer Tips]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.20.15

* You've heard about what it's like to be a Supreme Court clerk, but we bet you've never heard about what it's like to be a Supreme Court intern. It's apparently the "opportunity of a lifetime" to do errands and prepare lunch and meals for Justice Sonia Sotomayor. [Supreme Court Brief] * If you're trying to file an effective brief with the Supreme Court, it's best to write in "relatively short sentences, with a non-confrontational tone." In other words, you really shouldn't be trying to emulate Justice Scalia's "jiggery-pokery" flair. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * Wachtell Lipton may interested in going "big brother" on its associates, but when it comes to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the firm wants to steer clear of such voyeurism by doing away with clients' quarterly reports. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)] * This judge didn't play "just the tip" when it came to piercing his corporate veil: Paul Hansmeier of copyright-troll firm Prenda Law must pay sanctions to the tune of $64,000 after he drained cash from another one of his firms and then dissolved it. [Ars Technica] * Texas Tech Law is introducing a "brain-training" seminar for its first-year law students that will "maximize their brains’ performance." One wonders if they took such a course before law school if they'd be enrolled in the same place. [Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky