Libraries / Librarians

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.14.15

* Judge Lance Mason, who was suspended from his duties earlier this year, recently pleaded guilty to charges related to a brutal attack made on his wife. He'll be sentenced in September, and faces up to 36 months in prison. [Northeast Ohio Media Group] * No one will be getting lucky in Kentucky under this clerk's watch: Two months after SCOTUS declared a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, this state court clerk is still turning away gay couples and refusing to issue marriage licenses. [New York Times] * Per the latest report from Citi Private Bank’s Law Firm Group, even though this year started out well, the bank is revising its financial performance forecast, and not in a good way. Hopefully firms will be able to weather the latest monetary storm. [Am Law Daily] * Starting in mid-October, lawyers and law firms will be able to purchase .law domain names. A few influential law firms -- DLA Piper, Skadden Arps, and SCOTUSblog-affiliated Russell & Goldstein -- have gotten first dibs on them. Congrats! [WSJ Law Blog] * Law librarians at large and medium-sized firms feel underutilized and underpaid, and that's unfortunate, because like Liam Neeson in Taken, they've got a very particular set of skills, skills they've acquired over a very long career. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.12.15

* George Zimmerman was arrested for aggravated assault and domestic violence with a weapon. His lawyer said his client "has not been lucky with the ladies." He hasn't been lucky with being a decent human being, either. [USA Today] * Lawrence McCreery, the Hawaii lawyer who licked a client's ear and inspired the judge on his case to call him a "dirty old man," has had his harassment conviction upheld on appeal. Get excited, he's still got a law license, ladies. [Associated Press] * We may soon see same-sex marriage bans in three states struck down, as the Fifth Circuit "appeared poised" to do so after oral arguments on Friday. Roberta Kaplan, our 2013 Lawyer of the Year, delivered a standout performance in arguing against Mississippi's ban. [BuzzFeed] * What do Sidley Austin, Baker & McKenzie, Reed Smith, Hogan Lovells, and Skadden Arps have in common? Their names were used in phishing emails to scam people out of their money. Some might say that's business as usual. [Crain's Chicago Business] * An arrest was made in the forcible rape of a woman -- presumably a law student -- that took place in the stacks of the Southern University Law Center's library last semester. The accused rapist is currently behind held without bond. [WBRZ]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.24.14

* The Thomas M. Cooley Law School is planning to sell one of its academic buildings for an asking price of $8.15 million. Dear Lord, the school will lose some of its library square footage. NOOOOOOOOO! [Lansing State Journal] * Contrary to his client's hit anthem, Pharrell's lawyer isn't happy. He says YouTube has been "blithely" ignoring his requests to take down music for which it lacks performance rights, and it may result in a $1B lawsuit. [Hollywood Reporter] * Clifford Sloan, the State Department's special envoy on Guantánamo Bay, appointed in 2013 to help shut down the detention center, is returning to the loving arms of Skadden's partnership on January 1, 2015. Gitmo is still open. Oops. [Am Law Daily] * After 30 years, the Food and Drug Administration decided to lift its lifetime ban on blood donation for gay men. Now gay men just have to abstain from doing gay things for a year -- like having sex with other men -- to donate blood. Yay? [WSJ Law Blog] * If you've been wondering what the most ridiculous lawsuits of 2014 are, we've got you covered. These are the top 10 most absurd cases filed over the course of the past year. You may remember some of these from our coverage. [Faces of Lawsuit Abuse]

By Staci Zaretsky
Bankruptcy

Morning Docket: 10.23.14

* Everyone knows Bingham McCutchen is considering a merger with Morgan Lewis, but not many know bankruptcy may be an option. It’s a remote option, but still an option. [Boston Globe] * When Kaye Scholer moved offices, it left behind most of its library. "It tells you everything you need to know about law firm libraries": they're not necessary. [New York Times] * Everyone loves the Sixth Amendment: Thanks to money from Koch Industries, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers will offer better indigent defense training. [WSJ Law Blog] * The judge in Adrian Peterson’s case won’t be replaced, despite the fact that he called the lawyers involved in the case “media whores.” Meh, Peterson’s attorney says he’s been called worse. [Bloomberg] * Gilberto Valle, better known as the “Cannibal Cop,” really wants to go to law school. He’s apparently scored quite well on LSAT practice tests. Do law school ladies look delicious or what? [New York Post]

By Staci Zaretsky
Biglaw

Non-Sequiturs: 08.13.14

* Maybe you weren’t excited about Hofstra Law School, but did you hear they now have bean bag chairs in the library? Well, that changes everything! [Virtual Library Cat's Eye View] * An interview with Peter Kalis on the future of Biglaw, in which he states, “I cross bridges and burn them behind me.” Flame on! [Forbes] * This essay sums up so much about the state of America through the lens of the killing of Michael Brown. [The Concourse] * While we focused on the tale of Judge Mark Fuller, who spent some time in jail on a domestic violence accusation, he may be part of a trend — Judge Lance Mason was charged with felonious assault after allegedly punching and biting his wife while they were driving. Biting? [Cleveland Plain Dealer] * Have you ever wondered how every law school can give its students “excellent” educations? [The Legal Watchdog] * Failed Mississippi candidate Chris McDaniel is challenging a bunch of votes. Including his own lawyer’s. [Wonkette] * Tim Corcoran, President of the Legal Marketing Association, chides state bar associations for meddling with the evolution of the legal profession. Video after the jump…. [Mimesis Law]

By Joe Patrice