The Tetzlaff Aftermath: Discharging Student Loans In Bankruptcy Might Be Easier Than We Thought
Columnist Shannon Achimalbe wonders: are potentially eligible people being dissuaded from even trying to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy?
Morning Docket: 01.12.16
* Based on reading the oral-argument tea leaves, it sounds like the Supreme Court is about to school the teachers' unions (and public-sector unions more generally). [How Appealing] * Ring in the new year by making the register ring: a slew of Biglaw firms have secured (presumably lucrative) engagements working on the proposed $32 billion merger between drug makers Shire Plc and Baxalta Inc. [American Lawyer] * By a vote of 82-6, and after a wait of more than 400 days, the Senate just confirmed Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo to the Third Circuit, making him the first Hispanic federal judge from Pennsylvania to sit on that court. [Associated Press] * Good news for fantasy-sports fans: it's not (yet) "game over" for DraftKings and FanDuel, thanks to a stay issued by a New York appellate court. [Bloomberg News] * And bad news for student-loan-saddled law grads (like our own Shannon Achimalbe) who were hoping that SCOTUS might make it easier to discharge such debts through bankruptcy. [Wall Street Journal via ABA Journal] * Does Sean Penn face legal risk for his interview of El Chapo, the infamous Mexican drug lord? [ABA Journal] * A former federal prosecutor just secured a six-figure settlement and reinstatement from the Justice Department. [National Law Journal] * U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara -- who came so, so close to winning Lawyer of the Year honors -- announced that Governor Mario Cuomo is off the legal hook for his controversial shutdown of the Moreland Commission, a panel aimed at investigating public corruption. [Law360] * Avvo is starting to roll out a service featuring fixed-fee, limited-scope legal services through a network of attorneys (and Bob Ambrogi has the scoop). [Law Sites] * Professor Peter J. Henning explores the implications of the end of the government case against hedge fund magnate Steve Cohen. [DealBook / New York Times]
A Career In Legal Services: Practising Law Institute Honors Toby J. Rothschild
PLI honors Toby J. Rothschild with its inaugural Victor J. Rubino Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Training, recognizing his dedication and impact.
Are You There, SCOTUS? It’s Me, Tetzlaff. The Harsh Bankruptcy Discharge Rules Are Not Protecting The Integrity Of The Federal Student Loan Program
It's time for the courts or for Congress to act, according to columnist Shannon Achimalbe.
Are You There, SCOTUS? It’s Me, Tetzlaff. Why The U.S. Supreme Court Should Resolve The Student Loan Bankruptcy Conflict
It's high time for the Supreme Court to clarify how student loans get treated in bankruptcy, according to columnist Shannon Achimalbe.
Don’t Waste Your Time Trying To Get Your Law School Debts Discharged In Bankruptcy
Your law school debt will likely be with you for the rest of your life, no matter how difficult it is to repay it.
Morning Docket: 11.23.15
* Will it ever be easier to meet the challenge of proving you've got an undue hardship so you can discharge your law school student loan debts in bankruptcy? Your fate may rest in the hands of this indebted Florida Coastal Law grad and his petition for certiorari at the Supreme Court. [US Law Week Blog / Bloomberg] * Hate crimes still happen, even at this prestigious law school: Amid increased racial turbulence on campus, the Harvard University Police Department is now investigating the defacing of black law professors' portraits as a hate crime. [ABC News] * UVA Law recently joined the minority of law schools that have women serving as dean. Pop your collars with pride, because legal historian Risa Goluboff will take over as the school's first female dean this July. Congratulations! [Richmond Times-Dispatch] * Gordon Rees has settled its lawsuit against Alex Rodriguez over the baseball player's outstanding legal bills, totaling more than $380,000. The terms of the deal haven't been disclosed, but we have a feeling that the firm hit it out of the park. [NBC New York] * Try before you buy or a bid to increase tourism? Alaska is making bold moves now that it's legalized marijuana for recreational use. It'll be the first state to allow the social use of the drug "in public," i.e., inside pot dispensaries that have yet to open. [Cannabist]
Where Inefficiency (Still) Plagues Today’s Legal Departments
In-house lawyers have yet to find their ideal workday, but your team can do better, according to this new survey report.
Florida Coastal Law School Knows How To Play Hard Ball
The Seventh Circuit affirms: $260,000 in educational debt for a law school grad can't be discharged in bankruptcy.