Muslims

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.04.16

* Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father of a deceased Muslim soldier who offered a stern rebuke for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during the Democratic National Convention, has taken his law firm's website offline in the face of incredibly harsh criticism from many of Trump's supporters. [RT] * This brings a whole new meaning to the term "gunner": Earlier this week, a campus carry law went into effect at public schools in Texas, and law students at UT Law, Texas Southern Law, Texas Tech Law, Texas A&M Law, U. Houston Law, and North Texas Law may now bring concealed weapons with them to school. [Law.com] * Yesterday afternoon, President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 214 prisoners, the most in a single act since at least 1900. According to White House counsel Neil Eggleston, the president's work is "far from finished," and he expects that clemency will continue to be granted through the end of his final term. [Big Law Business] * After a week of voter ID laws being struck down in battleground states, Texas has agreed to weaken its own voter ID law. Citizens without proper identification will now be able to present a government document with their name and address and sign an affidavit to vote. This will "open the door to voting" for many people. [New York Times] * In response to Freedom of Information Act requests, the Clinton Library has released more than 1,300 pages of files on Supreme Court nominee Chief Judge Merrick Garland. It's really interesting to see what people who refuse to hold a vote for him now had to say when they voted on his D.C. Circuit nomination almost 20 years ago. [POLITICO]

By Staci Zaretsky
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Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.06.16

* Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has already attacked a federal judge due to his "Mexican heritage," and now he's speaking out about judges' religious beliefs. Trump apparently thinks Muslim judges would be biased against him due to his plans to ban Muslim immigrants. [New York Times] * Reviled pharma bro Martin Shkreli finds himself on the wrong side of the law, again: He -- along with his ex-attorney, Evan Greebel (formerly of Kaye Scholer) -- has been accused of scheming to defraud potential investors of Retrophin, the drug company Shkreli founded in 2011. [Associated Press] * Ouch! Last week, Norton Rose stole an entire practice group from Sidley Austin. The 17-member public finance group, including six partners, will move to San Francisco, marking the firm's entrance into the Northern California market. [Big Law Business] * Dean Phyliss Craig-Taylor of North Carolina Central University School of Law has been appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Congratulations! [News & Observer] * A suit filed against Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby that accused her of firing prosecutors due to their political associations has been dismissed. According to Judge J. Frederick Motz (D. Md.), prosecutors can be fired for political reasons. [Baltimore Sun]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 12.21.15

* Blame Kelly Drye for the lack of exotic snake regulations, because what could go wrong in an unregulated market for spitting cobras? [Slate] * New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is instating mass pardons for youthful offenders. [New York Times] * A Texas alumni group has apologized for calling Justice Scalia a racist. I guess scientists are made of sterner stuff. [Chronicle of Higher Education] * The founding fathers were better about defending the rights of Muslims than (some) modern Republicans. [Washington Post] * Preet Bharara's latest target -- the evils of auto-subscribing. [Law and More] * Ah, the Christmas season. That time of the year when customer service is paradoxically at its best and worst. [That's My Argument!] * The verdict against former White House counsel J. Michael Farren has been affirmed by the Connecticut Appellate Court. [Legal Profession Blog]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.09.15

* Charlie Sheen, not one to beat around the bush, got right down to business in a motion to dismiss his ex-fiancée's lawsuit, calling her an “extortionist who gets paid for sex as a prostitute and porn star.” Looks like someone could use some anger management. [Fox News] * If you've been following the circus sideshow that is Donald Trump's presidential campaign, you know that he's proposed a ban on Muslims entering the country. Needless to say, this is likely completely unconstitutional, and many law profs agree on this point. [WSJ Law Blog] * The GC of Allstate says law firm billing rates are way too damn high. Her pet peeve? "[T]he way law firms bill, the hourly rate system, and the fact that rates go up, or at least they try to have them go up year, after year, after year." [Big Law Business / Bloomberg] * Everything's bigger in Texas, except for this law school's tuition: Texas A&M Law has announced that it will be lowering its in-state tuition by more than 15 percent, and then freezing it at that level for four years for all entering and current students. [PRNewswire] * If you're a minority who's thinking about applying to law school, there are several important things you ought to take into consideration, including which schools will provide you with a "supportive, nurturing, mentoring environment." [U.S. News]

By Staci Zaretsky