New York Times

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.18.19

* The Judicial Conference of the United States convened yesterday, but not one word was said about the allegations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh or the procedures in place to address misconduct for those of his ilk (i.e., appellate judges who are elevated to the Supreme Court). So much for that... [National Law Journal] * "He does not want to sue the New York Times. That's going to open up a Pandora's box for him." But if he did, could Justice Kavanaugh sue the Times for libel and win? Unlikely. [Fox News] * The Justice Department filed suit against NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden for failing to turn over his book to the government for clearance before it was published, and now the DOJ wants all proceeds earned from sales to be turned over instead. [CNBC] * Did you think law school was full of jerks? Think again. According to the results of the latest Law School Survey of Student Engagement, law students are actually quite nice, thank you very much. [Law.com] * In case you missed it, Robert Cicale, the Long Island judge who allegedly broke into a former intern's home to steal her panties, pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and will have to register as a sex offender. [New York Post]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.30.18

* "Please Stay, Justice Kennedy. America Needs You." The editorial board of the paper of record has penned a moving letter to Justice Anthony Kennedy, pleading with him not to retire from the Supreme Court during a moment in history when the high court -- and the country at large -- faces "an institutional crisis." [New York Times] * Par for the course? In order to be hired for her job, Attorney General Jeff Sessions's top spokeswoman apparently had to swear fealty to President Donald Trump because she had criticized him during the 2016 Republican primaries. [Washington Post] * House Republicans want to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, a punishment that was last used against an executive branch employee 122 years ago. FYI, "[i]t's not meant to use to go after officials who don't share your policy views or your political goals," so it's not likely to happen, but good luck with that. [USA Today] * T-Mobile has agreed to buy Sprint (again), and this time, they think that the Trump administration will allow the deal to go through because they want Make America's 5G Great Again. To paraphrase what Sprint spokesman Paul would say, all law firms are great, but we wonder which ones are on this deal. [Wall Street Journal] * The first lawsuit has been filed against Southwest Airlines by a survivor of the deadly flight where a passenger was partially sucked out of the window following an engine explosion. The suit was filed by Lilia Chavez, who "prayed and feared for her life" after she "witnessed the horror" of the disaster, and now claims she has PTSD. [ABC News] * Judge Robert F. Chapman, senior judge of the Fourth Circuit, RIP. [Fourth Circuit]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 07.26.17

* President Trump's personal legal team: "It's utter chaos. Sometimes it can be like no one knows who is in charge." [Washington Post] * Adam Feldman predicts that the travel ban is going down before SCOTUS. [Empirical SCOTUS] * The Trump tweets on banning transgender individuals from the military aren't the only bad news for the LGBTQ community today. [Washington Blade] * A nice win for the First Amendment and public access to court records. [Volokh Conspiracy / Washington Post] * Ira Stoll wonders (with good reason): why did the New York Times account of this high-profile gender discrimination lawsuit name the law firm, but not the plaintiff? [Smarter Times] * Clerkships guru Debra M. Strauss, who has written for our pages on the topic, is out with a second edition of Behind the Bench: The Guide to Judicial Clerkships (affiliate link).

By David Lat
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.28.17

* The First Amendment takes another knock: Sarah Palin is suing the New York Times for defamation. [New York Times] * Prosecutors are taking on the blue wall of silence, charging three police officers in the allegedly coverup in the Laquan McDonald shooting. [Chicago Tribune] * Nikki Haley may have violated the Hatch Act with an itchy Twitter finger. [NPR] * Breaking down Donald Trump's claims about the attorneys working with Mueller on the Russia probe. [Washington Post] * The Trump administration's media blackout could have implications for the Supreme Court. [The Hill] * What were the sharpest dissents this Term? [Law360] * Alabama was ordered to improve prison conditions for mentally ill inmates. [Jezebel]

By Kathryn Rubino