Overtime

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 11.30.16

* Looks like Baylor University got some Biglaw sticker shock. [Deadspin] * The judge that blocked the Obama Administration's new overtime rules left a lot of uncertainty in his wake. [Androvett Blog] * Can courts hold Trump accountable under the Emoluments Clause? [Huffington Post] * A look at the changing nature of Presidential power cases before the Supreme Court and what that may mean under a President Trump. [Empirical SCOTUS] * Challenging abortion restrictions in Alaska, Missouri and North Carolina. [Slate] * Will a cashless society mean fewer legal problems? [Law and More]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.14.16

* If you were a Biglaw partner at a troubled firm who managed to escape before the sh*t really hit the fan, and you now feel bad for those you left behind, don't worry. We know you might not be familiar with emotions, but "[i]t's a legitimate human feeling." [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * Just when you thought Ted Cruz was eligible to run for president, some renowned legal scholars have crawled out of the woodwork to state the complete opposite -- and some have even published law review articles about it. [WSJ Law Blog] * Those contract attorneys who sued for overtime pay at their doc review jobs made an impact, but it might not have been the kind they were hoping for. Many law firms and staffing agencies have stopped offering overtime work at all. [New York Law Journal] * Florida's death row inmates are stuck in legal limbo now that SCOTUS invalidated the state's capital punishment sentencing regime as unconstitutional. Maybe the state where people go to die should consider repealing its death penalty altogether. [Reuters] * Oh my God (but not his): An atheist lawyer is suing to remove the phrase "In God We Trust" from all U.S. currency because he says it violates the separation between church and state. He's filed God-related lawsuits in the past, and lost them all. [Cleveland.com]

By Staci Zaretsky
6th Circuit

Morning Docket: 09.11.13

* Earlier this week, Verizon faced off against the Federal Communications Commission in a net neutrality battle royal before the D.C. Circuit. Next time, make FiOS work before trying to get a do-over on the way the internet runs. [New York Times] * “I see my job as an air traffic controller. And I see an unending line of airplanes.” Federal judges are buckling under the heavy weight of their caseloads, and from the sound of it, they’re not at all happy about the situation. [National Law Journal (sub. req.)] * Which Biglaw firms strike the most fear into the hearts of their opponents when it comes to litigation? One firm got the boot from last year’s list, and we’ll have more on this later today. [Law360 (sub. req.)] * Duane Morris is the first U.S. firm to open an office in Myanmar on some prime real estate. Be jealous of their associates as they bask in the splendor of its beautiful architecture. [Philadelphia Business Journal] * A trio of Quinn Emanuel partners, including John Quinn himself, teamed up to open a high-class sushi joint in L.A. If he waits tables, he’ll definitely need someone to break a hundred. [Am Law Daily (sub. req.)] * The Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a former student’s suit against Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and now he’ll have to live with shame for all eternity after being branded a cheater. [Law360 (sub. req.)] * Strippers aren’t independent contractors, they’re employees entitled to minimum wage, says a judge. Taking off their clothes for only $7.25 an hour will do wonders for their self-esteem. [New York Daily News] * Lady Gaga is being taken to trial over the wage-and-hour lawsuit filed by her former personal assistant. We wonder if the pop star will be as foul-mouthed on the stand as she was in her deposition. [ABC News]

By Staci Zaretsky
Biglaw

Why Americans Need to Work Less (Lawyers, You Too)

This is America. We are always connected, always on call, and ignoring your BlackBerry for more than 90 minutes is a firing offense. It wasn't always this way. And there are some heretics among us who make a compelling case for a return to the 40-hour work week. Before you shoot the scruffy Californian, hear me out....

By Christopher Danzig
Biglaw

Silly Lawyer, Overtime Is For Kids

A San Francisco appeals court decided that law clerks still waiting to pass the bar are ineligible for overtime pay. We know struggling law grads out there are eager to wring every last penny they can out of their employers. But if you step back and think about it, paying law clerks overtime is just stupid. Sorry, law clerks. Even though many of you don't use it, you guys have way too much independent discretion to get overtime....

By Elie Mystal
Biglaw

Morning Docket: 08.19.11

* This Cooley lawsuit is a “mystery.” They don’t game the numbers, they just do what “everybody else does.” Need a rimshot? [National Law Journal] * Yesterday team Bingham McCutchen struck out swinging, and now Frank McCourt is poised to hit it out of the park. [Boston Herald] * Recent law grads can kiss their […]

By Staci Zaretsky