Pets

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 04.01.16

* Combining April Fools' Day, tax season, and furry pets into a single joke. Well played, sir. [TaxProf Blog] * Booooo! This spoilsport argues that judges should stop issuing benchslaps. We disagree. [SSRN] * Prepare to have your worldview shaken: Richard Nixon and William Rehnquist are actually the ones responsible for paving the path for transgender rights. [Slate] * This term, the Supreme Court is on track for the fewest signed opinions in recent history. Take a detailed look at the Court's first 19 decisions. [Empirical SCOTUS] * President Obama is taking the fight over Merrick Garland to UChicago Law. [Huffington Post] * A judge is allowing a lawsuit against a Northwestern's journalism school to go forward. The suit alleges the school's "innocence project" uses unethical practices in its wrongful conviction investigations. [Journal-ism] * Get the rundown on the rules that will govern the GOP convention and the establishment's last stand against Trump. [Lawyers, Guns and Money]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.24.15

* Following his surprise resignation, the University of New Hampshire School of Law has banned the former director of its public policy center from stepping foot on campus. There must be something more to this story. Tipsters: time to assemble! [New Hampshire Union Leader] * With his divorce lawyer's blessing, George Zimmerman released a video where he says he still doesn't think he did anything wrong when he killed Trayvon Martin, and that he feels victimized by President Obama's "racially charged comments." Paint a picture and get that angst out, Georgie. [Gawker] * You were gonna walk your dog, but then you got high? You've heard of medical marijuana for people, but you probably haven't heard of medical marijuana for pets. Nevada has a bill that'll allow animal owners to smoke a bowl with sick pets. [LXBN] * In case you missed our Converge conference last week, here are four essential tips that you'll need to know if you intend to make a pitch to members of the mainstream media or legal press in the future. Tip #3 here is clutch. [Hellerman Baretz Communications] * What's so bad about Biglaw gossip? Absolutely nothing! In fact, ATL's managing editor thinks that “Biglaw firms should [only] be afraid of us if they have something to hide." You can thank us for your firm's transparency, lawyers. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UREH4TohOdU

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.18.15

* An Arkansas judge was mauled by his father's pet zebra. We hope the judge recovers, but what we'd really, really like to know is how the hell one comes to own a pet zebra in Arkansas. [KARK] * Pregnant women on poles may officially be sexy under color of law. [EPLI Risk] * If your law firm is trying to make you complete a marketing project in order to get your year-end bonuses -- like Quinn Emanuel -- here are some ideas for you to try. [Hellerman Baretz Communications] * According to Robert Durst's lawyer, Chip Lewis, people mutter triple murder admissions under their breath on hot mics all the time, and it's usually not that big of deal. [Gawker] * You're invited to an event hosted by Judge Kozinski at the Ninth Circuit courthouse, featuring discussion of Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link). [Supreme Ambitions]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.10.15

* "While some argue that going to law school is still a safe bet, little evidence exists to support this position." This law professor thinks law schools are in a "death spiral," and that a "top" school may soon be in danger of closing. Uh oh! Which one could it possibly be? [Washington Post] * "Rascal was the perfect law student because he never missed a class. If Rascal was asked a question he never said 'pass.'" In 1937, Samford's Cumberland School of Law graduated its first and only dog. In 2015, dogs bark and howl at Samford because of its new U.S. News rank. [Alabama.com] * "You do not need to have a law degree to understand how troubling this is." Politicians are pissed at Hillary Clinton over the email scandal she got herself into at the State Department, but it turns out she technically obeyed the law. [National Law Journal] * Why do law firms fail? Dean Frank Wu of UC Hastings Law thinks that it's because "[s]mart people overestimate the importance of being a smart person" -- that is, your firm can still flop even if its lawyers are the best lawyers in the world. [Huffington Post] * According to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after two months of soul-sucking declines in the market, the legal sector gained 3,100 jobs in February. Wow, we only need 40,000 more jobs until all of last year's class is employed. [Am Law Daily]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.02.15

* Fun fact: Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson's uncle is the managing principal of of Beverage & Diamond's D.C. office. Thanks to a gentlemen's bet, because Wilson's team lost the Super Bowl, his uncle will have to wear a Gronk or Tom Brady jersey. Ouch. [Legal Times] * One of the homeless dogs who played in Animal Planet's 11th annual Puppy Bowl was adopted by Bob Bernstein, a former partner at Kaye Scholer. The adorable Great Pyrenees-mix now leads a life of privilege, as any Biglaw pet should. [New York Post] * We know all about the former law school dean who was recently arrested on some pretty salacious charges. We'll have more on this later today. [Dallas Morning News] * The interim dean of religiously affiliated Liberty Law thinks challenges to the school's heteronormative honor code are a "concern for the future" -- especially since a Canadian Christian law school is under fire for a similar code. [Deseret News] * It's not just law schools in the United States that are feeling the pinch of a fewer applicants amid a pathetic legal job market. Japan's legal education system is also struggling, and some law schools may merge in order to survive. [Japan Times] * Prosecutors say formal charges won't be filed in George Zimmerman's latest aggravated assault case because his current girlfriend recanted her claims, just like his ex did. His lawyer was wrong -- his client does have luck with the ladies. [CNN]

By Staci Zaretsky