Prenda Law

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.30.23

* Sam Bankman-Fried objects to "overbroad" bail restrictions. Bail restrictions can be onerous and harassing but these boil down to "please don't talk to possible witnesses against you or send automatically deleting communications," which seems... reasonable. Next thing you know they're going to be telling him he can't pay fines with magic beans! [Reuters] * When looking in the mirror in 2023, there's one question we must all ask ourselves: Was I at Camp Lejeune? I don't think so, but these ads have got me wondering if I might've been stationed there for 5 years and just forgot. [Bloomberg] * Life Sciences work is going to stay busy. It seems there's still plenty of money out there despite all the grumbling. [The Recorder] * It took a Ninth Circuit opinion, but it turns out that, yes, the president can fire people who work for him. Glad we got that settled. [Law360] * The Prenda Law saga continues as a federal court shuts down the latest attempt of the imprisoned lawyer to file more of the same lawsuits that landed him in prison in the first place. [Ars Technica]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.19.16

* Uh-oh! What's going on at Kirkland & Ellis? Sources say that the firm recently changed its framework for allocating equity partner profits, making deep cuts to some partners' shares. Litigation partners were reportedly hit so hard by these changes that multiple sources called the situation a "bloodbath." We'll have more on this later. [Am Law Daily] * Talk about a money shot: Attorneys Paul Hansmeier and John Steele, formerly of Prenda Law, have been charged in a "massive extortion scheme" after allegedly uploading porn videos they produced themselves to file-sharing websites so they could then sue those who downloaded the films for copyright violations. [NBC News] * Kerrie Campbell, the Chadbourne & Parke partner who sued her firm for $100 million over allegations of gender discrimination, has asked a court to dismiss C & P's counterclaim, referring to the claims therein as "in terrorem tactic" to silence other women at the firm and elsewhere who have similar bias claims. [Big Law Business] * Here's a question that far too many law school deans were faced with this fall: "What's the best way to share a school's bad bar exam results?" Some chose to be blunt and others chose to be empathetic, but at the end of the day, the news is devastating to recent graduates, so there's only so much one can really do to soften the blow. [ABA Journal] * Charleston church gunman Dylann Roof was convicted on federal hate crime charges and is now awaiting the punishment phase of his trial. In case you didn't know, he's also waiting to stand trial on state murder charges, which means he's the first person in the modern era to face the possibility of federal and state death penalty sentences. [Reuters]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.20.15

* You've heard about what it's like to be a Supreme Court clerk, but we bet you've never heard about what it's like to be a Supreme Court intern. It's apparently the "opportunity of a lifetime" to do errands and prepare lunch and meals for Justice Sonia Sotomayor. [Supreme Court Brief] * If you're trying to file an effective brief with the Supreme Court, it's best to write in "relatively short sentences, with a non-confrontational tone." In other words, you really shouldn't be trying to emulate Justice Scalia's "jiggery-pokery" flair. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * Wachtell Lipton may interested in going "big brother" on its associates, but when it comes to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the firm wants to steer clear of such voyeurism by doing away with clients' quarterly reports. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)] * This judge didn't play "just the tip" when it came to piercing his corporate veil: Paul Hansmeier of copyright-troll firm Prenda Law must pay sanctions to the tune of $64,000 after he drained cash from another one of his firms and then dissolved it. [Ars Technica] * Texas Tech Law is introducing a "brain-training" seminar for its first-year law students that will "maximize their brains’ performance." One wonders if they took such a course before law school if they'd be enrolled in the same place. [Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky
Biglaw

Non-Sequiturs: 10.23.13

* Police called in to find out who stole the Jell-O from the office fridge. I’m not sayin’, but Bill Cosby has been lurking around the copier. [Lowering the Bar] * Notorious troll, Prenda Law, is hopping mad that its financial data might be entered into evidence. It has a bunch of (conflicting) reasons why this shouldn’t happen. [Ars Technica] * New York now has a law protecting child models. The fashion industry will have to be content only torturing adults with body dysmorphic disorder. [Fashionista] * San Francisco is adopting e-filing. Unfortunately, the system may carry with it a stain akin to a poll tax. [Post & Found] * How to dazzle at meetings -- without wearing glitter. [Corporette] * The proposed amendment to raise the retirement ages of judges doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. [WiseLawNY] * With all the talk about whether law reviews are worth it or not, here’s a gathering of major law review publishing agreements. [PrawfsBlawg] * Why aren’t more women rising to the top of Biglaw? [The Broad Experience]

By Joe Patrice
Copyright

Non-Sequiturs: 08.27.13

* Mike Brown, the man at the center of the would-be South Carolina restaurant racial discrimination suit, has a post over at xoJane telling his story. [xoJane] * Time for a Team Prenda update! Now they are making really embarrassingly terrible “your mom” jokes. [Popehat] * Contrary to Elie’s tweet, there is kind of a legal angle to the debacle at the VMAs that was Miley Cyrus dancing with an aging Michael Keaton dressed as Beetlejuice Robin Thicke. MuckRock has submitted a FOIA request to find out how many complaints were filed with the FCC. Unfortunately, my bet is that the number is more than zero, despite the FCC having no legal authority over indecency on MTV. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, here’s a collection of GIFs. [MuckRock] * Shots fired! Law Librarian Blog snarks on Law Professor Blogs 2.0 re-design. Palace Intrigue: Blogger Edition. [Law Librarian Blog] * A new website provides an online course in general deposition prep for witnesses. Will this work? Pro: Deposition prep involves haphazard application of life lessons from a lawyer’s individual career and a professionalized course is beneficial. Con: Why would a firm forfeit all those billable hours to a third-party? [The Perfect Witness] * Not every law school is cutting back. San Joaquin College of Law is expanding its enrollment. It’s not ABA-accredited, so all these students are sure to land on their feet. [KFSN] * Since we’re likely to be at war with Syria by the end of the week, here’s a thoughtful piece on the legality of intervention in light of the UN charter and moral obligations. [Boston Review]

By Joe Patrice
3rd Circuit

Morning Docket: 08.06.13

* Judges on the Third Circuit bench must really ♥ boobies. Breast cancer awareness bracelets can’t be banned by public schools if they aren’t lewd and if they comment on social issues. [Legal Intelligencer] * A bevy of Biglaw firms were involved as advisers in the sale of the Boston Globe, Newsweek, and the Washington Post, including Cleary Gottlieb, Cravath, and Morgan Lewis, among others. [Am Law Daily] * After surviving a motion for disqualification, Quinn Emanuel will continue to represent Snapchat. A short video of John Quinn laughing his ass off will be available for the next 10 seconds. [TechCrunch] * Alex Rodriguez, the only MLB player who will be appealing his drug-related suspension, has hired Reed Smith and Gordon & Rees to hit it out of the park during arbitration proceedings. [Am Law Daily] * Don’t say we never did you any favors: Here are the top 5 mistakes new in-house counsel make from the perspective of outside counsel. Take a look before you make them yourselves. [Texas Lawyer] * We saw this coming back in June (seventh item), but now it’s official. Prenda Law has dissolved after posting six figures in bonds for various ethical sanctions. Next step, bankruptcy? [National Law Journal] * If you’re interested in applying to a top 14 law school, make sure your stats and your story are both compelling. No one likes a boring law student. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]

By Staci Zaretsky
American Bar Association / ABA

Morning Docket: 06.17.13

* With the Supreme Court’s term winding quickly to a close, it’s likely that conservative justices will write for the majority in some of the most closely watched and controversial cases. Uh oh. [Washington Post] * Judge Edward Korman, the man who slapped around the FDA like it owed him money in a ruling over access to the morning-after pill, is actually a very soft-spoken, kind-hearted fellow. [New York Times] * Wherein a Chicago Law professor and a Vedder Price partner argue that instead of cutting law school down to two years, financial aid should be given out like candy. Hey, whatever works. [Bloomberg] * Brooklyn Law’s got a whole lot of drama these days: Their president is stepping down, their dean is apparently still a full-time partner at Patton Boggs, and a law professor is suing over alleged ABA violations. [New York Law Journal] * That’s not the only New York-area law school awash in scandal. Chen Guangcheng has received the boot from NYU Law due to alleged harm done to the school’s relationship with China. [New York Times] * When questioned about the need for his school, Indiana Tech’s dean says the lawyer oversupply and lack of jobs don’t matter. It’s about the quality of the graduate. Good luck with that! [Journal Gazette] * This came too soon (that’s what she said). The alleged porn purveyors at Prenda Law will close up shop thanks to the costly litigation surrounding their copyright trolling. [Law & Disorder / Ars Technica] * Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hassan won’t be allowed to use a “defense of others” strategy in his murder trial, because not only does it fail as a matter of law, but it’s also ridiculous. [Associated Press] * Harvard Law grad Cate Edwards, daughter of disgraced pol John Edwards, took a dramatic step away from her father’s tabloid-esque pubic interests by opening her own public interest firm. [WJLA ABC 7] * Judge Thomas Jackson, well-known for his antitrust ruling against Microsoft, RIP. [New York Times]

By Staci Zaretsky
Benchslaps

Morning Docket: 05.07.13

* There’s been a changing of the guard at Sidley Austin. Carter Phillips, one of our nation’s preeminent appellate advocates, is now the sole chair of the firm’s executive committee after a one-year stint as co-chair. Congrats! [The Recorder] * You should really try to make the most of your summers during law school, even after your first year. Because duh, in case you weren’t aware, it’ll probably help you to get a job later on. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report] * It looks like the trolls attorneys behind Prenda Law got benchslapped in the worst of ways — complete with a multitude of Star Trek references. We’ll likely have more on this later today. [Ars Technica] * The California Supreme Court just ruined everyone’s high, because it ruled that cities and counties can ban medical marijuana dispensaries. Smoke ‘em while you’ve got ‘em, stoners. [Associated Press] * Justin Bieber is being sued for copyright infringement, along with his musical mentor, Usher. Tween girl mob: ASSEMBLE! Defend your pop idol’s honor; after all, he just needed somebody to love. [Reuters]

By Staci Zaretsky