Ravel Law

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.04.18

* Which Supreme Court justice wrote the most dissents over the last 30 or so years? The answer might surprise you. (My guesses came in second and third.) [Empirical SCOTUS] * Does the latest constitutional challenge to Obamacare have merit? The 20 states are right on one issue and wrong on another, Ilya Somin explains. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason] * Ann Althouse makes the case against To Kill A Mockingbird. [Althouse] * Litigation finance and class actions: two great tastes that taste great together? Professor Brian Fitzpatrick breaks it down. [SSRN] * Artificial intelligence is all the rage, but what should lawyers actually look for when it comes to AI-enabled products? Daniel Lewis, co-founder of Ravel Law (now part of LexisNexis), offers his insights. [Dewey B Strategic] * As a new dad, I find the notion of prosecuting a parent for improper car-seat installation deeply disturbing -- especially after the defendant mom lost her daughter, an already horrific punishment for that mistake. [Slate] * Has the Trump Administration drained the swamp, or made it more swampy than ever? The latter -- at least if you view Biglaw partners as swamp creatures. [The Nation] * Utah legislators try their hand at "Schoolhouse Rock," and the result is... something. [Twitter (@RobertMaguire_)] * Another interesting use case for blockchain: solving IP challenges. [Artificial Lawyer]

By David Lat
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.04.16

* "Say you'll remember me, standing in a black robe, waiting for a hearing, babe. Begging the SJC, say you will confirm me, even if it's just in my wildest dreams, ah-ha ohh." SCOTUS nominee Judge Merrick Garland has something in common with an overwhelming number of teenage girls: he loves Taylor Swift sing-alongs. That's cute! [People] * "A judge does not check his First Amendment rights at the courthouse door." Judge Olu Stevens has filed suit against the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission on free-speech grounds in an attempt to stave off an ethics sanction for publicly commenting on Facebook about all-white juries and their "disproportionate and disparate impact on black defendants." [Courier-Journal] * Hardly any partners leave Cravath, but a very important one just did, and his exit is making people talk. Scott Barshay, once a top M&A partner at the firm that tends to set the associate bonus scale, has defected to Paul Weiss, where he'll become its global head of M&A. Which clients will he take to the "dream team"? [DealBook / New York Times] * This plaintiff's antitrust allegations against Uber's CEO may be "wildly implausible" and representative of an "impossibly unwieldy conspiracy," but in Judge Jed Rakoff's eyes, they were enough to overcome a motion to dismiss that was filed by Boies Schiller. Something tells us Uber's legal bills are going to see some surge-pricing. [WSJ Law Blog] * Per a study by Ravel Law, in a new index that tracks federal judges by their rulings and subsequent citations to those rulings, Michigan produces the most influential judges on the federal bench, followed by Chicago, Harvard, and Yale. Harvard has finally gotten one over on Yale -- but for a measly bronze trophy. [Crain's Detroit Business] * According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector gained 1,200 jobs in March. On top of that positive news, February's numbers were revised from a loss of 1,500 jobs to a gain of 100 jobs. In any case, what with the huge discrepancy, we're happy to see Dewey's bookkeepers found new work. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.17.16

* Shocker! North Carolina's voter ID law primarily impacted young voters of color. (Actually, I am not surprised at all.) [Democracy Now] * Embrace the nerdiness of Merrrick Garland, you know you want to. [Comic Book Resources] * Does the #HulkvGawk case mean that being an internet smart-ass isn't cool anymore? God, I hope not. [Law and More] * It is easy to blame the poor for their lot in life, much harder to do anything about the underlying issues. [Lawyers, Guns and Money] * Merrick Garland: theater critic. [The Crimson] * It's science! Here is what data science tells us about Merrick Garland. [Ravel Law] * Looking for an easy way for your clients to pay? A new option is coming your way. [My Case] * Fingers crossed! GOP opposition to President Obama's SCOTUS nomination is cracking. [Huffington Post]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 10.29.15

* "Coming to SCOTUS: Battle of the dueling interpretive canons." [LAWnLinguisitcs] * Fun fact: the highest scorer on the July 2015 Florida bar exam didn't even go to law school in Florida. [Daily Business Review] * What is "Lean Law," and how can it help you in your legal practice? [Law Reboot] * Additional information from Bob Ambrogi about the big announcement by Harvard Law and Ravel Law today. [LawSites] *" I felt kind of stupid." A Georgia man fled the courtroom just minutes before being acquitted. [New York Daily News] * Dahlia Lithwick on Dale Cox, the Louisiana prosecutor who wants to "cold cock" defense counsel. [Slate] * Are you "a Yuppie, professional or other generic dweeb between the ages of 22 and 82"? Here's an idea worth considering. [What About Paris?] * Former Wachtell Lipton lawyer Stephanie Lee and her Skybuds colleagues are 90 percent of the way to their Kickstarter goal -- and they still have 20 days left in the campaign. [Kickstarter] * I'll be speaking next week at the Los Angeles LMA chapter's Continuing Marketing Education Conference next week; I hope to see some of you there! [Legal Marketing Association]

By David Lat