Recreational Marijuana

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.02.18

* Matthew Riehl, the gunman in the Colorado shooting this weekend who killed a deputy sheriff and wounded four police officers and two civilians, was a former lawyer in Wyoming whose alma mater, Wyoming Law, warned students about his "suspicious behavior" in early November. [Denver Post; Laramie Live] * In his 2017 State of the Judiciary Report, Chief Justice John Roberts focused on court emergency preparedness, but included an addendum about sexual harassment within the judiciary, announcing that proper procedures must be in place to "ensure an exemplary workplace for every judge and every court employee." No mention of the recently retired Judge Alex Kozinski was made. [Washington Post] * Joel Sanders, the former CFO of failed firm Dewey & LeBoeuf who was convicted on securities fraud and conspiracy charges, has reached a settlement with the SEC, but the agency will move forward with proceedings against Stephen DiCarmine, the firm's ex-executive director. [New York Law Journal] * As usual, the new year brings with it a slew of new laws. In some states, voter ID laws will go into effect, while in others, police won't be able to arrest people for immigration enforcement purposes. Plus, pets will be treated more like children after divorces in at least one state. [CNN] * Speaking of new laws, marijuana is now fully legal in California, and if you're 21 or older, you can now purchase and possess up to an ounce for recreational use. This a "monumental moment" for the Golden State, but don't forget that the Feds still consider the drug to be an illegal Schedule I narcotic. [Los Angeles Times]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.14.17

* Grammy-winning musician John Legend will be joining the advisory board of the University of Pennsylvania Law School's Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice. Not to worry, because the Center's director says the decision to add the singer to the board was actually "a substantive thing," not "just a celebrity thing." [Law.com] * In response to its abysmal performance on Florida's February 2017 administration of the bar exam (only 25 percent of those who took the exam passed), Florida Coastal School of Law will not only be changing its curriculum and teaching methods, but it'll also be raising its admissions standards... starting this fall. What in the world took so long? [Jackson Daily Record] * According to court records, Judge Patricia Minaldi of the Western District of Louisiana was ordered by the chief judge of the Fifth Circuit to undergo at least 90 days of substance abuse treatment because her alcoholism was so severe that one of her judicial colleagues believed she could no longer take care of herself. [Associated Press] * Canada is taking steps to legalize recreational marijuana across the country. If this new legislation passes, possession of small amounts of pot will be legal throughout the Great White North as of July 18, 2018. This could understandably create some confusion at the border, so we may need to build another wall. Notify the president ASAP. [USA Today] * Kevin Jones, head of the China labor and employment practice at Faegre Baker Daniels, always wanted to run a marathon and always wanted to visit North Korea, so he decided to kill two birds with one stone by running the Pyongyang Marathon. He finished the 26-mile race in 4 hours and 21 minutes. Congratulations! [WSJ Law Blog]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.24.17

* Are you ready to be tracked online, everyone? Senate Republicans voted yesterday to overturn internet privacy protections for individuals that were created by the Federal Communications Commission in October. "These were the strongest online privacy rules to date, and this vote is a huge step backwards in consumer protection writ large." [DealBook / New York Times] * Being forced to resign from your position isn't so bad when you can land a sweet gig as a law professor. Barbara McQuade and Preet Bharara aren't the only U.S. Attorneys who found new homes at law schools in the wake of their recent ouster by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Paul Fishman, the former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, is now a visiting fellow at Seton Hall University School of Law. Congrats! [Law.com] * Mary Yelenick, the third Chadbourne & Parke partner to join the $100 million gender bias class-action suit filed against the firm, claims she was pressured to disavow the allegations in a letter signed by fourteen of the firm's then-sixteen female partners. "At least two of the partners who signed the letter subsequently expressed to me that they hesitated, but felt great pressure to sign the letter," she says. [Big Law Business] * Gawker may be approaching a "potential settlement" with Peter Thiel relative to the tech billionaire's vendetta against the website. The feud led to Thiel's funding of several lawsuits against Gawker, including the one filed by wrestler Hulk Hogan which eventually bankrupted the site. Any deal between the parties would likely protect Gawker founder Nick Denton from any future Thiel-funded lawsuits. [New York Post] * Illinois may be getting ready to puff, puff, pass some legislation that will legalize recreational marijuana. Senate Bill 316 and House Bill 2353 will allow adults to possess up to 28 grams of marijuana and regulate its sale, tax, cultivation, and use. The state already allows patients with certain ailments to use medical marijuana and decriminalized possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana last year. [Newsweek]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 12.28.16

* Tennessee wants to go all in with the ballot selfie ban. [The Tennessean] * What the hell does the 21st Century Cures Act do? [MedCity News] * Shoe's on the other foot now, apocryphal Nigerian billionaire. [New York Daily News] * Just after Christmas seems like the perfect time to ask the Supreme Court to figure out sales tax rules for out-of-state deliveries. [SCOTUSblog] * We'll have recreational marijuana... when we get around to it. [ABC News] * Poe's Law > Godwin's Law. [Slate]

By Elie Mystal
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.09.16

* Following a concession call from Hillary Clinton last night, and in a "stunning repudiation of the establishment," Donald Trump was elected as the 45th president of the United States. Congratulations to President-elect Trump. How do you like them apples? This historic election wasn't "rigged" after all! [New York Times] * Marijuana also won big in the polls last night. Voters in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Maine approved recreational marijuana initiatives, with Arkansas, North Dakota, and Florida approving medical marijuana initiatives, but "[t]here are various ways in which a hostile White House could trip things up." We'll have more information on this news later today. [Washington Post] * As we saw in the ATL electoral law school poll, many practicing lawyers voted for Hillary Clinton, but alas, it was all for naught. For example, Lisa Blatt, head of Arnold & Porter’s appellate and Supreme Court practice, had this to say when asked who she voted for in the election: "Duh! Clinton; early voting; and seriously?" [Big Law Business] * Despite UCLA Law Professor Richard Sander's pleas to use the data to support his opposition to affirmative action, the California State Bar need not disclose the race or ethnicity of those who took the bar exam since 1972 because it would amount to an invasion of privacy for those promised confidentiality. [San Francisco Chronicle] * Per an ALM survey, revenue per partner slipped in 2015 to an average of $468,511, down from an average of $491,729 in 2014. This 4.7 percent decline is the largest ALM has seen since it first started tracking the metric. Why is this happening? "Demand is soft. Quite a few firms still have more lawyers than work for them." [Am Law Daily] * This must be an interesting situation for the clothing company's GC-cum-CEO: After deciding to ignore its own reorganization plan and announcing that it would be winding down its U.K. operations, American Apparel is desperately attempting to stave off another bankruptcy filing and has now resumed talks with potential buyers. [Reuters]

By Staci Zaretsky