Donald Trump Reaches Across The Aisle In Most Dystopian Way Possible
Corruption gets a helping hand from the president.
Morning Docket: 03.04.20
* An Illinois disciplinary panel has recommended that Rod Blagojevich be disbarred. Can President Trump pardon him from this? [Chicago Tribune] * Robinhood, the popular stock-trading app, might face litigation over the fact that it went dark on Monday during one of the best days for trading recently. [Business Insider] * President Trump has tapped a Biglaw associate for a position on the EEOC. [Reuters] * American Airlines has debuted new uniforms after it defended a "toxic" uniform lawsuit. [USA Today] * Top lawyer (and Georgetown Law lecturer) Paul Clement used the coronavirus outbreak as an example at oral arguments before the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Too soon? [New York Times]
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Gameshow Host Pardons Former Contestant
Congratulations, Illinois, the most notoriously corrupt politician this side of Agnew is coming home!
Morning Docket: 06.01.18
* New firm, new pay: Recently merged firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner is going to be moving to a merit-based pay system for partners. Messing with people’s money? This should be interesting! [Legal Week] * Reed Smith has rolled out a new plan that will "revamp" associate life at the firm, complete with new training, billing requirements, and reviews. This isn't specifically for millennials (suuuuure), but rather, "an acknowledgment that there are some creative and inventive ways to do things differently." [American Lawyer] * In case you missed it, President Trump says he's considering commuting former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's 14-year sentence for corruption and he might even throw a pardon Martha Stewart's way. Hmm, it's almost like the president is trying to set the stage for something that could come in the future... [Chicago Tribune] * According to Vivia Chen, if we really want gender equity in the legal profession, it might be time for some quotas. It's working for corporate boards in Europe, so it could work here too, but alas, "the topic has largely been a nonstarter in the U.S." [The Careerist] * Jennifer Ihns, the former clinic administrator at Notre Dame Law, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for embezzling about $200,000 from the school, but she'll only spend two years behind bars, with five years of probation. [Law.com]
Morning Docket: 01.18.18
* When USA Gymnastics agreed not to go after McKayla Maroney for violating an NDA to report a serial sex abuser it sounded like a dog-bites-man tale of an entity fully aware that sticking to the letter of its NDA would be irresponsible and immoral. But, according to Maroney's attorney, Gymnastics fully intended to pursue damages against Maroney until others came forward and volunteered to help cover her fine. Um... everyone over there needs to be fired. [USA Today] * Ninth Circuit pumps the brakes on legalized prostitution. Seems like they had a judge out there pretty recently who might have dissented. [The Recorder] * Speaking of former judges on the Ninth Circuit, Wilson Sonsini's Katherine Ku discusses her decision to come forward as a former Kozinski clerk. [Litigation Daily] * Rod Blagojevich always seemed, from afar, to be railroaded. Nominating someone to fill a Senate seat actually is a "f**king valuable thing" and it's not like he was seeking a bribe for it, he was trying to make political deals. Now someone has leaked more tapes that the prosecutors kept out of the trial that further confirm Blagojevich's defense that he was mostly trying to use the seat to get infrastructure and health care deals passed. [Chicago Sun-Times] * The Supreme Court's only put out one opinion so far, and some are wondering why they're asleep at the switch. [National Law Journal] * DOJ looking to undermine Escobar and go after companies for violations that the government still finds worthy of reimbursement. [Law360] LGBTQ, Religion, * Gay couple says they received religious damnation flyers from Vistaprint instead of photos. This message brought to you by HP, reminding you that it's not expensive to just buy your own photo printer. [Boston Globe]
Morning Docket: 07.17.13
* Yesterday, Attorney General Eric Holder took a much needed break from attempting to prosecute NSA data-leaker Edward Snowden to “strongly condemn” Stand Your Ground laws in a speech given to the NAACP. [Washington Post] * So much for “caus[ing] it all.” Disgraced Illinois politician Rod Blagojevich is appealing his conviction and 14-year prison sentence to the Seventh Circuit, and he was thisclose to missing the midnight filing deadline. [NBC News] * Yes, Virginia, there’s a law school crisis at hand, but only second- and third-tier schools seem to have been affected. Please don’t worry your pretty little head about the HYS strand; they’re doing just fine. [Businessweek] * But speaking of highly ranked law schools, are there any reputable institutions of legal education that fall outside of the T14, but are just as good? Apparently there are, are here are the top five. [Policymic] * Is Marty Singer, lawyer to the stars, guilty of extortion for allegedly threatening to expose a TV host’s sexual liaisons via lawsuit? According to this judge, he isn’t. [Hollywood, Esq. / Hollywood Reporter] * Amid all of the rage over the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial, people seem to have forgotten that Jodi Arias is back in court this week. I, for one, hope the femme fatale grew out her bangs. [ABC News]
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Musical Chairs: Patrick Fitzgerald Steps Down As U.S. Attorney
Patrick Fitzgerald is stepping down as U.S. Attorney in Chicago. What's he up to next?
Morning Docket: 02.16.12
* It looks like the Biglaw buzzwords for 2012 are “challenge” and “uncertainty.” Good! Great! Grand! Wonderful! Speaking of uncertainty, where are the spring bonuses? [Thomson Reuters News & Insight] * Kodak got the go-ahead for a $950M bankruptcy financing deal. Just think, if you had taken pictures using a film camera instead of a […]
Blago’s Class of 2007 Lawyer: A ‘Harebrained’ Hottie?
Landing a huge case is what all lawyers dream about. For most lawyers, the planets never align, and that dream never becomes a reality. But for one lawyer, that dream came true just a few years after having graduated from law school. Sometimes, however, dreams turn into nightmares. When you're representing a notorious client like Rod Blagojevich, your successes might soon turn into failures. Who is the (rather attractive) class of 2007 lawyer representing Blago, and why did a judge characterize her recent courtroom stylings as "harebrained"?
Non-Sequiturs: 12.07.11
* Rod Blagojevich is sentenced to 14 years but his hair will be out in seven if it behaves. [Sentencing Law and Policy] * Jerry Sandusky was re-arrested. This dude needs to be put in the Hannibal Lecter cell. Can’t you hear this guy saying, “A pizza boy tried to deliver to my house once. […]
Chicago Attorney Allegedly Showed Her Breast Implants to Co-Workers; Blames Blago for Ethics Complaint
Yesterday, we examined the attorney misconduct case of Tamara Tanzillo. Back in 2009, she was fired from her job with the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services for engaging in "arguably decadent personal behavior." But what does that mean? Let's find out -- and have a look at the rather attractive Tanzillo, too....
Morning Docket: 12.07.11
* Should the Supreme Court be forced to televise oral arguments? Yes, but only on the condition that we get spin-off shows called Wise Latina Justice and Ruthie’s Law. [WSJ Law Blog] * Rod Blagojevich won’t get leniency during sentencing. He’ll spend the next week lamenting the fact that can’t brush his beautiful hair like […]
Morning Docket: 10.27.11
* Like many of the victims of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, he and his wife contemplated suicide, too. But come on, why bother? Was career suicide just not good enough? [New York Times] * For Sale: One Illinois law license at discount price! Hasn’t been used in 15 years — almost like new. Slightly tarnished. […]
Breaking: Rod Blagojevich Guilty
The television guys are reporting that former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been found guilty on 17 of 20 counts. He’s been found guilty of various counts of wire fraud and attempted extortion. He was found not guilty on one bribery count and there were two other counts the jury couldn’t reach a verdict on. […]
Breaking: Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Convicted on One Count – Making False Statements
Ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich was accused of trying to sell President Barack Obama’s former Senate seat in Illinois. The U.S. Attorney for Chicago, Patrick Fitzgerald, seemed to have some great evidence — tape recordings of Blagojevich engaging in apparent wheeling and dealing (and uttering a fair amount of profanity). Today, on the fourteenth day of jury […]