Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.11.18

* President Trump may have a very busy Saturday night planned, because according to inside sources, he's considering firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein -- or even Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- in an attempt to take "aggressive action" against special counsel Robert Mueller. He could even fire Mueller, since he "believes he has the power to do so." [CNN] * Squire Patton Boggs ended its relationship with Michael Cohen on the same day his office was raided by the FBI, but sources inside the firm seem to have no idea why the firm's relationship existed with Cohen in the first place. Cohen was supposedly there to "advance the interests" of Squire's clients, but lawyers say they were generally kept in the dark about those alleged client interests. [American Lawyer] * The Trumpiest of those who reside in Trumpland? Apparently that honor goes to Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni, but it's worth noting that the justice "has not gone nearly as far as his Ginni in embracing fringy Trumpist dogma." [Slate] * Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg swore in 201 new U.S. citizens in New York yesterday, much to their surprise. Here's what one new American said about being addressed by Justice Ginsburg: "I felt so important. Sitting in front of somebody so special, I felt so special. I feel like I'm in my own country now." [New York Daily News] * Ieshia Champs, a 33-year-old single mother of five children, will be graduating from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University later this spring, and her inspirational graduation photos -- which include all five of her kids -- are going viral. A well-deserved congratulations go out to Ieshia from ATL! [The Grio]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.14.18

* Ever since Judge Alex Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit, who had been accused of sexual harassment by 15 women, retired, a working group within the federal judiciary has been trying to come up with reforms to be made as far as sexual harassment is concerned. Thus far, they've come up with about 20 reforms, and Chief Justice John Roberts is confident the group's work will "ensure an exemplary workplace for every court employee." [National Law Journal] * Time's up, UK: The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales has warned law firms not to use nondisclosure agreements to cover up sexual harassment and assault scandals. After all, these are instances of professional misconduct, so of course a professional regulatory agency wants to know about that. [American Lawyer] * Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be turning 85 later this week, and she says she's "feeling fine." Many hope that the self-described "flaming feminist litigator" continues to feel that way until we find a way to turn her into a little RBG judicial bot that will never, ever short-circuit -- or until there's a Democrat in office. [USA Today] * Nichole Ashley Collins, the Pennsylvania lawyer who was fired for allegedly stealing money from her firm and then returned to the firm to allegedly steal more money to buy sex toys, has been disbarred. Who would've expected such a thing... [FOX 43] * Prosecutors in Florida will seek the death penalty against Nikolas Cruz for his role as the accused gunman in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre. Last week, Cruz was indicted by a grand jury on 17 counts of premeditated murder in the first degree and 17 counts of attempted murder in the first degree. [CNN]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.12.18

* President Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, claims that he used his home equity line to pay off Stormy Daniels out of the goodness of his heart, and while people have been focusing on the fact that he may have violated campaign finance laws, not many have mentioned that he likely violated New York's ethics rules, would could get him disbarred. [Slate] * Remember the time that Judge Katherine Forrest ruined the internet with a single ruling? Several media outlets are preparing to appeal to the Second Circuit, saying the copyright decision could change the internet as we know it. [Big Law Business] * Dean Andrea Lyon of Valparaiso Law -- the school that's not closing, per se, but will stop accepting students and is hoping to merge with another school or move locations -- will be resigning on June 1. No one knows what will happen to the school, and soon there won't even be a dean. These poor students... [Indianapolis Business Journal] * Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a foodie, and in honor of her upcoming birthday -- and because "[s]he eats real food and plenty of it" -- here are a few of the Notorious One's favorite places to dine in her hometown of New York City. [am New York] * The February bar exam has come and gone, and with it, hundreds of jobs across the entire legal services industry. According to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 200 fewer people were employed in the legal sector last month than in January. Hopefully things improve before graduation. [American Lawyer] * "Katy Perry represents everything we don't believe in. It would be a sin to sell to her." Sister Catherine Rose Holzman, 89, who had been locked in litigation with the singer and the archdioces for several years over the sale of her former convent, collapsed and died in court on Friday during a post-judgment hearing. [NPR]

By Staci Zaretsky