Ryan Bounds

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 08.12.18

* Thanks to the not-so-orphaned Kennedy clerks, this Term could see a record number of clerks at the Supreme Court, as Tony Mauro reports. [National Law Journal] * Speaking of clerks, I talk quite a bit about them and their role in this interview with Kaley Pillinger about my writing career (from Underneath Their Robes to Above the Law to Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link)). [The Politic] * Speaking of SCOTUS, and more specifically of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the high court, Ed Whelan responds to the arguments of Senate Democrats against -- yes, against -- the prompt provision of records from Kavanaugh’s years as White House counsel. [Bench Memos / National Review] * If Judge Kavanaugh becomes Justice Kavanaugh, how will that affect the Court's business jurisprudence? Adam Feldman has this analysis. [Empirical SCOTUS] * The failure of Ryan Bounds's Ninth Circuit nomination could be a "teachable moment" for Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), according to Will Folks. [FITSNews] * Speaking of disappointing failures to confirm, Paul Mirengoff shares my frustration over the inexcusable delays in Department of Justice confirmations. [Power Line] * It's unfair to dismiss Seinfeld as "a show about nothing"; episodes offer insight into numerous legal issues -- for example, the law of conspiracy. [Seinfeld Law] * Kal Raustiala and Christopher Jon Sprigman offer interesting reflections on how data-driven authorship might affect the way we think about creativity and copyright. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason] * If you're interested in litigation finance, there's a conference coming up next month here in New York that you might want to check out. [LF Dealmakers Forum]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 07.29.18

* Amy Howe has highlights from Judge Brett Kavanaugh's completed questionnaire for the Senate Judiciary Committee -- including the five different law firms where he worked as a summer associate. [SCOTUSblog] * Despite Judge Kavanaugh's impeccable qualifications, the battle to confirm him to the Supreme Court will be hard-fought -- and Adam Feldman explains why. [Empirical SCOTUS] * In other nominations news, Veronica "Ronnye" Stidvent, a prominent Latina lawyer, comes to the defense of Ryan Bounds, whose Ninth Circuit nomination was defeated last week. [Oregonian] * Does the failure of the Bounds nomination spell trouble for the Kavanaugh nomination? Here are some thoughts from Elizabeth Slattery and me. [SCOTUS 101 / Heritage Foundation] * Had he been confirmed, Ryan Bounds would have replaced his (and my) former boss, Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain -- who just penned a landmark Second Amendment opinion, Young v. Hawaii, that could very well wind up before SCOTUS (and allow the Court to settle a circuit spit). [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason] * Speaking of the Ninth Circuit, Chris Walker has some concerns about the late Judge Stephen Reinhardt casting the deciding vote in an important tax law case, some four months after his passing. [Notice & Comment / Yale Journal on Regulation] * Why is the internet such a cesspool today? Media lawyer Charles Glasser identifies five factors behind the decline (and gives a shoutout to Above the Law's dearly departed comments section). [Daily Caller] * Elsewhere in the First Amendment world, Joel Cohen and Dale Degenshein argue that it should be easier for parties to have documents sealed in litigation. [The Hill] * If you appreciate the dying art that is the book review, check out Alice Lloyd's beautifully written review of Robert Anthony Siegel's Criminals: My Family’s Life on Both Sides of the Law (affiliate link), which paints a portrait of his father, Stanley Siegel -- "a big-hearted and brilliant," but deeply troubled criminal defense lawyer. [Weekly Standard]

By David Lat