Sandra Day O’Connor

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.24.18

* As she steps away from public life in the wake of her dementia diagnosis, rather than banish retired Justice Anthony Kennedy to the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor bequeathed her chambers to him. The Supreme Court will miss her. [National Law Journal] * Judges say the darndest things: Bill Cosby's bid to get a new trial and reduce his sentence was summarily turned down by Judge Steven O'Neill, who noted in a simple, one-page ruling that "no hearing or argument is required on the issues." [NBC News] * Desmarais, the elite IP litigation boutique that recently raised salaries for first-year associates to $210,000, will be making its "first and probably [] last expansion," opening a West Coast office in San Francisco to serve its Bay Area clients. [Law360] * In case you missed it, the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners awarded Thomas Jefferson School of Law with state accreditation after an 8-7 vote, with one committee member abstaining. Now its graduates will be able to sit for the California bar exam even if the ABA revokes its accreditation. [ABA Journal] * If you've been wondering what killed the Middle Tennessee State University / Valparaiso Law School deal, one member of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission says it had to do with "genuine concern about the labor supply and demand for lawyers" -- and that seems entirely reasonable. [Murfreesboro Post]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.25.16

* Demand for legal services may be down, but to keep up appearances, law firms are raising their rates. Despite those rate increases -- which are driving revenue across most firms -- Wells Fargo Private Bank's Legal Specialty Group says, "We do not expect the results to match the record peak performance experienced in 2014.” At least you tried? [WSJ Law Blog] * In-house attorneys make a lot of money, but that won't stop them from being envious of their Biglaw colleagues. Per a new survey, 44 percent of in-house counsel say their compensation is “below or significantly below that of their peers," and 40 percent said they were likely to search for a new job because of comp issues. [Big Law Business] * If you missed it this weekend, Joan Biskupic had an excellent profile of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Though she once lamented that her decisions were "being dismantled," she's modest about how influential she was on the Supreme Court: "We [tried] to persuade by the strength of the argument. Everyone [had] a very key vote." [CNN] * "The current condition of the [Cincinnati College of Law may] not [be] good enough for [its] wonderful students,” but that doesn't mean it's getting a new building any time soon. The school's trustees just scrapped a plan to build a new law school at the downtown riverfront, opting to keep it on UC's main campus. [Cincinnati Enquirer] * "[B]ehind its façade of attainable elegance, Zara is engaged in a widespread practice of deceiving American consumers through a classic bait and switch." Clothing store Zara has been slapped with a $5 million federal suit for allegedly engaging in deceptive pricing tactics. The store typically only lists prices in euros in its U.S. stores. [Us Weekly]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.15.16

* In case you've been sleeping under a rock, Brendan Dassey -- one of the subjects of the Netflix hit documentary "Making a Murderer" -- had his conviction overturned on Friday. In his ruling, Judge William Duffin cited the misconduct of Dassey's trial lawyer as "indefensible." He'll be released from prison within 90 days. [Reuters] * "I wasn't a pedophile. I wasn't a preferential sex predator. I wasn't the monster I was made out to be." Seeking a new trial, ex-Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky is arguing ineffective assistance of counsel thanks to his lawyer's decision to keep him off the stand and allow him to take a televised interview with Bob Costas. [Philadelphia Inquirer] * Uh-oh! Even after an enormous partner capital call of $18.1 million, it seems that King & Wood Mallesons may not be out of the woods just yet. The firm failed to make any partner profit distributions at the end of the month in July, and it's "not painting a particularly positive picture" as to the overall health of the firm. [Big Law Business] * ASU Law's new school is set to open today in Phoenix, Arizona, and there will be a few special appearances from political and judicial hotshots to commemorate the very special occasion, including speeches from Senator John McCain and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the law school's namesake. Congratulations! [Downtown Phoenix Journal] * Meet Jerry Guerinot, the Texas defense attorney who's earned the honor of being referred to as the "worst lawyer in the United States." He's represented about three dozen capital murder defendants over the course of 40 years and he has a perfect record -- in that not a single one of his clients has been found innocent. [Houston Chronicle]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.28.16

* In the case of Merrick Garland, maybe a nice guy could actually finish first. [Washington Post] * The cases and issues that may result in a 4-4 tie on the Supreme Court. [Jost on Justice] * Was Sandra Day O'Connor's vote in Casey v. Planned Parenthood the actual death knell for reproductive freedom? [Slate] * Chief Justice John Robert plays Carnac the Magnificent, and actually predicted the mess the Supreme Court nomination process has turned into. [Huffington Post] * I doubt capitalism can really solve for the prejudice behind the anti-LGBTQ legislation that Georgia's legislature passed, but it can provide enough pressure for the governor to veto it. [Lawyers, Guns and Money] * Lessons for lawyers whose careers go off the track from former Lehman CFO Erin Callan. [Law and More]

By Kathryn Rubino