Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.08.19

* Feeling cute, might not allow Mueller to testify, idk: According to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, President Donald Trump’s “feeling on the matter” is that special counsel Robert Mueller shouldn’t be permitted to testify before the House. [Huffington Post] * As it turns out, according to recently revealed tax transcripts for the years 1985 to 1994, Trump was in some deep financial doo-doo. His lawyer, Charles J. Harder of Gawker takedown fame, says the tax documentation is not only “demonstrably false,” but that the paper of record’s statements about it is “highly inaccurate.” [New York Times] * In case you missed it, former White House counsel Don McGahn is still following Trump’s orders. He ignored a House Judiciary Committee subpoena for his testimony and records, citing a letter from current White House counsel Pat Cipollone on executive privilege. [National Law Journal] * Michael Avenatti has been given right days to hire a defense attorney in the federal bank fraud case he’s facing, lest he wish to disclose his financials to the court for a public defender to be appointed. [Courthouse News Service] * Do we really need another law school? That’s the hope down in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Southern University may be opening another campus following a study to determine its viability. [710 KEEL]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.13.17

* The Supreme Court, without any dissents, has allowed the Trump administration's refugee ban to stand while the case proceeds, temporarily staying a Ninth Circuit ruling to the contrary. As my colleague Elie Mystal wondered yesterday, "Why is Kennedy stepping on the Ninth Circuit here? Why do any of them want this?" [New York Times] * Not that recommending prosecutions is part of her job, but White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders thinks that the Justice Department might want to prosecute former FBI director James Comey because his leaks "were improper and likely could have been illegal." [Washington Post] * "It's going to be death by a thousand cuts if people keep leaving at this rate." Ropes & Gray seems to be leaking partners like a sieve. In fact, 19 partners have parted ways with the firm since this past January. Not to worry, because according to management this is fine. [Legal Week] * Lynne Hermle, a partner in the labor and employment practice group at Orrick, thinks that in-house counsel need to adopt their own versions of the Mansfield Rule when hiring and staffing their trial teams. Why not have a woman lead your trial team? Juries tend to listen to them. [Business Insider] * Rob Ranco, a Texas personal injury attorney who landed himself on the front page of Breitbart last week after tweeting that he'd "be ok if #BetsyDevos was sexually assaulted," resigned from his firm, agreeing with his managing partner that he'd crossed "a line that simply cannot be uncrossed." [Law.com]

By Staci Zaretsky