Settlements

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.13.18

* Confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh will begin on September 4, which means that Justice Brett Kavanaugh will likely be ready and raring to go for October Term 2018. [Politico] * If and when Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court, he'll be able to fulfill his hoop dreams at "the highest court in the land." Unfortunately, as his fellow players and coaches have confirmed, white men judges can't jump. [Wall Street Journal] * In the meantime, liberal activists seem to be struggling in their attempts to rally the troops to convince Republican senators (like Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Dean Heller) to vote “no” on Kavanaugh’s SCOTUS nomination. [New York Times] * Remember when Rudy Giuliani spoke to George Stephanopoulos about President Trump's conversation with James Comey on Michael Flynn? Giuliani doesn't. In fact, he's now saying Trump's conversation with Comey never took place. [CNN] * Partner Connie Bertram has settled her $50 million gender discrimination suit against Proskauer Rose. Details on their agreement aren’t available, but let’s hope that the labor and employment leader is getting what she’s due. [American Lawyer] * If you want to attend the Manafort trial but have no idea what to do with your electronics, the Cafe Gallery deli across the street from the courthouse will hold onto everything for you for just $2 per item. [Washington Business Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.28.18

* Is the Supreme Court about to take a right turn? With lengthy delays in issuing opinions and apparent infighting that's leaked onto the bench during oral arguments, pundits think that the high court may soon become as "politically fractured as the rest of Washington." [CNN] * Speaking of SCOTUS, the justices spent an hour debating whether they should abandon the longstanding rule in Marks, which guides whose holding controls when the decision is split. [National Law Journal] * New York, California, and several other states will sue to prevent the U.S. government from asking about citizenship status in the 2020 census whether people are citizens, contending that such a question could stop immigrants from participating and skew the makeup of Congress. [Reuters] * Uber will pay $10 million to settle a discrimination class-action that was brought on behalf of hundreds of women and minority software engineers. [The Recorder] * Remember the little boy who was decapitated while riding the world's tallest water slide in 2016? The co-owner of the waterpark where it happened was arrested earlier this week and charged with second-degree murder. [New York Times]

By Staci Zaretsky
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By Barbri
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.21.17

* "I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the President of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and Constitutional power." AG Jeff Sessions seems to have forgotten that Hawaii is actually a state and that when he was still a senator, he voted for the judge who ruled against Trump's travel ban. Oopsie! [CNN] * 21st Century Fox, the parent company to Fox News, will wind up paying out more than $85 million as a result of the network's sexual harassment scandal. The sick thing about this is that the vast majority of the money will be paid to accused harassers Roger Ailes and Bill O'Reilly as part of their multimillion-dollar exit packages. [New York Times] * Good news, everyone! Although it might have seemed like it, the Trump administration isn't planning to ignore white-collar crime at this time. "Our aim is to motivate companies and individuals voluntarily to comply with the law," says Trevor McFadden, a deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department. That'll work well. [Reuters] * A Republican lawmaker wants to rename the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau to the "Consumer Law Enforcement Agency." Along with the name change, a leadership change is being recommended. Rep. Jeb Hensarlin of Texas has proposed that the agency remain with a single-director structure, but that the president be able to say two of his most favorite words at any time, at will: "You're fired!" [National Law Journal] * "The people of Alabama who cherish the rule of law are not going to miss the Ayatollah of Alabama." Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore's suspension has been upheld by the state's Court of the Judiciary. As a result, Moore will remain under suspension without pay for the rest of his term, effectively ending his career on the bench as he will be unable to run for reelection again due to his age. [ABA Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.31.17

* General Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser to President Trump, has offered to testify before Congress on the campaign's alleged Russian connections in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Remember back in September when Flynn said on Meet the Press that "when you are given immunity that means you've probably committed a crime"? This is absolutely wild. [Wall Street Journal; NBC News] * The chairman of Bethune-Cookman's criminal justice department defends the HBCU's affiliation with Arizona Summit Law, even though it's on probation, saying that because $12.5 million in scholarship money is at stake, "it would be irresponsible not to provide this opportunity as an option for B-CU students to obtain a legal education without incurring excessive student loan debt in the process." [DealBook / New York Times] * It looks like President Trump is planning to sign off on a repeal of Obama-era internet privacy rules that were promulgated by the FCC in October. As noted by Senator Chuck Schumer, this is "[t]errible for American [people], great for big [business]." Next on the agenda seems to be the decimation of net neutrality, so you might want to prepare yourselves to pay more for an internet connection that's quicker than a snail. [Reuters] * More than half of the 6,000 former students of Trump University have submitted claims to be part of its $25 million fraud class-action settlement. They'll recoup 80 cents for every dollar they spent on President Trump's real estate seminars. Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who Trump once accused of being biased due to his "Mexican heritage," will likely approve the settlement over the objections of two former students. [Big Law Business] * Guess which law school created a class based on Baltimore crime drama "The Wire"? It's U. Pitt., which has a three-credit course called "Crime, Law and Society in 'The Wire.'" This seems like it's one of those "Law and [Insert Noun Here]" classes, where 3Ls are hoping to get another A to add to their GPAs before they graduate. This would've been more relevant if a Maryland law school had offered the class. [Huffington Post]

By Staci Zaretsky