Sheldon Silver

Morning Docket

Morning Docket 02.21.20

* Kevin Hart is trying to dismiss a sex tape lawsuit by alleging that a process server merely threw papers out of a car window while driving by his house. It would be pretty awesome if there was a drive-by method of service... [TMZ] * A Michigan man has been arrested for threatening to "bleed [out]" the lawyer who represents the whistleblower at the heart of the Trump impeachment investigation. [NBC News] * A lawyer has plead not guilty to charges related to the murder of a Connecticut mom. [New York Daily News] * A Texas lawyer needs to pay $40 Million in taxes after losing a lawsuit against the IRS. [Texas Lawyer] * Former New York politician Sheldon Silver has formulated a new strategy to keep himself out of jail for an even longer period of time. With tactics like this, Silver doesn't need a presidential pardon... [New York Post]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 07.14.17

* The Second Circuit vacates the corruption convictions of former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Congratulations to his counsel, the high-powered litigation boutique of MoloLamken (which handled the appeal as well as the trial). [How Appealing] * And congrats to federal judicial nominees John K. Bush (Sixth Circuit) and Kevin Newsom (Eleventh Circuit), who just got voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. [Washington Examiner] * In other nomination news, the White House seems to be taking its time in announcing a Ninth Circuit nominee from Oregon. Delay may strengthen the case for frontrunner Ryan Bounds; his main competition, Chief Judge Michael Mosman, gets older by the day (turning 61 later this year). [Portland Tribune] * Meet Michael Murray, an ex-SCOTUS clerk and Jones Day alum, who is the Justice Department's new point person on pot. (Fun fact: Kevin Newsom, Ryan Bounds, and Michael Murray all clerked for my former boss, Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain of the Ninth Circuit.) [U.S. News] * Former Ropes & Gray COO Hugh A. Simons wonders: "Are Law Firms Too Sophisticated for Their Own Good?" [Am Law Daily] * Will law school applications see a "Trump Bump," as idealistic aspiring attorneys seek law degrees to join the resistance? We might have more on this later. [Law.com] * Yes, lawyers should stand up for their beliefs -- but they also can (and must) understand the arguments on the other side, as new Yale Law dean Heather Gerken explains. [Time] * The Ninth Circuit has ruled in the Case of the Tweeting Judge. We might have more on this later as well. [How Appealing] * Congratulations to Stephen Kane, an alum of O'Melveny & Myers and Lex Machina, on securing $1.8 million in funding for his FairClaims startup -- which he describes as "a virtual Judge Judy." [TechCrunch]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 05.03.16

* So you are a young Biglaw associate. You are miserable with your life and decide to get some therapy to deal -- how do you take the time to take care of yourself without appearing lazy at the firm? [Corporette] * The Biglaw v. Small Law showdown in... Little League. [New York Personal Injury Law Blog] * How can new law school grads navigate a changing career market? [Reboot Your Legal Practice] * Preet Bharara is bragging about putting Shelly Silver in jail for 12 years. [Twitter] * Is being a lawyer the most embarrassing profession? A new novel, The Neon Lawyer, suggests it just might be. [Guile is Good] * Even super lawyers can't stop bad press. [Law and More] * Is social media feeding the rash of graffiti in National Parks? [Lawyers, Guns and Money]

By Kathryn Rubino
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 11.30.15

* Delaware bucks the trend of declining bar passage rates! Not such good news for Ohio. [Bar Exam Stats] * Yeah, you've got tax law to blame for the terrible Star Wars prequels. [Federal Tax Blog] * A second juror in the Sheldon Silver case tries to get out of jury deliberations. Judge denies it, the juror will do their "best or whatever." [Wall Street Journal] * The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court just named 5 attorneys as public advocates. Get the scoop on who they really are. [Ars Technica] * Ayelette Robinson, a former corporate lawyer turned actress, is featured on a new podcast. [Hsu Untied] * You wanna fix the problem of chronic overwork, stress, and dissatisfaction in Biglaw? Then LEAVE. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket 4.30.15

* Supreme Court actually limits speech rights and upholds a Florida ban on judicial candidates' direct fundraising. Here's the excellent plain English breakdown of Williams-Yulee. [SCOTUSblog] * Former NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver pleaded not guilty to a superseding indictment. [NY Law Journal] * Professor Dorf analyzes the sex discrimination rationale in the same-sex marriage case. [Dorf on Law] * $1 million in sanctions upheld against a Philadelphia lawyer. [Legal Intelligencer] * So this is what they mean by practicing "sexy" law. 2015 list of 100 top Hollywood attorneys revealed. [Hollywood Reporter] * In an increasingly rare bipartisan act, patent reform is back on the agenda. [Corporate Counsel] * According to a new study by Harvard University, nearly 50% of millennials believe the criminal justice system is unfair. Welcome to the party kids. [NY Post]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.25.15

* Smart women, foolish choices? Alexandra Marchuk might regret turning down a $425,001 offer of judgment from the defendants in Marchuk v. Faruqi & Faruqi, in which she wound up getting a $140,000 verdict. [Law360 (sub. req.)] * In other news from high-profile sexual harassment cases, the trial in Harvard Law grad Ellen Pao's lawsuit against venture capital behemoth Kleiner Perkins got underway yesterday. [USA Today] * A guilty verdict and a life sentence in the "American Sniper" trial. [New York Times] * Embattled politico Sheldon Silver has turned to the talented Steven Molo in seeking to get the criminal charges against him dismissed. [New York Post] * J.J. Nelson v. Adidas: coming to a 1L Contracts casebook near you? [ESPN] * Law schools dropping the LSAT: a trend in the making? [BloombergBusiness] * The latest in Deidre Clark v. Allen & Overy: is plaintiff Deidre Dare ready for her close-up psychological exam? [New York Law Journal] * Is the job outlook for law school graduates brightening? Some thoughts from Jim Leipold of NALP. [National Law Journal via ABA Journal] * As he runs for Congress, what does Staten Island district attorney Daniel M. Donovan Jr. have to say about the Eric Garner case? [New York Times]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.02.15

* D.C. Circuit upholds FTC decision that Pom Wonderful deceived consumers with disease-fighting claims. Next thing you know they're going to say Red Bull doesn't really give you wings. [Chronicle of Higher Education] * Macklemore is looking for an intern. Probably going to find a lawsuit instead. [LXBN] * Now that the Super Bowl is over, Glendale can get back to focusing on how they're going broke because of that stadium. Once again, publicly funded stadiums are a terrible idea on par with running a quick slant instead of running the best back in football up the gut for one yard. [Americans For Tax Reform] * In case you were interested, Sheldon Silver's former employer makes serious bank. [Page Six / New York Post] * A quick and easy summary of amici briefs filed in King v. Burwell. [Balkinization] * Dean Chemerinsky in a wide-ranging interview about the Supreme Court and its failings. As you'd expect from the author of The Case Against the Supreme Court (affiliate link). [Concurring Opinions] * Richard Hsu talks to Kelly Perdew, who won the Apprentice back when the show was about finding competent businesspeople instead of helping Jose Canseco squeeze out 15 more minutes of fame. [Hsu Untied]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.29.15

* “I will be myself. I will be Loretta Lynch.” During the first day of her Senate Judiciary hearing, our would-be attorney general was cool, calm, and collected while delivering the news that she's not Eric Holder. [National Law Journal] * Just how many retweets does it take for a law student at Oklahoma Law to convince Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder to go with her to law school prom (i.e., Barrister's Ball)? Apparently only 1K. Come on, be her date, Steve! [FanSided] * After being arrested on bribery charges, New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has decided to take a leave of absence from personal injury firm Weitz & Luxenberg -- and to think, he was originally hired “to bring prestige to the firm." [WSJ Law Blog] * “Chess trains you to always think of the worst-case scenario. A lot of the time, that’s what lawyers are hired to do—to think, ‘What’s the worst case and how can I manage it?’” The youngest Debevoise associate moonlights as a chess champ. [Am Law Daily] * Sue Ann Arnall, the ex-wife of billionaire Harold Hamm who first rejected a $975 million alimony check earlier this month and later cashed it, still thinks she should be able to appeal her divorce decree. This woman's got some real chutzpah. [Bloomberg]

By Staci Zaretsky