Star Wars

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.02.20

* Apparently, the actor who played C-3PO in the Star Wars films dropped out of law school to pursue an acting career. This was probably the correct career choice. [Business Insider] * A Manhattan attorney is alleging that his former law partner blackmailed him to stay quiet about his purported affairs. [New York Post] * Kevin Spacey has settled a sexual assault lawsuit that had been filed against the actor. [Hollywood Reporter] * Attorneys for Robert Durst agree that he wrote a note informing authorities about the location of the body of his friend. [Fox Business] * A University of Illinois law professor accused of sexual harassment will not be returning to teaching duties next semester. [Chicago Tribune]

By Jordan Rothman
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 09.08.17

* Northwestern Dean Dan Rodriguez perfectly sums up the California bar’s decision to punt on the cut score question. [PrawfsBlawg] * The Equifax hack leaves 143 million people vulnerable. But the Equifax executives may end up the most vulnerable after they reacted to the breach by selling shares... fast. Oh, who are we kidding? This DOJ isn’t going to prosecute that! [Huffington Post] * The Empire's stormtrooper armor is really terrible. [The Legal Geeks] * Professor Douglas Litowitz is on the law school job market, and he's rejecting all rejection letters. "I wish them great success in placing their rejection letters with other candidates. I have simply received a sufficient number of excellent rejection letters already." [Faculty Lounge] * The University of Colorado faces a lawsuit over allegedly protecting a football coach over an a domestic abuse survivor. No one ever lost money betting against schools changing their cultures on a dime, but honestly we're not far removed from the last round of lawsuits about the school's hostile environment. [Rewire] * How much do you know about "The Reid Method"? Wyatt Kozinski (Judge Kozinski's son) calls for a new "Wickersham Commission" to investigate the method's role in a spate of false confessions undermining the credibility of the criminal justice system. That said, the President's first foray into politics was calling for executions based on false confessions, so maybe we shouldn't hold our breaths for this commission. [The Crime Report] * Irma threatens lives... and the return of an overused metaphor. [Law and More] * Speaking of hurricanes, Harvey has spawned its first lawsuit. [The Atlantic] * Another edition of “bad places to hide.” [Lowering the Bar] * Congratulations to lawyer Anthony Franze, author of The Outsider (affiliate link), on the thriller getting picked up for possible television development! [Deadline]

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 12.29.16

* The "Obama can still appoint Merrick Garland" trope always seemed stupid and easily reversible. Here's a thorough explanation of why. [Washington Post / Volokh Conspiracy] * Now that Twitter has officially begat a president, it's time for law professors to fully embrace the platform. Make Academia Great Again! [Prawfsblawg] * Someone at Barclay's is a Simpsons fan... and that knowledge has spawned a DOJ investigation. [Lowering the Bar] * The Top 5 Fantasy Sports and Law stories of the year. [Forbes] * Discussing the legal status of the different participants in the Rogue One mission. [The Legal Geeks] * Should Facebook be in the business of labeling fake news? [Dorf on Law] * What's it like to work in an American firm in London? [Legal Cheek]

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 12.05.16

* More about Judge Posner's unusual questioning in a Seventh Circuit case on sexual orientation discrimination. [Rewire] * And more from Harvard Law professor Larry Lessig about the Electoral College -- this time, a Fourteenth Amendment argument against how it operates, not against the institution itself. [Medium]< * An analysis of the Death Star as a war crime. [The Legal Geeks] * Sleep tips for working moms. [Corporette] * I know you're dying for more info on Biglaw 401(k) plans. [LinkedIn] * Post-election, is the Supreme Court back to business as usual? [Empirical SCOTUS] * New dean for Saint Louis University School of Law. [The Faculty Lounge] * Tips to stop annoying people this holiday season. [Law and More]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.05.16

* Florida public defender disbarred over sex and drugs with inmates. Amazingly, this is not just an update of this story about... a Florida public defender allegedly caught banging an inmate. What's going on with these Florida public defenders? [NY Daily News] * Law firms know they need to radically change their model and yet haven't done anything about it. But they're telling GCs it's the clients' fault for not pushing firms harder to change. Holy blame the victim, Batman. [Law360] * As some of you may have heard by now, Milbank Tweed is ditching its downtown home for relatively law firm-free Chelsea. Cue Steve Winwood: "Back on the High Line again..." [Real Estate Weekly] * Law school rechristening its building over its namesake's KKK ties. Political correctness run amok -- remember when you could support lawless acts of terrorism against minorities and be venerated by institutions of higher learning? [CBS News] * Judge Alan Simon has already received a suspension after a commission found a "history of bullying and verbally abusing court staffers" and now he may be losing his job. [Law360] * Cass Sunstein explains the Constitution with Darth Vader's help. As it turns out he's got a book about it too (affiliate link). [National Law Journal] * A panel discusses the labor and employment implications of legalized marijuana. Pretty sure Afroman already covered these when he intoned: "I was gonna go to work but then I got high/I just got a new promotion but I got high/now I'm selling dope and I know why yea hey/cause I got high/cause I got high/cause I got high." [Corporate Counsel] * A breakthrough, "gotcha" moment on cross-examination in a big case is such a holy grail achievement of Matlockian proportions that we should celebrate it whenever it happens. Skadden managed to net one in a $2.1 billion suit this week. [Litigation Daily] * Kirkland & Ellis offering "emotional fitness training" at its offices. Pretty sure the curriculum for Biglaw attorneys should be a primer on Wheaton's Law and this video with the word "baseball" replaced with "law." [Kirkland & Ellis]

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.12.16

Ed. note: In honor of Presidents' Day, Above the Law will not be publishing on Monday. We hope everyone is able to enjoy a nice, long weekend! See you online on Tuesday. * What kind of constitution would the Rebels have written after overthrowing the Emperor? Let's take this all the way: what pseudonym would Jar Jar use in writing the Galactic Federalist Papers? [Business of Law Blog] * Did the recent "Madoff" miniseries really have to fixate so much on his Judaism? Sure, it was part of his identity, but didn't it kind of cross over into Shylock territory? [St. Louis Jewish Light] * The prosecution is starting to lay out the details in the case against Sunderland soccer player Adam Johnson for his relationship with a 15-year-old fan. [Screamer] * Reflecting on Chief Judge Judith Kaye's legacy of trial court reform. [Cityland] * Judge Sylvania Woods would be rolling over in his grave if he knew about the child porn scandal going on at his namesake school. [Katz Justice] * Weil Gotshal Chairman Barry Wolf better get used to being on the other side of the table -- he's subpoenaed to testify in a lawsuit over a condo dispute. [Dan Abrams] * "An Administrative Law Fairy Tale." [Library of Law and Liberty] * This is what happens when an NYC lawyer hangs out with the Marines and Navy for four days. [U.S. Naval Institute] * You think you're a ruthless lawyer? You aren't ruthless unless you're Sun Tzu ruthless. [Law and Disorder] * Here's an optimistic take on the future of Biglaw. [CodeX] * David Schwimmer playing the late attorney and father of a reality TV dynasty Robert Kardashian not doing it for you? Don't worry, Yeezy's got your back... literally. [People]

By Kathryn Rubino