Thane Rosenbaum

Law students should consider this a call to action.

This wasn't the most thrilling Term ever, but a star-studded panel of SCOTUS experts offered interesting insights.

* Now that the Supreme Court Term is over, it’s time to take stock of SCOTUS. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, law professors Sai Prakash and John Yoo posit that the staunchly originalist Justice Thomas “might have found a fellow traveler in Justice Gorsuch.” [How Appealing]

* Speaking of the Journal, it’s the end of an era: the beloved WSJ Law Blog is no more (but note that the Journal’s stellar legal coverage will remain in the newspaper and online). [WSJ Law Blog]

* There’s an embarrassment of riches hen it comes to SCOTUS Term wrap-ups. The MoloLamken overview is always one of the best — and one of the most useful, for the many Above the Law readers representing big business as lawyers in Biglaw. [MoloLamken]

* And if you like your Supreme Court reviews live, check out this one tomorrow night at the 92nd Street Y here in New York, featuring an all-star cast of commentators: Dan Abrams of ABC News, Joan Biskupic of CNN, Dean Trevor Morrison and Professor Kenji Yoshino of NYU Law, and moderator Thane Rosenbaum, director of NYU’s Forum on Law, Culture & Society. [FOLCS]

* Will Chief Justice John Roberts’s recent speech at his son’s graduation go down in history as one of the best commencement addresses ever? [Jane Genova — Speechwriter-Ghostwriter]

* And where is the Chief Justice spending the summer? Like many of his colleagues on the Court, JGR is leaving the country (and given what D.C. is like in the summer, you can’t blame him). [The Economist]

* A piece by NPR’s Nina Totenberg over the long weekend reignited the Justice Kennedy retirement rumors (which I’ve thrown cold water on last year and again last week — but even I admit that AMK might retire around this time next year). [Daily Intelligencer / New York Magazine]

Defense lawyer Ben Brafman knew from the start that this case would be a disaster for the DA.

An enjoyable evening with a prominent prosecutor and one of the nation's greatest writers.

* Justice Scalia’s audition tape released including “rigorous mock hearings and jurisprudence drills, as well as a cold read from a randomly chosen amicus curiae brief.” [The Onion]

* Jesus, Harvard professors are frigging babies. Now they’re complaining about Obamacare because they have to pay $20 co-pays… like everyone else in the world since seemingly forever. [Lawyers, Guns & Money]

* Don’t try to blow up ATMs. [Lowering the Bar]

* Professor Thane Rosenbaum reviews Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link). While he adds to the accolades, he also drops this curious description: “Think Bartleby, The Scrivener meets The Devil Wears Prada.” Um, “I prefer not to”? [Huffington Post]

* It’s time for the Careerist Awards! [The Careerist]

* Which law school in California provided the most “value add,” as measured by most improved bar passage rate over expectations? [TaxProf Blog]

* Shearman & Sterling partner Richard Hsu’s continuing interview series sits down with another former Shearman attorney, Drew Shoals, now the drummer for Train. Otherwise known as “that band drunk 20-something white girls love.” [Hsu Untied]

Justice Breyer screened one of his favorite films, then shared some thoughts on Bush v. Gore and Citizens United.

Protip: when hosting an event, try to refrain from sexist introductions of your speakers.

* The D.C. Circuit struck down a key component of Obamacare while a few miles away, the Fourth Circuit disagreed. This sets up an intriguing circuit split that will be resolved as soon as the D.C. Circuit takes it up en banc. Until then though, let the mainstream media talking heads freak out about what this all means. [NBC News] * Professor Thane Rosenbaum writes in the Wall Street Journal (natch!) defending the deaths of civilian Palestinians using the same logic that Osama bin Laden used to justify 9/11. He probably should have done a little more research. [Slate] * Amelia Boone, a Skadden Chicago bankruptcy associate, is a world champion Tough Mudder and Spartan Race runner. Because who says cruelly abusing yourself has to be limited to the work week? [Outside] * Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s senior picture from Cornell. [That's What She Said / Jezebel] * Elie thinks we should all get drunk and go for a bike ride! [ATL Redline] * From purveyor of justice to purveyor of donuts. [USA Today] * Congratulations to Professor Mariano-Florentino Cuellar of Stanford Law on his nomination to the California Supreme Court. If confirmed, maybe Stanford can start advertising about all the state judges they’ve produced. [San Jose Mercury News] * We’ve heard that Bingham is looking to merge. Lee Pacchia talks to Casey Sullivan about what’s next. Video after the jump… [Mimesis Law]

What's motivating this move?

* A patent infringement suit filed over the “hairy visor.” The best idea for combatting hair loss since SNL’s Chia Head. [Lowering the Bar] * The Hong Kong legal community is split over the continued donning of wigs. It’s nice how China allows them to think they have a choice on such matters. [Wall Street […]

So what was that Casey Anthony case all about anyway? Here's a short primer.

One of the interesting concepts in Professor Rosenbaum’s book (affiliate link) is that the law lacks a soul. The law lacks tenderness. The law is objective and cold and inhumane. The law abhors emotion. I don’t think that’s true. Every time I sentence a defendant, there is a lot of emotion. I think there is […]

Ah, California. Your weather is amazing, but we don't want to deal with your earthquakes. Over at UCLA Law School, they're experiencing some earth-shaking controversy of their own. An ultra-wealthy alumnus made it rain, with a $10 million gift to the school -- but now some professors want to rain on his parade, and their objections have hit the national news media....