Thomas Hardiman

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.27.16

* According to CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford, sources have said that President-elect Trump has narrowed his list of potential Supreme Court nominees down to five candidates: Bill Pryor (Eleventh Circuit), Thomas Hardiman (Third Circuit), Steve Colloton (Eighth Circuit), Diane Sykes (Seventh Circuit), and Joan Larsen (Michigan Supreme Court). Which judge do you think the PEOTUS will choose? [Face the Nation / CBS News] * President-elect Trump isn't just inheriting a Supreme Court vacancy -- he's inheriting much, much more. Thanks to an "unprecedented level of obstruction" on the part of Republican senators when it came to President Obama's federal judicial nominees, there are more than 100 judicial vacancies, which will give the Trump administration the leeway to reshape the judiciary through lifetime appointments. [Washington Post] * Is the end near for the European and Middle Eastern branch of King & Wood Mallesons? As other Biglaw firms poach partners, the firm has filed a notice to appoint administrators, and according to a spokesperson, this legal move was "designed to protect the firm from its creditors ... as it continues to explore all available options." The firm is not expected to file for pre-pack administration until January. [Am Law Daily] * There is a dire shortage of rural lawyers in flyover country, and it's causing the justice gap to become even wider in some states. For example, Nebraska has 93 counties, and 11 of them are without a single lawyer. This is a problem that's left other lawyers traveling far and wide to see clients and potential clients attempting to handle their legal matters themselves -- which has caused errors in business matters, divorces, and wills. [NPR] * If you've applied to law school, you may be wondering how you can best prepare for a recorded video interview. You may think it's tough to impress an admissions committee through such impersonal means, but if you prepare for this as if it were a live interview, keep your answers short and sweet (think one minute or less), and be yourself, you'll have this one in the bag. You can review some of these practice questions. [U.S. News]

By Staci Zaretsky