To Kill a Mockingbird

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 03.04.18

* Which Supreme Court justice wrote the most dissents over the last 30 or so years? The answer might surprise you. (My guesses came in second and third.) [Empirical SCOTUS] * Does the latest constitutional challenge to Obamacare have merit? The 20 states are right on one issue and wrong on another, Ilya Somin explains. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason] * Ann Althouse makes the case against To Kill A Mockingbird. [Althouse] * Litigation finance and class actions: two great tastes that taste great together? Professor Brian Fitzpatrick breaks it down. [SSRN] * Artificial intelligence is all the rage, but what should lawyers actually look for when it comes to AI-enabled products? Daniel Lewis, co-founder of Ravel Law (now part of LexisNexis), offers his insights. [Dewey B Strategic] * As a new dad, I find the notion of prosecuting a parent for improper car-seat installation deeply disturbing -- especially after the defendant mom lost her daughter, an already horrific punishment for that mistake. [Slate] * Has the Trump Administration drained the swamp, or made it more swampy than ever? The latter -- at least if you view Biglaw partners as swamp creatures. [The Nation] * Utah legislators try their hand at "Schoolhouse Rock," and the result is... something. [Twitter (@RobertMaguire_)] * Another interesting use case for blockchain: solving IP challenges. [Artificial Lawyer]

By David Lat
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 07.28.15

* "Bueller... Bueller..." Richard Hsu chats with Ben Stein. [Hsu Untied] * NFL deflates Tom Brady's hopes of playing a full season. [Redline] * Can a public defender really handle 700 cases a year? Spoiler alert: No. [Mother Jones] * About a third of the seats on the Court of Federal Claims are vacant, and a solitary Senator aims to keep it that way. Why are Republicans against getting citizens tax refunds? Shouldn't that be their whole schtick? [Constitutional Accountability Center] * If you're around August 11, check out "Many Faces of Mediation: An Alternative to Courtroom Drama" at JAMS HQ in New York. [ABA] * If you've been hankering for a podcast covering the U.S. Tax Court, then hanker no further. [U.S. Tax Court Podcast via iTunes] * A proposal for expanding the U.S. News Diversity Index. [Iowa Law Review via SSRN] * The continuing tribute to commenter Partner Emeritus rolls on. This time delving into my favorite Baby Boomer trope: lame excuses for skipping out on Vietnam. [What About Clients?] * Talmage Boston explains how Atticus Finch is still worthy of respect in a post-Go Set a Watchman (affiliate link) world. [Washington Independent Review of Books] * Talmage will be moderating a panel at the ABA Annual Meeting featuring Judge Posner, William Landay, and Laura Caldwell. The panel will also include our own David Lat, discussing Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link). [Supreme Ambitions]

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 07.14.15

* A positive review of Go Set a Watchman (affiliate link) from Professor Brophy. I haven't read it, but it strikes me as a weird choice to make Doctor Manhattan a racist in this one. [The Faculty Lounge] * Standard gun nut operating procedure is to stay quiet after a mass shooting, but this guy decided to explain why Dylann Roof didn't take advantage of a "loophole" to avoid a background check. And he's right. "Loophole" suggests there was a drafting mistake as opposed to an intentional, cynical effort to gut the one gun regulation pretty much everybody agrees on. [National Review] * Everyone knows that the federal government is comprised of three equal branches. But, why do you think that? The Constitution certainly never says that. An interesting question. [Concurring Opinions] * Arts students work harder than law students. Let that sink in. [Legal Cheek] * The Economist just can't help itself from writing contrarian reviews. They're like hipsters if hipsters were old-timey Tories with handlebar mustaches and... actually, wait, is The Economist run by hipsters? [Lawyers, Guns & Money] * The Welsh government responded to an official inquiry in Klingon. Which, admittedly, is easier to understand than Welsh. [Lowering the Bar] * Important practice tip when dealing with a new client: check out the last several complaints filed against them and search for a pattern. [What About Clients?]

By Joe Patrice
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.09.15

* The Supreme Court is going to strike down bans on marriage equality folks. And the tea leaves aren't that hard to read. [Slate] * Even if the Court proclaims marriage equality the law of the land, discrimination will march on. On that note, can American law schools like Liberty continue to follow Canada's controversial Trinity Western in functionally barring homosexuality? [Tax Prof Blog] * Law students f**king love Atticus Finch. Um, you know he lost right? Start looking up to winners, like Dan Fielding or something. [Slate] * Who else is jumping from the hulk that was once Patton Boggs? [Legal Times (sub. req.)] * Our old friend George Mason Assistant Dean Richard Kelsey, who we last saw Tweeting about black people and the lack of reason, is back explaining that abortion is genocide... because it leads to immigrants coming to America. Or something. [CNS News] * Meanwhile, there's a new casebook out covering reproductive rights law that challenges the conventional classification of the subject as a subset of women's issues. [RH Reality Check] * Harvard Law 3L, soon-to-be Clifford Chance associate, rapper. [J.KO]

By Joe Patrice