US News rankings

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.27.23

* There's a lot to say about Brett Kavanaugh's speech at Notre Dame Law School, but he used the opportunity to bash the US News rankings blasting the idea that the publication's reputation survey can capture the quality of an education. His clerks this Term all went to Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. [CNN] * Shearman & Sterling used to be a top 5 earning firm. Now it's banking on a merger -- that feels more like a takeover -- to save it. What happened? [American Lawyer] * Forum shopping has gotten to the point where attorneys pushing fringe legal theories have a 100 percent chance of landing a friendly judge. [The Nation] * Ted Lieu proposes resolution to regulate AI written by AI. I guess we already let oil companies write environmental laws so this isn't much different. [NBC] * John Eastman disbarment proceedings coming soon. [The Guardian] * Republicans target ESG rules. It's one thing to complain about the SEC, but these proposals would bar investment funds from making demands on companies they own. So much for the free market! [Bloomberg]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.20.23

* All right everyone. Let's use our Dr. Evil voices: frivolous lawsuit earns Donald Trump sanction of... one MILLION dollars! Or $937K at least. [NY Times] * If he's interested in pushing his luck, his lawsuit against his niece is still going. [Courthouse News Service] * South Texas Law Houston and Roger Williams Law have both withdrawn support for the USNWR rankings. Without that precious data, how will U.S. News know to keep placing them in the bottom tier? [Law.com] * Musk likely to take the stand today in Tesla trial. Facing questions from people he can't suspend? It's a whole new world out there. [Reuters] * The trifecta of going hardcore anti-reproductive freedom AND trafficking in rape apologist tropes (women's testimony means "unsupported") AND demanding the Court's 1A & 2A rules be suspended solely for right-wing justices in the same column? Chef's kiss. [Washington Post] * And Orrick will merge with Buckley. [Bloomberg]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.28.22

* Oh look! The majority of the Supreme Court is once again shifting their interpretation of the law in order to support right-wing political objectives! In a 5-4 decision the Court held Title 42 must be kept in effect during the appeal of a lower court's decision to end the use of the public health law to quickly expel migrants that arrived to the United States amid the COVID-19 crisis. Justice Neil Gorsuch joined the dissent writing, "And it is hardly obvious why we should rush in to review a ruling on a motion to intervene in a case concerning emergency decrees that have outlived their shelf life." [Law360] * More law schools are kicking USNWR rankings to the curb. We're now at 10 percent of law schools that say they will not participate in the ranking process. [Law.com] * Kari Lake, the Republican that ran -- and lost -- for the Arizona governorship, may have avoided sanctions for using the courts to avoid accepting the election results, but that doesn't mean she won't be paying money. A Maricopa County Superior Court found Lake was responsible for the ~$33,000 in expert witness fees AZ Governor-Elect Katie Hobbs incurred. [Huffington Post] * There may not be a ton Congress can do about Republican George Santos's lies that won him his seat, but there are some suspicious campaign campaign finance disclosures... [Slate] * 2022 was the year that Constitutional Law dramatically shifted (to the right). [ABA Journal]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.22.22

* Comedy clearly isn't alive on Twitter. But is it alive with the glory of Trademarking? [SCOTUSblog] * Memento Mori US News Law School Rankings? [NYT] * Could getting rid of standardized tests get rid of diversity? Quick, let's figure it out before the Court overturns affirmative action! [Bloomberg Law] * Whodathunk the quick succession of middle fingers toward US News could carry Antitrust implications? [The Reg Review]

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