Villanova University School of Law

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.02.16

* Carmen Electra filed a federal suit against a strip joint, alleging that the gentleman's club defamed her by using a scantily clad picture of her without her prior consent, thereby insinuating that she removes her clothing for money there or otherwise endorses its sexy services. [New York Daily News] * Happy anniversary to our favorite SCOTUS monk: If Justice Thomas sticks to his usual routine when the Supreme Court returns from its winter break, he'll have officially gone a decade without asking a question from the bench. [New York Times] * Aloha! Just one week after receiving a $25 million donation and changing the name of the school, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law is losing its dean to Hawaii Pacific University, where he'll serve as president. [Philadelphia Inquirer] * DLA Piper recently acquired Peltonen LMR, a Helsinki firm, bringing its grand total of Nordic offices to three. Unlike in the past, we hope that this time DLA Piper knows what country its new office is located in. Pssst... it's Finland. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg] * If you've been waitlisted by the law school of your choice, we hope that you're a particularly patient person, because you may be waiting to find out your academic fate until April, or worse yet, July. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.21.16

* Criminal defense attorneys have been painted so poorly by Hollywood for such a long time that Dean Strang and Jerry Buting, the defense attorneys at the heart of Making a Murderer, "never expected to be viewed as hero[es] for just doing our job." [WSJ Law Blog] * All in a day's work: When Ted Cruz wasn't busy “[making] a lot of people really angry” during his Supreme Court clerkship, he was watching porn with Chief Justice William Rennquist and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. [New York Times] * It seems like Ted Cruz has made prospective Biglaw donors angry as well. Although Sullivan & Cromwell hosted an event in his honor, his campaign contribution amounts from other firms are "humdrum," with only one Texas firm on his side. [The Careerist] * Thanks to a $25 million dollar donation from an alumnus, Villanova Law will now be known as the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Hopefully a new name will make people forget about the school's scandal-plagued past. [Philadelphia Inquirer] * In light of last week's sexism sanction from a federal judge, the editors of the ABA Journal want to know if you've ever heard sexist remarks while working as a lawyer. We'd like to know too. Email us for inclusion in our series on the subject. [ABA Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.13.15

* Biglaw leaders aren't feeling so hot about the future of the profession. What else is new? [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * Villanova Law School whining about its fall in the U.S. News rankings after admitting it had artificially inflated its numbers. Listen, it's this stupid fascination with U.S. News that got Villanova busted in the first place. It's high time the school stops preening for U.S. News and starts touting its admirable position in the rankings based on what's best for students. [Philadelphia Inquirer] * It's time for the Supreme Court to hear the important cases! Enough of these poor people railroaded by the system, where's justice for disgraced former Governor Bob McDonnell? [Washington Post] * Everything should be legal! At least when it comes to BS NCAA violations. [Adequate Man / Deadspin] * Women make less than men when it comes to in-house work. Sort of like all other work. [Law360] * Hillary was hailed as the big winner last night, but her biggest victory was knowing that Bernie Sanders was going to pull his punches. [Redline] * Sara Randazzo with the Twitter observation of the day yesterday: lawyer for ex-Dewey chair Steve Davis trolled the jury with his tie pattern. [Twitter]

By Joe Patrice
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.11.15

* Today's inspirational human being: An ordained minister in Alabama was arrested after offering to perform a same-sex marriage inside a probate judge's office. She says she'll do it again, even though she knows she'll likely be rearrested for doing so. [USA Today] * Meanwhile, Judge Callie V.S. Granade will hear arguments on whether she must order Alabama judges to issue marriage license to gay couples. Granade is the one who ruled the state's ban was unconstitutional in the first place. [New York Times] * Per Major Lindsey & Africa's 2014 Partner Compensation Survey, women partners have finally beaten men when it comes to law firm compensation. Wait, no, that's not true, it's just an "anomaly," and "[t]hese women might be outliers." [The Careerist] * Blank Rome's ex-chairman donated $5M to Villanova Law to establish an ethics and compliance center. You're a few years too late, pal. The school could've used an ethics and compliance center to avert its admissions scandal. [Philadelphia Inquirer] * "The legal profession can benefit from more diversity. Should those students only attend low-ranked law schools? Absolutely not." As we mentioned previously, law school diversity has improved, but only at the bottom. [National Law Journal]

By Staci Zaretsky
Biglaw

Morning Docket: 12.10.12

* “The people who are paying us say this is what we want.” When it comes to cross-border mergers, law firms aren’t becoming behemoths for the hell of it. The end goal is to be able to edge out the rest of the competition. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)] * It’s been six weeks since Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, and “[e]verybody wants to go back downtown,” but some Biglaw firms in New York City — firms like Harris Beach and Cahill Gordon — are still stuck in their temporary offices. [New York Law Journal] * Following Jeh Johnson’s adieu to the DoD, drone-loving Harold Koh will be packing up his office at the State Department and returning to Yale Law to resume his professorship next month. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)] * According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector is employing 5,800 more people than it was at this time last year. We’d be in good shape if 40,000 people hadn’t graduated law school in May. [Am Law Daily] * Another day, another wrist slap: Villanova Law has been placed on probation for by the Association of American Law Schools over its grade-inflation scandal. Does that even mean anything? [Philadelphia Inquirer] * The Lanier Law Firm, known for its spectacular Christmas parties, hosted some country superstars at this year’s event. Guess we know where Faith Hill and Tim McGraw go for legal assistance. [Houston Chronicle] * A slim majority of American adults think that federal government employees should just sit back, relax, and smoke a bowl instead of enforcing federal laws against marijuana use. [FiveThirtyEight / New York Times] * “I’m sorry they are confused in the White House.” Puerto Rico’s statehood referendum received a majority of votes, but lawmakers say the results of the two-part plebiscite are too confusing to add a 51st state. [CNN]

By Staci Zaretsky