Violence Against Women Act

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.29.19

* President Trump claims that the FBI and the DOJ will be investigating the Jussie Smollett case because it’s an “absolute embarrassment to our country.” Meanwhile, in more realistic news, Chicago wants the Empire actor to pay $130,000 to cover the costs of the officers who worked on the case. [Wall Street Journal] * According to Diane Feinstein, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat, “the blue slip is essentially dead.” May the century-old tradition rest in peace. [Big Law Business] * Jessie Liu, Trump’s pick for third-in-command at the Justice Department upon the recommendation of Attorney General William Barr, has withdrawn from consideration after facing conservative opposition for her association with the National Association of Women Lawyers, an organization she once led. [Reuters] * C. Allen Parker, the former Cravath presiding partner who brought Biglaw the $180K salary scale and left the firm to become general counsel at Wells Fargo, will now serve as interim CEO and president at the troubled bank. Best of luck... [Corporate Counsel] * In case you missed it, the NRA is planning to oppose renewal of the Violence Against Women Act due to provisions that would prevent people who have committed domestic abuse from obtaining firearms. That’s just swell. [The Hill] * Roberta Kaplan, the founding partner at Kaplan Hecker & Fink who represented Edith Windsor in the landmark Supreme Court case that obliterated the Defense of Marriage Act and co-founded the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, will be speaking at Harvard Law’s 2019 Class Day Ceremony. Congratulations! [Harvard Law Today]

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.24.18

* How awesome is Ruth Bader Ginsburg? The Supreme Court justice had two cancerous growths removed from her left lung on Friday and voted from her hospital bed to reject Trump's asylum ban. Nothing can keep her down. [NBC News] * Acting AG Matt Whitaker is getting to know the President in the same way his predecessor did. Word on the street is that Trump was royally pissed that Whitaker allowed federal prosecutors to make him look bad in Michael Cohen's criminal case. [CNN] * Just because the government's shut down doesn't mean your federal cases will be put on hold. Federal courts have funding to get through three more weeks, and "the Southern District of New York will NOT shut down." [New York Law Journal] * As a result of the government shutdown, the Violence Against Women Act was allowed to expire, which means that programs to assist victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse, and stalking will be left without funding. Ugggggh. [Roll Call] * A former employee at UT Law was recently indicted on charges of theft, money laundering, and abuse of official capacity. He's been accused of taking $300K or more from the law school and faces up to 99 years in prison. [Austin American-Statesman]