Original Jurisdiction

Here’s the latest installment of Judicial Notice, the weekly legal news roundup that I send out each weekend to subscribers of Original Jurisdiction, my Substack newsletter. In this edition: a Republican AG’s unusual reversal, SCOTUS’s openness to regulating ‘ghost guns,’ Cleary’s about-face, and more talent grabs by Kirkland and Paul Hastings. Thanks to Lateral Link for sponsoring this edition of Judicial Notice as well as for the Job of the Week, opportunities for litigators with superb credentials in Miami or Washington, D.C. I'll post the information in the comments, and interested candidates can reach out to Abby Gordon at [email protected]. Thanks everyone, and have a great week! https://bit.ly/3BT4hAN #judge #judges #judiciary #federaljudge #federaljudges #federalcourt #judicial #judicialnomination #judicialnominations #legal #law #lawfirm #lawfirms #lawyer #lawyers #Biglaw #attorney #attorneys #legalnews #legalcareer #legalcareers #SCOTUS #supremecourt #biglaw Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Kirkland & Ellis Paul Hastings

Here’s the latest installment of Judicial Notice, the weekly legal news roundup that I send out each weekend to subscribers of Original Jurisdiction, my Substack newsletter. In this edition: fresh leadership for the Fifth Circuit, Kirkland’s latest coup, a noteworthy departure from the SEC, and a new boutique in a booming field. Thanks to Lateral Link for the Job of the Week, an opportunity for a junior to midlevel U.S. capital-markets associate in Singapore. I'll post the information in the comments, and interested candidates can reach out to Evan Jowers at [email protected]. And thanks to ShareFile for sponsoring this edition of Judicial Notice. Have a great week, everyone! https://bit.ly/3zRGGQt #judge #judges #judiciary #federaljudge #federaljudges #federalcourt #judicial #judicialnomination #judicialnominations #legal #law #lawfirm #lawfirms #lawyer #lawyers #Biglaw #attorney #attorneys #legalnews #legalcareer #legalcareers #SCOTUS #supremecourt #biglaw Kirkland & Ellis

Judge Jed Rakoff, 81, has served on the Southern District of New York since 1996. During his almost three decades on the bench, he has authored more than 2,000 opinions—many of them groundbreaking and headline-making, and some quite controversial. In addition to his prodigious judicial output, Judge Rakoff is a leading commentator on the American legal system. He contributes regularly to The New York Review of Books, and he wrote an excellent book of his own: Why the Innocent Plead Guilty and the Guilty Go Free, and Other Paradoxes of Our Broken Legal System (2021). With a new Term of the U.S. Supreme Court starting next week, I thought it would be interesting to interview Judge Rakoff about his latest column for The Review, which discusses the current Court—and doesn’t pull any punches. And in our conversation, Judge Rakoff didn’t walk back any of his criticism. When I asked him if he respects the Court, he artfully dodged—and later on in our interview, he described the Court’s rulings on gun control as not only “misguided,” but “immoral.” We found time to discuss fun stuff, too. We talked about his approach to clerk hiring—being in FedSoc is not a black mark—as well as his hobbies. In his spare time, he enjoys participating in international ballroom dance competitions (with his wife Ann), writing satirical lyrics to musical compositions, and officiating at weddings (91 and counting). Check it all out, in the latest Original Jurisdiction podcast. Thanks to Judge Rakoff for joining me, and thanks to NexFirm for sponsoring! https://bit.ly/3ZOrTk5 #podcast #podcasts #podcasting #law #lawyer #lawyers #attorney #attorneys #legalcareer #legalcareers #judge #judges #clerk #clerks #clerking #clerkship #clerkships #federaljudge #federaljudges #federaljudiciary #SCOTUS #SupremeCourt

Last week, two groups of rowdy protesters disrupted an in-person event at Berkeley Law. It appears that most of the protesters came from the outside. But as Dean Erwin Chemerinsky stated, "The protesters violated campus rules, and we will pursue accountability for any students involved." https://bit.ly/3ZMt182 #lawschool #lawschools #law #legal #legaleducation #protest #protesters #freespeech #Israel University of California, Berkeley - School of Law

Here’s the latest installment of Judicial Notice, the weekly legal news roundup that I send out each weekend to subscribers of Original Jurisdiction, my Substack newsletter. In this edition: a leading prosecutor takes on a top defense lawyer, a circuit judge calls out an AUSA, and another Am Law 100 firm grows by merger. Thanks to Lateral Link for the Job of the Week, an opportunity for a New York business-litigation associate. I'll post the information in the comments, and interested candidates can reach out to Vered Krasna at [email protected]. Thanks everyone, and have a great week! https://bit.ly/47L8tOW #judge #judges #judiciary #federaljudge #federaljudges #federalcourt #judicial #judicialnomination #judicialnominations #legal #law #lawfirm #lawfirms #lawyer #lawyers #Biglaw #attorney #attorneys #legalnews #legalcareer #legalcareers #SCOTUS #supremecourt #biglaw Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

What makes a judge a “superstar” of the federal bench? And how do appointees of former President Donald Trump fare in terms of achieving superstar status? For a new paper, Professors Stephen Choi and Mitu Gulati evaluated the performance of 77 federal appellate judges who were 55 or younger in 2020, on the reasoning that these jurists have the right combination of youth and judicial experience to be considered for the U.S. Supreme Court in the near future. The professors looked at productivity, influence, and independence. And they were surprised by what their research showed.... https://bit.ly/3ZDotAv #judge #judges #federaljudge #federaljudges #federaljudiciary #SupremeCourt #SCOTUS #law #legal

Here’s the latest installment of Judicial Notice, the weekly legal news roundup that I send out each weekend to subscribers of Original Jurisdiction, my Substack newsletter. In this edition: the federal criminal case against Sean Combs, the killing of a Kentucky judge, a stinging benchslap in a high-profile case, and Cahill’s comeback. Thanks to Lateral Link for the Job of the Week, an opportunity for a litigation associate in Los Angeles. I'll post the information in the comments, and interested candidates can reach out to Lauren Smith?at?[email protected]. Thanks everyone, and have a great week! https://bit.ly/3Bcr0b1 #judge #judges #judiciary #federaljudge #federaljudges #federalcourt #judicial #judicialnomination #judicialnominations #legal #law #lawfirm #lawfirms #lawyer #lawyers #Biglaw #attorney #attorneys #legalnews #legalcareer #legalcareers #SCOTUS #supremecourt #biglaw Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP

Where do I get my story ideas for Original Jurisdiction? Most arise organically out of the news, but some come from topic suggestions aka “pitches.” Sometimes pitches come from lawyers in the news, and sometimes they come from a lawyer or law firm’s public-relations or communications team—media-savvy professionals who work for attorneys and firms to help them secure favorable press (or avoid negative coverage). Over the years, one of my best sources of pitches has been Dawn Schneider. After graduating from law school, Dawn worked in communications for two major corporations, Johnson & Johnson and Altria. She then combined her legal and media expertise and pivoted to focus on law firms, serving as director of communications at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP. And then, ten years ago this month, she launched her own media-advisory firm, Schneider Group Media—where she continues to work for leading lawyers and law firms, as well as clients beyond the legal realm, helping them navigate a challenging, rapidly evolving media landscape. I have a fair number of readers who are interested in “alternative careers”—roles that don’t involve practicing law, but where legal education and experience are valuable. So I thought it would be enlightening and enjoyable to interview Dawn, who has deployed her legal training and talent for communication in a cool and unusual way. Thanks to Dawn for joining me, and thanks to NexFirm for sponsoring! https://bit.ly/4eqv3P8 #podcast #podcasts #podcasting #law #lawyer #lawyers #attorney #attorneys #legalcareer #legalcareers #litigation #litigator #litigators #communications #mediarelations #media #journalism #publicity #publicrelations #journalist #journalists #publicist #publicists #story #storytelling

Here’s the latest installment of Judicial Notice, the weekly legal news roundup that I send out each weekend to subscribers of Original Jurisdiction, my Substack newsletter. In this edition: a chief legal officer’s ill-advised romance, behind-the-scenes SCOTUS drama, more Biglaw mergers, and an acquisition of an elite boutique. Thanks to Lateral Link for the Job of the Week, an opportunity for a white-collar partner in D.C. or New York. I'll post the information in the comments, and interested candidates can reach out to principal Susan G. Agopian at?[email protected]. Thanks everyone, and have a great week! https://bit.ly/3MLHh99 #judge #judges #judiciary #federaljudge #federaljudges #federalcourt #judicial #judicialnomination #judicialnominations #legal #law #lawfirm #lawfirms #lawyer #lawyers #Biglaw #attorney #attorneys #legalnews #legalcareer #legalcareers #SCOTUS #supremecourt #biglaw

If you ask federal trial judges to name the toughest part of their job, most will cite sentencing. Sentencing a criminal defendant is a weighty decision, affecting years or even decades of that person’s life. And for many years, it was final: a judge couldn’t revisit it, even if there were major changes in the defendant or their circumstances. That changed in 2018, when Congress passed the?First Step Act?(FSA)—with overwhelming bipartisan support, including from then-president Donald Trump. Under one of the law’s most important provisions, a federal district judge can reconsider a previously imposed sentence and reduce it—even if that sentence was (and remains) lawful, and even if that sentence was life imprisonment. In his engaging and enlightening new book, "A Second Chance," Judge Frederic Block of the Eastern District of New York presents readers with six defendants who filed motions for compassionate release in his court. He asks us to reflect on whether we would reduce their sentences—then reveals how he ultimately ruled. Last week, I interviewed Judge Block about "A Second Chance"—and several other subjects, including when this 90-year-old judge might hang up his robes—for Original Jurisdiction. https://bit.ly/47mzIzn #FirstStepAct #law #lawyer #lawyers #attorney #attorneys #judge #judges #federaljudge #federaljudges #federaljudiciary #SCOTUS #SupremeCourt #criminallaw #criminaljustice #sentencing The New Press