Law Professors

Souter’s ‘Clerk Footprint’ Is Very Academic

Unlike four of his current colleagues on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice David Souter was never a law professor. Yet when he retires this summer, Souter’s legacy will live on through more than 70 former clerks. And a surprising number of them are academics: roughly half, reports the National Law…

May 12, 2009 6:57 PM CDT

John Yoo Hired as Monthly Columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer

John Yoo, under fire for writing legal memos approving harsh interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects, will now try his hand at writing on a regular basis for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Yoo was hired as a monthly Inquirer columnist late last year, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. The Inquirer’s editorial page…

May 12, 2009 6:45 PM CDT

Who Will Replace Souter? Today’s News: How to Pick a Strong Swing Justice

ABAJournal.com: “Few Zinger Quotes from Souter Reflect His Cautious Approach” Above the Law: “Supreme Speculation” Bloomberg: “Obama Court Decision Shaped by Years, Wife’s Advice “ Nation (editorial): “Following Souter” Los Angeles Times: “Supreme Court Watchers Eye Sonia Sotomayor” New York Times: “A Deep Bench” Washington Post: “N.Y. Federal Judge Likely…

May 7, 2009 9:30 PM CDT

Downturn’s Losers: BigLaw, ‘Entitled’ Associates, Top Schools

The downturn has likely ended the traditional BigLaw model that produces $160,000 starting salaries and relies on elite law schools to supply new associates. The situation is so bleak, according to Indiana University law professor William Henderson, that some law firm hiring managers believe associate start dates will be pushed…

May 7, 2009 3:12 PM CDT

Study Claims Bankruptcy Lawyers Are Billing Illegally

A new study claims bankruptcy lawyers are billing their clients illegally by failing to get court approval before collecting fees. The study found that the lawyers bill bankrupt companies for about 80 percent of their fees without first submitting the charges to a judge as required by the U.S. Bankruptcy…

May 7, 2009 1:00 PM CDT

Experts See Discipline Hurdles for Interrogation Memo Authors

Justice Department lawyers who wrote memos approving harsh interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects are unlikely to be disciplined for the legal advice, ethics experts say. Law professors and ethics experts tell the Washington Post that obstacles to ethics sanctions include difficulties in gathering witnesses and evidence and the lack of…

May 7, 2009 12:32 PM CDT

U of Denver Law Prof Dies Today After Bicycle Accident

An assistant professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law died today after a bicycle accident early yesterday. After initially saying in an e-mail to students that 32-year-old Erik Bluemel had been assaulted, law school officials later announced that police had determined he had a bicycle accident early…

May 6, 2009 10:15 PM CDT

10th Circuit Judge Michael McConnell to Step Down, Will Teach at Stanford

A constitutional law scholar has suddenly announced that he plans to step down from his lifetime appointment to the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and return to academia. Michael McConnell, 53, a constitutional scholar who formerly taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Utah, now…

May 6, 2009 1:29 AM CDT

Gay Rights Groups Back Lesbian Law Profs for Supreme Court

Gay rights groups are promoting two openly lesbian law professors from Stanford University to replace retiring Justice David H. Souter on the Supreme Court. Both women—former Stanford dean Kathleen Sullivan and law professor Pam Karlan—have been mentioned as possible replacements for Souter, Politico reports. The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund…

May 5, 2009 3:36 PM CDT

Should Souter Replacement Be a Judge?

As President Barack Obama mulls possible nominees for the upcoming vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, there’s no shortage of advice about the factors he should taken into consideration. Many have speculated that the president will select a woman to replace Justice David Souter after he retires. However, Obama should…

May 4, 2009 11:36 PM CDT

Trying Pig Tales

Law Professor Jonathan Turley is disheartened by the fact that surveys show many citizens can’t name the three branches of government or any of the basic liberties set forth in the Constitution. But he can’t suppress a smile every time he asks groups of sixth-graders to list what’s in the Bill of Rights.

May 2, 2009 3:10 AM CDT

Running for Election Requires Attorney to Disclose Client List, Law Dean Says

Should a lawyer running for election as city attorney have to disclose to the public a list of the clients he represented in private practice? There’s only one answer to that question: Yes, writes Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the new law school at the University of California at Irvine, in…

May 1, 2009 6:56 PM CDT

Fordham Law Class Collects Personal Info About Scalia; Supreme Ct. Justice Is Steamed

Last year, when law professor Joel Reidenberg wanted to show his Fordham University class how readily private information is available on the Internet, he assigned a group project. It was collecting personal information from the Web about himself. This year, after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia made public comments…

Apr 29, 2009 6:58 PM CDT

Are Law Schools Like Automakers? Dean Says Some Educators Will Fail

The law school dean in the news earlier this year for his charge that some law schools are “exploiting” unsuccessful students is getting more press attention for his predictions about the future of legal education. This time, Dean Richard Matasar of New York Law School was responding to an audience…

Apr 29, 2009 1:03 PM CDT

Law Prof Says Scalia Will Love His Original Intent Claim in Iraq Case

Rutgers University law professor Frank Askin contended in court arguments yesterday that the Iraq invasion violated the framers’ original intent. Askin contends the Iraq war is unconstitutional because Congress did not declare war on the country, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports. U.S. District Judge Jose Linares is considering whether to…

Apr 22, 2009 6:29 PM CDT