Legal Education

7th Circuit judge has ‘penchant for confabulation,’ losing law prof alleges in law review article

A retired University of Chicago law professor who represented former Illinois Gov. George Ryan is striking out at a respected federal appeals judge for an alleged “penchant for confabulation,” “questionable” rulings and “bullying” of lawyers on both sides of the case. The former law professor, Albert Alschuler, unsuccessfully represented Ryan…

Jul 28, 2016 7:30 AM CDT

What skills do new lawyers need now—and what can wait? Database lets you search for answers

So, young law grad entering private practice, are you confident, on time and diligent? Great! But if you lag in cultivating networks or handling conflicts, don’t worry, you have time. On a day many law students are facing the challenge of state bar exams, the Institute for the Advancement of…

Jul 26, 2016 12:14 PM CDT

These are the top-rated law schools in the nation’s cheapest cities

Want a good legal education while saving on living expenses? Law.com has compiled a list of the law schools that are highest-ranked by U.S. News in the nation’s most affordable cities, as ranked by Forbes. First, Law.com starts with the cheapest cities and finds the best-ranked law schools in those…

Jul 25, 2016 8:00 AM CDT

Georgetown law prof is hired as ACLU’s national legal director

Georgetown law professor David Cole has a new job as national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Cole will oversee the ACLU’s Supreme Court practice and manage the work of nearly 300 staff attorneys at the ACLU, according to a press release. He takes over the new job…

Jul 22, 2016 10:30 AM CDT

Deborah Rhode is at war with complacency (podcast)

Stanford Law School professor Deborah Rhode is the enemy of complacency. This Legal Rebels Trailblazer is one of the most cited scholars in legal ethics, though she wears many more hats. She has carved out specialties in discrimination (ranging from race and gender to the unfair advantages that flow to physical beauty, often probing their intersection with legal ethics) and in criticism of legal education itself.

Jul 20, 2016 8:45 AM CDT

Law professor files ethics complaints against Baltimore prosecutors in Freddie Gray cases

A public-interest law professor is filing complaints seeking the disbarment of two prosecutors with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney Office for actions in the prosecution of police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, the Baltimore Sun reports. Professor John F. Banzhaf III of the George Washington University Law School…

Jul 19, 2016 4:00 PM CDT

Which law schools’ grads have the least amount of debt?

Based on its annual survey, US News & World Report has identified 10 law schools where the average student who took out loans has less than $70,000 of debt. The survey focuses on 2015 graduates who took on law school debt. Graduates of the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson…

Jul 19, 2016 2:00 PM CDT

Trump’s VP pick practiced law at a small firm; he wouldn’t wish law school ‘on a dog I didn’t like’

Donald Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, once practiced law at a small firm that handled a variety of legal work, including contract disputes and negotiations, real-estate transactions and landlord-tenant issues. Pence graduated from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1986, but he didn’t enjoy his…

Jul 18, 2016 11:10 AM CDT

In a BigLaw first, Orrick will pay new associates an extra $100 a month toward student loans

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe announced on Friday that it will give a boost to new associates with student debt by paying them an extra $100 a month towards principal. The new perk, scheduled to start in September, will be paid until the new associates are eligible for their first bonus,…

Jul 15, 2016 9:54 AM CDT

Law prof finds a teaching moment in student criticism of her Black Lives Matter T-shirt

Wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt does not demonstrate that someone hates all white people, and to assume so is factually flawed, a Whittier Law School professor wrote to students in a two-part memo, after one or more anonymous students complained that her campus attire was “inappropriate” and “highly offensive.”…

Jul 12, 2016 4:42 PM CDT

Harvard law prof credits his faith for helping him cope with Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Harvard law professor Charles Ogletree revealed his Alzheimer’s diagnosis during a speech last week to members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Ogletree, 63, credited his faith for helping him cope with the diagnosis, the Religion News Service reports. “I’ve made up my mind to be thankful for what I…

Jul 12, 2016 1:28 PM CDT

New 2-year law program will get grads to job market quicker, save them tuition costs, dean says

Albany Law School has announced a two-year JD program that shaves a year’s worth of tuition off the price. The 24-month program is scheduled to start in January 2017, according to the school’s website. It includes two summer terms, and students need 87 credits to graduate. Annual tuition at the…

Jul 12, 2016 11:35 AM CDT

Could a split Supreme Court cause a ‘constitutional nightmare’ in a presidential election standoff?

New York University law professor Burt Neuborne is no fan of Bush v. Gore, the 2000 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended a vote recount and paved the way for George W. Bush to become president. But the nation could have been worse off if the court were shorthanded a…

Jul 12, 2016 7:30 AM CDT

Obama can use pardon powers to stop deportations, law prof says in op-ed

President Barack Obama could use his pardon power to partly implement his deferred deportation program, according to a law professor’s op-ed. Writing in the New York Times, Benjamin Cardozo School of Law professor Peter Markowitz says the president’s pardon power extends to “all offenses against the United States,” which could…

Jul 8, 2016 7:30 AM CDT

Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center gets new name after $15 million donation

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School is getting a $15 million donation from Michael R. Klein, who received an LLM from the school. It has been renamed the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, according to a Harvard Law press release, and the donation…

Jul 5, 2016 12:06 PM CDT