Law Students

Release of Rehnquist Papers Begins

Posted on November 18, 2008
Rehnquist's papers and files began to be released today. Find two articles describing his appointment by Nixon, decisions to recuse, and his personal file on Roe v. Wade, here, and here. Also find a catalogue of the files, here.

HRC as SoS?

Posted on November 14, 2008
Rumors were that she was in consideration. Now Nico Pitney at HuffPo is reporting that she has been offered the job, and that she has asked for time to "consider". Two things:1. While I didn't support Clinton in the primary, there is no doubt that she is tough as beans, and has the street cred to represent the United States on the world stage admirably...

The Big Green "O" Stands for "OMG"

Posted on November 13, 2008
So now the WSJ Law Blog and Above The Law are reporting that Orrick is going to be laying off 40 attorneys (and 35 staff). In the comments on another post, I've been debating with McWho on whether the collapse of Heller and Thelen are primarily the result of the economy or poor management...

Crazy Ivan

Posted on November 12, 2008
Just want to point out the ridiculously fast reversal of the 9th Circuit and vacatur of the district court's preliminary injunction in the Navy Sonar case. Our tree hugger-in-residence, Max Power, probably thinks this is the end of Environmental Law...

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Assassins

Posted on November 11, 2008
Just saw this on ATL. We used to do something similar in college, and it was a blast. I propose we try to get this started at Boalt for next semester. Is there interest? Sound off below.

Boalt Hall is Filthy.

Posted on November 11, 2008
And notwithstanding our massive tuition increases, I don't mean it's filthy rich.For the past week, construction crews have become Berkeley's butchest custodians, using power washers to scrape the grime off the courtyard walls. I would guess that the building exterior hasn't been cleaned in half a century, and it shows...

Berkeley vs. The LSAT

Posted on November 11, 2008
Looks like researchers right here in B-town are hard at work in designing a new law school admissions test that would correlate with success not as a 1L, but as a lawyer. What a novel concept.If this saves just one future student from having to spend a month learning "tricks" on the logic games, it will have been worth it...

Oh Sh!t.

Posted on November 11, 2008
ATL is reporting that White and Case is conducting widespread layoffs.Up to this point, layoffs had been covert or limited to less affluent firms (for the most part).The actions today by White and Case bring layoffs to the highest tier of law firms. I ask: have the floodgates been opened for all of the others?

Facebooks Have Arrived

Posted on November 10, 2008
. . . and everyone in the 2L class, whose pictures carried over from last year, looks ten years younger. It's doubtful that the 1L's will ever face the same problem -- their pictures (carried over either from their student ID cards or from wanted posters at the post office, I can't tell) came out so pixilated that they look ten years older...

Accommodating Prop 8

Posted on November 10, 2008
Con Law Professor GL discusses today in the LA Times a few of the legal issues surrounding the ban on gay marriage. Most Boalties are probably familiar with them by now.A question he didn't address, and one I would like to hear about, is this:What happens when a same-sex married couple approaches a state bureaucrat and asks for a state benefit normally accorded to married couples, and the bureaucrat refuses because granting the benefit would violate the California Constitution as amended on November 4th?

More Whining, But at Least Mostly Justified

Posted on November 09, 2008
I'm hearing reports from a number of 2Ls who have unsuccessfully petitioned to avoid taking the ethics requirement next semester. This contradicts what a number of 3Ls told me about last year, which is that the petitions were kind of a joke and all were granted...

Post-MPRE Love

Posted on November 08, 2008
The sentiment around Oakland's Alameda County Conference Center around noon today was that the MPRE this time around was either (a) harder than usual or (b) something we all should have actually studied for.Here's a thread for post-exam discussion bitching...

This is the Endley

Posted on November 06, 2008
I have to limit this to a few quick thoughts, but here they are:a) Edley is the kind of administrator who gets to the nitty gritty, plans the details, and then executes. Current Boalties have not had the pleasure of seeing the law school before the DE era (and for females, this is a very good thing)...

Berkeley Parties for Obama

Posted on November 05, 2008
Is this it? Is this how it feels to be proud of your country? Not to go all Michelle Obama on you, but that's all I could think as I traversed three of the undoubtedly many Berkeley block parties that sprung up around town tonight. Don't get me wrong...

The Edley Over-Under

Posted on November 05, 2008
It's a new day in America.In light of the inspirational and historic milestone of Obama's election, it's time for Democrats all over the country to ask: "What's in it for me?" Or perhaps more charitably: "How can I get involved?"Which brings us to DE, who's been rushing to start construction before election day...

Two Questions

Posted on November 05, 2008
First, the Washington Post has announced that Dean Edley is on the board of Obama's transition team. Now, DE may not have Potomac fever, but all the same . . . which lucky journal will take over his office when he moves to Washington this spring? Second, and tangentially related, how many Supreme Court justices will retire by this time next year, and what are their names?[Update: I'll be damned if Carbolic preempts my preempt...

Still so far away...

Posted on November 05, 2008
On one level, I find it incredible that a state in which 61% of the voters decided to elect a black man president also decided to pass Prop. 8. Why is it okay to break the racial barrier, but not okay to allow gay people access to the same kinds of rights we give everyone else? What really gets me is the way the Yes on 8 campaign was run - essentially threatening people that if they didn't vote for Prop...

Yes, we did.

Posted on November 04, 2008
Barak Obama is the next President of the United States.

DO NOT VOTE

Posted on November 04, 2008
...for Shirley Dean. Okay, here are Carbolic's local election recommendations.Do not vote for Shirley Dean for mayor. (I'm sick of Berkeley looneys; also, she wants to make UCB pay millions to Berkeley. My response: Screw off. We were here first.)2. Do not vote for Phil Daly...

Barack the Vote

Posted on November 03, 2008
If I'm any indication, then the legal/political junkies around the Boalt community will be very restless in the next 24-48 hours. So, here's an open thread to vent your thoughts, frustrations, and share any links/videos you find worthwhile. (You may also wish fond farewells to DE, the future White House counsel if Obama wins)...

Funnier than Fiction

Posted on November 01, 2008
"In an over-the-top accent, one half of a notorious Quebec comedy duo claims to be the president of France as he describes sex with his famous wife, the joy of killing animals and Hustler magazine's latest Sarah Palin porno spoof.At the other end of the line? An oblivious Sarah Palin...

I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight

Posted on October 31, 2008
The liberal blogosphere is abuzz with Sen. Stevens' latest argument that "There's not a black mark by my name yet, until the appeal is over and I am finally convicted, if that happens. If that happens, of course I'll do what's right for Alaska and for the Senate...

The blue-ification of the Mountain West

Posted on October 30, 2008
The most reliably Republican section of the United States in the last 40 years has been the Mountain West - the birthplace of both Patrick and yours truly - which comprises the states of Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and the Dakotas (few mountains, but similar political atmospheres)...

Bar Review Location Change for TODAY

Posted on October 30, 2008
Forwarded on behalf of the Committee:Bar Review has officially been moved to Becketts. The signs will be changed within the hour, but please spread the word. It really has been a very long time since many of us have gotten together (and no, sitting near one another in Tax or Crim Pro does not count)...

Nobody Likes a Tattletale

Posted on October 30, 2008
Thank you, Boalt 2L's, for not exhibiting the poor judgement and lack of foresight that a Michigan 2L demonstrated today by forwarding a letter from their CDO to the Wall Street Journal Law Blog.*The Michigan CDO's letter encourages students with offers from White & Case to look elsewhere, as the firm may have over-hired its 2009 summer class...

Vote early, vote often

Posted on October 29, 2008
Yesterday, Florida governor Charlie Crist declared a State of Emergency. Why? To enable polls to stay open 12 hours a day in order to accommodate the number of people who are voting early.Meanwhile, a judge in Ohio has ruled that homeless people must be allowed to list the place where they sleep most often, such as a park bench or doorway, as their address...

People deserving public shaming, part 37

Posted on October 29, 2008
...non-disabled Boalt students that park in the handicapped spot in front of Simon Hall. If you are able to walk from one corner of Boalt Hall to another without showing any sign of disability or fatigue, then you can walk from Underhill parking lot like everyone else...

What? No Boalt?

Posted on October 28, 2008
"PreLaw Magazine" (HT: Matt) attempts to rate the top 75 public interest law schools. What's interesting, is that they somehow missed ours. That, or they confused us with Stanford.

From "Heller's Hell" to "Thelen of Troy"

Posted on October 28, 2008
The first major law firm casualty in this down economy was Heller.Word out of the SF Chronicle is that Thelen is likely next. In part, the Chron says "there's no question that Thelen soon won't exist as Thelen." Tough words. Let us all hope everyone lands on their feet...

The Distinguished Gentleman*

Posted on October 27, 2008
Following a weekend thumping of my beloved Bruins, Monday brought more bad news with the conviction of former Bruin, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). Aside from being a Bruin, the Senator spoke at Boalt in 2007 I believe. With that said, I cannot hide my glee that such an opponent of environmental regulation may finally be out of office...

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