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Well, we wouldn’t be surprised. We’ve covered declining applications and demand. We’ve seen that very few schools are actually cutting seats to compensate. (In fact, some have actually added seats.) And we all know how desperate schools are to maintain their rankings. How do you maintain your ranking? Bribery, through scholarships (maintaining high admissions standards is key), and faculty salaries (academic reputation counts too). More scholarships, and more salaries, with less revenue means: red....

District court’s grant of a preliminary injunction against defendant from manufacturing generic version of a drug for treating respiratory diseases, and finding plaintiff’s kit claims invalid Astrazeneca LP v. Apotex, Inc., 09-1381, concerned a challenge to the district court’s grant of a preliminary injunction barring defendant from launching a generic version of a budesonide drug for treating respiratory diseases, made and distributed under the approval of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by plaintiff and covered under method and kit claims in plaintiff’s patents, and determination that the kit claims are invalid....

A disgruntled ex-BigLaw associate took to Reddit yesterday to call out her old firm and explain why she left the law. Kristen Jarvis Johnson says she was a partner-track associate for nine years with Squire Patton Boggs. While at the firm, she experienced “blatant gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and a very clear glass ceiling,” she wrote on Reddit. So Johnson quit her job, walked away from her a nearly $400,000-a-year income, and now wants everyone to know just how awful her time in BigLaw was....

Koretoff v. Vilsack, No. 09-5286, involved an Administrative Procedure Act challenge to a Department of Agriculture rule mandating that almonds produced in the U.S. be pasteurized or chemically treated to prevent salmonella outbreaks. The court affirmed in part the dismissal of the action on the ground that the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act required certain plaintiffs to exhaust their administrative remedies with the Department of Agriculture. However, the court reversed in part on the ground that the AMAA did not expressly bar producers’ suits, and in light of the decisions of the Supreme Court and the D....

In the state of Oklahoma, the legislature is considering a bill that is affectionately being called the ‘Flying Pig Bill.’ And while some might think based on the name that the bill has as much chance at passing as a pig has at flying, that’s where they’d be wrong. Unfortunately, no pigs will be flying or taking off if this bill passes. The name is actually a bit of a misnomer, as the bill is actually proposing to allow hunters who go after feral hogs to hire helicopters and other aircrafts to use for aerial hunting....

There are plenty of lawyers with criminal backgrounds. Many ex-cons-cum-lawyers cite their past troubles as the reason they first pursued a legal career. When it comes to drug convictions, however, it can be even harder to turn things around. For one, drug convictions can disqualify students from federal student aid. Turns out a past conviction can also get you kicked out of law school. That’s what happened to David Powers, a rehabilitated drug user and part-time law student who was kicked out after the school found out that he had been charged, but not tried, for dealing....

What happens if you file suit against foreign royals? How is process served? The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a Brooklyn artist who brought suit against the Saudi royal family for breach of contract. The artist, Elli Bern Angellino, sued 16 members of the Al-Saud royal family for $12 million for failing to pay him for artwork they allegedly commissioned. The lawsuit was dismissed by the district court for procedural issues....

Just a week after the Supreme Court heard arguments over whether states must allow same sex marriage, the question may become moot. Indeed, the advancement of gay and lesbian rights from Stonewall on may be reversed as the result of a stunning legal challenge filed in federal court in Omaha. Sylvia Driskell is suing, as a personal representative of God and Jesus, all the homosexuals and their allies. She wants to court to determine, once and for all, “Is Homosexuality a sin....

Congratulations are certainly in order for Justice Adrienne C. Nelson, who, last week, was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court. Rather surprisingly, throughout the history of the Oregon Supreme Court, there has never been an African American justice before Judge Nelson. In fact, the same holds true for all of Oregon’s appellate court system as well. Judge Nelson is rather happy to be breaking barriers, making history, and providing a positive role model to the minority children in the state....

Justice will not be delayed at Georgetown’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection. The institute, which was launched to show students how to fight for constitutional rights and values, filed an amicus brief the same day in ODonnell v. Harris County, a high-profile case that questions the practice of jailing poor defendants. “(Detaining indigent defendants based solely on their inability to pay money bail, while others similarly situated but able to pay are released, offends the Constitution, undermines confidence in the criminal justice system, impedes the work of prosecutors, and fails to promote safer communities,” the brief says....

When my brother was applying to law school, the first site I sent him to was the Law School Admissions Council’s GPA and LSAT search. You enter your LSAT score and GPA, and it gives you probabilities of admission based on previous years’ data. It’s a great place to start sorting schools into “safety,” “reach,” and everywhere in between. Once that list was made, however, I pointed him to Law School Transparency, the movement and the website dedicated to providing prospective law students with all of the data needed to make an educated decision on whether and where to attend law school....

NBA all-star Kevin Garnett has blocked more than 2,000 shots over his 19-year NBA career. But a blocked view in his exclusive Malibu, California, neighborhood may land Garnett in some serious trouble. A neighbor is suing KG, claiming Garnett’s untrimmed trees are blocking his ocean view and alleging that Garnett made illegal renovations to his home, TMZ reports. What’s the scoop on this high-dollar neighbor dispute? The neighbor’s lawsuit claims that Kevin Garnett failed to obtain the proper permits when he renovated his $9....

If you are fortunate enough to have a busy legal practice, it may be hard to force yourself to take a vacation. But you should consider it; a little time off can head off burnout. Since we’re in the middle of the summer, it seems like an appropriate time to discuss how to prepare to leave your office behind for a break. Here are five attorney vacation tips to help prevent your trip from causing you trouble:...

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a California law banning gay conversion therapy for minors, reports Reuters. California was the first state to enact such a ban, and the bill’s author, State Senator Ted Lieu of Torrance stated: “Today’s federal court opinion puts another nail in the coffin for the discredited and harmful practice of gay-conversion therapy. … Now the law has caught up to the truth: Sexual orientation is not a mental illness or defect....

No good deed goes unpunished, including those good deeds you can’t account for. That’s the problem facing PayPay and its PayPal Charitable Giving Fund. The company is being sued for failing to account for funds that users donate to charities through its website. The class action lawsuit, filed in Chicago’s federal district court, does not allege that PayPay takes the money and runs. Rather, it says PayPal takes the donations intended for certain charities and then gives it to other charities....

Conviction of defendant for assault with a deadly weapon is affirmed where: 1) defendant’s proposed instruction based on CALCRIM No. 3471 was irrelevant to the jury’s consideration of whether defendant acted in reasonable self-defense; and 2) because CALCRIM No. 3471 concerns the preliminary factual question of whether a defendant has the right to act in self-defense, the trial court’s unqualified instruction on reasonable self-defense rendered that instruction unnecessary. Read People v....

In defendant’s constitutional challenge to voter-passed Proposition 83, which modified the terms by which sexually violent predators (SVP) can be released from civil commitment under the Sexually Violent Predators Act, trial court’s judgment is affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part where: 1) defendant’s due process and ex post facto challenges were without merit; but 2) with respect to an equal protection claim, the state has not yet carried its burden of demonstrating why SVP’s, but not any other ex-felons subject to civil commitment, such as mentally retarded disordered offenders, are subject to indefinite commitment....

Having sex with a dog can be a crime in Florida, but it depends on the type of sex. Eric Antunes was accused of possessing child pornography. Acting on a tip, Clearwater police investigated the man and found the porn on his computer, reports The Tampa Bay Times. Antunes admitted to downloading and watching the child porn, but when police searched his cell phone and other belongings, they made a discovery that was equally disgusting....

Just like in life, there are crossroads in law. Sometimes a lawyer will stand at the crossroads of a career decision. Other times, it may happen while facing a cross-over of legal questions. For attorney Jason Pearl, it was a little of both. Unfortunately, he went down the wrong road. Professional Irresponsibility Pearl defended Veronika Perakos in a dispute with her condominium association. She owed about $22,000 in assessments and other fees....

New Jersey has no love for saggy pants, especially after the mayor of Wildwood proposed a ban on droopy drawers in an attempt to raise standards. Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. is rallying behind the ban in hopes that he can lessen the amount of “rear ends sticking out” along his city’s boardwalk, reports ABC News. Wildwood isn’t the only city trying to bring order to a beltless world, and other cities have already successfully implemented saggy pants laws....