Joe Biden – Overlawyered https://www.overlawyered.com/ Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Sun, 15 Mar 2020 20:19:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Campus climate roundup https://www.overlawyered.com/2020/03/campus-climate-roundup-17/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2020/03/campus-climate-roundup-17/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2020 10:01:42 +0000 https://www.overlawyered.com/?p=73685 Held over from a week or two back when there were still “campuses” (a joke on that): Not just California: mandatory diversity statements (“diversity oath”) examples in recent hiring from Ohio State, U. of Connecticut, Purdue, Cornell [John Cochrane, earlier] Disturbing: Canadian bioethicist says “possible solution” to conscience-rights debate is to bar persons with scruples […]

Campus climate roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> Held over from a week or two back when there were still “campuses” (a joke on that):

  • Not just California: mandatory diversity statements (“diversity oath”) examples in recent hiring from Ohio State, U. of Connecticut, Purdue, Cornell [John Cochrane, earlier]
  • Disturbing: Canadian bioethicist says “possible solution” to conscience-rights debate is to bar persons with scruples against participating in medically assisted death or abortion from entering medical or pharmacy school in first place [Rachel Browne, Global News]
  • If you guessed North Carolina would not be friendly territory for obligatory social justice and cultural studies curriculum, you guessed wrong [David Randall, Martin Center]
  • Claim: clinical education in law schools is moving away from “the social justice values that have been [its] hallmark.” Another way of looking at it: it might be moving at last toward better viewpoint neutrality [Paul Caron/TaxProf]
  • “Joe Biden’s Record on Campus Due Process Has Been Abysmal. Is It a Preview of His Presidency?” [Emily Yoffe] “Harvard Debuts Anonymous Online Title IX Reporting Form” [Simone Chu and Iris Lewis, The Crimson]
  • “Bias Response Teams Silence Civic Debate” [George LaNoue, Law and Liberty on Speech First v. Fenves over University of Texas policies]
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Campus climate roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> https://www.overlawyered.com/2020/03/campus-climate-roundup-17/feed/ 2 “Law firm ‘bonuses’ tied to political donations” https://www.overlawyered.com/2016/11/law-firm-bonuses-tied-political-donations/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2016/11/law-firm-bonuses-tied-political-donations/#comments Sun, 13 Nov 2016 16:57:31 +0000 https://www.overlawyered.com/?p=61479 After initially resisting, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has agreed to return nearly $130,000 in donations she and her PAC received from the Boston-based Thornton Law Firm, known for asbestos plaintiff’s litigation. An investigation found the law firm paid $1.4 million in bonuses in patterns strongly suggesting they were being used to cover “straw donations” nominally […]

“Law firm ‘bonuses’ tied to political donations” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> After initially resisting, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has agreed to return nearly $130,000 in donations she and her PAC received from the Boston-based Thornton Law Firm, known for asbestos plaintiff’s litigation. An investigation found the law firm paid $1.4 million in bonuses in patterns strongly suggesting they were being used to cover “straw donations” nominally from partners [co-published Boston Globe/Open Secrets story; New York Post]

From 2010 through 2014, Strouss and Bradley along with founding partner Michael Thornton and his wife donated nearly $1.6 million to Democratic party fundraising committees and a parade of politicians from Senate minority leader Harry Reid of Nevada to Hawaii gubernatorial candidate David Ige to Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Over the same span, the lawyers received $1.4 million listed as “bonuses” in Thornton Law Firm records; more than 280 of the contributions precisely matched bonuses that were paid within 10 days.

That payback system, which involved other partners as well, helped make Thornton the 11th-ranked law firm nationally for political contributions in 2014, according to data analyzed by the Center, even though the firm is not among the 100 biggest in Massachusetts, much less the U.S.

Capitol Hill recipients of Thornton money include many figures who have played a role in blocking asbestos litigation reform, including Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.).

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“Law firm ‘bonuses’ tied to political donations” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> https://www.overlawyered.com/2016/11/law-firm-bonuses-tied-political-donations/feed/ 1 VP debate: the Tweets https://www.overlawyered.com/2012/10/vp-debate-twitter/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2012/10/vp-debate-twitter/#comments Fri, 12 Oct 2012 04:04:08 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=33444 A selection from my live-Tweets last night, as part of the Cato team, in reverse chronological order. For the entire team coverage, go here or here. One more Scalia, or nine, would not “ban” abortion. I’m guessing Biden knows that and quickly regretted misspeaking. #VPDebate — Walter Olson (@walterolson) October 12, 2012 Ryan feels it’s […]

VP debate: the Tweets is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> A selection from my live-Tweets last night, as part of the Cato team, in reverse chronological order. For the entire team coverage, go here or here.

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VP debate: the Tweets is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> https://www.overlawyered.com/2012/10/vp-debate-twitter/feed/ 3 Politics roundup https://www.overlawyered.com/2012/08/politics-roundup/ Thu, 02 Aug 2012 04:07:24 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=31719 Vice President Biden raises at least hundreds of thousands of dollars at AAJ annual convention in Chicago [PoL] Romney’s law and legal policy team [Brian Baxter, AmLaw Daily] Law star Ted Cruz advances toward Senate [David Lat, AtL] Can Republicans make hay out of Democrats’ platform endorsement of same-sex marriage? New Pew poll, as well […]

Politics roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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  • Vice President Biden raises at least hundreds of thousands of dollars at AAJ annual convention in Chicago [PoL] Romney’s law and legal policy team [Brian Baxter, AmLaw Daily]
  • Law star Ted Cruz advances toward Senate [David Lat, AtL]
  • Can Republicans make hay out of Democrats’ platform endorsement of same-sex marriage? New Pew poll, as well as May polling round, offers reasons to doubt that [my new post at Maryland for All Families]
  • “Why Citizens United Has Nothing to Do with What Ails American Politics” [Ilya Shapiro, The American, more]
  • Bridgeport mayor Joseph Ganim, of gun-suit fame, a step closer to getting law license back after serving 7-year prison term for corruption [Courant] Eight more indictments as the Connecticut corruption scandals roll on [Conn Post]
  • Rob McKenna’s star on rise in Washington; he’s pursued public-liability reform as the state’s attorney general [Daily Caller, earlier]
  • Bypassing public financing, West Virginia judicial candidates pour their own injury-law fortunes into races [Richie Heath, Charleston Daily Mail]
  • “How hot is it in DC today? Congressman Paul is using a paper money substitute because his actual money melted.” [Tim Carney]
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    Politics roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>         “Are One in Five College Women Sexually Assaulted?” https://www.overlawyered.com/2011/04/are-one-in-five-college-women-sexually-assaulted/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2011/04/are-one-in-five-college-women-sexually-assaulted/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 04:12:33 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=22402 The Obama administration ramps up a major new program to regulate universities — and builds its case on bogus statistics. [Heather Mac Donald, National Review; The Dartmouth] Tags: colleges and universities, Joe Biden, sexual assault

    “Are One in Five College Women Sexually Assaulted?” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     The Obama administration ramps up a major new program to regulate universities — and builds its case on bogus statistics. [Heather Mac Donald, National Review; The Dartmouth]

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    “Are One in Five College Women Sexually Assaulted?” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2011/04/are-one-in-five-college-women-sexually-assaulted/feed/ 46     September 30 roundup https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/september-30-roundup-4/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/september-30-roundup-4/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:51:48 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=7614 Trips over firefighter’s bag at rescue scene, now wants cash from city [Salem, Mass., News] Oh, my: “Bidens owe SimmonsCooper [huge mass tort firm in Madison County, Ill.] $1 million in hedge fund deal” [MC Record, earlier] Update: plenty more in a Wednesday WSJ editorial. Florida Supreme Court rejects latest attempt by attorney Montgomery Blair […]

    September 30 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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  • Trips over firefighter’s bag at rescue scene, now wants cash from city [Salem, Mass., News]
  • Oh, my: “Bidens owe SimmonsCooper [huge mass tort firm in Madison County, Ill.] $1 million in hedge fund deal” [MC Record, earlier] Update: plenty more in a Wednesday WSJ editorial.
  • Florida Supreme Court rejects latest attempt by attorney Montgomery Blair Sibley to resist discipline [North Country Gazette]
  • “Women’s advocacy groups have persuaded Congress to begin intensive Title IX equity reviews of science programs.” Bad news for American academic science [Sommers, AEI/Teachers College Record]
  • You may have run into everyone’s favorite fashion law blog. But did you know there’s also a furniture law blog? [Womble Carlyle; via Blawg Review #179 at Securing Innovation]
  • Eavesdrop on jury deliberations, get wind of defense verdict, move quick to settle case? That would be a very naughty thing for a lawyer to do [American Justice Partnership]
  • Myrhvold the last straw: “Up until now I have been criticized in many corners for taking the side of so-called patent trolls. …No tax policy could ever do as much damage to an economy.” [Gene Quinn, PatentFools.com, also via above]
  • Okay, towns, build sidewalks or else [four years ago on Overlawyered]
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    September 30 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/september-30-roundup-4/feed/ 2     Microblog 2008-09-24 https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/microblog-2008-09-24/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/microblog-2008-09-24/#comments Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:59:59 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/2008/09/microblog-2008-09-24/ Both McC and Palin seem cold-blooded about firing people, might be seen as feature rather than bug [McLaughlin/Baseball Crank] # Legal obstacles to four day work week [Point of Law via @lilyhill] # Yep, that’s Joe: Biden said he’s “done more than any other senator combined” for trial lawyers [Point of Law] # Day of […]

    Microblog 2008-09-24 is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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  • Both McC and Palin seem cold-blooded about firing people, might be seen as feature rather than bug [McLaughlin/Baseball Crank] #
  • Legal obstacles to four day work week [Point of Law via @lilyhill] #
  • Yep, that’s Joe: Biden said he’s “done more than any other senator combined” for trial lawyers [Point of Law] #
  • Day of protest against software patents [OUT-LAW via @lawtweets] #
  • Related? “EPO staff strike over patent quality” [OUT-LAW] #
  • What a curious Nigerian scam email, do you think it could be genuine? [Cernovich] #
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    Microblog 2008-09-24 is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/microblog-2008-09-24/feed/ 1     September 11 roundup https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/september-11-roundup/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/september-11-roundup/#comments Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:09:45 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=7523 It’s still not over: Judge Roy Pearson of lost-pants fame returns to court with appeal against Custom Cleaners owners, the Chung family [WJLA] Columbus cops’ class action: dept. shouldn’t have asked us what our ailments were when we took sick leave [Dispatch] Culture Warrior Jeff Bell hopes Palin will reverse trends that have “legitimated a […]

    September 11 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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  • It’s still not over: Judge Roy Pearson of lost-pants fame returns to court with appeal against Custom Cleaners owners, the Chung family [WJLA]
  • Columbus cops’ class action: dept. shouldn’t have asked us what our ailments were when we took sick leave [Dispatch]
  • Culture Warrior Jeff Bell hopes Palin will reverse trends that have “legitimated a contraceptive ethic” [Weekly Standard] Better not count on it [York, NRO “Corner”]
  • RIAA has now filed 30,000 lawsuits against file-sharing music fans [Wired “Threat Level”, Ambrogi]
  • Recently at Point of Law: Ohio’s Supreme Court in the balance this November; Biden vs. legal reform; guestblogging by Peggy Little and Jane Genova; Lilly Ledbetter at Democratic convention; big Peter Angelos cellphone-cancer case strikes out; call for Australian no-fault cerebral palsy fund; and more;
  • Massachusetts high court ruling that docs can be sued over their patients’ medication-impaired behavior is predictably leading to new suits [Globe, Brockton hospital crash; earlier]
  • What Alinsky-style “community organizers” do [York, NRO via Bookworm Room] “Organizers break laws if they have to.” [Thomas Geoghegan @ Slate — and he’s being admiring]
  • California trial lawyers successfully gut original Schwarzenegger plan to reform award of punitive damages [four years ago on Overlawyered]
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    September 11 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/september-11-roundup/feed/ 4     White House race roundup https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/white-house-race-roundup-2/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/white-house-race-roundup-2/#comments Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:23:57 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=7508 High-profile trial lawyer and Hillary fundraiser John Coale now backing McCain, believes plaintiff-friendly Sen. Lindsey Graham, a confidant of the GOP candidate, will sway him on liability issues [Gerstein, NY Sun, Tapper/ABC, Haddad/Newsweek] More on McCain-Graham friendship [New Republic] Reasonably neutral evaluation of contrasting McCain and Obama positions [Chris Nichols, NC Trial Law Blog] No […]

    White House race roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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  • High-profile trial lawyer and Hillary fundraiser John Coale now backing McCain, believes plaintiff-friendly Sen. Lindsey Graham, a confidant of the GOP candidate, will sway him on liability issues [Gerstein, NY Sun, Tapper/ABC, Haddad/Newsweek] More on McCain-Graham friendship [New Republic]
  • Reasonably neutral evaluation of contrasting McCain and Obama positions [Chris Nichols, NC Trial Law Blog]
  • No Naderite he? Sen. Biden has generally taken a “protect the golden goose” approach toward his state’s niche as provider of corporate law [Pileggi, Bainbridge]
  • Palin’s views on legal reform mostly unknown; Alaska (like Delaware) has one of the most highly regarded state legal systems, and wouldn’t it be fun if the state’s distinctive and longstanding (if somewhat attenuated) loser-pays rule got mentioned in the campaign?
  • Lending spice to campaign: prospect that victorious Dems might criminally prosecute Bush officials [Guardian (U.K.), Memeorandum, OpenLeft (“we’ll put people in prison” vows whistleblower trial lawyer/Democratic Florida Congressional candidate Alan Grayson)] Some differences of opinion among Obama backers on war crimes trials [Turley (Cass Sunstein flayed for go-slow approach); Kerr @ Volokh (Dahlia Lithwick doesn’t think it has to be Nuremberg or nothing); earlier]
  • If anyone’s keeping track of these things, co-blogger Ted is much involved with the McCain campaign this fall, I am not involved with anyone’s, so discount (or don’t discount) accordingly.
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    White House race roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/white-house-race-roundup-2/feed/ 8     September 3 roundup https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/september-3-roundup/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/09/september-3-roundup/#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:05:21 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=7492 Eeeeeeuw: House of Meats employees show reporter “they have all ten of their fingers” after customer reports human digit in her dish of oxtails [BayNews 9 Tampa] Press keeps digging into Joe Biden ties to asbestos bar [American Lawyer, more links in PoL roundup] Black eye for big law site FindLaw with reports that it’s […]

    September 3 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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  • Eeeeeeuw: House of Meats employees show reporter “they have all ten of their fingers” after customer reports human digit in her dish of oxtails [BayNews 9 Tampa]
  • Press keeps digging into Joe Biden ties to asbestos bar [American Lawyer, more links in PoL roundup]
  • Black eye for big law site FindLaw with reports that it’s been selling law firms links in editorial material, a practice sure to raise Google wrath [Oilman, Kevin O’Keefe/Real Lawyers Have Blogs, ABA Journal, Search Engine Land, National Post] More: WSJ on FindLaw’s denial; O’Keefe.
  • Overlawyered favorite Fred Baron, of Rielle Hunter generosity, much in evidence at Democratic convention [Dallas Morning News, ABC News] Texas trial lawyer Steve Susman is only individual lawyer listed as convention sponsor [AmLaw Daily, scroll]
  • As if legislative expansion of the Americans with Disabilities Act weren’t worry enough, 1,000 pages of new DoJ regulations will add billions in costs, as by requiring that 50 percent of miniature golf holes be wheelchair-accessible [Las Vegas Review-Journal via ABA Journal]
  • “Bond reduced for two fen-phen attorneys” in Kentucky [Lexington Herald-Leader, more]
  • Cozen O’Connor and insurers dealt big setback as Second Circuit’s Judge Jacobs rules they can’t sue Saudi government over 9/11 [Philadelphia Inquirer, more; related on FOIA, Legal Intelligencer; earlier here and here]
  • Jury awards $500,000 in malpractice suit against D.C.-based plaintiffs’ firm Cohen Milstein Hausfeld & Toll [Legal Times]
  • Australia: “A serial protester who injured a policewoman during the G20 riots wants her conviction overturned so she can still practise as a lawyer.” [Melbourne Herald Sun, Julia Dehm]
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    September 3 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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