Dickstein Shapiro

The partners allege they're owed more than $4 million.

After nine months, these associates have finally learned their new salaries.

* Welcome to the Trump era! Have you considered pro bono work? [The American Lawyer]

* Speaking of Republican leadership, former Speaker and Dickstein Shapiro alum Dennis Hastert trying to get out of paying the rest of that hush money that landed him in prison. [ABA Journal]

* To the tune of Paula Cole’s magnum opus: Where have all the ampersands gone? [The Am Law Daily]

* A profile of Nancy Hollander, the lawyer who won Chelsea Manning’s clemency. [The Litigation Daily]

* Good tips on how to attract and keep the lawyer of the future. But I assume we’ll all just keep condescending to them anyway. [Law360]

* “Congress is the only source for such an appropriation, and no public money can be spent without one.” The House was successful in its suit over the improper funding of an Obamacare subsidy program, but this victory may serve as a setback to those who have come to rely upon it. You can expect the Obama administration to appeal. [POLITICO]

* The Ninth Circuit will allow attorneys who secured a victory in the Stetson BARBRI antitrust case to get a second chance to score the nearly $2M in attorneys fees they originally requested before Judge Manuel Real shot them down. Due to his prior “erroneous findings and conclusions,” the Ninth Circuit has essentially removed Judge Real from the case. [Courthouse News Service]

* “People are turned off on legal education because of a lack of suitable paying jobs.” Even while facing a dearth of applicants, Minnesota Law has decided to scale back on the size of its first-year class — taking in less of the tuition income that it needs to survive — in order to preserve its standing as a top law school. [DealBook / New York Times]

* Former partners of the dearly departed Dickstein Shapiro will no longer have to worry about that $8.4 million sublease lawsuit filed by Sullivan & Worcester after they left the firm’s New York office to lateral en masse to Blank Rome. Both sides have amicably resolved their dispute, but we wonder how much it cost to do so. [Big Law Business]

* A grand jury has upgraded the charges against Ryan Petersen, the man alleged to have shot 23-year-old law firm clerk Chase Passauer to death in his office chair. Peterson had been charged with second-degree murder in Passauer’s death, but now faces a charge of premeditated first-degree murder for the commission of the crime. [Star Tribune]

* Professor Victor Williams of the Catholic University of America School of Law, who’s been called the “Republican Lawrence Lessig” by some, is running a write-in campaign for president with the sole intent of eliminating Ted Cruz as a candidate due to his birth in Canada. He alleges that the Texas senator committed ballot access fraud by falsely swearing that he was a natural born citizen. Thanks to Williams’s allegations, a primary disqualification hearing is being held today in New Jersey. [PR Newswire]

* Does SCOTUS have a diversity problem? One justice thinks so. In the wake of President Obama calling attention to his nominee’s whiteness, Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted the Court’s homogeneity, saying that SCOTUS is currently at a “disadvantage from having [five] Catholics, three Jews, [and] everyone from an Ivy League school.” [TIME]

* Here’s an interesting theory: According to Patterson Belknap senior partner Gregory Diskant, because the Senate has failed to give President Obama its advice and consent with regard to his Supreme Court nominee, it can be said the Senate waived its rights, leaving Obama free to appoint Judge Garland to the high court. [Washington Post]

* “There is something seductively subversive about having a name that has a secondary street meaning, which, by the way, is not necessarily a bad thing to think of your lawyers as being.” MoFo — a law firm that’s perhaps known as Morrison & Foerster in more conservative circles — has fully embraced its sexy “street name.” [Big Law Business]

* Prosecutors say former House speaker and disgraced Dickstein Shapiro partner Dennis Hastert paid $3.5M to silence a boy he sexually abused, and molested at least four more children. Because the statutes of limitations have long since run on those crimes, he’ll likely serve only six months for banking crimes related to his hush-money payoffs. [AP]

* Democrats held a press conference demanding that Republicans do their job when it comes to filling Justice Scalia’s seat on the Supreme Court. My guess is a petition isn’t going to change anyone in the GOP’s mind on this one. [National Law Journal]

* District Judge John Gleeson is stepping down from his position next month. He’ll be returning to private practice at… Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. [Wall Street Journal]

* Virginia is considering legislation that would actually hid the names of all police officers. Less transparency for law enforcement? That is pretty much the exact opposite of what is needed. [Washington Post]

* You know how the NFL has been in the news a bunch for a variety of legal issues? The newly for-profit organization is releasing their tax filings, and their legal expenses are detailed. Ouch. [American Lawyer]

* Looks like attorneys formerly of Dickstein Shapiro are making themselves right at home at Blank Rome if their latest win for client Oshkosh Defense LLC is any indication. [Litigation Daily]

* Take a look at the details of the sexual assault lawsuit from the 90s against Donald Trump. [Law Newz]

* If there was ever a time to breach a contract, it would be now. A judge ruled that singer Kesha won’t be able to escape from a six-album deal with Sony, despite the fact that her producer, Dr. Luke, is alleged to have psychologically abused her for a decade and raped her when she was an 18-year-old virgin. #FreeKesha [New York Daily News]

* Justice Antonin Scalia’s funeral offered DCers the chance to take a break from political wrangling, if only momentarily, to mourn a legend of the Supreme Court. It was “very non-Washington,” and he “would have loved it.” [Washington Post]

* President Obama was spotted carrying a “thick binder filled with papers,” presumably briefing documents from his staff related to potential SCOTUS picks to replace the late Justice Scalia. You can likely expect an announcement in the next few weeks. [Reuters]

* Dickstein Shapiro’s ex-chairman is blaming the media for his firm’s demise, saying that since July, many of its partners’ departures were “programmed” and had little to do with its performance. Don’t stop believin’, James Kelly. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* Judge Thomas Griesa plans to lift an injunction that was keeping Argentina from raising new capital. Holdouts on the country’s defaulted debt seem pissed about this decision, but it could eventually turn out well for them. [DealBook / New York Times]

* “There’s no unwritten law that says it can only be done in off years. That’s not in the constitutional text.” Angering armchair constitutional scholars, President Obama vowed to appoint someone to replace Justice Scalia following his death, despite the fact that it’s an election year. [New York Times]

* “My gut tells me there is something fishy going on in Texas.” The fact that Justice Scalia was found dead with a pillow over his head has made conspiracy theorists come out in droves. Some are “stunned” that an autopsy wasn’t performed on the late justice. [Daily Intelligencer / New York Magazine]

* Dickstein Shapiro partners were informed via letter that they’d face “the almost certain loss of all firm capital.” For some equity partners, that’s more than $1 million — and the letter wasn’t even signed “sincerely.” How rude! [National Law Journal via ABA Journal]

* Justice Scalia’s passing could have an impact on the anti-marijuana legalization suit filed by Nebraska and Oklahoma against Colorado. The Court was supposed to discuss it this week, but the justices may not want to overpack their bowls, so to speak. [Guardian]

* Troubled Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane will not be seeking reelection after her term expires in January 2017. With her license to practice law suspended and criminal charges pending, we’ll see if she’s even able to make it that far. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Vigilante justice on the internet swift: Despite Google listing the firm as “permanently closed” and its brutal one-star Yelp rating, “Making a Murderer” prosecutor Ken Kratz assured reporters his law firm was still open, contrary to appearances. [Post-Crescent]

* Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former U.N. Secretary General, RIP. [New York Times]

After nearly 65 years, Dickstein Shapiro LLP is no more.

* Riding high after his victory in New Hampshire, Donald Trump settled his $500 million lawsuit against Univision for the network dropping his beauty pageants. Ay dios mio, this must be some sort of a YUGE GRANDE ploy to win the Hispanic vote. [USA Today]

* Dickstein Shapiro lawyers must be feeling pretty good about themselves right now. Their mass lateral move to Blank Rome isn’t a merger, it’s an “asset acquisition.” You see that? You’re all “assets”! Remember that next time a partner makes you cry. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg]

* The ABA is considering toughening bar passage requirements for law school accreditation. Under the plan, schools would have to prove that 75 percent of graduates who took an exam within two years of graduation passed. Good luck! [ABA Journal]

* Uh-oh! Are partners at large law firms getting screwed? Biglaw firms are asking for bigger capital contributions (30-35 percent of earnings on average), and holding on to that money for longer periods of time when those partners leave. [Am Law Daily]

* Minnesota Law has been hit pretty hard by the law school crisis, with losses expected to hit $16.1 million by 2018. When the school’s soon-to-be ex-Dean first started in 2008, “everything was good,” but now, it’s a huge sh*tshow. [Twin Cities Pioneer Press]

* This sounds miserable: taking (and passing) the bar exam with an 8-week-old infant at home. [ABA for Law Students]

* Maybe a new lawyer will be able to stiff-arm the DA’s office on LeSean McCoy’s behalf. [Buffalo Rumblings]

* Dickstein Shapiro is “no longer engaged in the practice of law.” But don’t shed tears for the out-of-work attorneys just yet, the attorneys will move to Blank Rome in a wholesale lateral move. [National Law Journal]

* Remember this case as you scramble for a last minute Valentine’s Day gift: a Valentine’s Day gift — and the reaction to a terrible one — can lead to a lawsuit. [Coverage Opinions]

* Will the Bill Cosby case signal a change in the handling of sexual assault cases? [Huffington Post]

* This is how police work can contribute to reasonable doubt. [Katz Justice]

* Cheap furniture behemoth IKEA lost a trademark claim in Indonesia. Won’t somebody please think of the college students? [Jakarta Coconuts]

* Sure diversity initiative may take hard work and trust, but, you know, they’re still worth it. [Law and More]

The firm's last proposed merger fell apart, but sources say this latest transaction is a "done deal."

* Everyone was under the impression that Dickstein Shapiro and Bryan Cave would be tying the knot by the year’s end, but instead, it looks like their brief love affair has turned into a bad romance. Oh no! Will Dickstein Shapiro be left at the altar? [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* “The idea they own the name ‘blue’ for a manual for legal citations is ridiculous.” A rival citation guide to The Bluebook will be released in 2016, using the name “BabyBlue.” Since a Biglaw IP attorney is involved in the copyright clash, this is already more exciting than techciting. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Ethan Couch, the Texas teen who was too rich to realize his actions had consequences, was apparently also too rich to realize he shouldn’t hide out in a ritzy vacation locale in Mexico while on the run from police with his mother. Damn you, affluenza! [CNN]

* If you’re looking for a law firm where you can take time off whenever you want and still earn a healthy paycheck, then look no further than Ashton KCJ Lawyers in England. That’s a perk we’re sure attorneys in the U.S. would love their firms to adopt. [Mirror]

* Annie, get your gun: Gun-toting Texans are going to have a very happy new year, because come January 1, 2016, the state’s new open carry law will go into effect. The open carrying of handguns had previously been banned in the state since 1865. [RT]

* Jeffrey Feulner, founder of the Men’s Divorce Law Firm, was charged with domestic violence battery after he allegedly attacked his wife. She filed for divorce three days later — and presumably used a more woman-friendly lawyer as counsel. [Orlando Sentinel]

Will Dickstein Shapiro be able to ride off into the sunset with its valiant knight?

* Meow! Kitty’s got claws! Lawyers for Grumpy Cat have filed an infringement lawsuit against Grenade Beverage for violating an IP licensing agreement. Grumpy Cat has requested a trial by a jury of her purrs peers. [Fox News]

* Always a bridesmaid, never a bride? Dickstein Shapiro, a Biglaw firm whose headcount was down by 23.2 percent at last count, wanted to have a merger partner by December 15. That date has come and gone, but to our knowledge, the firm still hasn’t found a match. What happens now? [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* Fox Rothschild has been in growth mode for quite some time, and it most recently decided to gobble up Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, an 82-lawyer Minneapolis firm. The merger will be complete in January 2016. Happy New Year! [Philadelphia Inquirer]

* “[W]orking in this courthouse is like being in the wild west. You just never know what is going to happen.” Last week, Oklahoma County DA David Prater brought down a fleeing defendant before he could escape the courthouse. [KWTV via ABA Journal]

* If you’re one of the plaintiffs who filed suit pseudonymously against Ashley Madison after its massive data breach earlier this year and you expect your privacy to be maintained by the courts, then you may have another thing coming. [WSJ Law Blog]

* You don’t hear this much, but The Daily News nails it with a biting criticism of the GOP presidential candidates’ response to the tragic San Bernardino shooting: “Prayers aren’t working.” [The Daily News]

* Looks like Dickstein Shapiro is looking to get hitched before the end of the year — they are reportedly talking to multiple potential merger partners. [Law.com]

* Cozen O’Connor partner Wayne Rohde is accused of lying about his attorney disciplinary record. [National Law Journal]

* Rahm Emmanuel is resisting calls for his resignation amid the scandal surrounding the shooting death by Chicago cops of Laquan McDonald. [CNN]

* Browne George Ross LLP was hit with a $6 million malpractice suit. [Law360]

* Law firms are getting in the holiday spirit, over 100 firms are working together on a clothing drive for the homeless. [Legal Times]

Some of these drops in headcount are stunning -- we're talking more than 20 percent.

* Ex-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, most recently of Dickstein Shapiro, finally found a lawyer to represent him in his sex scandal cover-up. His new lawyer may not be “the brightest guy in the world,” but he does do white-collar defense at Sidley Austin, so there you go. [National Law Journal]

* Oopsie! A Tennessee lawyer is currently being held on $15 million bail because he allegedly solicited an undercover police officer to kill his estranged wife. He even gave the guy a “down payment for the murder.” We wonder how much he thought his spouse was worth dead. [Nashville Sun Times]

* In times like these, you’re going to need a great network in order to get a job after law school, and some schools are superior to others in that department. Check and see if your alma mater made the grade on this ranking. [Business Insider via GraduatePrograms.com]

* Concordia Law just received the gift that keeps on giving from the ABA — provisional accreditation. The news came just in time for its nine remaining third-year students to graduate and take the bar exam (everyone else transferred out). [Idaho Statesman]

* Kalief Browder, a man used as an example of our broken justice system, was sent to Riker’s Island when he was 16 years old. He never had a trial, and was never convicted, but still spent three years in jail. He recently committed suicide. RIP. [New York Times]

* A litigant with a Supreme pimp hand? Darius Clark, the man whose child-abuse case — which is currently before SCOTUS — will determine whether teachers may testify of behalf children, was indicted for allegedly running a prostitution ring from jail. [Northeast Ohio Media Group]

* Judge Mark Fuller of the Middle District of Alabama was arrested last summer on domestic violence charges after his wife confronted him about an alleged affair with a law clerk. What a gent! He’ll be resigning from the bench August 1. [USA Today]

* You can roll your eyes at Rand Paul all you want, but several key parts of the Patriot Act expired shortly after midnight because the Senate was unable to reach a deal to extend it. (FYI, DOJ may still use grandfathered privacy-poaching techniques.) [New York Times]

* “Nothing changes. The system is disgusting. There is no due process.” Do you want to read the story that made Cuba’s government ban an American legal journalist from any further coverage of the country’s court system? Of course you do. [Daily Business Review]

* “I can’t preserve caution in my delight with Ruth.” This is what retired Justice David Souter wrote about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s performance after her first week on the bench. He already knew back then that she was no-no-no-NOTORIOUS. [Boston Globe]

* Ex-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who recently resigned from Dickstein Shapiro following his indictment, was allegedly paying a former student “hundreds of thousands of dollars” to keep quiet about past sexual abuse at the politician’s hands. [New York Times]

* Beau Biden, former state attorney general of Delaware, major in the Delaware Army National Guard’s JAG Corps, and son of Vice President Joe Biden, RIP. [Washington Post]

This profile makes the case for Elena Kagan to be your new favorite Justice. (Don’t worry RBG, you’ll always be first in Staci’s heart.) [American Prospect]

* The lateral partner wheel of fortune has taken another spin; Cozen O’Conner has added 8 lawyers from Dickstein Shapiro’s state Attorneys General practice group, that’s almost the entirety of the group. [National Law Journal]

* Speaking of lateral partner moves, are they worth it when clients get fed up with the disruption and potential conflicts that these moves cause? [Law360]

* After the scathing DOJ report detailing injustice, the City of Ferguson needs some quality lawyering. They got it in Winston & Strawn chairperson, Dan Webb, but it won’t come cheap. [American Lawyer]

* After egregious discovery delays caused a district judge to enter a default judgment as to liability against the defendant, a French drone maker, a jury awarded $7.8 million in damages in a patent infringement case. [Legal Intelligencer]

* Loretta Lynch makes her first official trip as Attorney General, to Baltimore to meet with community leaders, police, and the family of Freddie Gray. [NPR]