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INSIDE LEGAL BLOGS AND CHAT BOARDS INSIDE LEGAL BLOGS AND CHAT BOARDS SPONSORED BY JUDGED SPONSORED BY JUDGED
Inside Legal Blogs [By Jeff] This week, we fling ourselves full-speed against the brick wall that is the law blogosphere. No cowards allowed! We’re like Evel Knievel, except instead of motorcycles, we deal with law blogs. And instead of danger, we face knowledge. So I guess we’re not all that much like Evel Knievel; but we do have a red, white, and blue polyester jumpsuit with a cape.
A new video game has sparked public outcry
firms, who actually do far more pro bono work,
and threats of lawsuits. Sounds familiar, right?
won’t be able to report as many pro bono hours
for law bloggers. Inside Legal Opinions has
But this time, the violent video game isn’t
as the large-firm attorneys. She’s also against
compared Semitsu’s appointment as the
about beating up hookers or stealing cars,
the ruling on philosophical grounds. While Don
official Dixie Chicks blogger to other recent
it’s about killing infidels and non-believers.
Burnett at the Legal Ethics Forum praises the
law blogger upgrades, including Underneath
And it’s not militant Muslims; it’s an army of
ruling as highlighting the importance of pro
Their Robe’s David Lat taking the reins over
born-again Christians taking to the streets
bono efforts, Elefant believes it’s all a bunch of
at Wonkette and the big book deals offered
and slaying anyone who refuses to convert to
sound and fury signifying nothing. After all, the
to bloggers Jeremy Blachman and Melissa
Christianity. It’s called “Left Behind: Eternal
ruling doesn’t require attorneys to do more pro
Lakfsky.
Forces,” and it is hilarious. In his Talk2Action
bono work or reward excessive pro bono work.
blog Jonathan Huston offers up a really funny news story about a new video game based on the religious extremist novels and straight-to-video film series Left Behind. In the game, players attempt to convert or kill non-Christians in a post-apocalyptic New York cityscape. Conservative Christian attorney Jack Thompson cut his ties with the Left Behind people after learning of the violent video game. Thompson has made a name for himself in the media over the last few years, crusading against rap music and video games. He is now threatening a lawsuit against the game’s manufacturers, his former allies, Tyndale House. It is unclear what the grounds of the lawsuit would be. This game has to be seen to be believed. It actually looks pretty fun. Here is a review of the game, complete with screenshots.
It only offers a pat on the back for those who do
Evan Schaeffer’s Legal Underground reported on an Illinois Supreme Court ruling that will require all attorneys to submit their total number of annual pro bono hours in order to renew their licensure. While the ruling may appear to be innocent, Carolyn Elefant over at MyShingle thinks it is a subtle jab at solo practitioners and small firms. Big firms will report far more pro bono hours than they really performed, supposes Elefant, while small
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any pro bono work at all. With legal aid for the poor still lacking, Elefant doesn’t think lawyers deserve a pat on the back yet.
it’s the latest in a series of high-profile gigs
The law blogosphere is abuzz with analyses, commentary, and criticism of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Hudson v. Michigan. The case involved Michigan’s so-called knock-andannounce requirement, which forces police
A number of law bloggers are up in arms over
officers serving a warrant to announce their
the recent New York State Bar regulations
presence and wait before entering a home.
governing attorney advertising. As mentioned
The High Court ruled that while it’s all well and
in the Judged Law Firm News, the measures
good to knock and announce, the rule doesn’t
were meant to better protect the public.
necessarily have to be enforced. Cato@Liberty
Some are saying the restrictions don’t help
sees the decision as a poor interpretation of
anybody. Between Lawyers takes dead aim
the Fourth Amendment’s protection against
at the judges and attorneys who worked so
unlawful search and seizure. He takes special
hard to pass the new amendments. According
offense at Justice Scalia, who has professed
to Between Lawyers, the regulations limit all
his belief in Constitutional originalism so many
attorney advertising to the point that an ad
times in the past, but now sees the Fourth
from a lawyer could never effectively bring in
Amendment as needing revision. Orin Kerr
new business. They also see the restrictions
takes delight in pointing out that a staunch
on Internet commerce as retrogressive. Kevin
originalist like Scalia would take the side of
O’Keefe of LexBlog sees the amendments as
the ‘living Constitution’ crowd. The Agitator
a death knell for the legal profession. He finds
also singles out Scalia for derision. Scalia’s
the limitations, including regulations on font
assertion that the police force is capable of
sizes in printed ads, completely foolish.
governing itself and independently ensuring the protection of each citizen’s Constitutional
The Washington Post has reported that
rights prompts The Agitator to ask what the
University of San Diego School of Law
Justice is smoking.
Professor Junichi Semitsu has been tapped to serve as the Dixie Chicks official blogger for
Next week, we will return with another death-
their current national tour. While it’s doubtful
defying feat of law bloggery. We’re going to
that his new MSN blog will be very scholarly,
jump the shark. Be there!!