Afternoon Briefs: At least 86 judges reject election claims; granddaughter of Biden joins BigLaw
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At least 86 judges reject election claims
At least 86 judges have rejected claims by President Donald Trump or his supporters in election lawsuits, according to a count published Dec. 12 by the Washington Post. “The dozens of opinions serve as a resounding reaffirmation of the judiciary’s nonpartisan commitment to basic principles of reason, fact and law,” according to the Washington Post. (The Washington Post)
Biden granddaughter joins Arnold & Porter
President-elect Joe Biden’s granddaughter Naomi Biden is one of 55 first-year associates joining Arnold & Porter in January. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School. (Law360, the Washingtonian)
Federal inmate executed after SCOTUS refuses delay
Federal inmate Alfred Bourgeois was executed Friday night after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to delay his execution. Bourgeois was convicted of beating and killing his 2-year-old daughter in 2002. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissent joined by Justice Elena Kagan, said she would have granted a stay and accepted the case for review. Sotomayor said Bourgeois had an IQ between 70 and 75, and the high court should decide whether he has a mental disability that prevents execution under the Federal Death Penalty Act. (SCOTUSblog, the Associated Press, Sotomayor’s dissent)
BigLaw firm agrees to reduce fee criticized by judge
Arnold & Porter has agreed to reduce its fee from about $212,000 to $87,901 in a settlement with the federal government after a federal judge criticized the first amount as unreasonable. Arnold & Porter had represented the plaintiffs pro bono in the suit challenging the exclusion of New York residents from trusted traveler programs. The law firm had planned to donate the fees to its charitable foundation. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon of the District of Columbia said last month the law firm appeared to capitalize on the federal government’s desire to quickly dispose of the case after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security admitted making incorrect statements to the court. A joint motion said the law firm agreed to reduce its fee, although it was under no obligation to do so. (Law360)
