Top 10 ABA Journal stories of 2019
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Every year, we take a look at the stories that drove the most web traffic to ABAJournal.com. In 2019, these were the articles that piqued the most interest:
1. “Brendan Dassey’s meowing former lawyer is suspended from the bench”
“The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended Brendan Dassey’s former lawyer from acting as a reserve municipal judge because of his unusual interactions with a court manager who accused him of harassment.”
2. “Lawyer who told BigLaw attorneys to ‘eat a bowl of dicks’ faces possible sanctions”
“A California lawyer who told opposing counsel in an email to ‘eat a bowl of dicks’ says his insulting and expletive-laden missives were a negotiating tactic and weren’t intended as actual insults.”
3. “Conservative student says law school biases infringe on his right to free speech”
Your Voice column: “As a third-year law student, I have the concerns that any other 3L has: getting my reading assignments done before class starts, completing internship work, passing the bar exam and finding gainful employment. In addition, when I don my ‘Make America Great Again’ hat, I add the concerns of ostracization among my peers and castigation from professors—the very people I have come to professionally admire.”
4. “Judge tells lawyer who sent ‘eat a bowl of dicks’ emails the profession doesn’t need him”
A show-cause hearing began badly and then got worse for a California lawyer who told opposing counsel in an email to “eat a bowl of dicks.”
5. “BigLaw associate was duped into transferring over $2.5M to fraudster’s account, decision reveals”
“An associate at Dentons Canada was duped into transferring more than $2.5 million into a fraudster’s account, according to an opinion by an Ontario judge in an insurance coverage dispute.”
6. “This 16-year-old was accepted at nine law schools”
“Haley Taylor Schlitz loves learning and likes standardized tests. She is looking forward to classes this fall at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law.”
7. “ABA approval withdrawn for Thomas Jefferson School of Law”
“ABA approval for Thomas Jefferson School of Law, which was placed on probation in November 2017, has been withdrawn by the council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, according to a memo posted online [June 10].”
8. “Meet Stephen Castor, the GOP lawyer stealing the show in Trump impeachment hearings”
“GOP lawyer Stephen Castor is getting some attention for his facial expressions and demeanor at the impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump, where he is questioning witnesses.”
9. “Kim Kardashian West wants to skip law school and become a lawyer this way”
“Media personality and socialite Kim Kardashian West hopes to follow in the footsteps of President Abraham Lincoln by skipping law school and becoming a lawyer through ‘reading the law.’”
10. “Female lawyers describe ‘fraternity culture’ at Jones Day in $200M sex-bias lawsuit”
“A $200 million lawsuit filed [April 3] against Jones Day alleges that female associates are discriminated against based on gender, pregnancy and maternity. The firm hires about the same number of male and female associates, but the women make less money and are outnumbered in the partnership, the proposed class action says.”
