Weekly Briefs: More people apply to law school; gun-pointing lawyers pardoned
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Law school applicants jump, along with high LSAT scores
The number of law school applicants jumped by 13% this year, the biggest hike since 2002. The data from the Law School Admission Council also shows an increase in people with top LSAT scores of 175 to 180; there were 1,487 applicants with top scores this year compared to 732 last year. (Reuters)
Lawyers pardoned after pointing guns at protesters
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has pardoned Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the husband and wife lawyers in St. Louis who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in June for pointing guns at protesters. A month before his guilty plea, Mark McCloskey announced that he is running for the U.S. Senate as a Republican. (The Washington Post, the New York Times, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Mexico sues US gun-makers over weapons flow
The Mexican government has sued six U.S. gun-makers and a gun wholesaler for marketing and sales practices alleged to facilitate the flow of guns to violent drug cartels. The defendants have a policy of selling to any licensed distributor or dealer “despite blazing red flags indicating that a gun dealer is conspiring with straw purchasers or others to traffic defendants’ guns into Mexico,” the suit alleges. (The Washington Post, the New York Times, Courthouse News Service, the Aug. 4 lawsuit)
Bill would add 203 federal judgeships
House Democrats introduced a bill last Friday to add 203 new district court judgeships. The Judicial Conference of the United States had requested only 77 new seats. The lead sponsor, Democratic U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia, said new federal judgeships are needed to address “massive backlogs and delays.” (Reuters, Courthouse News Service)
Holland & Knight completes merger
Holland & Knight and Thompson & Knight have completed their merger, the law firms said Monday. The combined firm will have 1,600 lawyers in 30 offices, making it one of the country’s larger law firms. (Law360, Bloomberg Law, Reuters, Holland & Knight press release)
