An intimate portrait of the US’ answer to Lady Hale Above all, RBG reinforces the saying, ‘respect your elders’. The documentary film plays like a greatest hits to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the US Supreme Court justice who’s spent her legal career strongly advocating for gender equality and women’s rights — leaving viewers in awe and admiration. Using a collection of interviews, public appearances and archival material, directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West map out the context surrounding Ginsburg’s legal activism. For example, at Harvard Law School, Ginsburg recalls that she, and the other eight female students in her class, were asked by the dean why their place should not have been offered to a man instead. Similarly, Ginsburg, who studied at both Harvard and Columbia Law School, struggled to find a US law firm willing to hire a woman. By illustrating her exposure to sex discrimination, her endeavours for equal citizenship are presented as a natural progression — with Ginsburg fully vested in propelling women forward in society. What follows is a highlights reel of Ginsburg’s legal career, spanning her time as the general counsel for American Civil Liberties Union, her seat on the US Court of Appeals DC Circuit and finally as the second woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court. Legally minded viewers may appreciate scenes where snippets of famous Ginsburg oral arguments are projected against an empty courtroom — presented one word at a time. A striking example is when Ginsburg quoted women’s suffragette Sarah Grimké before an all-male judiciary, stating:
Where this film really succeeds, however, is in revealing an intimate insight into Ginsburg’s personal life. At the heart of film is a love story, documenting her marriage to New York tax lawyer Martin Ginsburg, who passed away in 2010. Viewers learn of their unwavering devotion to one another. For instance, when they were both at Harvard, Ginsburg cared for their child and her husband, diagnosed with testicular cancer, all the while taking class notes for both of them and typing her husband’s dictated assignments. Alongside being a Supreme Court justice, Ginsburg is presented as a pop-cultural phenomenon — a role the 85-year-old fully embraces. It quickly becomes stark that ‘The Notorious RBG’, as she is often called, serves as a key inspiration for, among others, young aspiring female lawyers. Commenting on her feelings towards the nickname and her comparison to rapper legend ‘The Notorious BIG’, she cheekily responds: “Why would I feel uncomfortable? We have a lot in common.” For a weekly round-up of news, plus jobs and latest event info Sign up to the Legal Cheek NewsletterThe post Film review: RBG appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/12/film-review-rbg/
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From a Love Island lawyer to a Donoghue v Stevenson inspired statue — but can you guess which is our most read article over the past 12 months? It’s been a funny old year. Brexit bedlam aside, we marked a major milestone for equality in the Supreme Court’s first ever female majority bench. Sticking with the UK’s top court, snazzy tie loving Lord Sumption (now retired) caused a stir after he advised aspiring lawyers to study a non-law discipline over law at undergraduate degree level. In lighter legal news, readers were sent into a spin over a junior solicitor entering the Love Island villa, a lawyer who ditched law to become a clown and an incredible Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) handbook which advised students to stay clear of ‘kinky boots’. So without further ado, here are (in reverse order) the 15 most popular Legal Cheek stories of the year… 15. Barristerspeak decoded: A guide for solicitors, students and clients14. Hogan Lovells partner suspended after Irwin Mitchell lawyer filmed him watching porn in his office from across the street13. Only a barrister could describe a man sneezing on the Tube like this12. Incredible BPTC handbook advises students to wear ‘double breasted’ jackets in their advocacy exam — and says they’ll be marked down for wearing ‘kinky boots’11. Junior solicitor ditches law to become a clown10. New comedy about pupil barristers fighting over tenancy to hit BBC screens9. ‘It’ll leave you dead inside!’ New pop song warns students not to become lawyers8. Revealed: Law firms’ average arrive and leave the office times 2018-197. To become a lawyer don’t study law, says Supreme Court’s Lord Sumption — do history, classics, economics or languages instead6. Supreme Court gets first ever female majority5. Oxford Uni leapfrogged by Glasgow in shock new law school rankings4. Exclusive: City law firm asks trainees to pull all nighter days after promising to support lawyers mental health3. Kim Kardashian is a law student, says Kanye West2. Donoghue v Stevenson latest: Woman who discovered snail in her ginger beer to have statue erected in her honour1. Junior solicitor who only qualified THREE months ago puts legal career on hold to enter Love Island villaThank you to all our readers who have visited the site in 2018. Here’s to another year of Legal Cheek! The post A year in the world of Legal Cheek: The top 15 stories of 2018 appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/12/a-year-in-the-world-of-legal-cheek-the-top-15-stories-of-2018/ Fa la la la la, la la la LAW It’s that time of year again. The tree is up, the lights are on and the halls have been decked with holly. ‘Tis the season to be jolly — but not if you’re a law student. Behold, the struggles you’ll face as you battle your way through the Christmas break. 1. RevisionThe work doesn’t stop for law students over the Christmas period, with exams conveniently set for as soon as you return in January. 2. Playing Christmas catch-upYou know all those times you’ve been telling yourself you’ll just catch-up over Crimbo break? Yep, that time is now, and those re-runs of Home Alone will probably have to wait. 3. Vac scheme appsChristmas, they say, is a time to kick your feet up and relax — but not for wannabe lawyers. Winter vac scheme deadline day has just passed, and now it’s time to focus on the next seasonal round. What holiday? #unhappyholidays 4. Work experienceGot to get those mini-pupillages in before the Gateway re-opens! 5. PackingThe time has come to lug home Gravells’ Land Law, Anson’s and other assorted legal tomes. 6. Small talk over turkeyGuaranteed you won’t be smiling like one of Santa’s elves when you’re asked, “How can you defend someone who you know is guilty?” for the umpteenth time around the dinner table. 7. A bleak 2019?With Brexit on the cards and continued uncertainty surrounding the new super-exam, the profession you aspire to join seems to be crumbling. 8. GiftingHow are you supposed to afford Xmas pressies and save for the LPC? 9. Festive decorYou haven’t found the time to erect an Xmas tree yet and have probably considered stacking a law book one. But then how will you study? 10. Writing Christmas cardsThey can be so imprecise! 11. Christmas coldSo, this might affect everyone… but law students simply do not have the time to be sneezing, coughing and spluttering over their notes when deadlines are looming. And no, a carbolic smoke ball probably won’t cure your cold. 12. Why law?With reading lists longer than Santa’s naughty list, you’ll question why you didn’t do a geography degree. Merry Christmas! The post 12 Christmas struggles only a law student will understand appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/12/12-christmas-struggles-only-a-law-student-will-understand/
Associated Press reports that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is already up and working despite undergoing surgery for lung cancer just 72 hours earlier. Supreme court spokesperson Kathy Arberg, said that Ginsburg remained in New York at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on Sunday, as she recuperates from the cancer surgery. AP says no information has been released on when Ginsburg might return home. It was only on Friday that the famously durable 85-year-old US supreme court justice underwent surgery to remove two malignant growths in her left lung. Doctors found no evidence of disease elsewhere in her body after the pulmonary lobectomy, and no further treatment is planned, according to an earlier court statement. Ginsburg was only just hospitalized in November after she fractured several ribs in a fall. It was while she was being treated for those injuries that doctors identified two nodules in the lower lobe of her left lung. Ginsburg’s health has been an ongoing preoccupation for Democrats across the country in recent years. The court’s conservative-to-liberal ratio is now 5-4 after President Donald Trump appointed justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the seats vacated by the late Justice Antonin Scalia and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. The nodules are Ginsburg’s third encounter with cancer, after being treated for colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009, according to National Public Radio. It has been widely reported that Ginsburg has never missed a day of oral arguments in the 25 years she has spent on the court. The court next meets on January 7.
Join the conversation about this story » from https://www.businessinsider.com/72-hours-after-surgery-for-lung-cancer-justice-ginsburg-is-back-at-work-2018-12
The mother of former NSA contractor Reality Winner is taking aim at some of the biggest names in the Trump-Russia investigation. Billie Winner-Davis, who's now-27-year-old daughter was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for "removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet," published a scathing op-ed in the Intercept on Sunday. "I am writing now because I am outraged: While my daughter languishes in prison, those actually responsible for threatening our election continue to get off easy," Winner-Davis wrote. Winner was accused of leaking an intelligence report about Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election to the Intercept. Winner's sentence is, to date, the lengthiest ever given for such a federal crime. She was arrested June 3, 2017 and sentenced August 23, 2018. Read more: How federal authorities identified Reality Leigh Winner as suspect in NSA leak Winner-Davis singled out a number of figures implicated in the Trump-Russia investigation, writing that it was "maddening to watch my daughter in prison" while Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, George Papadopoulos, and Michael Cohen received "drastically different" treatment from the justice system. She specifically blasted the fact that Manafort was permitted to remain outside of prison on bond before he was accused of witness tampering. She also singled Papadopoulos' 14-day prison sentence and highlighted indications that Flynn will not "receive a hefty sentence." "I would have thought that someone of his rank and position within our government, someone who lied about the lucrative work he had done for one foreign government and contacts with another, would be held to a much higher standard than a 25-year-old veteran airman," Reality-Davis wrote. Winner herself has spoken out from behind bars several times since her arrest. In August, she described watching the Russia investigation roll out from behind bars as "vindicating but also frustrating." But in her op-ed, Winner-Davis said that her daughter's sentencing is proof of that the justice system protects the powerful. "It sends the clear message that if you are poor and powerless in this system, you will be abused," Winner-Davis wrote. "I am outraged. I hope you are too." DON'T MISS: Thousands of millennials straight out of high school work for the NSA with top secret information Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: MITCH McCONNELL: Snowden 'did not perform a public service, he was a traitor' from https://www.businessinsider.com/reality-winner-mother-rails-against-manafort-flynn-cohen-2018-12
"Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" actor Alfonso Ribeiro is one of three celebrities currently suing "Fortnite" maker Epic Games over dance moves. All three claim that Epic Games took dances from them, re-created said dances in "Fortnite" as emotes, and profited from the sale of those emotes without compensating the original creators of the dance moves. In the case of Ribeiro, his dance from "Fresh Prince" is often referred to as "The Carlton" — a reference to the name of his character on the classic NBC sitcom. Ribeiro has become associated with the dance, and even performed it in 2014 when he was on "Dancing With the Stars": But it's not just about the dance, Ribeiro's lawyer David Hecht said in a phone interview with Business Insider on Thursday. "The right of publicity claim that we have is that these celebrities have the right to control their likeness commercially," Hecht said. "This is the kind of movement — a dance — that is inextricably linked to individual artists." More specifically: Ribeiro's legal claim isn't just to the choreographed dance moves, but to the performance of that dance being tied to his likeness as a celebrity. That the dance is known in "Fortnite" as the "Fresh" certainly doesn't hurt Ribeiro's argument. To buy the "Fresh" emote, you need 800 V-bucks. That's $8 of real money, but V-bucks can also be earned through playing the game. That the emote is sold directly — making it a quantifiable, unique revenue stream — is part of why Hecht is confident that Ribeiro's claim is sound. "These are dances that are sold with a dollar tag associated with them," Hecht said. "That to me stands out. That is why they essentially had targets on their backs. Not only were they doing it brazenly, but they're putting a dollar price tag on it. It was V-bucks, but to do that — to copy something frame-by-frame and then to just sell it — that's the issue." In addition to Ribeiro, Hecht's firm represents rapper 2Milly and Instagram star Russell "Backpack Kid" Horning in suits against Epic Games. And more suits may be coming. In each case, the damages being sought are unknown; Hecht said that's a measure of limited public information on how much money "Fortnite" is making. "We're flying blind at this point," he said. "We know generally from public statistics how much 'Fortnite' has made off of these dances, but we don't have a specific dollar amount until we have that information." One demand is clear in all three cases: "The artists wanna be credited. Without that, it's very much cultural misappropriation." Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Why it's so difficult to land a spacecraft on Mars from https://www.businessinsider.com/fresh-prince-actor-sues-fortnite-maker-explained-2018-12 £50 each A group of junior lawyers at Addleshaw Goddard were asked to dig deep and help cover a £600 Christmas party bar tab. Celebrating another successful year, Addleshaws’ Leeds-based construction litigation team enjoyed a leisurely lunch last week at the city’s swanky Dakota Deluxe Hotel (pictured top). Those who attended, including trainees and PAs, had pre-paid for their own meal. In what they presumably thought was a gesture of goodwill, weekly legal blog RollOnFriday reports that Addleshaws’ junior lawyers were under the impression that partners were footing the booze bill. This, according to an unnamed source, “to celebrate the team having yet another amazing financial half year and to mark the Christmas festivities”. Not so, apparently. The report goes on to claim that a week later the lawyers received an email asking them to cough-up £50 each, to help cover a hefty £600 bar tab. On this, a source said: “I know Yorkshire men have a reputation for being tightfisted but this takes the biscuit.” There was, however, a sprinkling of festive goodwill courtesy of three of the firm’s partners, who each handed over £100 to help cover their own drinks and those of their PAs, the report adds. A spokesperson for Addleshaws said: “There is a full programme of subsidised events at the firm and not unusual for lawyers to chip in for other socials where partners readily over-feed the kitty so there is a low or no outlay for PAs in particular.” For a weekly round-up of news, plus jobs and latest event info Sign up to the Legal Cheek NewsletterThe post Addleshaw Goddard partners ask junior lawyers to help cover £600 Christmas bar bill appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/12/addleshaw-goddard-partners-ask-junior-lawyers-to-help-cover-600-christmas-bar-bill/ Not very well A group of solicitors have channelled their inner diva this festive season, producing an In a bid to show that even lawyers can embrace the season of goodwill, Scottish outfit Blackadders’ two-and-half minute video features festively attired partners, associates and trainees. Following a brief attempt at lip-syncing Carey’s 90s Christmas classic, and sat in what appears to be someone’s front room, the fivesome moves on to opening some rather questionable Secret Santa gifts. In recognition of the season of goodwill to all men, trainee Blair Duncan received a book, 52 things to do while you poo, along with a plunger. Meanwhile, fellow Blackadders rookie Duncan Milne received some Lord Of The Rings merch. To be fair to Secret Santa, Milne does bare a slight resemblance to Elijah Wood’s character, Frodo Baggins. Santa brought Jack Boyle, an associate at the seven-office-outfit, a book on How Not To Be A D***. This, however, isn’t the first time Blackadders has produced some questionable video content. Earlier this year, the firm’s lawyers donned black suits to create their own very unique tribute to Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. More recently, it re-reproduced the opening credits to US sitcom Friends. The post Lawyers lip-sync Mariah Carey Christmas classic appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/12/lawyers-lip-sync-mariah-carey-christmas-classic/ A look back at some of the top news stories over the past 12 months — but how much do you remember? With another action-packed year slowly drawing to a close, now seems as good a time as any to look back at some of 2018’s more headline-grabbing stories. So put your vac scheme applications to one side, stick the kettle on, and put your knowledge of legal affairs to the test in Legal Cheek’s big fat quiz of the year. JanuaryCriminal solicitor Ita Farrelly became a first-tier tribunal judge at the start of the year — but what age was she? a) 18 FebruaryAn artist hit headlines in February after unveiling plans to build what in honour of May Donoghue of Donoghue v Stevenson fame? a) A swimming pool in the shape of a ginger beer bottle MarchA junior solicitor quit the legal rat race in March to pursue her dream. What was it? a) A cliff diver AprilA Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) handbook, which came to light earlier this year and was produced by BPP Law School, advised students to what during their advocacy assessments? a) Not wear “kinky boots” MaySlaughter and May terminated the training contract offers of two future trainees at the start of the summer — but what for? a) Failing modules on the Legal Practice Course (LPC) JuneIn June, junior solicitor Rosie Williams hit headlines for her appearance on… a) I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here JulyA “highly-regarded” QC placed an advertisement online seeking an aspiring barrister to do what earlier this year? a) Teach them to dance AugustAt the start of August, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) confirmed it had selected ________ to run the new super-exam. a) BPP Law School SeptemberKim Kardashian is a what, according to Kanye West. a) Lawyer OctoberLegal history was made in October with the Supreme Court’s first ever… a) Dance competion NovemberA partner at Hogan Lovells was suspended in November — but what did he allegedly do? a) Rented his office out DecemberA law firm in Australia hit headlines this month for doing what to a photograph of its trainees? a) Photoshopped champagne glasses out of their hands over fears it gave off the wrong impression Click through for the answers. Happy Christmas from the Legal Cheek team! Thanks for reading and commenting, and we’ll see you in 2019. The post Legal Cheek’s big fat quiz of the year 2018 appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/12/legal-cheeks-big-fat-quiz-of-the-year-2018/ Weekly round-up of the top legal blogosphere posts Legal Hackette lunches with Christine Kings [Legal Hackette’s Brief] ‘My solicitor wrote that statement’: A familiar tale — having a plan to protect yourself [Civil Litigation Brief] What’s the truth about university grade inflation? [The Spectator] Theresa May’s Brexit Christmas Carol [Pin Prick] Legal Cheek’s official Xmas tree round-up [Legal Cheek] ‘Ok kids here’s a cross-examination masterclass’ [Twitter] Substance or device — a distinction without a difference? [The IPKat] Why we need robot rules [Legal Futures] ‘Holy crap….this order’ [Twitter] Modernising the Mental Health Act [Legal Cheek Journal] “MCQ’s will not churn out competent solicitors. The SQE is not costing less at all, those fees are just based on the actual exams… not teaching or institution fees.” [Legal Cheek comments] Jobs jobs jobs! [Legal Cheek Hub] The post The best of the blogs appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/12/the-best-of-the-blogs-15/ |
AuthorHi I am Alana Smith 35 years old living in New York. I am working as an assistant in local law office. I like to share legal news with people to educate them. Archives
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