I know legal scholars are supposed to stop making legal arguments and just make moral/political ones, but can I get an exception here?

Props to my afternoon #legalwriting students—who managed a very simple, but effective April Fool’s Day prank: precisely swapping their regular seats two that the entire classroom was a mirror image of the normal arrangement. It messed with my brain way more than I could have expected.

Teaching law students the practical skills of lawyering—writing, research, and analysis—is an important job.

First time really digging into using AI in oral argument prep, using a couple of different methods, to mixed results. Pros, so far: 1. oral argument questions that I wouldn't necessarily anticipated. Like participating in a decent moot. 2. offered some decent one-liners.

I know it's a lot easier when someone sends you a redline, but really you should know how to compare versions in Word. It's a basic skill in the lawyer toolbox.

1000% agree. Question: What are some other basic Word skills that should be in every lawyer’s toolbox? Asking as a prof teaching great future lawyers. #AppellateSly #LawSky

When I was growing up in Winter Park, FL (15 minutes from downtown Orlando) in the late 80s/early 90s, there was a 100+-acre orange grove next to the middle school. It’s now a subdivision w/ dozens of million-dollar homes.

Prof. John C. Jeffries Jr. ’73 says #UVALaw classmate Robert S. Mueller III ’73 was “a person of real character and integrity.” @law360.bsky.social

100%

“I refuse to acknowledge the validity of your show-cause order because it’s not signed by an Article III judge” is giving off some strong sovereign-citizen vibes.

Everyone stfu the Sixth Circuit issued *gigantic* AI sanctions storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

This seems like a big deal.

Once again, a self-professed champion of "Western Civilization" shows disdain for its basic concepts, such as "the unexamined life is not worth living," attributed to Socrates, who is not exactly "modern."

Happy Selection Sunday to all who celebrate.

✋ Former USG war crimes lawyer here. Apropos of SecDef's remarks this morning: Denial of quarter—even the declaration of no quarter—is a war crime. And recognized as such by the US Government. From DoD's Manual for Military Commissions.

Judge VanDyke's opinion was so offensive that 29 of the Ninth Circuit's senior and active judges, including a few Trump appointees, issued these rebukes:

As a point of comparison, the US spent $21 billion in FY 2022 to feed billions of breakfasts and lunches to kids in schools across our whole country for an entire year under the universal school meals program that was later discontinued.

I've already read this like seven times, and it's still just so jarring to watch. Ezra just full-stopping after eight — Eight! — words prove her wrong is just brutal.

Judge: the challenge is, when you file something with the court that is not forthright, it makes me question everything else you say

Last semester, one of my courses was 2:10-3:10. The first week, I felt a bit rushed toward the end of class, but I wrapped up right on time, and the students quietly walked out—at 3 pm sharp. Props to the first-week 1Ls who overcame the collective action problem, kept quiet, and just left.

My periodic reminder (especially with law-firm interviews in full swing): Law students looking for BigLaw jobs should absolutely consider whether the firms they’re interviewing with align with their own personal and professional values.

My periodic reminder (especially with law-firm interviews in full swing): Law students looking for BigLaw jobs should absolutely consider whether the firms they’re interviewing with align with their own personal and professional values.

Unironically love my opposing counsel, who called me back after a meet and confer today because he forgot to ask how my family in Israel is doing (which reminded me to ask about his extended family in Iran). He's wrong about EVERYTHING substantive, of course, but just a good human being

At her investiture ceremony, Virginia Chief Justice Cleo Powell ’82, the first Black woman to hold the position, reflected on her journey as a jurist. @vpm.org

Could someone please reset the "Hours without an embarrassing DOJ filing" clock to 0?

Speechless. Government moves to not move to dismiss law firm EO appeals.

Congrats to Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie, Susman Godfrey, and Wilmer Hale, and congrats to their lawyers at Clement & Murphy, Cooley, Munger Tolles, and Williams & Connolly. You've shown integrity and conviction when many of your peers showed that they have none.

🚨BREAKING: Virginia voters will head to the polls starting Friday to weigh in on a plan to redraw the state’s congressional map in response to GOP gerrymanders in other states after a court ruled* that election preparations can move forward. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Over generations, DOJ built a reputation as the gold standard. In one year, they burnt it to the ground.

DOJ's recent 6th Circuit filing misspelled: Voters as “Votors” Emergency as "Emeregency" United States as "United Staes" And, it included a non-party in the caption. These are the people who want access to your sensitive voting records and who my team fights in court every day.

This is the wife of the second most powerful person in the American government, openly cheering on the censorship of stories and narratives and values that conflict with her own. It's appalling, and Democrats should absolutely fight back hard.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops is... not playing around in this brief. www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25...

I was pleased to write for my pal @meganeboyd.bsky.social an essay on How I Write for Scribes. And if you'd like to read it, it's here. I don't think I have any special sauce, but this is how I do it. www.scribes.org/wp-content/u...

I mean, good for the 5th Cir. But this kind of conduct deserves way more than a $2500 fine. We *have* to start docking people's bar cards for this nonsense. The fake cites/quotes are bad enough. But responding to that gaffe with anything less than 100% contrition should be disqualifying.

How any attorney with a shred of dignity or integrity could walk under that banner and into work every day is completely beyond me. Many (most?) lawyers of character have already left the Department. But this should prompt another wave of defections.

Based on my previous work on probability phrases across various colloquial and professional contexts, 60% probability invariably corresponds to subjective phrases like "about as likely as not, " "more likely than not," or (at most) "likely" or "probable." www.alwd.org/index.php?op...

I hope more senior mentors/attorneys/profs etc know this but I always like to say this Please please please share with young people, mentees, or whoever all your struggles and challenges you had in your career The reason I come to you for advice is because I certainly must value something…

The party against cancel culture loves canceling everyone. deadline.com/2026/02/step...

The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that the state can put a redistricting plan on the ballot this spring that could add as many as four more Democratic seats in Congress. The referendum will take place on April 21.

Forget coders; tech companies are desperate for "storytellers" It's a lesson for #legalwriting students: even if AI takes over some writing tasks, there's still a need for the uniquely human skill of analyzing and explaining things in clear, compelling ways. www.businessinsider.com/hottest-job-...

Another loss for Pirro, whose office has “struggled to secure indictments and convictions, including when a jury acquitted a man who chucked a Subway sandwich ..” @nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

NEW: Trump DOJ tries, fails to secure indictment over Democratic lawmakers' social media video on unlawful orders. www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

I am regularly asked what specifically blue states and Congress should do to protect the midterm elections. Here you go, I list and explain them one by one. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/its-...

“Collection of Handwritten Letters from Children in Detention Center” sounds like an exhibit in the Holocaust Museum.

…and the notion that lawyers don’t need to conduct a “granular analysis” of court opinions is a bit of a shock to anyone who’s taught at—or attended—an American law school in the past 150 years.

Another old-school-style Q for #AppellateTwitter: have y’all used this quote (or sentiment) to avoid unhelpful language in a controlling opinion? It seems like a helpful, stock quote to have at the ready when you want to say “those are just words”— I just don’t recall seeing it before…

Another old-school-style Q for #AppellateTwitter: have y’all used this quote (or sentiment) to avoid unhelpful language in a controlling opinion? It seems like a helpful, stock quote to have at the ready when you want to say “those are just words”— I just don’t recall seeing it before…