Beautiful day in DC for a peaceful protest against tyranny

“In a few weeks’ time—when we turn to our regular docket—we will decide cases of far less import with far more process and reflection.” If I have reason to refer to any case this term I will introduce it with this quote from Kagan’s dissent in yesterday’s emergency stay in DOS v. AIDS Vaccine

bit of good news to report: Pam Bondi's brother lost the election to be President of the DC Bar in a landslide. Brad Bondi got only 3,490 votes (who are these people?) while Diane Seltzer (@whatajlp.bsky.social) earned 34,982 votes! Congratulations Diane!

DeLauro uses her opening statement to tear Russ Vought a new one

Lee: Would say it would be “illegal DEI” for a lesson plan on the Tulsa race massacre? McMahon: I’d have to get back to you Lee: Do you know what the Tulsa race massacre is? McMahon: I’d like to look into it more and get back to you on it.

President Trump’s just-released budget would eliminate funding for the Legal Services Corporation, putting at risk essential legal protections for veterans, seniors and children across the country. Learn what’s at stake and how you can help protect access to justice: www.lsc.gov/act #LSCMatters

BREAKING: Texas Republicans just passed a major book banning bill. They say it’s about protecting kids from “filth.” But when I questioned the bill author, he admitted that it could ban classics like Romeo and Juliet, Catcher in the Rye, and Lonesome Dove.

The government is surveilling US senators and the phone companies are illegally failing to report it www.politico.com/live-updates...

Around D.C., the new going rate is well-known: $5 million for a one-on-one dinner with Trump, but gov-affairs execs have “no clue where the money is eventually going,” one said. Another told me it’s “outer-borough Mafia sh*t.” My new piece is out @newyorker.com www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

After breaking into the US Institute of Peace (USIP) Monday, DOGE members immediately got to work taking down signs to erase the independent agency. Photos taken yesterday shared directly with me:

walking by the DOJ building in DC

Trump pardon attorney taking “hard look” at defendants convicted of plotting to kidnap Gov. Whitmer. The effort to rewrite history and normalize political violence continues. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

Vote them all out

The Hungarian government is about to pass a law that will allow it to destroy the tiny online outlets that represent the last vestiges of independent Hungarian press 444.hu/2025/05/22/v...

Not just student data. DOJ apparently requested any email or text where faculty or staff discussed the Trump DEI EOs -- something that would target lots of pure political speech.

hypo: EO says “soldiers will be quartered in private homes.” Courts uniformly find 3rd Am violation & gov’t never appeals. W/o nationwide injunction any non plaintiff might still get quartered soldiers until everyone sues?

Quote skeet with a picture of the airplane you'll accept as bribe

Three U.S. citizens, ages 2, 4 and 7, swiftly deported from Louisiana www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

NEW: DeSantis directed the University of Florida to cancel a nearly-complete search for its next dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — because the governor believed the finalists were not in alignment with the state's opposition to DEI

In Alcon Entm't v. Tesla, producers of Blade Runner 2049 sued Musk for copyright & trademark infringement for his AI-generated cybercab promotions. This quote made it into the district court's tentative ruling:

Scoop: DOGE officials met with leadership at the National Gallery of Art this week to discuss the museum's legal status www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

1st: are there no adults in the GA GOP? 2nd: tax payer dollars can pay people to doctor photos for a joke, but not cure cancer?

Everyone needs to understand what Elon and DOGE are building, an AI driven panopticon that will know everything about you and will be used to ensure compliance with their fascist agenda. They are creating a unified database of everything the federal government has on every single American. 🧵1/

lol. Court: and Alito will say what he will say

My story breaking this news exclusively was 7K+ words and had almost all of this in it, and more: www.npr.org/2025/04/15/n...

According to this memo from DOJ deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, DOJ employees who serve in policy-determining, policymaking, or policy-advocating positions may no longer RENEW their ABA membership: www.justice.gov/dag/media/13...

Attn. DC lawyers: You can VOTE NOW for DC Bar President for either: 👍DIANE SELTZER vowing to protect RULE OF LAW, endorsed by Washington Council of Lawyers, Bar Assoc. of DC, & 20+ past DC Bar Presidents, or 👎Brad BONDI brother of PAM BONDI Log on to my.dcbar.org and click Vote Now

Dear DC Bar lawyers! Please remember to vote in the bar elections. Brad Bondi must be defeated, as well as Alicia Long. Vote AGAINST both of them!!

I look at close to 100 stories a week and even more outside of work. I’ve done this ten years. This is among the most horrific things I’ve ever read — testimony from dying children whose access to medicine has been cut off by the Trump administration. www.npr.org/sections/goa...

Team effort by the faculty at @auwcl.bsky.social to write this letter. Feeling all kinds of respect for my colleagues.

The US government holds a tremendous amount of data about US citizens. Now, The Trump administration is trying to access that data and link it together. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/u...

Reading a 1988 case brought by the Warhol Foundation. The SDNY says "The Plaintiffs consider all copies as originals."

A federal judge ruled that the Trump White House must admit the AP's journalists to news events - ruling its exclusion was "unlawful." Almost two hours later, two AP journalists were rejected from the WH pool to cover a Trump speech. My NPR story: www.npr.org/2025/04/08/n...

Imagine what this family could have gone through He ordered armed Marshalls to go to this person's home To intimidate her into silence Her son was home alone while she was with senior parents Terrifying! He lost, she testified against him. Truth wins #Voices4Victory

Deeply concerning: US citizen lawyer getting detained and his phone searched on reentering the U.S. at Customs. www.freep.com/story/news/l...

The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 (P.L. 89-209) states "The Congress finds and declares the following: (1) The arts and the humanities belong to all the people of the United States." DOGE fired 80% of the NEH & cancelled already approved grants

And a highly qualified and admired American University Washington College grad is running against Bondi. Please support Diane Seltzer! www.dcbar.org/news-events/...

Judge O'Scannlain on #PublicDomain: "Comedy III has strenuously argued that it does not raise a copyright claim. Indeed, Comedy III could not do so even if it wanted to because any copyright has long expired and the film at issue is in the public domain. We all own it now."

Unbelievably this mother managed to remain calm for her children in the face of heinous cruelty. And the bravery of the filmmaker! It’s clear who the criminals are.

April Fools is big in my family. Years ago, when my kids were little, we "stole our car" by secretly moving it while on vacation. My husband's reaction, my kids' impressively straight faces, and the crowd of strangers that gathered around made the announcement of "April Fools" a huge success.

getting very excited about this friday's pop culture & the law symposium at american university school of law! i will join some fabulous colleagues on the fashion law panel to talk about upcycling, first sale, & material alteration ⌚️👟👜 join us on zoom or in person! bring yr chanel button jewelry

In other news in DC .... Proud Boys appear to have no registered marks (although 1 cancelled & 4 pending), but could have common law marks www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/u...

The copyrights of thousands of 20th-century films, books, compositions and sound recordings expire on Jan. 1, making them free for anyone to share and adapt. Here are some of the highlights.

The Trademark Reporter just published a special issue on Trademarks & AI. My article, "Trademarks in an Algorithmic World," & fascinating articles by @michaelgrynberg.bsky.social, Daryl Lim, Sonia Katyal, Molly Torsen Stech, etc. are here: www.inta.org/wp-content/u... @pijip.bsky.social

Fun facts from T. Hine's The Total Package: 1) Before Kleenex, tissues were sold without boxes 2) Before Colgate’s tubes, toothpaste needed to be spooned from a jar Made me think about how today companies try to protect packaging innovations thru trademark with functionality as the only constraint

I did it. I published another piece about the 1929 Inter American Convention on Trademarks in Sean Morris' wonderful new book on IP in the interwar period. If you're not yet fascinated with the Inter American Convention, then we haven't met.

Attended my 1st WIPO DipCon in Riyadh to conclude the Design Law Treaty. Amazing experience. Stay tuned for my paper with Thomas Margoni explaining the implications for the agreed text. @pijip.bsky.social @auwcl.bsky.social @profseanflynn.bsky.social