The LACBA Student Lounge Blog

Question of the Week: The Sotomayor Confirmation - Politics or Legitimate Inquiry?

Attempting to make her mark in Constitutional Law casebooks over the next several years, the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor is big news. But, will the confirmation process be mere politics or will it be based on Sotomayor's judicial philosophy, intellect and credentials?

Use the comments link below.

Swearing In Ceremonies Throughout California

Below is a list of dates, locations and times of California State Bar Committee of Bar Examiners swearing ceremonies throughout California:

Los Angeles
June 2, 2009, 10:00 a.m.
Pasadena Civic Auditorium
300 East Green Street
Pasadena, CA
(Admission to the U.S. District
Court for the Central District of
California will take place during this
ceremony.)

Oakland
June 2, 2009, 10:30 a.m.
Oakland Convention Center
1001 Broadway
Oakland, CA
(Admission to the U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of
California will take place during this
ceremony.)

Orange County
June 2, 2009, 10:00 a.m.
Sheraton Anaheim Hotel
900 South Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA
(Admission to the U.S. District Court for
the Central District of California will
take place during this ceremony.)

Sacramento
June 8, 2009, 10:00 a.m.
Sheraton Grand Hotel
1230 “J” Street
Sacramento, CA
(Admission to the U.S. District
Court will not take place during this
ceremony.)

San Diego
June 2, 2009, 10:00 a.m.
Westin Hotel-Horton Plaza
910 Broadway Circle
San Diego (corrected 5/19/2009)
(Admission to the U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of California will
take place during this ceremony.)

Fresno
June 3, 2009, 3:00 p.m.
Fresno City Hall
Council Chambers
2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA
(Admission to the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of
California will take place during this
ceremony.)

Ventura
June 2, 2009, 4:00 p.m.
Ventura Hall of Justice
Courtroom 22
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA
(Admission to the U.S. District Court
will not take place during this ceremony.)

Riverside/San Bernardino
June 4, 2009, 10:00 a.m.
Riverside Superior Court
Historic Courthouse
Ceremonial Courtroom
4050 Main Street, Dept. 1
Riverside, CA
(Admission to the U.S. District Court will
not take place during this ceremony.)

Southwestern Law School Announces New Board of Trustee Members

Earlier this week, Southwestern Law School announced that three distinguished Southwestern alumni have been elected to the law school's Board of Trustees: Darin J. Feinstein '98, CEO of Blackhawk Capital Partners, Inc.; Hon. Matthew K. Fong '85, President of Strategic Advisory Group and former California State Treasurer; and Sheryl E. Stein '78, partner in the law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

Sheryl E. Stein, a LACBA member, is Managing Partner of the Los Angeles Office and leader of the Corporate & Securities Practice Section in Los Angeles for the firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Her experience includes handling business agreements and employment matters for various industries. She was previously a partner and key member of the Japan Practice Group at the law firm of Baker & McKenzie. She is a member of the Business and Labor Law Sections of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Organization of Women Executives, and has served as a board member of the Los Angeles County Bar Foundation. Ms. Stein earned her B.A. degree cum laude in psychology from the University of Miami before completing her J.D. degree at Southwestern. She is a member of the California State Bar.

Student Loan Law!

Thinking about a niche practice area? Since basket weaving law is pretty much saturated at the moment, why not think about student loan law. With law students still pouring out of law school, first year associate deferrals, rising defaults and relatively low bar passage rates, not to mention the complexity of student loans, grants and a regular dialog in Washington about federal aid and higher education, there's an entire market of potential clients waiting to be served.

Event: Digital and Traditional Media Techniques In and Out of Court (6/3/09)

Event date: June 3, 2009

Communication is critical surrounding client developments, issues, and litigation. The media – from traditional print and broadcast to blogs, Twitter, online news feeds and spam – often drives public perceptions, verdicts and settlements. In this program, we will discuss how to use the latest digital and media relations techniques to drive for client results.

On the offense, litigation communication enables the client’s story to heard, understood, and is recalled by key stakeholders. On the defense, it blunts negative chatter and misperceptions. “No comment,” no leak strategy and no digital communications plan are no longer an option. Harlan Loeb, Director of FD’s Litigation Communication Practice, will present ideas and concepts using examples from recent cases he’s handled, including the DOW Rohm and Haas Litigation

1 Hour of CLE Credit

Location: Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1055 West 7th Street 27th Floor, Los Angeles

Law student registration: $15 (includes meal)

Other LACBA Members: $80

Others: $95

Parking: $5 with LACBA Validation

Doors open: 5:00 - 5:30 PM
Meal/Reception: 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Program: 5:30 - 6:30 PM

Register online.

Register by phone: (213) 896-6560

New Danger Mouse Release is a Blank CDR? Inducement?

Of course one of the greatest battlegrounds of copyright has been the music industry. Since music went digital, things just haven't been the same.

Reported by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Danger Mouse, who later formed Gnarls Barkley, has now entered the fray by releasing a blank CDR and labeling each CDR with the following:

"For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will."

Doesn't make sense? According to the EEF article, earlier this month the latest album recorded by Danger Mouse, Dark Night of the Soul, which includes a variety of well known guest artists, was leaked through a number of sources online. This after unsuccessful discussions with the major record label EMI. Danger Mouse has released the CDR with a book of photographs that were inspired by the music on the album Dark Night of the Soul.

What's the big deal? The inducement rule: a test a United States court can use to determine whether liability for copyright infringement committed by third parties could be assigned to the distributor of the device used to commit infringement.

LexisNexis Offers Free Access to Deferred Graduates

Did your post-graduate offer happen to get deferred? If so, LexisNexis, the online legal research giant, is stepping up to the plate. To respond to the growing trend of associate deferrals, Lexis announced its ASPIRE program (Associates Serving Public Interest Research), which provides complimentary access to LexisNexis services to 2009 law school graduates who received a first year associate offer, were deferred, and who are working for nonprofit or public interest companies during the interim. ASPIRE details and registration.

Question of the Week: Is an Alternative Law Career on Your Radar?

Yes, there's still lots of work to be done practicing law. However, more and more recent graduates are looking to alternative job opportunities in which a J.D. and a license to practice can be leveraged.

Have you thought about an alternative law career? If so, what types of opportunities are out there?

Answer this question by using the Comments link below.

LACBA Environmental Law Section Reception: May 20, 2009

The LACBA Environmental Law Section is hosting its Third Annual Spring Reception to honor government and public service attorneys. The reception will take place on Wednesday, May 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the magnificent art deco Tom Bradley Tower Room atop City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles. The reception’s featured honored guest will be Sheila Kuehl, member of the California Integrated Waste Management Board and former California state senator.

Attendance is complimentary for Environmental Law Section members, judges, government lawyers, public interest lawyers and law students. Others are $55. We hope you can join in the festivities, reconnect with old acquaintances and make new ones.

To attend and to receive complimentary parking under City Hall East, you must pre-register for this event by May 15, 2009.

Directions: Please enter the parking lot from Los Angeles Street between First Street and Temple Street. The entrance is on the west side of Los Angeles Street. Take the elevator to the 2nd floor and cross the street to City Hall. Then, take the elevator to the 22nd floor where you will switch to a second elevator to the Tom Bradley Tower.

Speakers: Sheila J. Kuehl

Location: Los Angeles City Hall, ,

Parking: Complimentary in City Hall East Garage for guests pre-registered by May 15. Must present photo ID.

Registration: 6:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Meal/Reception: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Program: 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Register online here: http://onlinestore.lacba.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=ViewCalendarEvent&CalendarEventID=2635

Register by phone: (213) 896-6560

Ex-Wilco Member Sues Frontman: Royalties

Spending seven years with the band Wilco as a sound engineer and playing instruments, Jay Bennett has sued Wilco's frontman, Jeff Tweedy over royalties in a county Circuit Court. Bennett claims that he was not compensated for his appearance in a film that documented the creative process behind the album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." According to a Chicago Breaking News article, Bennett also argues that he was only paid partially and infrequently during his years with the group and that those payments amounted to 15% of the bands income from sales and performances.

A commentator on the case opines that the amount in controversy, which is $50,001, is just enough to get this case through the doors of plaintiff Bennet's preferred court.