Boalt Hall Dean Resigns

The Dean of Berkeley's Boalt Hall school of law has resigned after allegations that he sexually harassed a former student, according to this. It says that "students checking their lockers Wednesday found a memo from John P. Dwyer saying he was resigning as dean and as a professor 'with profound sadness.'" UPDATE: Here's more about this (somewhat cryptic) story. Here's another update, though still without much new substantively. UPDATE: (12/2/02): Here come the salacious details . . . .

Jury Verdicts Grow, and Tort Reform Movement Follows

law.com reports on the trend toward ever-larger jury awards, and those who would like to see the trend stopped, in this article.

Brobeck Seeking "Loyalty Oath" From Partners

Things at Brobeck seem to be getting increasingly grim, as reflected in this article.

Death By Hacking?

This article discusses a worrisome bit of language in the newly-signed 484-page Homeland Security Bill that provides a sentence of up to life in prison for "cyber murder."

WeirdOfTheNewsSUCKS.com

WIPO rules that "sucks" websites, typically critical of the companies whose names they append "sucks" to, do not infringe the companies' trademarks. Read all about it in this article.

When Law Firms Collide

Read here about some of the problems that can arise when large law firms merge.

Bush's Response to Bin Laden's Letter

Here's a tongue-in-cheek look at a possible response by the President to the alleged Bin Laden letter.

California Declines Jurisdiction Over Texas Website

The California Supreme Court held today, in a four-to-three decision, that California does not have personal jurisdiction over a Texan defending intentional tort claims regarding his posting of reverse-engineered DVD encryption codes on a passive website. He had no connection to California, but did admit knowing that the information he posted could harm DVD copyright owners, the majority of whom he knew to be operating in California. The decision, Pavlovich v. Superior Court, says that's not enough to drag him into court in California, though it does note that "[o]ur decision today does not foreclose [plaintiff from suing Pavlovich] . . . . Pavlovich may still face the music�just not in California." (The link above is to an Adobe Acrobat version of the opinion. For plain text, try here instead.)

Chief Justice Roulette

Dahlia Lithwick of Slate writes about handicapping retirement possibilities at the Supreme Court.

"A Glimpse Into His [Bin Laden's] Mind"

Britain's The Guardian has published a translation of what is purported to be a letter from Bin Laden "explaining" his position regarding killing non-Muslim civilians. I don't vouch for its authenticity, and I hesitate to spread his propaganda (as if anyone reads this site . . . .), but it makes a chilling (and lengthy) read. Kind of reminds me of Ted Kozinski's anti-technology screed . . . .

California's July Bar Exam Results Just In

I had drinks tonight with several friends who were waiting for their results. They scurried away furtively to check the 'net at the stroke of 6:00 p.m., when results were to be published. I remember my own evening of painful waiting some years ago . . . . According to the California State Bar, just a hair more than half (50.5%) passed the latest exam. Full statistics are available here. Congratulations to those who passed. To those who didn't, you have plenty of company. Buck up, and try again in February.

Gay Rights and Affirmative Action on Supreme Court's Radar

Next Wednesday, the Court will consider cert petitions including one from Texas that could challenge Bowers v. Hardwick and another from U. Michigan Law School that could determine the permissible scope of affirmative action. The decisions on the petitions are likely to be announced the following Monday, December 2. Read all about it here.

Shoulder Launched Missiles and Commercial Airliners: The Next Attack?

Salon.com paints a pretty grim picture of things to come in this article. (The article is part of Salon's "Premium Content," but you can get it either by paying for it or for free by quickly clicking through a few ads from a car manufacturer instead.) UPDATE: (11/25/02 at 12:30 a.m.) Apparently, it's happened. "Two missiles were fired at but missed an Israeli airliner taking off from Mombasa, Kenya . . . ." I wonder if El Al's purported countermeasures worked? Read the preliminary reports here.

Booze Soaked Lunches and "A Smoking Bra" at Barron's. So What Else Is New?

Read the salacious details revealed in a lawsuit filed by a fired Barron's reporter who argues that his expense account infractions were both condoned and widely practiced.

Collateral Estopple (Not Double Jeopardy) Prevents Second Criminal Prosecution In Texas

I thought this article about an unusual ruling in a criminal case was interesting.