Summary: 2015 was filled with crazy stories like Bill Cosby’s arrest and the Affluenza teen’s escape. But those weren’t the stories that titillated JDJournal’s readers the most. The following are the top 15 most popular site stories of the year.
15. New York Mayor fights topless panhandlers! Okay, not really. #FreeTheNipple
Bill De Blasio doesn’t like boobies… At least not boobies in Times Square. New York City’s mayor wanted to address the numerous complaints about topless panhandlers in the heavily populated tourist spot, but topless advocates argued that regulating the panhandlers violated their First Amendment Rights. Thus, the topless continue to free their nipples, much to the delight of teenage boys everywhere. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/08/21/does-the-first-amendment-cover-panhandlerswho-are-topless/
14. Significant changes in lawyer head counts
In June, American Lawyer published data showing that BigLaw firms had significant changes with the amount of lawyers on their payroll. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/06/12/significant-changes-reported-in-attorney-head-count-at-major-firms/
13. Acquitted murderer rewards lawyer
After Alejandro Morales was found not guilty of murder, he turned to his lawyer and punched him in the jaw. If that doesn’t scream gratefulness, then I don’t know what love is. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/07/01/after-murder-suspect-declared-not-guilty-punches-his-lawyer-in-the-face/
12. What happens after you serve as a Supreme Court clerk?
A Supreme Court clerkship is arguably one of the most coveted legal jobs, but what happens when it’s over? We compiled a list of 25 former clerks and where they ended up. The results will intrigue you. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/04/09/chart-of-25-former-united-states-supreme-clerks-and-the-firms-where-they-now-work/
11. AT&T sends dickish letter to lifelong customer
Lifelong AT&T customer, Alfred Valrie had some suggestions for the telecommunications giant. Instead of complaining about the company on Yelp like most red-blooded Americans, Valrie decided to write a polite letter to the CEO. She was shocked when the company’s lawyer wrote back, saying they could not accept her unsolicited ideas. Maybe she should switch to Time Warner Cable. No wait, they’re terrible too. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/10/15/att-lawyer-reminds-us-why-people-hate-j-d-s/
10. Michael Farren disbarred
After former White House lawyer Michael Farren was convicted of trying to murder his wife, the District of Columbia disbarred his ass. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/07/02/michael-farren-disbarred-from-district-of-columbia/
9. Butler & Hosch closes
The law firm Butler & Hosch announced to its hundreds of employees in May that it was closing. At the time it shuttered, it was working on approximately 60,000 foreclosure cases. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/05/19/butler-hosch-law-firm-closes-doors/
8. Woman fights parking ticket and wins
An Ohio woman successfully beat her parking ticket when she noticed a lack of a comma on the citation. Because of the grammatical error, the city agreed to remove her ticket and reimburse her for her car tow. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/07/10/parking-ticket-discarded-for-grammar-mistake/
7. Husband and wife steal millions from two law firms
A husband and wife allegedly devised a billing scheme to steal $7.8 million from two law firms. They were caught, of course, but for a few blissful years they enjoyed their blinged out jewelry so that’s all that matters, amiright? For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/08/26/husband-and-wife-take-7-8-million-from-two-law-firms/
6. Lawyer plots to get another lawyer arrested for DUI
Stephen Diaco, a partner at Adams & Diaco, allegedly orchestrated a scheme to get the attorney on the opposing side of a multimillion dollar lawsuit arrested for DUI. The evil mastermind was caught and subsequently disbarred. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/08/21/setting-up-another-attorney-will-get-you-enemies-and-may-get-you-disbarred/
5. A case against the Uniform Bar Exam
Ben Bratman, Associate Professor of Legal Writing at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, made a case against the Uniform Bar Exam, which many states have adapted. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/06/17/opinion-why-more-states-should-not-jump-on-the-uniform-bar-exam-bandwagon/#sthash.JXQEEXJZ.dpuf
4. Judge buys clerk a BMW
Judge Valeriano Saucedo faced removal of office back in October because of the alleged “mentorship” he bestowed upon his young, married clerk. In exchange for her to be his “special friend,” he gifted her with a BMW, a trip to Disneyland, and other presents. The wealthy “mentor” was found guilty of prejudicial and willful misconduct. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/10/09/judge-in-hot-water-for-buying-clerk-a-beamer/
3. Indiana attorney permanently disbarred
An Indiana attorney who allegedly stalked and harassed his ex-girlfriend, was disbarred. The lawyer and the ex dated for a few months, and she was the college roommate of his daughter. Yikes. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/04/23/attorney-permanently-disbarred-for-grievous-behavior/
2. Lawcrossing releases detailed data chart of AmLaw 200 law firms
Our sister site, Lawcrossing, released a chart earlier this year that broke down 2014’s AmLaw 200 Law Firms based on revenue, firm size, and breakdown. For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/04/06/chart-of-amlaw-200-law-firms-shows-rank-revenue-size-and-employee-breakdown/
1. Classy Florida woman files super classy notice
Oh, Florida. Why do you have so many odd ducks there? In April, we reported that Tamah Jada Clark, a Florida woman, filed a brief insulting the judge with excessive profanity. She was angry that her original suit was dismissed, so she opened her next notice with the compelling words few are willing to put down on paper: “F*ck This Court and Everything That It Stands For.” For the full story: https://www.jdjournal.com/2015/04/24/florida-woman-files-notice-to-f-this-court/
