The hottest Legal Substack posts right now

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Donald Trump and AG Pam Bondi Have Just Put Themselves Into An Epic Epstein Catch-22 That No One Is Talking About Yet

Proof • 61 implied HN points • 21 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. Reopening the Epstein investigation has added procedural constraints and public scrutiny that make quietly burying or shielding files much harder.
  2. That move creates a catch-22 for Trump and AG Pam Bondi: any overt attempt to hide records would heighten suspicion and legal exposure, while leaving the probe open risks more damaging revelations.
  3. Commonly suggested secretive gambits in the press now look unlikely to work, because the way the inquiry was restarted reduces the plausible paths for suppressing the Epstein files.

Asked And Answered: A New Advice Column

Original Jurisdiction • 259 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🚌 Education Legal
  1. Consider clerking after law school if you're planning to go into litigation - it's a valuable learning experience, helps build relationships, and is prestigious.
  2. If you plan to do multiple clerkships, consider clerking for different types of courts to gain varied experiences.
  3. Clerking might be less valuable if you're aiming to be a transactional lawyer, but clerking at the Delaware Court of Chancery could be more relevant to your career.

How to name a product

A Bit Gamey • 13 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
💼 Business Legal
  1. Pick a name that clearly matches what the product is and the feeling or behavior you want people to expect.
  2. Prioritize legal safety by checking trademarks and avoiding names others already control so your brand can be defended.
  3. Verify a suitable domain (ideally an affordable .com) or plan clear modifiers, because online availability drives discoverability and credibility.

Billion Dollar Brawls

DeFi Education • 579 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
🔮 Crypto Legal
  1. Corporate disputes often stay focused on the companies involved rather than personal attacks. It's usually safer for individuals to keep their personal lives out of these brawls.
  2. When personal details are revealed during corporate fights, it can make things messy. Wealthy people prefer to keep their personal and financial lives private.
  3. Going after someone personally in a business conflict is rare because it can lead to unwanted public attention and legal trouble. People tend to respect boundaries in these situations.
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Contrived cases make bad law, part 2

Adam's Legal Newsletter • 379 implied HN points • 15 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. In legal cases like 303 Creative, contrived situations can lead to unsatisfactory outcomes.
  2. The Supreme Court's debate over government's power to compel individuals to act against their beliefs reveals a complex tension.
  3. The lack of genuine, high-stakes conflicts between same-sex couples and opponents of same-sex marriage post-Obergefell shows unexpected harmony.

Judicial Notice (02.03.24): Musk’s Money Troubles

Original Jurisdiction • 219 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
📰 News Legal
  1. Elon Musk's $56 billion pay package was ruined by lawyers, led by Greg Varallo, Jeroen van Kwawegen, and David Tejtel.
  2. Litigation boutiques like Lehotsky Keller Cohn are achieving significant wins in cases like FedEx's punitive damages.
  3. ChatGPT's suggestion of non-existent legal cases highlights the need for caution when using AI in legal research.

💥(Not So) Sorry For PRTY Rocking💥

PETITION • 314 implied HN points • 07 May 23
💼 Business Legal
  1. Party City Holdco Inc. and affiliates filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in Texas.
  2. Operational challenges and retail disruptions led to the bankruptcy filing.
  3. Debtors now focus on 'exclusive opportunism' as a key strategy in the cases.

AI Roundup 143: Agent provocateur

Artificial Ignorance • 54 implied HN points • 07 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Legal
  1. Amazon is suing a startup called Perplexity because it claims the company's AI browser agent is making purchases on its site without permission. This could change the rules for how AI can act on behalf of people.
  2. OpenAI's CFO mentioned a federal 'backstop' for AI financing, which triggered backlash and clarified that the government won't bail out AI companies financially. This situation highlights the tension between supporting tech growth and managing risks.
  3. Nvidia, once dominant in AI chips, is facing challenges as the US restricts chip sales to China. This situation shows the growing divide in technology between the US and China, and the competitive pressures both countries are experiencing.

The Amar Brief

Imperfect Information • 157 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. Akhil Reed Amar has a strong reputation and is respected across different ideologies.
  2. The amicus curiae brief filed by Amar in the Trump v. Anderson case could be influential.
  3. The Amar brothers argue that different states can have varying procedures in implementing Section Three of the Constitution.

The Law of Trump - Part I

Adam's Legal Newsletter • 239 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. The appeal in Trump's case highlights new legal questions that need resolution due to his unconventional actions, leading to the creation of 'The Law of Trump.'
  2. Trump's statements about the prosecutors, judge, and witnesses are at the center of the appeal against a court order restricting his speech, raising First Amendment concerns.
  3. There is a split among lower courts on the constitutionality of gag orders against criminal defendants, with examples like _United States v. Ford_ and _United States v. Brown_ showcasing different perspectives.

How much is the news worth?

benn.substack • 997 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Legal
  1. ChatGPT can be valuable for what it can do and what it knows.
  2. The use of copyrighted content is important for the development and functionality of AI models.
  3. Legal battles over copyrighted material can impact the future development and usage of AI technologies.

Tesla/Tornetta: Something's Happening Here...

The Chancery Daily • 379 implied HN points • 19 Jul 23
💰 Finance Legal
  1. A settlement involving Elon Musk and Tesla is pending approval in the Delaware Court of Chancery.
  2. There are cases related to director and Elon Musk compensation known as 'Tornetta' that are interrelated.
  3. There is something unusual about the settlement which the author feels the need to address further.

The Top Ten Most Incriminating Elements of the Newly Released 2003 Trump-Epstein Communication—Which Clearly Reads As Being About Pedophilia

Proof • 109 implied HN points • 19 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. There are strong claims about a 2003 communication between Trump and Epstein that suggests serious misconduct. This is being referred to as a significant piece of evidence.
  2. The content of these communications is alleged to indicate inappropriate behavior involving minors. This has raised many eyebrows and concerns.
  3. Trump's responses to these allegations have been described as extreme, which some people interpret as attempts to hide the truth.

Guest post on Karlstack

Myth Pilot • 216 implied HN points • 25 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. The guest post on Karlstack is about the legal abuses in the Douglass Mackey meme case.
  2. Douglass Mackey was known for the pro-Trump account 'Ricky Vaughn' and was charged with 'election interference' by the DOJ.
  3. The guest post was published by Paulos and is available on the Karlstack platform.

AI #45: To Be Determined

Don't Worry About the Vase • 896 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Legal
  1. Many people are becoming increasingly concerned about the potential risks of advanced AI technologies, as the complexity of the alignment problem becomes more apparent.
  2. Some politicians, like Senator Cory Booker, are expressing worries about the societal impacts of AI technology and its current prevalence in daily life.
  3. Even with concerns, there are still lighthearted and creative discussions about the future of AI, including speculative scenarios involving children and AI-powered career choices.

The Law Clerk Boycott Hits Stanford Law School

Original Jurisdiction • 479 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. Federal appellate judges are boycotting Stanford Law School for clerk hiring due to recent disruptive events involving Judge Kyle Duncan.
  2. The boycott is part of a larger pattern of judges withholding clerkship opportunities from law schools due to concerns over free speech issues.
  3. The boycotting judges are advocating for changes in law schools to promote intellectual and ideological diversity as a condition to end the boycott.

Seattle, We Have a Problem

The Cholent • 98 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. BLM at School in Seattle has embraced anti-Israel ideology, causing concern among parents.
  2. King County Bar Association published an article equating pro-Palestinian stance with terrorism, sparking controversy.
  3. Real Change newspaper rejected a Jewish Rabbi's column about anti-Semitism, showcasing a trend of lack of openness in progressive spaces.

Vitamins and painkillers — or remedy?

The Jolly Contrarian • 119 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
💼 Business Legal
  1. Business offerings can be classified as painkillers (address immediate problems) or vitamins (guard against problems over time).
  2. Painkillers may provide quick revenues, but vitamins are stickier, build better relationships, and offer stable income over the long term.
  3. In the legal operations world, the focus should be on diagnosing and providing practical advice, rather than just masking problems or offering generic solutions.

H-1B is about corruption and fraud, not ideology

The Dossier • 272 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. The H-1B visa program has a lot of corruption and fraud, rather than just being about helping skilled workers. It often benefits middleman agencies that control the hiring process.
  2. Most H-1B visa holders come from only a few countries, especially India and China, which shows a lack of diversity in skilled labor coming to the U.S.
  3. Many of the workers brought in through the H-1B program may not have the right skills or cultural fit for American workplaces, causing problems for both employers and American job seekers.

Congratulations to LGB Alliance!

CIEO • 176 implied HN points • 06 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. LGB Alliance emerged victorious in its legal battle with Mermaids to keep its charitable status
  2. The trial highlighted the scrutiny of Mermaids' practices and governance issues
  3. The bigger battle remains fighting gender ideology promotion to children in schools and popular culture

court-sanctioned intimidation

the wiczipedia weekly • 176 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. This is a politicized effort to stop scrutiny of disinformers before the 2024 election.
  2. Government officials cooperate with social media platforms, but they don't censor speech.
  3. The injunction restricts government from working with disinformation researchers, affecting efforts to combat falsehoods.

In AI we trust, part II

Adam's Legal Newsletter • 22 HN points • 16 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Legal
  1. AI can adjudicate complex legal cases with impressive accuracy and efficiency, demonstrating a capacity to act as a Supreme Court Justice or law clerk.
  2. AI like Claude can generate creative legal solutions, identify errors in expert testimony, and propose novel legal standards effectively.
  3. The future of AI in the legal industry is promising, as demonstrated by Claude's ability to produce high-quality work at a rapid pace and its potential for further improvement with more training.

CEO of Gig-work Surveillance Firm Resigns

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 752 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
💼 Business Legal
  1. CEO of Gig-work Surveillance Firm, Maury Blackman, resigned after years of court battles and exposure of clandestine surveillance.
  2. Premise Data, an analogue of Uber for data-gathering, faced revenue stagnation despite investments and high-profile board members.
  3. Blackman's resignation led to Matt McNabb taking over as CEO, revealing a history of controversial events and legal issues within Premise.

The Game-Changing Clause Every Entrepreneur Should Add to Their Convertible Notes

Venture Curator • 219 implied HN points • 12 May 23
💼 Business Legal
  1. Convertible notes with caps can have hidden risks for entrepreneurs, especially when the conversion price exceeds the cap.
  2. Adding a specific clause to convertible notes can protect entrepreneurs from potential unfavorable outcomes when converting to equity.
  3. Including a clause stating a non-participating liquidation preference in a convertible note can level the playing field and provide essential protection for entrepreneurs.

Dominion v. Fox: Very Much Aforethought Regarding Malice And So Many Other Things

The Chancery Daily • 359 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. The Dominion v. Fox trial in the Delaware Superior Court involves high-profile personalities and is expected to be a dramatic and historic event.
  2. The case touches on themes of norm-breaking and the challenges of handling significant legal cases in courts such as Delaware's Court of Chancery.
  3. The trial, expected to last six weeks, is anticipated to result in an appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court or potentially even the Supreme Court of the United States due to First Amendment considerations.

Will AI transform law?

AI Snake Oil • 648 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Legal
  1. The idea of AI replacing lawyers is plausible but not well-supported by current evidence.
  2. Applications of AI in law can be categorized into information processing, creativity/judgment tasks, and predicting the future.
  3. Evaluation of AI in law needs to advance beyond static benchmarks to real-world deployment scenarios.

Weekly Wednesday: 18 and life to go

Deprogram • 157 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal
  1. The author's mother is finally divorced and safe from a problematic ex, which is a personal relief.
  2. The ex's obstructive behavior created ongoing stress for the family, even after being arrested.
  3. The ex's sentencing reveals his problematic leadership in an extremist group, leading to a lengthy prison term.