Premium Subscriber Q&A: Jonathan Ellis
The Texas Lawbook: What are the critical factors you consider when deciding about hiring outside counsel, and what are the biggest mistakes that outside counsel make in their relationship with
How an Unconventional Path Can Lead to a Perfect Fit in Practice
When I arrived at the office, my inbox was teeming with notifications for a new commercial real estate deal. Walking to the employee lounge, I ran into a corporate partner who placed me on a management buyout closing within the next two weeks. An hour later, a real estate partner approached me, asking about the tax consequences of a non-liquidating property distribution. As I finally settled in at my desk, I paused, asking myself a question that has guided my career path all along: How did my past, with all its unexpected turns, lead me to this exact moment? I concluded my successful clerkship convinced of the power of three guiding career principles.
My Five Favorite Books: Leigha Simonton (Member at Dykema and Former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas)
I have a secret hobby that only my close friends know: I advise high-school seniors (and younger students) about college admissions, including helping them create a list of schools that would be good fits for their interests and aspirations as well as their family’s pocketbooks. This unpaid side-gig started years ago, when my oldest daughter began high school and I decided to try to “hack” the college admissions game. I don’t mean that I plotted to get her into a U.S. News top 10 school — no, I defined “winning” as finding a school that would allow her to flourish in college, set her up for success after college (success as defined by her, not me), and be somewhere our family could afford on what was then two government salaries. Here are my Five Favorite Books: College Application Edition.
Alex Jones Expected to Pay $1.4B to Sandy Hook Families, SCOTUS Rejects Appeal
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay $1.4 billion for defamation to the Sandy Hook shooting victims’ family members a decade after the shooting. His second attempt to avoid paying has been denied by the U.S. Supreme Court.
DOJ Seeks Stay of EO Proceedings Involving Susman Godfrey
The U.S. Justice Department has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to issue a stay of all proceedings involving the litigation between the Trump administration and four law firms, including Susman Godfrey, until the government shutdown is over.
My Five Favorite Books: Barry Pound (Director of Public Relations, Androvett Legal Media & Marketing)
It’s really disappointing to realize the number of people who read for pleasure is continuing to decline – one recent study found by as much as 40% in the past 20 years – and despite research showing the positive effects of discretionary reading on our mental health, social capabilities and overall well-being. Those results may vary, but I still read 100 or more books annually and have for most of my adult life. In developing this list, which was much harder than I anticipated, I was struck by the fact that all are novels that were published more than 40 years ago -- while I generally read current mysteries, thrillers and non-fiction. Perhaps that only means that in my case a “favorite” made an impression as a young adult or even a child, and has stood that test of time.
Federal Judiciary Has 2 Weeks Until Pressure From Shutdown Increases
The federal government has shut down for lack of funding for the first time in seven years. With lawmakers in a deadlock, it is uncertain when the shutdown will end. Federal workers will continue to be paid for two weeks.
P.S. — Jail Mail Censorship Settlement, Ten Commandments Lawsuit, and Fundraisers for Justice
In this week’s edition of P.S., we include coverage of two pro bono cases. First, SMU’s First Amendment Clinic and O’Melveny & Myers teamed up to secure a $290,000 settlement and a permanent injunction against mail censorship at a Texas jail. Second, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett joined a coalition of civil liberties groups in a new lawsuit challenging Ten Commandments Displays in Texas classrooms. In Dallas, the Hispanic Bar Association prepares to celebrate its 20th Anniversary Noche de Luz Gala. And, shoppers, get excited. Jewelry brand Kendra Scott and luxury clothing store St. John Dallas Boutique are each hosting benefit events to raise funds for legal aid services across Texas.
Dr. Phil Testifies in Merit Street Media Bankruptcy Case
Taut testimony was heard from Dr. Phil McGraw Tuesday in the bankruptcy case of his Merit Street Media. He will continue testifying Thursday. The hearing that began Sept. 16 and has spanned several days is expected to end on Monday.
My Five Favorite Books: Melanie Koltermann (General Counsel at Five Star Management)
My reading habits have changed dramatically over the years. Where I once lingered over actual hard copy books late at night, these days I “read” mostly on the move. I now listen to my books, filling the hours I spend driving to/from work and after dropping of the kids for their many events. What might once have felt like idle time has become some of my most rewarding reading time, and I’ve grown to love how stories accompany me in the car. Much like my taste in music, my reading choices are eclectic and all over the place. I rarely stick to one genre or style, preferring instead to explore whatever captures my curiosity at the moment.
News Organizations Petition Judge to Unseal Paxton Divorce Court Records
Court records and court hearings in the divorce case of Angela Paxton v. Ken Paxton should be open and available to the public, according to a motion filed late Tuesday by The Texas Lawbook and a half-dozen other news media companies, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and the Houston Chronicle. In a 14-page plea intervention, the news organizations jointly ask Collin County District Court Judge Ray Wheless to reverse his earlier decision to seal the court records in the case, which pits Angela Paxton, a Texas state senator, against her husband of 38 years, Ken Paxton, who is the state’s attorney general and the highest-ranking regulator of businesses in Texas.
Former Student Seeks $100M for TCU’s Alleged Mishandling of Rape Investigation
A former Texas Christian University student filed a lawsuit Wednesday with the Eastern District of Virginia claiming discrimination and gross malfeasance for how university officials handled her rape complaint. The anonymous student, going by Emily Doe, claims the university violated Title IX policies in how it handled her complaint.