Nice
Try
Circumventing
The
Constitution:
Not
on
Judge
Coughenour’s
watch!
Has
It
Gone
Underground
Or
Is
It
Gone:
Biglaw
firm
scrubs
diversity
from
their
homepage.
Goodman
Says
Things
Can
Get
Really
Bad:
What’s
the
real
check
to
Trump
skirting
the
Constitution?
Put
The
Faith
Office
Where
The
Separation
Clause
Used
To
Be:
Apparently
the
Christians
need
protection.
How
is
everyone
else
doing?
Not
The
Best
Time
To
Hire:
Government
agencies
are
skipping
law
school
recruitment
efforts.
The
National
Basketball
Players
Association
recently
hired
David
Kelly
as
its
General
Counsel.
Kelly
worked
in
the
front
office
of
which
NBA
team
—
which
won
multiple
titles
during
Kelly’s
tenure
—
before
this
new
role?
Hint:
Kelly
also
has
a
musical
career
as
a
rapper
under
the
name
Capital
D.
How
can
lawyers
harness
AI
and
automation
to
scale
their
firms
and
optimize
efficiency?
“You
have
to
create
your
own
rules;
if
not,
other
people
will
make
rules
for
you,”
says
Sam
Mollaei,
a
lawyer
and
entrepreneur.
In
a
recent
episode
of
“Be
That
Lawyer,”
Sam
joins
host
Steve
Fretzin
to
explore
the
game-changing
role
of
AI,
automation,
and
strategic
focus
in
building
a
high-performing
law
firm.
Attracting
New
Clients
In
2025,
platforms
like
Facebook,
Instagram,
and
TikTok
outperform
Google
Ads
for
attracting
clients,
Sam
says.
Here,
he
breaks
down
why
and
how
law
firms
should
adjust
their
marketing
strategies.
‘Done
Is
Better
Than
Perfect’
According
to
Sam,
this
is
the
“line
that
he
lives
by”
in
business.
Here,
he
explains
why.
Steve
Fretzin
is
a
bestselling
author,
host
of
the
BE
THAT
LAWYER
Podcast,
and
business
development
coach
exclusively
for
attorneys.
Steve
has
committed
his
career
to
helping
lawyers
learn
key
growth
skills
not
currently
taught
in
law
school.
His
clients
soon
become
top
rainmakers
and
credit
Steve’s
program
and
coaching
for
their
success.
He
can
be
reached
directly
by
email
at [email protected].
Or
you
can
easily
find
him
on
his
website
at www.fretzin.com or
LinkedIn
at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin.
We’ve
used
the
Playbook
Strategy
to
lay
the
groundwork
and
prepare
our
minds
for
a
successful
conference.
Stepping
into
the
conference
social
dance,
we’ve
embraced
the
rhythm
of
networking
with
confidence.
Now,
in
this
new
series,
we’ll
be
exploring
the
art
of
the
post-conference
follow-up.
To
start,
picture
yourself
as
a
chef
in
the
grand
kitchen
of
networking.
The
conference
has
ended,
but
the
ingredients
you’ve
gathered
—
the
contacts,
the
conversations
—
are
fresh
and
ready
to
be
transformed
into
something
delectable.
Like
a
culinary
artist,
your
task
is
to
take
these
raw
interactions
and
craft
them
into
memorable,
long-lasting
relationships.
Let’s
don
our
chef
hats
and
aprons
and
explore
the
recipe
for
post-conference
success.
The
Timely
Follow-Ups
Imagine
the
moments
after
a
conference
as
the
crucial
time
when
your
networking
“pot”
is
on
the
stove,
simmering
with
potential.
The
key
to
turning
these
fresh
connections
into
a
gourmet
feast
lies
in
the
timing
of
your
follow-up.
Just
as
a
chef
knows
the
perfect
moment
to
add
each
ingredient
to
a
dish,
you
must
gauge
the
right
time
to
rekindle
the
conversation
with
your
new
contacts.
Keeping
Ingredients
Fresh:
Reach
out
while
the
memory
of
your
meeting
is
still
hot.
Ideally,
within
48
hours
post-conference,
send
a
personalized
message.
This
shows
attentiveness
and
eagerness
to
continue
the
dialogue.
First
Contact
Delicacy:
Your
initial
follow-up
should
be
light
and
flavorful,
not
overwhelming.
A
brief
email
or
LinkedIn
message
that
recalls
a
specific
detail
from
your
interaction
shows
you
were
genuinely
engaged.
It’s
like
adding
a
hint
of
seasoning
to
enhance,
not
overpower.
The
Reminder
Garnish:
If
you
mentioned
any
resources
or
connections
during
your
conversation,
now’s
the
time
to
share
them.
Attach
an
article,
link
to
a
study,
or
offer
that
introduction
you
discussed.
It’s
the
garnish
that
makes
your
follow-up
memorable.
Simmer,
Don’t
Boil:
After
your
initial
follow-up,
let
the
conversation
simmer.
Avoid
the
urge
to
turn
up
the
heat
with
too
many
messages.
Patience
is
a
virtue
in
the
kitchen
and
in
networking.
Allow
them
time
to
respond
before
reaching
out
again.
The
Tasting
Spoon:
If
you
don’t
receive
a
response,
a
gentle
reminder
after
a
week
or
so
can
be
the
equivalent
of
a
chef’s
tasting
spoon.
A
simple
message
like,
“Just
wanted
to
make
sure
you
received
my
last
email,”
can
nudge
the
conversation
without
being
intrusive.
By
managing
the
heat
of
your
follow-up
interactions
with
care,
you
ensure
that
your
networking
efforts
cook
to
perfection,
resulting
in
a
delightful
array
of
professional
relationships
ready
to
be
savored.
Don’t
Let
the
Pot
Boil
Over:
Timely
Follow-Ups
√
Reach
out
within
48
hours
of
the
conference. √
Send
personalized,
concise
messages
to
keep
the
conversation
fresh.
Sejal
Patel
is
a
Rainmaking
Consultant
and
the Founder
of
Sage
Ivy,
a
New
York-based
consultancy
dedicated
to
helping
attorneys
turn
relationships
into
clients.
With
over
20
years
of
experience,
Sejal
strategically
analyzes
attorneys’
networks
to
uncover
revenue
and
relationship
opportunities,
crafting
individualized
approaches
that
align
with
their
unique
strengths
and
styles.
Learn
more
at www.sageivyconsulting.com.
Every
so
often,
new
lawyers
ask
me
for
advice
on
how
they
can
best
succeed
in
the
legal
profession.
I
usually
give
young
lawyers
a
few
strategies,
including
how
they
should
work
at
a
stable
law
firm,
develop
a
specialty,
and
build
connections
that
can
help
them
originate
business.
When
it
comes
to
learning
how
to
be
more
successful
in
a
courtroom,
I
usually
suggest
that
new
lawyers
listen
to
oral
arguments,
especially
if
they
also
have
a
case
to
be
heard
that
day,
so
they
can
see
how
other
practitioners
advocate
on
behalf
of
their
clients.
When
I
was
an
intern
for
a
judge
during
a
summer
in
law
school,
I
had
a
front-row
seat
to
some
extremely
interesting
legal
matters. I
saw
good
advocates,
bad
advocates,
and
everything
in
between
who
all
argued
a
multitude
of
different
matters.
One
day,
I
noticed
a
young
lawyer
in
the
crowd
in
a
nearly
empty
courtroom.
I
overheard
the
lawyer
saying
that
he
had
a
similar
case
to
the
one
being
tried
and
that
he
wanted
to
observe
how
other
lawyers
approach
various
legal
issues
related
to
the
matter.
Initially,
I
wondered
how
this
lawyer
had
so
much
time
to
attend
court
for
observational
purposes
as
well
as
handle
all
of
his
client
files. However,
on
second
thought,
I
reasoned
that
attending
court
like
this
lawyer
did
was
a
great
use
of
his
time. Law
school
and
the
bar
exam
do
not
teach
lawyers
many
practical
skills,
but
attending
court
can
help
young
lawyers
learn
how
the
legal
process
works.
Shortly
after
taking
the
bar
exam,
I
had
a
few
months
before
I
started
my
associate
attorney
gig
at
a
Biglaw
firm.
Since
I
was
not
doing
much,
I
figured
I
would
go
to
court
a
few
days
a
month
and
just
observe
the
courtroom
happenings.
In
some
situations,
it
was
difficult
to
understand
the
proceedings
as
I
did
not
have
the
papers
or
context
related
to
the
issues
that
were
being
litigated.
However,
I
observed
various
advocacy
skills
I
also
employed
when
I
entered
practice.
After
I
started
practicing
law,
attending
court
simply
to
observe
proceedings
for
educational
purposes
became
much
more
difficult.
However,
whenever
I
had
a
court
appearance,
I
would
usually
arrive
in
court
early
and
observe
the
matters
that
were
on
the
court’s
docket
before
my
own.
In
this
way,
I
was
able
to
continue
observing
advocacy
tactics
and
learn
about
different
areas
of
the
law
without
making
a
dedicated
trip
to
court.
Another
reason
why
it
is
beneficial
to
appear
in
court
early
to
observe
proceedings
is
that
it
can
give
practitioners
significant
insight
into
the
judge
before
whom
they
will
be
appearing. If
a
lawyer
is
able
to
see
how
judges
treat
lawyers,
they
can
adopt
their
own
methods
to
best
appeal
to
the
specific
judge
before
whom
they
will
be
arguing.
I
know
some
lawyers
who
appear
exactly
when
they
are
scheduled
to
argue
a
matter,
and
I
always
think
that
such
lawyers
would
have
been
better
served
if
they
arrived
a
little
early
to
observe
the
court
and
the
judge
who
would
be
deciding
a
given
matter.
In
any
case,
observing
court
proceedings
is
a
great
way
to
acquire
practical
knowledge
of
the
law. Even
if
attorneys
do
not
have
the
time
to
make
dedicated
trips
to
court
to
observe
hearings,
they
can
still
come
to
court
early
on
their
appearance
and
witness
other
practitioners
in
action.
Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of
The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of
Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at
jordan@rothmanlawyer.com.
(Photo
by
Shawn
Thew/EPA/Bloomberg
via
Getty
Images)
Folks
who
were
paying
attention
didn’t
really
need
Project
2025
to
know
the
direction
Trump
and
the
far
right
were
planning
to
take
the
country
in.
Back
in
2022,
it
was
obvious
theocracy
was
approaching.
And
whether
it
was
labeled
Integralism
or
White
Christian
Nationalism,
it
was
pretty
clear
that
conservative
Christianity
would
be
taking
a
hold
in
the
White
House
under
a
Trump
presidency.
The
only
real
question
was
how
strong
the
hold
would
be.
Considering
Trump
just
casually
mentioned
a
Christian
task
force
housed
in
the
White
House,
it’s
gonna
be
pretty
strong.
Trump
at
the
National
Prayer
Breakfast
announces
that
he’s
signing
an
order
directing
AG
Pam
Bondi
to
head
a
task
force
“to
eradicate
anti-Christian
bias”
pic.twitter.com/pa8yoGrsnT
Anti-Christian
bias
in
the
FBI?
Maybe
Trump
is
partial
to
some
information
in
a
secret
dossier
that
the
public
isn’t
privy
to,
but
the
FBI
has
skewed
Christian
for
a
very
long
time.
There
might
be
some
debate
over
if
the
right
“types”
of
Christian
are
filling
the
ranks,
be
they
Mormon
or
Catholic,
but
unless
there’s
some
secret
Zoroastrian
front
calling
all
of
the
shots,
whatever
anti-Christian
sentiment
happening
in
the
government
is
likely
coming
from
other
Christians
squabbling
over
doctrinal
differences.
What
does
the
anti-Christian
violence
and
vandalism
he’s
talking
about
even
look
like?
Did
it
look
like
Dylann
Roof
shooting
up
a
Black
church
and
putting
out
his
White
pride
manifesto
before
the
cops
took
him
to
get
Burger
King?
Or
a
Black
church
in
Texas
getting
slurs
spray
painted
and
summarily
burned
down?
Or
are
those
examples
too
“DEI”
for
God
to
come
into
the
picture?
This
isn’t
to
say
that
there
aren’t
legitimate
state
v.
faith
conflicts
where
Christians
are
often
on
the
losing
side,
but
forgive
me
for
assuming
that
Quakers
being
drafted
despite
their
pacifism
or
Jehovah’s
Witnesses
being
forced
to
say
the
Pledge
of
Allegiance
aren’t
at
the
forefront
of
the
discrimination
the
task
force
will
be
chasing
down.
Let’s
not
forget,
this
is
Trump
we’re
dealing
with.
It
is
much
more
likely
that
the
“real”
anti-Christian
violence
the
Faith
Office
chases
down
will
consist
of
people
being
“too
afraid”
to
say
“Merry
Christmas”
instead
of
“Happy
Holidays”
or
having
to
go
through
all
of
the
trouble
of
getting
to
the
Supreme
Court
before
you
can
discriminate
against
gay
people.
Funnily
enough,
there
should
be
a
very
familiar
example
of
anti-Christian
bias
involving
Trump.
I
know
that
these
last
few
weeks
have
felt
like
the
last
few
months,
but
do
you
remember
shortly
after
he
was
sworn
in
as
Trump
Coin
Manipulator
in
Chief
and
sat
for
a
sermon
at
Washington
National
Cathedral?
You
know,
the
one
where
the
pastor
asked
him
—
one
of
the
most
powerful
men
in
the
world
—
to
take
to
heart
Jesus’s
message
and
show
mercy
to
the
vulnerable?
He
wasn’t
too
happy
about
that:
The
“so
–
called
Bishop”
has
a
name.
She
is
Mariann
Budde.
She
had
the
audacity,
in
a
House
of
God,
to
implore
Trump
to
have
mercy
on
LGBTQ
youths.
She
further
asked
him
to
understand
that
all
immigrants
are
not
criminals.
While
the
United
States
has
no
state
language
or
religion,
you
don’t
have
to
live
here
long
to
know
that
they
are
English
and
Christianity,
respectively.
With
that
in
mind,
there
needs
to
be
a
bright
line
to
make
sure
that
“anti-Christian”
doesn’t
slip
into
anti-everyone
else.
What
is
the
anti-Christian
“violence”
and
“vandalism”
we
need
protection
from?
Is
it
anti-Christian
for
a
swearing
President
to
opt
out
of
putting
their
hand
over
the
Bible?
Upside
down
Bible
photo-ops?
What
are
the
consequences
for
such
transgressions?
Will
hosting
book
readings
by
drag
queens
be
deemed
“anti-Christian”
because
they
don’t
honor
God?
Who
will
be
the
arbiter
of
what
does
and
doesn’t
sufficiently
honor
God?
Paula
White?
Will
Klan
rallies
be
protected
by
the
First
Amendment
while
protesting
a
Klan
rally
would
get
the
Faith
Office
sent
after
you
because,
at
the
heart
of
it,
the
Klan
is
and
has
always
been
a
Christian
group?
We
used
to
have
a
strong
First
Amendment
that
would
nip
questions
like
this
in
the
bud
and
protect
members
of
a
religious
minority
from
the
tyranny
of
whatever
faithful
were
in
power.
Now,
all
we
seem
to
have
are
thoughts
and
prayers.
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
cannot
swim, a
published
author
on
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected] and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.
One
of
the
things
I’m
thinking
about,
we’re
turning
down
some
really
great
people.
People
who
I
would
have
admitted
last
year
are
getting
wait-listed
and
denied
this
year.
There
will
be
some
very
high
quality
candidates
who
aren’t
getting
into
any
law
school
this
year…but
the
caliber
of
law
students
in
this
incoming
class
is
going
to
be
very
high
and
really,
really
strong
at
all
schools
across
the
board.
— Sarah
Zearfoss,
senior
assistant
dean
of
University
of
Michigan
Law
School,
in
comments
given
to
Law.com,
on
the
national
increase
in
law
school
applications.
She
went
on
to
say
that
with
less
than
a
month
left
in
the
application
cycle,
there
was
a
30%
increase
in
applicants
to
Michigan
Law.
When
asked
why
she
thought
applications
had
surged,
she
said,
“It’s
a
bit
of
a
mystery.
My
guess
is
it’s
a
little
bit
of
everything.
There
could
be
a
tiny
effect
from
changes
to
the
[LSAT],
more
of
an
effect
from
the
economy,
and
some
effects
from
the
election.”
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.
Most
Americans
are
naive
about
just
how
precarious
the
rule
of
law
is
in
this
country.
And
the
Trump
II
reign
is
really
testing
that.
Already
around
the
country
courts
are
pushing
back
against
the
unconstitutional power
grabs
Donald
Trump
has
made
in
his
less-than-a-month
back
in
office.
But
what
happens
if
the
executive
just…
ignores
the
courts?
Courts
don’t
have
the
muscle
to
force
the
issue,
as
President
Andrew
Jackson
famously
quipped,
“John
Marshall
has
made
his
decision;
now
let
him
enforce
it.”
If
Trump
takes
a
similar
path,
it’s
a
real
worrying
prospect.
On
CNN’s
OutFront,
NYU
Law
professor
Ryan
Goodman
highlights
this
real
danger.
Fellow
panelist
Jamal
Simmons,
Kamala
Harris’s
former
communications
director,
asked
Goodman,
“What
happens
if
Donald
Trump
decides
he
doesn’t
want
to
abide
by
the
traditional
ruling?
What’s
the
recourse?”
Goodman
was
blunt
in
his
response,
“Nothing.
That
is
the
doomsday
scenario
that
a
lot
of
lawyers
are
worried
about.”
Adding,
“If
the
president
tells
the
DOJ
not
to
comply
with
a
court
order,
we’re
in
a
real
jam.”
Of
course,
thus
far
it
hasn’t
happened,
and
with
a
stacked
Supreme
Court,
some
of
these
cases
might
fall
Trump’s
way.
But
if
they
don’t?
Yikes.
As
Goodman
continued,
“What
happens
come
the
day
that
they
do
lose
at
the
Supreme
Court?
Because
I
think
some
of
these
cases
are
just
losers.
And
if
they
really
want
to
push
it,
we’re
in
a
real
constitutional
crisis.”
Take
a
look
at
the
troubling
exchange
below.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].
Patients
who
need
ART
(HIV
treatment)
or
PrEP
(HIV
prevention)
refills
won’t
be
able
to
get
them
at
the
centre
for
now.
On
Thursday,
the
centre
was
only
offering
HIV
testing.
Other
services
like
family
planning
and
cervical
cancer
screening
were
also
put
on
hold.
A
notice
at
the
entrance
advised
people
to
go
to
their
local
clinics
for
the
services
they
need.
It
reads:
Please
note
that
the
New
Start
Centre
is
temporarily
closed.
For
those
due
for
(Antiretroviral
Treatment)
ART
or
PrEP
refills,
please
proceed
to
the
nearest
city
health
clinic
for
assistance.
Thank
you
for
understanding.
PrEP
(Pre-Exposure
Prophylaxis)
is
a
medicine
that
helps
people
at
high
risk
of
getting
HIV
from
not
getting
infected.
According
to
officials
at
the
New
Start
Centre
who
spoke
to NewZimbabwe,
the
only
service
available
right
now
is
HIV
testing.
Normally,
the
centre
offers
various
health
services
like
HIV
testing,
PrEP,
TB
screening
and
treatment,
cervical
cancer
screening
and
treatment,
birth
control,
and
STI
screening
and
treatment.
The
suspension
of
the
services
follows
the
recent
90-day
suspension
of
USAID
funding
resulting
from
the
implementation
of
President
Donald
Trump’s
America
First
policy.
The
US
helps
Zimbabwe
fight
HIV
and
other
sexually
transmitted
diseases
by
providing
money
for
things
like
condoms
and
antiretroviral
drugs
used
in
local
hospitals.
The
Reserve
Bank
of
Zimbabwe
(RBZ)
is
working
to
improve
the
quality
and
design
of
Zimbabwe
Gold
(ZiG)
banknotes
to
meet
international
standards.
The
central
bank
said
the
new,
high-quality
notes
will
be
introduced
soon,
and
details
will
be
shared
later.
RBZ
Governor
John
Mushayavanhu
revealed
this
when
he
released
the
2025
Monetary
Policy
Statement
on
Thursday.
He
also
announced
that
the
RBZ
will
launch
a
wide-reaching
educational
campaign
and
other
efforts
in
remote
areas
to
ensure
ZiG
notes
are
properly
distributed
throughout
the
country.
He
said:
Cognisant
of
the
need
to
ensure
the
optimal
distribution
of
ZiG
notes
in
the
economy,
particularly
for
ease
of
access
in
the
remote
areas
and
to
further
entrench
financial
inclusion,
the
Reserve
Bank
is
embarking
on
an
intensive
and
extensive
educational
campaign
programme
and
other
initiatives,
working
with
key
stakeholders
in
the
communities.
The
Reserve
Bank
is
also
working
on
enhancing
the
quality
and
design
of
ZiG
bank
notes
in
line
with
international
standards.
The
rollout
of
the
improved
high-quality
ZiG
notes
will
be
communicated
in
due
course.
When
the
ZiG
banknotes
were
introduced
in
mid-2024,
many
Zimbabweans
were
unhappy
with
their
poor
quality.
The
notes
were
easily
damaged
and
wore
out
quickly,
making
daily
transactions
difficult.
The
low
denominations
of
the
notes
also
caused
problems,
as
they
were
inconvenient
for
larger
purchases
and
not
widely
used,
especially
in
rural
areas.
Kathryn