Res Ipsa Blog

Q: If a depositor had $100,000 in FDIC insured funds at Washington Mutual and $100,000 in FDIC insured funds at JPMorgan Chase prior to JPMorgan Chase's acquisition of Washington Mutual, how much of the depositor's funds are now insured by the FDIC after the acquisition? A. For a period of six months, the total amount of $200,000 will continue to be insured by the FDIC. 12 C.F.R § 330.4 provides that the insurance on both accounts continues for a period of six ... Read More

Ever since Dean Walter Huffman of the Texas Tech School of Law announced that he will be resigning after the 2008-09 school year, one name has consistently been brought up by law school insiders and distinguished alumni alike as the ideal internal candidate to fill the shoes of Dean Huffman: Brian D. Shannon. Before arriving at Texas Tech School of Law, Brian Shannon graduated first in his class from the University of Texas School of Law in 1982. He went on to work ... Read More

On Monday, Texas Lawyer released the results of surveys it conducted of over 1,100 Texas law students in the Spring 2008 semester. The results were as follows: Top Marks by Category: Career Services Office: Southern Methodist University Students Felt Prepared to Practice on Graduation: Baylor University Collegiality: University of Houston Technology: Southern Methodist University Teaching Quality: Southern Methodist University Library Services: Texas Wesleyan Faculty Accessibility: Texas Tech School of Law Student Diversity: Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law Click for full-size image Most Influential Professors: SMU - Gregory S. Crespi Texas Wesleyan ... Read More

A roundup of this week’s best stories from the blawgosphere and beyond: 1. Sixty-eight percent of law librarians prefer Westlaw to Lexis Law Librarians and Lexis Nexis vs. Westlaw: Survey Results, Stanford Law Library Legal Research Series. (PDF) 2. In 2008, law school graduates will make either $60,000 or $160,000: the bimodal distribution of starting salaries in the legal profession: ELSblog and Adam Smith, Esq. 3. The importance of offering trial opportunities to attract newly minted lawyers. ABA Journal [ratings id="541"] Read More

On July 31, 2008, Congress passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008. The bill, which will now be sent to the President for his approval, has a number of provisions that affect current and future law students: Section 951 of H.R. 4137: A loan forgiveness program for state or local criminal prosecutors as well as state, local, or federal public defenders which will allow for the forgiveness of $10,000 in students loans per year, up to $60,000, provided the attorney commits ... Read More

A roundup of this week's best stories from the blawgosphere and beyond: 1. How much time do Texas judges spend on cases? (Grits for Breakfast) 2. The DOJ Honors Applications are now available. 3. There is just one month left until Federal Clerkship applications are due. 4. An excellent response to the student essay entitled "[The] Role of Citations in Legal Writing." 5. New District Court Judge nominated in the Fifth Circuit: Richard Barry of Mississippi nominated to be the United States District Judge for ... Read More

Texas Tech University School of Law announced today that it will be hosting United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia this Fall as he takes center stage for the Sandra Day O'Connor Distinguished Lecture Series. The Series, which started last year with the attendance of former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is the result of the continuing efforts of Dean Walter Huffman and distinguished alum Mark Lanier to bring much deserved recognition to the law school. On a related note, ... Read More

In reponse to a 465-page lawsuit filed in his court, U.S. District Judge Roland Leighton in Tacoma, Washington had this to say regarding the lack of a "short and plain statement showing the plaintiff [wa]s entitled to relief:" Plaintiff has a great deal to say, But it seems he skipped Rule 8(a). His Complaint is too long, Which renders it wrong, Please re-write and re-file today. The Seattle Times reports that the title alone covered eight pages, and it took another 18 pages just to identify the parties. The lawsuit includes 37 ... Read More

The University of North Texas and the City of Dallas have selected a location for the proposed University of North Texas College of Law. On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council agreed to spend over $16 million renovating the old Dallas City Hall to make it the home of the "first pubic law school in North Texas." Built in 1914, the building served as the Dallas City Hall until 1978. It is in the parking lot of this building that Jack Ruby ... Read More

Today in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down the ban on handguns in the District of Columbia. At issue in District of Columbia v. Heller was whether the Second Amendment protected the right of individuals to bear arms, or whether it applied only to the collective rights of states to maintain militias. In the majority opinion written by Justice Scalia, the Court held that the individual right to possess a firearm is unrelated to service in a militia, and instead, was ... Read More