Judicial Notice (04.21.24): Trump On Trial

Two Biglaw attorneys on the Trump jury, universal injunctions at SCOTUS, Am Law 100 firms in merger talks, and other legal news from the week that was.

Outside Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan (photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images).

Welcome to Original Jurisdiction, the latest legal publication by me, David Lat. You can learn more about Original Jurisdiction by reading its About page, and you can email me at davidlat@substack.com. This is a reader-supported publication; you can subscribe by clicking here. Thanks!

This week started for me in Salt Lake City, to which I flew on Monday for a speaking engagement on Tuesday, and ended in the Berkshires, where we enjoyed a delightful weekend with friends visiting from out of town. Although I’ve enjoyed my travels, I’m looking forward to a few weeks of not going any farther than Philadelphia—and catching up on the work, correspondence, and administrivia that have piled up in my absence.

This week’s testimonial for Original Jurisdiction comes from Ryan Short, vice president at Proteus Discovery: “David’s story selection and evenhanded analysis are consistently excellent. In an era that views opponents as enemies, his integrity in handling difficult subjects is refreshing. For that, I am grateful.” And I am grateful to Ryan for his kind words.

Now, on to the news.

Lawyers of the Week: the two attorneys on the jury for the Donald Trump hush-money case.

God has a sense of humor. Donald Trump—after years of firing, stiffing, and otherwise mistreating lawyers—will now be judged by two of them. A pair of Biglaw attorneys made it onto the twelve-person jury in Trump’s first criminal trial, now unfolding in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, on 34 charges that he falsified business records to cover up hush-money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels.