Tony Mauro probes the effects of Justice Clarence Thomas' silence on the bench. By not speaking during oral argument. some experts think that Thomas' opinions do not benefit from a process that is designed to test theories in open court. Meanwhile, others believe that by staying quiet while the other justices routinely cut advocates and one another off, Thomas is showing humility.
Tony also has this report on the sequel to the landmark Second Amendment case D.C. v. Heller set for argument on March 2. In McDonald v. City of Chicago,the key question will be which part of the 14th Amendment should be invoked in restricting states in how they craft gun laws: the due process clause, the privileges or immunities clause or none of the above.
Lynn Marek reports on a lawsuit filed against Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, which accuses the firm and partner Lisa Murtha of poaching colleagues and clients from Huron Consulting Group Inc. while setting up a a rival health care compliance business.
Jordan Weissmann examines the latest allegations against oft-embattled D.C. councilman Marion Barry. In a new report, compiled by Hogan & Hartson partner Robert Bennett, Barry is accused of taking a cut of a District contract that he had arranged for former girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt and abusing council earmarks by handing them to organizations run by close friends and associates. Barry, Weissmann reports, has often been accused of misconduct but is rarely caught by U.S. attorneys in Washington.
In the Inadmissible column, David Ingram looks at how much recent White House counsels made while in private practice. Hint: Gregory Craig made more than Obama's new counsel Robert Bauer. A lot more.
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