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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

 

SENTENCED - Paul Manafort is set to be sentenced today when he goes before Judge T.S. Ellis III in Virginia federal court following his conviction on eight counts of tax and bank fraud last year. Ellis Kim reports that sentencing guidelines estimate a range of 19.5 to 24.5 years for his crimes in Virginia, according to prosecutors. The former Trump campaign chairman could face additional time from a separate D.C. criminal case. Arguing for leniency, Manafort's attorneys have told the judge that their client, who turns 70 in April, has accepted responsibility for his actions.

HIGH COURT HOT SEAT - Justices Samuel Alito Jr. and Elena Kagan are scheduled to testify this afternoon at a U.S. House Appropriations Committee hearing on the U.S. Supreme Court's budget, Tony Mauro reports. The hearing is the first in several years, and we can expect members of Congress to raise a range of issues beyond the dollars and cents of the court. The hearing in the past had been a major event, not because of budget minutiae but because it fostered a rare dialogue between the legislative and judicial branches.

ROBOTS - We've made no secret here at The Morning Minute that we're fascinated/terrified/bumfuzzled by autonomous vehicles. So weird. But enough of that. Legaltech News editor Zach Warren reports on the areas in which driverless vehicles are set to change the law and the legal profession. Among them: public finance, insurance and zoning.

GO-TO PREVIEW - This afternoon we'll reveal the Nos. 11-20 on the 2019 Go-To Law Schools, a ranking of the 50 law schools sending the highest percentage of their 2018 graduates into Big Law jobs. For Nos. 21-50 go here, here, here.

EDITOR'S PICKS

 

Duke Star Zion Williamson May Have Slam-Dunk Case Against Nike, but Some Lawyers Doubt He'll Just Do It

Trump's SAT Scores, Big Law and White Privilege

DOJ's Chad Readler, Ex-Jones Day Partner, Confirmed to 6th Circuit

Judge's Pay-Data Ruling, a Trump Rebuke, Puts New Squeeze on Employers

Embattled Huawei Calls for Trust and Transparency Through Common Cybersecurity Standards

Jessie Liu's Women Lawyers' Group Opposed Alito—and 5 Other Things to Know

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

 

BREXIT ANGST - Some U.K.-based law firms in South Korea are worried that a no-deal Brexit will threaten the future of their Seoul offices. John Kang reports that the five U.K. firms in Seoul—Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith Freehills, Linklaters, Stephenson Harwood, and Allen & Overy—operate under a free trade agreement between Korea and the European Union. But once the U.K. leaves the E.U., those offices will no longer be covered under the FTA, and it's not clear that they will be able to continue operations there after March 29, when Britain is scheduled to withdraw from the E.U.

WHAT YOU SAID

“Simply put: We cannot properly tackle workplace safety issues if we do not know about them.”

— LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL. SIX STATES, INCLUDING NEW YORK, HAVE SUED THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND OSHA OVER A ROLLBACK OF RULES REQUIRING LARGE EMPLOYERS TO REPORT WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES.

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