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WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

WOWED – DOJ veteran Douglas Letter, now general counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, is pulling no punches about his views of the DOJ’s stance in the fight over President Trump’s financial records. “These arguments are fabricated out of whole cloth,” Letter shot back in response to a DOJ filing that urged the D.C. Circuit to strike down a congressional subpoena. As Jacqueline Thomsen reports, Letter and other House attorneys highlighted past times the chamber requested and received documents or testimony in the course of investigations relating to the president, beginning with George Washington’s 1792 acknowledgement that the lawmakers could request information from his office. DOJ attorneys, in siding with Trump’s personal lawyers, argue that allowing enforcement of the subpoena would create an undue burden for the president.

BUD BIZ – As more states legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use, lawyers in all practice areas are eyeing new opportunities. It’s not just marijuana practices and clients that have a stake in how the new industry evolves. From banking and tax issues to weed in the workplace and IP disputes, cannabis-related work is going mainstream. To find out what it all means for your practice, check out a new in-depth special report on cannabis and the legal industry, and sign up for Higher Law, our exclusive weekly newsletter that tracks cannabis practices and the latest regulatory developments.

ON THE RISE – Over the past several years, the government has begun to hold contractors and their subcontractors to heightened cybersecurity standards in an effort to better protect federal data and respond quickly to breaches. Now, as Phillip Bantz reports, litigation connected to the beefed-up cybersecurity rules and False Claims Act liability is bubbling up. Expected, say experts, are more whistleblower lawsuits around companies saying they’re complying with standards when they’re not and claims that companies are selling products vulnerable to hackers.

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EDITOR’S PICKS

Playboy’s White House Reporter Is Suing Trump Over Suspended Press Access

Yes, There’s An Attorney Behind Actor Morgan Freeman’s Ads for Air Bag Recall

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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

FIRSTS - U.K.-based Kennedys has appointed Suzanne Liversidge as its first-ever global managing partner, Simon Lock reports. An insurance partner, Liversidge will oversee the strategic and operational management of its global network of 37 offices. The firm said her appointment makes Liversidge the first female global managing partner for a U.K. top 30 law firm.

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WHAT YOU SAID

“I want a conviction. Giving him deferred adjudication is a small slap on the wrist.”

—  MICHELLE ACOSTA, A LAWYER IN HOUSTON, ON A PLEA DEAL IN WHICH ATTORNEY ALLAN MANKA PLEADED TO A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR ASSAULT AFTER ACOSTA ALLEGED HE GRABBED HER BUTTOCKS IN A COURTHOUSE LOBBY.

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