Here's a short grab bag of recent-looming events etc.:
1. The Supreme Court decided a case in which the Maine Public Utilities Commission was among the respondents- NRG Power Marketing LLC v. MPUC, http://www.scotuswiki.com/index.php?title=NRG_Power_Marketing%2C_LLC_v._Maine_Public_Utilities_Commission
The MPUC was represented by Lisa Fink at the Commission, and Donald Sipe at Preti also signed on to the brief for IECG (this entry is all about acronyms), but it looks like the CT AG did most of the heavy lifting for the respondents. The petitioners were represented by Jeffrey Lampken, a very nice and bright fellow with whom I worked on the appeal in the Rhode Island lead paint litigation case.
The action involved the Mobile-Sierra doctrine, which is actually something I know about, but I am going to spare you the details. Petitioners won, with the decision by Justice Ginsburg.
2. The MSBA winter meeting is only a week away. As previously blogged, I'll be moderating a stellar panel – Judge Lipez, Justices Alexander and Levy, AAG Donald Macomber and Melissa Hewey - on appellate practice issues. I'm told that the our breakout session is the most popular in terms of who has signed up, and it should be an excellent event. I am going to try to leave substantial time for questions, so put your thinking caps on. If you can't come or you have a burning question that you really want to make sure is answered, then just contact me and I'll try to get it in. January, incidentally, marks the start up of the presidency of the MSBA by Pierce Atwood's own Gigi Sanchez, yay.
3. If you've been invited to the 2010 First Circuit Judicial Conference May 13-14, then you can see that they've lined up some plenty big guns. The conference has been slimmed down for fiscal reasons to one packed day, basically, but the quality of the content certainly hasn't diminished. Speakers include Justice Breyer, Richard Posner, Linda Greenhouse, and Solicitor General Kagan. I've heard speeches from Justice Breyer and Linda Greenhouse before, and they are both excellent speakers, and I've seen Judge Posner in action eviscerating counsel from the bench in Chicago, so it should be an entertaining as well as informative day. Your intrepid blogger will give a full report.
