Alec Downing
Seattle
Probably watching baseball or anime
Articles by Alec Downing
Texas Tech baseball receives team-wide NIL deal
All members of the Texas Tech baseball team will be offered five-figure NIL deals by the NIL collective, The Matador Club. The Matador Club is a non-profit with the specific goal of offering Texas Tech student-athletes NIL deals.
Drake Maye partners with Next Gen Camps
University of North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is the latest NCAA athlete set to host a youth sports camp with the help of a NIL partnership. The 2022 ACC Player of the Year took to Twitter to announce the camp, which will run later this month. The one-day event will give campers the opportunity to meet Maye and participate in an afternoon of position-group-specific training for $150.
Best of Law Blogging: deposition hell, new laws in Maryland and antitrust for kids
Welcome to the latest installment of The Best of Law Blogging. Every Friday we take a look back on the week that was and share some of the most noteworthy blog posts to come out of the LexBlog community. Check out our collection of “Best-ofs” from previous weeks here. Deposition hell: dealing with the poorly mentored defense baby lawyer The honesty that Karen Koehler brings to each and every one of her blog posts is admirable.
Best of Law Blogging: week in review, dogs and greenwashing
Welcome to the latest installment of The Best of Law Blogging. Every Friday we take a look back on the week that was and share some of the most noteworthy blog posts to come out of the LexBlog community. Check out our collection of “Best-ofs” from previous weeks here. This Week’s Picks CPW Week in Review This is a bit different from the typical blog posts we highlight.
Best of Law Blogging: march madness, the future and e-cigarettes
Welcome to the latest installment of The Best of Law Blogging. Every Friday we take a look back on the week that was and share some of the most noteworthy blog posts to come out of the LexBlog community. Check out our collection of “Best-ofs” from previous weeks here. This Week’s Picks An (Updated) Employer’s Guide to March Madness March Madness is officially underway.
Best of Law Blogging: Shareholder primacy, NCAA tournament advertising and DHS updates for Ukraine nationals
Before we get into our top posts of the week, we again want to highlight the work our legal community is doing with their reporting on Ukraine. You can view all legal updates and commentary regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine here.
Dean Michael Hunter Schwartz on the success of McGeorge Law Today
When University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law launched McGeorge Law Today in September of 2021, it became the first law school to have a LexBlog Syndication Portal. Pulling together blogs, podcasts and more, this Portal is home to insights from McGeorge faculty, staff and alumni. As we approach the half-year mark of the initiative’s launch, Dean of the law school Michael Hunter Schwartz joins Bob Ambrogi on This Week in Legal Blogging to discuss the project.
Bradley Business Divorce, Minnesota Car Accident Blog and three others join the LexBlog Community
We are already nearing the mid-way point of March and since our last New to the Community post we’ve added five fantastic new blogs to the LexBlog community. Bradley launches ninth blog on the LexBlog platform Bradley’s latest addition to their expansive blogging network officially launched this month.
Best of Law Blogging: TRUMP trademark, disconnecting from work and writing a good webinar recap
The LexBlog community closed out February with a batch of great posts and shot right out of the gates in March with more of the same. This week Alec Downing and Michelle Newblom bring you webinar recaps, welcome posts and an interesting trademark case involving a public figure. Alec’s Picks Key Takeaways from New Universal Proxy Rules Webinar Webinar recaps make for great blog posts—I should know, I wrote one about our most recent LexBlog Learns webinar.
LexBlog Learns Webinar Recap: How to Market and Grow Your Blog with Stefanie Marrone
Becoming a successful legal blogger doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen without intentionality and effort behind it. Perhaps no one knows this better than Stefanie Marrone who has become one of the LexBlog community’s most prolific bloggers and, in doing so, has established herself as the go-to resource for all things legal marketing. It wasn’t just the act of starting a blog that got Marrone consistent readership and all those LinkedIn connections.
LexBlog Learns Webinar Recap: How to Market and Grow Your Blog with Stefanie Marrone
Becoming a successful legal blogger doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen without intentionality and effort behind it. Perhaps no one knows this better than Stefanie Marrone who has become one of the LexBlog community’s most prolific bloggers and, in doing so, has established herself as the go-to resource for all things legal marketing. It wasn’t just the act of starting a blog that got Marrone consistent readership and all those LinkedIn connections.
Philip Segal on ethical fact-finding and how he successfully manages two blogs
Philip Segal finds the facts that most lawyers aren’t trained to find and does so with an unwavering commitment to ethics. Along with being the founder of Charles Griffin Intelligence, Segal is the founder of not one, but two blogs: The Ethical Investigator and The Divorce Assest Hunter. He joins Bob Ambrogi on This Week in Legal Blogging to chart his path from journalism to law and eventually law blogging.
Best of Law Blogging: U.S. response to Russia’s invasion on Ukraine, microchip shortage and NFTs
There’s no question that we’ll continue to see informative, up-to-date legal perspectives on the dire, tragic situation unfolding in Ukraine. For now, we have some updates on sanctions imposed by the U.S. government. Alongside that, our legal community touched on how art is used to launder money, what’s going on with MLB and the ongoing tension between state legislation and the lack of federal legislation regarding cannabis.
Megan Baroni on the power of an interdisciplinary blog to cater to a niche clientele
Much like the practice group that runs it, Robinson+Cole’s Manufacturing Law Blog covers the key areas of law relevant to manufacturers and does so in expert fashion. As an environmental lawyer, Megan Baroni brings her expertise from this specific area of law to both clients and to the blog posts she writes.
Best of Law Blogging: IP in the metaverse, romance scams and a fly on the wall
There was no shortage of excellent posts from the LexBlog community this week. Before we head off on a three-day weekend, enjoy our favorite posts including insights on advertisements that compare competing products, HR law and rejecting cookies. Alec’s Picks NAD Addresses Apples, Oranges, and Dogs I’ve always wondered about the legal implications of ads that disparage their competitors through side by side comparisons.
Best of Law Blogging: the dark web, religious accomodations and environmental justice updates
Another happy friday and another outstanding Best of Law Blogging, made up of posts from our LexBlog Community. This week, we have some interesting posts on a number of unique topics, such as stolen data from the dark web and a new transparency law in New York City. We’ve got another great handful of posts, curated as always by Alec Downing and Michelle Newblom. Michelle’s Picks Religious Accommodation & Vaccination – What’s the deal?
Since our last New to the Community post we’ve welcomed four new blogs to the LexBlog community including a long-standing source of Malaysian commercial law information as well a bi-lingual publication. The Malaysian Lawyer is your one-stop shop for commercial legal insights Lee Shih and Marcus van Geyzel co-founded The Malaysian Lawyer, a collaborative blog that provides updates on certain aspects of Malaysian commercial law.
Competing for attention in the age of multi-screening
Every Sunday I settle in to watch the weekly installment of my favorite TV show, Attack on Titan. Before I press play and begin the episode, I do one of two things: I put my phone on “do not disturb” mode or I place it in another room entirely. Both are ways to silence any distracting notifications and isolate myself from other screens. For this particular program, this is my preferred media consumption environment, fully immersed.
Jodi Daniels on the role blogging plays in her content marketing strategy
Through a mix of blogging, podcasting, social media and more, Jodi Daniels has propelled her boutique data privacy consultancy to new heights. As the Founder and CEO of Red Clover Advisors, Daniels has employed a unique and highly effective content marketing strategy that allows her to share her deep knowledge of data privacy with prospective clients, earn their trust and build real and meaningful relationships with them.
The Marshall Project’s Susan Chira on local journalism and the U.S. justice system
The Marshall Project—named in honor of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall—is a nonprofit news outlet devoted to covering the U.S. criminal justice system. The organization focuses on deep investigative reporting which has earned it two Pulitzer Prizes since it launched in 2014. Susan Chira became the Editor-in-Chief of The Marshall Project after a successful career at The New York Times.
How sports writing influenced Lindsay Brandon’s career path and the work she is doing with Women in Sports Law
Lindsay Brandon says you can credit both blogging and Seattle sports to starting her on her career path in sports law. As a writer she focused much of her effort on covering the intersection of sports, social justice and the law and is now a practicing associate at the Law Offices of Howard L. Jacobs—a firm that primarily represents Olympic athletes in administrative proceedings. Along with that, she serves on Women in Sports Law’s (WISLaw) Communications Committee.
Best of Law Blogging: data privacy, the EQUAL Act and Maradona’s trademarked name
This past Monday the United States honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and some in the LexBlog community took the opportunity to write blog posts to reflect that. Others spent this week covering the steady flow of legal battles over vaccine mandates, the importance of wildfire insurance and much more. Take a look back at some of the LexBlog publishing team’s favorite posts from the last week.
Michael Ryan on the importance of bringing a ‘human touch’ to law blogging
Just over two years ago, Jaspan Schlesinger LLP decided they wanted to expand their media presence by launching blogs. Michael Ryan decided he wanted in. He volunteered to start The New York Trusts & Estates Blog, but knew from the start that he wanted to do things a little differently. Ryan is of council to Jaspan Schlesinger and chairs the firm’s trusts and estates and estate litigation practice groups.
Best of Law Blogging: Chinese character trademarks, non-citizen voting rights and eggnog safety
We took a brief break from Best of Law Blogging last week for the holiday break, but our community of bloggers certainly didn’t so this week we are covering posts from both last week and this week. Just before 2021 comes to a close we’re bringing you posts from the LexBlog community on how agriculture tech could save the world, lunchtime amid the pandemic and OSHA’s temporary vaccine standard for large employers.
Best of Law Blogging: Planned Parenthood breach, hybrid work and litigation in Thailand
We’ve only got a couple of weeks left in 2021 and many are already preparing for the holidays, but that hasn’t stopped our community of legal bloggers from continuing to churn out great post after great post. Alec and Michelle highlight some of their favorite pieces from the week, focusing on relevant topics such as COVID in animals, plagarism in legal writing and the uncertainty surrounding hybrid work. Alec’s Picks Is it Ever Plagiarism to Use Other Attorneys’ Work Product?
Best of Law Blogging: Ponzi schemes, an Alien Herd, Unicorns and Loch Ness Monsters
December is moving right along and our community continues to churn out quality post after quality post. This week we’ve got pieces on everything from workplace investigations in the UK to legal action taken by Peloton and lululemon against one another. Alongside our usual wide array of topics we’re starting to see firms publish their 2021 year-in-review posts and look ahead to 2022. Michelle’s Picks Unicorns and Loch Ness Monsters—Spotted Yesterday Who wouldn’t click on a title like that?
Best of Law Blogging: omicron, more omicron and e-scooters
December already? We took a brief hiatus from our Best of Law Blogging series last week to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, but this Friday we are back with some of our favorite blog posts from the past two weeks. In that time, the Omicron variant made headlines and our community of bloggers got to work breaking down what it may mean for the rest of us. We have posts on a range of other topics including the impacts of Brexit on the Irish/Northern Irish border and the regulation of E-scooters.
Aaron Lukken on the power of blogging for lawyers in niche practice areas
Selecting a niche is key to the success of any legal blog and Aaron Lukken had no trouble finding and thriving in his. Lukken is one of the leading voices on transnational litigation and works with other attorneys everywhere from Canada to Mauritius. He launched the Hague Law Blog on the same day as his firm, Viking Advocates, LLC and credits much of his success to his decision to stick to blogging—partly on his wife’s insistence.
Best of Law Blogging: privacy guides, FTC rules and new "green" bills
It’s been a busy week for us at LexBlog as we started up our monthly webinar series again. It’s also been busy for our community, who once again made it hard to highlight only a few posts that came in this week. Among them you’ll find a new FTC rule, new environmentally focused bills in California and a clever reference to the well-known Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Best of Law Blogging: NLRB changes, Veterans Day and the NFT marketplace
It was a slightly shorter week as we took Thursday off in honor of Veterans Day. Speaking of, some firms took the time to write posts centered around the holiday. Others took the time to write on current trends such as NFTs and provide some interesting insights on court cases. Check out which posts were Alec and Michelle’s favorites. Alec’s Picks Who Are Veterans under California’s FEHA?
Best of Law Blogging: Halloween, the Ship of Theseus and Clio Cloud Conference
It’s the last Friday in October, which means it’s almost Halloween, and time for another Best of Law Blogging. Alec and Michelle have once again gathered their favorite posts from the week, with a few holiday-themed ones thrown in the mix. So sit back, maybe grab some candy, and check out some posts on candy trademarks, Clio’s conference and nonprofit tweets of the week.
Mark Nieds on the fundamentals of good blog writing and the growth of IP law in Southwest Florida
Back in 2015 Mark Nieds traded the cold and wind of Chicago for balmy Southwest Florida—but never stopped practicing IP law, or blogging. He helped build an intellectual property group at Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt and also started writing for the firm’s Southwest Florida Business and IP Blog. He joins Bob Ambrogi on This Week in Legal Blogging and provides a number of insights on his own writing technique as well as the current state of IP law in Southwest Florida.
Why I signed up to beta test The New York Times' new app
Over the past week, I’ve noticed a number of my favorite podcasts all talking about the same thing—a new app developed by the The New York Times focused on audio journalism. As a former radio broadcaster as well as someone who currently works on a podcast (LexBlog’s This Week in Legal Blogging) this immediately piqued my interest. It all started last Sunday when I pressed play on the latest episode of This American Life.
Lou Vlahos on the launch of his new blog and his philosophies as a legal blogger
New firm, new blog. That’s the story for tax attorney Lou Vlahos who joined Rivkin Radler LLP earlier this year and has just launched his brand new blog—TaxSlaw—”where those hungry for tax knowledge come to chow down.” While it’s a new blog for Vlahos, he is anything but a rookie legal blogger.
But wait, there’s Mora: The Spectator’s Next Editor-in Chief
If she put her mind to it, Myrea Mora could probably put together an entire newspaper all by herself. Thankfully, she won’t have to do that alone as the incoming editor-in-chief of The Spectator for the 2020-2021 academic year. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Mora’s passion for journalism first sprouted during her sophomore year of high school. At the time, she simply needed to fill an elective requirement and decided to take a journalism class.
Seattle U Students Accused of Yelling Racist, Sexist Remarks at UW Soccer Player During NCAA Tournament
Alec Downing, Michelle Newblom, and Sophia Wells|November 21, 2019 A photo provided by Brian Baird of the group alleged to have been yelling at the University of Washington goalie. A photo provided by Brian Baird of the group alleged to have been yelling at the University of Washington goalie. A photo provided by Brian Baird of the group alleged to have been yelling at the University of Washington goalie.
A Rallying Cry: Campus Groups Call for Reinstatement of Planned Parenthood Reference
Alec Downing, Sophia Wells, and Josh Merchant|October 16, 2019 Students organized and participated in a silent protest in front of Seattle University’s Casey Building on Monday, October 14th, 2019. JAVIER PLASCENCIA • THE SPECTATOR Students organized and participated in a silent protest in front of Seattle University’s Casey Building on Monday, October 14th, 2019.
SU President Removes Planned Parenthood Reference-Deems it Incompatible With Jesuit Universities
ELISE WANG • THE SPECTATOR ELISE WANG • THE SPECTATOR ELISE WANG • THE SPECTATOR President Fr. Steven V. Sundborg S.J. is defending his decision to remove Planned Parenthood from a list of student resources as a growing number of students, staff and faculty are expressing concern and outrage. In an interview with The Spectator, he cited the Catholic Church’s teachings as the reason for this decision.
SU President Defends Decision to Remove Planned Parenthood Reference from Website
Alec Downing and Josh Merchant|October 6, 2019 PHOTO VIA SEATTLE UNIVERSITY Seattle University President Fr. Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J. is defending the decision to remove Planned Parenthood as a listed student resource, in an email statement received by The Spectator on Oct. 4. Seattle U removed a reference to Planned Parenthood from the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center’s website following a request by a national pro-life group.
Seattle University Removes Planned Parenthood from Campus Resources Website
Alec Downing, Frances Divinagracia, Josh Merchant, and Sophia Wells|October 3, 2019 Seattle University has removed the only reference to Planned Parenthood as a student resource from the university’s website following a request by a national pro-life group. It is unclear at this time when Seattle U took this action. Students for Life of America (SFLA) sent a letter to President Fr. Stephen V.
Higher, Further, Faster: Captain Marvel Breaks The Glass Ceiling
Contains spoilers Said to be the most powerful Avenger and touted as the key to defeating Thanos—ever since the mysterious post-credit scene in “Avengers: Infinity War” in which she was first alluded to, moviegoers have been waiting and wondering: Just who is Captain Marvel? Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) finally had this question answered as the cosmic hero made her big screen debut in her selftitled standalone film.
Women's Week in Review
Track and Field Seattle University Track and Field team saw their meet at the University of Washington (UW) thrown into disarray as the first waves of snowmageddon struck Seattle. Though an indoor meet, many of the Husky Classic’s events had to be moved up from Saturday to Friday. JAMIE HEGG • THE SPECTATOR Siobhan Rubio running in the 4x400m in UW’s indoor track meet last week. First-year Regie Grady broke her personal best in the 400-meter, finishing in 1:00.14.
Local Non Profit Empowers Attorneys to Aid Immigrants
To address the rising demand for more immigration lawyers, a result of increasing deportations and detentions under President Donald J. Trump’s administration, Washington Immigration Defense Network (WIDEN) hosted a workshop on the Seattle University campus Jan 29. With an ever-increasing number of detainee cases and not enough immigration lawyers to take every case, WIDEN is seeking to train non-immigration attorneys on immigration law so that they may assist in these cases.
Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Seattle U Withheld Adjunct Wages
A former adjunct faculty member has filed a class action lawsuit against Seattle University that alleges that they and other non-tenure track faculty were not paid for breaks and work outside of the classroom. In a copy of the lawsuit obtained by The Spectator, the complaint alleges that Seattle U “is engaging in a systematic scheme of wage and hour violations against its current and former piece-rate paid adjunct faculty members working in the state.” The lawsuit, filed Jan.
Budget Transparency Ignites Conversation About Equity
Unlike public institutions, the salaries of Seattle University employees are not public information. As a result, Seattle U’s budget is known solely by those in administration. Over the past several years, faculty, staff, and student groups’ have called for greater transparency, coming to a head last month when Associate Professor of history David Madsen took action.
How the NBA Stole Christmas
Looking for an escape from the inevitable awkward family gatherings that come with Christmas day? Have a family full of sports fans looking to start a new tradition? Don’t celebrate Christmas and don’t know how to spend Dec. 25? The NBA has got you covered. Each year, 10 of the leagues premier teams (and the Knicks) suit up in Christmas themed jerseys to face off in non-stop day of NBA action filled with potential playoff matchups.
Inaction for Trans Community on Campus is Reignited Through Trump Administration Memo
“The last email that we got from the President was a reminder about homecoming, so I think it’s clear to see that the rights of transgender folks and protections and respect for transgender identities on this campus is not a priority for the administration.” These are the words of Ames Zocchi, a student who co-led the event Trans* on Campus: A Discussion on Nov. 2, along with student Dev McCauley.
Boston Bests the West: World Series Recap
The Boston Red Sox are the 2018 World Series Champions, taking the series over the Los Angeles Dodgers with relative ease. Their fourth title since the year 2000, the Red Sox have won the pennant the most of any team so far in the 21st century. For the second year in a row, the Dodgers were runner-ups, falling short of claiming their first title since 1988. Last year falling to the Houston Astros in seven games and this year to the Red Sox in just five.
Did the City Council violate open-meeting laws a second time?
The nature of their communication raises questions about how far council members can or should be able to go in working directly with one another beyond the public eye — and achieving what might be a balance between transparency and productive collaboration. On May 14, the council was preparing to vote on a tax on large businesses as a way to fund housing and homeless services.
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