— Will Failing Law Schools make the best-seller list?

— Federal judge rules in case of pornography, pirates and (intellectual) property.

— Alleged housing scam could carry life sentence for California defendant.

— Declaration of death doesn’t dismiss indictment.

1. Law firm’s marketing effort takes it to the Baltimore Bridal Show — by Beth Arsenault

Gorgeous gowns, amazing cakes, fabulous florists, luxury limousines: of the 200 or so vendors at the Baltimore Bridal Show, the overwhelming majority were focused on making the couple’s wedding day fantasies a reality.

At one booth, though, the fantasy took a back seat to real-life issues that can make or break a life of wedded bliss. Hodes, Pessin & Katz P.A. — the only law firm in attendance — was on hand with information about such things as prenuptial agreements, credit-history cleanups, estate planning and even vendor contracts.

2. U.S. Senate committee recommends Russell for federal bench — by Steve Lash

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge George L. Russell III took a giant step forward Thursday in his bid for a seat on the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, by voice vote, recommended that the full Senate vote to confirm Russell to the federal bench. That Senate vote has not yet been scheduled.

If confirmed by the Senate, Russell would succeed Judge Peter J. Messitte, who took senior status three years ago.

3. ACLU suit over Preakness video survives police department’s challenge — by Ben Mook

A federal judge in Baltimore has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the police department by a man who claims police confiscated his cell phone and deleted his videos after he recorded a confrontation at the Preakness last year.

Judge Benson E. Legg denied the Baltimore Police Department’s motion to dismiss because Christopher Sharp’s original complaint as “an amalgamation of conclusions and speculations that are not supported by facts.”

4. Court of Appeals delays bail counsel rule — by Steve Lash

Maryland’s top court has effectively decided to hold off on ordering that public defenders be provided to indigent suspects at initial bail hearings until the General Assembly acts on legislation that could make such an order moot.

Which brings us to a story from Georgia about counterfeit Air Jordans, the iconic Nike brand. An officer pulled over a car and noticed the smell of marijuana. A search of the car yielded 78 boxes of Air Jordans.

Except the serial number on the tongues of the shoes didn’t match the one on the box. And the Nike logos peeled off.

And because Michael Jordan’s hand had six fingers.

The two women in the car have been charged “for having forged or counterfeited goods,” according to a local news report.

No word if the women will attempt the “Antonio Alfonseca” defense.

– Music-industry lawyers do not whistle to Spotify’s tune

– Los Angeles Times finds a lawyer to top its story on “workaholism”

– Disbarment of Spanish judge draws large street protest

– Pennsylvania law firm accuses ex-partner of continuing to access its computer files.

1.  Appeals court slashes damages for Jacksonville Exxon leak — by Danny Jacobs and Steve Lash

A divided Court of Special Appeals has struck down a large part of the $150 million in damages awarded to 88 Jacksonville households in their lawsuits against Exxon Mobil Corp. stemming from a massive 2006 gasoline leak.

The court left intact about $60 million in property damage claims, reversing the award to just one household.

However, a majority of the nine judges found the jury instruction on emotional distress damages was faulty and ordered a new trial on that count in Baltimore County Circuit Court for most plaintiffs.

2. Bid-rigging lawyer disbarred — by Daily Record Staff

Nearly two years after he pleaded guilty to a federal bid-rigging charge for colluding at tax-lien auctions, Harvey M. Nusbaum was disbarred Tuesday by the Court of Appeals.

The court’s one-page order said the disbarment would take effect immediately “for reasons to be stated in an opinion later to be filed.” The decision came just one day after the court heard argument on the Attorney Grievance Commission’s petition for sanctions.

3.  Bar renewal notice spurs change of career for new Italian restaurateur — by Ben Mook

Carl Vahl was just shy of his 25th anniversary as a lawyer when he had an epiphany: he didn’t want to practice law anymore. Instead, he wanted to open a restaurant and become a professional chef.

Vahl just celebrated his first month in business as the proprietor of Calle’s Cucina in Baltimore’s Charles Village. The 40-seat, linen tablecloth Italian restaurant features a host of regional offerings with a focus on seafood dishes. It’s the first time Vahl has worked anywhere other than a law firm since being admitted to the New York State Bar in 1985.

4.  Maryland joins pending multibillion-dollar foreclosure settlement — by Steve Lash

Maryland stands to receive between $895 million and $959 million in benefits under a pending multibillion-dollar nationwide settlement with the five largest mortgage lenders over alleged foreclosure abuses, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler said Wednesday.

“How do you walk away from [nearly] a billion dollars?” he said of Maryland’s share.

5.  Stephens guilty of first-degree murder; sentencing starts Monday — by Ben Mook

Lee E. Stephens was convicted Thursday of the first-degree murder of a corrections officer at the now-closed Maryland House of Correction in Jessup. He faces the death penalty when sentencing begins next week.

An Anne Arundel County jury deliberated for nearly 40 hours over whether Stephens killed Cpl. David McGuinn in an ambush attack in 2006. It was the lengthiest deliberation in the county in decades, said one court observer who spoke on condition of anonymity because a gag order is still in place pending sentencing.

Stephens, 32, is due back in court Monday at 9 a.m., when he is expected to say that he wants the jury to decide his sentence. The jury has already decided that there is an aggravating factor — the victim’s status as a law enforcement officer — which makes Stephens eligible for the death penalty.

But after seeing photos from the opening days of the trial, there’s one question that keeps going through my mind: What happened to George Huguely? In that infamous mug shot from almost two years ago, he looks big, tough, menacing, hair going in every direction. His face is tan and full, his eyes dark and staring blankly ahead.

Fast forward to this week: he walks into the courthouse in handcuffs, his skin pale, eyes sunken behind his cheekbones. His sport coat appears to be wearing him. His hair is cropped closer. It’s hard to believe he played college sports at an elite level.

Is one the face of a guilty man, the other the face of an innocent man? Or is it the same person, transformed by the gravity of all that has happened since that fateful night in May 2010?

I guess it’s up to the jury to decide.

Cpl. David McGuinn was stabbed to death while on duty during an ambush style attack from behind as he was taking the final lockup count for the night at 10 p.m. on July 25, 2006. Stephens was charged with first-degree murder in McGuinn’s death.

The case went to the jury last Wednesday. While court was not in session Friday, the jurors in the case have been deliberating since. On Tuesday, jurors again did not deliver a verdict and were sent home about 4 p.m.

The case against Stephens is based on eyewitness testimony from former inmates on the cell block where the attack occurred and DNA testing of blood recovered from Stephens’ personal effects. The jury has the option to find Stephens guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Paul A. Hackner told the jury when they were given the case that the verdict form also included an option to find Stephens guilty of second-degree murder. A first-degree conviction would open the door to further hearings about whether to impose capital punishment.

The jury has had a tough job put in front of them. There are reasonable issues raised on both sides and, with no video footage, a lot of the state’s case came down to a prisoner who said he saw everything through a mirror he held out of his cell door.

Jurors heard testimony about conditions at the 175-year old jail on the hot July night that McGuinn was murdered. The old jail was described as being hot and muggy with the loud overhead blowers doing little to alleviate the heat and instead only adding to the overall din from the 45 inmates on the tier that night. The jurors also heard that on average, the cell block with its narrow catwalk had working light bulbs at about every fifth cell.

Unfortunately for the state, and the defense as well, McGuinn was working alone at the time of the attack and was not able to tell his colleagues who it was that ambushed him. The only witnesses both sides had were former inmates.

In court, during closing arguments, the defense pointed out that the state’s star witness only came forward to ID Stephens after he was picked up on federal firearms violations and facing 22 years in jail. Under a plea agreement, his cooperation with the prosecution could shave 12 years off of that time.

As for the defense’s witnesses, the prosecution likened them to a group of Stephens’ friends who would say anything to help him out.

With the blood evidence, DNA testing links blood found on clothing from Stephens’ cell shortly after the attack. Prosecutors say Stephens rushed back to his cell, tried to wash the blood off of the items and hide what couldn’t be washed. The defense said the area was covered in blood and between the splatter and cross-contamination by the first responders and investigators that was how the blood ended up on Stephens.

Jurors were scheduled to resume deliberations Wednesday morning.

Here are some news items to get the week started.

– It was the best of times; it was the worst of times — for lawyers.

– L.A. Dodgers pitch a defense in case of injured San Francisco Giants fan.

– How do you predict the court will rule on this objection?

– General Motors fought Ford, even as Eli battled Brady.

– Are ceilings in corporate legal offices still made of glass?

1. Judge Eyler to step down a little early — by Steve Lash

Court of Special Appeals Judge James R. Eyler will step down May 1, about 2½ months before the Maryland Constitution would compel his retirement at age 70.

“My intention has been to go into private mediation,” Eyler said last week in explaining his decision to retire early from the bench. “The sooner that occurs, the better. That is why I’m not waiting until July 13.”

Eyler, who has served on the intermediate appellate court since Jan. 9, 1996, said he would remain available after May 1 to hear cases by special assignment.

2. Mom with latex allergy wins in Court of Appeals — by Steve Lash

A private nursery school violated a Howard County statute by refusing to accommodate a mother’s request to stop using latex gloves when changing diapers, Maryland’s highest court has held.

In a 4-3 decision, the Court of Appeals said Lisa Meade’s severe latex allergy constituted a “handicap” under the county’s Human Rights Code because the condition “substantially limited …major life activities,” specifically socialization and parenting.

3.  House Judiciary Committee could undo counsel at bail review ruling — by Steve Lash

The House Judiciary Committee appears poised to undo a court ruling that indigent defendants have a statutory right to counsel when their bail is set — a right the public defender estimates would cost the state $28 million annually.

Each measure would soften the blow to criminal defendants by expressly giving them the right to counsel at bail review hearings, which occur the first business day after the initial hearing.

4. Mentally disabled to settle sex-abuse suit — by Ben Mook

The state has reached a settlement with two mentally disabled women who claimed they were subjected to rape and sexual abuse for years by their supervisors at a state-run workshop.

The settlement of $465,000 is subject to approval by the Maryland Board of Public Works, which is scheduled to vote on it on Feb. 8.

The settlement also calls for the creation of a task force to review existing regulations, policies and training programs on sexual harassment and sexual contact within state-run and state-licensed programs and facilities.

5. Court of Appeals postpones lawyers-at-bail order –by Steve Lash

With just hours to spare, Maryland’s top court has decided to wait almost two weeks before ordering that public defenders be provided to indigent suspects when a court commissioner sets their bail.

The Court of Appeals’ order, which was slated to be issued Friday, will not be issued until Feb. 16 at the earliest. The order, or mandate, gives effect to the top court’s Jan. 4 ruling that criminal defendants have a statutory right to counsel at initial bail hearings

Next weekend’s tournament is for undergraduate trial teams (meaning witnesses can score points) and has two rounds of competition each day. Judges’ meetings will begin at 9 a.m. for morning rounds and 1:30 p.m. for the afternoon rounds, with the trials beginning a half-hour after the meeting and lasting up to two-and-a-half hours.

“Judging undergraduate mock trial is a blast,” said Mark A. Graber, an associate dean and director of the mock trial in a statement. “You will see several of the top teams in the nation – including Johns Hopkins, American, Howard, Georgetown, and George Washington. You get to be the judge. And you really help our students.”

Judging is on a pro bono basis, but food and coffee is provided.

Interested lawyers can email Graber for more information.