October 2006

* Who even thought for a second that selling this drink to kids would be ok? “According to the label, each 8.4-fluid ounce can contains 280 milligrams of caffeine… but no cocaine.” [MSNBC] * Having Shaq involved in any warrant execution automatically violates, like, four amendments at least. [Associated Press] * Charter schools are a […]

Well, we’re not sure about that part — nor can we confirm or deny whether the justice was sighted in a “banana hammock.” But we can report that Justice Alito was recently in MIami, where he swore in Alex Acosta (at right), one of his former clerks, as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of […]

* Gay marriages legally-cognizable-relationships-that-will-probably-get-called-civil-unions are coming to New Jersey. * Superstar lawyer Ted Olson, who is not gay, got married — to a lovely lady named Lady. And ATL has the exclusive photos to prove it. * Law firms are tying the knot too. The latest to head for the altar: Dewey Ballantine and Orrick. […]

* Look at us, we’re patrons in training! Our law firms are getting funky with their art. But let’s hope they draw the line at installation art. [New York Observer] * If you want something dirty, keep up with the Heather Mills / Paul McCartney divorce. The divorce papers were leaked, and everybody’s getting sued. […]

For a while there, Justice Clarence Thomas was in the lead in our Least Favorite Supreme Court Justice poll. But then Instapundit linked to the poll, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg zoomed ahead. We’ll leave that poll open for a while, since we’re still getting incoming links and votes for it. As for Justice Thomas, […]

Look, if you’re going to be an exhibitionist, you need to OWN THAT S**T. No regrets; no looking back. And absolutely no lawsuits: Once again, second thoughts prove unavailing after modesty is cast to the winds: “A magazine that published a photograph of a woman baring her breasts at a pig roast for motorcycle enthusiasts […]

Delightful links, hand-picked with loving care by Stella Q, will appear later today. For now, here a few other quick links that caught our eye recently: * Curious about how many Americans share your full name? Now you can find out. [TaxProf Blog] * “Zagat’s for prisons.” Good stuff. [WSJ Law Blog] * Professor Dimino […]

Television broadcaster Jane Pauley is suing the New York Times. Pauley v. New York Times may not go down in history like New York Times v. Sullivan; but it’s still a case worth noting. The Wall Street Journal reports: Former “Today” show co-host Jane Pauley sued New York Times Co., alleging the publisher helped deceive […]

Not sure how we feel about this development: For years, outsourcing has been a dirty word inside the world of white-shoe law firms…. A number of large law firms, though, are starting to tiptoe onto far-flung shores. The latest is Clifford Chance, one of the largest law firms in the world with 29 offices in […]

On Fridays, we administer random reader polls here at Above the Law. Last week, for example, we asked you to vote for your Favorite Supreme Court Justice. (That poll is now closed — and Justice Scalia won, in case you’re wondering. But we’re still taking votes in our poll for LEAST Favorite Supreme Court Justice.) […]

* Look, pal, we don’t do it that way around here. Instead, we give all our girls years of self-esteem-destroying mixed messages, double standards, and hypocrisy. [AP via FindLaw] * Pleasssseee come back! We swear it won’t suck this time. We’ll give you a real office! [National Law Journal] * This is for stealing my […]

You’re a partner at the Chicago powerhouse law firm of Kirkland & Ellis, which generally ranks as the most profitable non-New York Biglaw firm in the country. But you decide that a six- to seven-figure income isn’t enough for your needs. So you do this: 1. Sell fraudulent certificates of deposit for $1.8 million.2. Set […]

* Given the unfortunate state of certain community hospitals today, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire. [CNN] * Probably not as raunchy as Comedy Central’s Pamela Anderson roast (we assume there wasn’t any talk of Freston’s nether regions), but many a tasty media mogul was on hand to celebrate this very […]

Associates, curious about how much your paralegal handmaidens earn? Paralegals, curious about how much your colleagues around the country make? We’ve collected some data points for you. We asked you for information about paralegal salaries. We received these responses (all class years are undergraduate rather than law school years): (1) intellectual property manager (“essentially a […]

Some things are too trashy even for us. Neither publication is The Economist; but there IS a difference between what US Weekly will cover and what Hello! will stoop to. This reader email has been sitting in our inbox for, like, a week: I know it’s not highbrow legal world information like who the most […]

New Partners: * Sullivan & Cromwell: Jeffrey Chapman, Michael Escue, Hydee Feldstein, Stacey Friedman, Brian Hamilton, Julia Jordan, Eric Kadel, Jr. and Juan Rodriguez. The partnership promotions will be effective January 1, 2007. Congratulations, kids! Like many other top New York firms, Sullivan still has a single-tier partnership structure. All partners are equity partners. And […]

“Okay, Judge Bork. Smile and say ‘The Original Understanding’!!!” (Also: Is that Harvard Law prof Laurence Tribe standing behind Robert Bork, or just someone who looks a lot like him?) Earlier this week, we gave you a detailed report about the fabulous nuptials of Ted Olson — the winning lawyer in Bush v. Gore, former […]

The lawyers among you should know: Little things matter a lot. Earlier this month, we told you about the missing “L” that cost a county $40,000. But $40K is chump change compared to the million dollars that turns upon an allegedly misplaced comma: [A] dispute between Rogers Communications of Toronto, Canada’s largest cable television provider, […]

We haven’t forgotten about our pledge to profile the current class of Supreme Court clerks (for October Term 2006). As previously explained, we’ll start with the clerks to the most junior justice, Samuel Alito. Here’s the rub. We don’t quite have enough information — in terms of interesting tidbits, fun facts, or amusing anecdotes — […]

Welcome to the latest installment of Legal Fee Voyeurism, in which we dish about how much lawyers are getting paid for their labors. Today’s subject: Amtrak, the federally subsidized passenger railroad that’s a perennial source of bad news. From the AP: Amtrak cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary legal expenses, an independent […]