The week before a major holiday is usually pretty slow. And the Friday before the holiday weekend is usually dead — the perfect time for Mike Nifong to announce he’s dropping the rape charges against the Duke lacrosse team defendants.

Other highlights from the past week in legal news and ATL:

* Get to know this year’s Alito clerks!

* And help us get to know the current Breyer clerks.

* Dean Harold Koh’s Christmas gift to Yale Law School conservatives: newfound warmth and friendliness.

* Speaking of Yale Law School, YLS grad Yul Kwon just won Survivor. Congrats, Yul!

* Stuff you knew already: Supreme Court clerks are cooler than you. Lawyers have mediocre sex lives. Pro se litigants are insane.

* Last week dragged in a few more law firm bonus announcements, but nothing exciting. To skim the coverage, click here, then scroll down through the headlines.

* On the subject of bonuses, Biglaw associates: Please take our 2006 bonus poll (first announced here):

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!