Archive for July 2007

Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Federal Government Opportunities

By David Lat

Department of Justice seal DOJ seal Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgAs you know, we recently did a series of open threads on law firms in different cities. But we realize that Biglaw isn’t the only option out there.
We’ve been reminded of that by some recent emails. From one reader:

Not so much a tip as a request: How about an open thread for non-firm work — U.S. Attorney’s offices, for example? What are the pros and cons of leaving Biglaw for a few years to go there, and how do you do it?

And from a second:

This my fizzle in light of the prestige cult that ATL harbors, but I was curious if you would ever consider a look at federal government lawyers.

Not just at the Department of Justice:

The FBI, CIA, DoD, etc, all are staffed by tons of lawyers, not to mention the JAG branches of our Armed Forces. I’m obviously biased in light of my JAG affiliation, but I always enjoy reading up on the lives of non-BigLaw attorneys.

We’re happy to accommodate these requests — and note that working for the federal government, even if less lucrative than Biglaw, can be tremendously prestigious.
Please discuss legal employment opportunities with the federal government — including U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Main Justice, the JAG corps, and agencies — in the comments. Thanks.

X-Summers: O’Melveny & Mystery Man

By David Lat

X Men small X Summers X Summer Associates Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgOf course we’re not done with our series on the mishaps of summer associate. There’s just too much material. If you have an anecdote to share, please review our submission guidelines, and then email us.
Here’s our latest X-Summer. The good news is that this story is current, from this summer (although we gladly take old stories too). The bad news is that many details are missing — but maybe you can help us out with that.
1. Superhero name: O’Melveny & Mystery Man
2. Special power: Ability to spawn a hundred stories about the true reasons for his departure.
3. Summered: O’Melveny & Myers, summer 2007 (southern California).
4. Claim to fame: According to allegations in circulation:

Ellen DeGeneres Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpg[O]ne of our summers got fired… Apparently, while he was on the Newport retreat, he did something offensive, and no one knows what, exactly. The most likely story is that he said something homophobic to a lesbian partner, but it’s all speculation.

The rumors have gotten out of control, though. Apparently this story has reached New York, and has blossomed into one about two summers: one allegedly groped an associate, and the other supposedly exposed himself to a bunch of attorneys. It’s amazing. Legal gossip is a nationwide network.

Amen to that. Ain’t the internets great?
More discussion, after the jump.

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UW Law School Tuition Hikes? Blame Lasee’s Lousy Love Life

By David Lat

Frank Lasee 2 Wisconsin WI Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgRemember Wisconsin state representative Frank Lasee? He came up with the brilliant idea of cutting off state funding for the University of Wisconsin Law School. The governor characterized the proposal as “ridiculous and bizarre”; Ann Althouse condemned the idea here.
Anyway, now we have a little more insight into his psyche. See here, here, and here.
Why Does Frank Lasee Hate Lawyers? [Seriatim]
What the divorce court transcripts tell us about Frank Lasee [Althouse]
Lampert Smith: Lasee’s acrimony on full display [Wisconsin State Journal]
Earlier: Wisconsin Lawmaker Seeks Death Penalty for Law School

Think Twice Before Asking For That Pay Raise

By David Lat

gun pistol firearm Second Amendment Above the Law blog.jpgFor all of you greedy associates out there, here’s a cautionary tale. From CNN:

The owner of a car dealership has been accused of killing two employees because they kept asking for pay raises.

Rolandas Milinavicius has been charged with two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of Inga Contreras, 25, and Martynas Simokaitis, 28.

All three are from the eastern European nation of Lithuania but had been living in Atlanta, Georgia….

Oh, Atlanta.
Might this represent a new strategy for boosting profits per partner? Laying off associates (or de-equitizing less lucrative partners) generates so much bad publicity. Could knocking off a few lawyers be that much worse?
(If the victims were billing under 1950, that’s manslaughter rather than murder, as a matter of law.)
Police: Workers asked for pay bump, got bumped off [CNN]
Earlier: Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Atlanta
Bad News for Atlanta Associates?

Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Philadelphia

By David Lat

Philadelphia Philly City of Brother Love Abovethelaw Above the Law website site.jpgOur series of open threads on various U.S. legal markets is more or less done. Here are the cities or regions we’ve already covered:

1. CHICAGO
2. BOSTON
3. SAN FRANCISCO / SILICON VALLEY
4. NEW YORK
5. LOS ANGELES
6. ATLANTA
7. PACIFIC NORTHWEST
8. WASHINGTON, DC
9. TEXAS

We were all ready to pack it in. But then we received several requests for PHILADELPHIA.
So here’s the Philly thread. Feel free to discuss (and complain) in the comments. Thanks.
Update: In light of the comments thus far, let’s throw Wilmington into the mix. We encourage you to discuss Wilmington and the Delaware legal market in this thread too.

Biglaw and Big Politics: Which Way Does Your Firm Lean?

By David Lat

hillary clinton is magnificent.jpgWith the 2008 presidential campaign dominating the airwaves, despite being over a year away, everyone is talking about politics (and watching awesome, politically-themed music videos). Here’s a question that a law student posed to us:

Are there differences between the politics of firms, roughly distinguishing between liberal and conservative, or are they all pretty much the same? How can a student figure out the political leanings of a particular firm?

The only source of information I’ve found so far is to research donations to presidential candidates.

Interesting. We’d say that many firms, especially in New York, are “pretty much the same” — money knows no political distinctions. But here in D.C., it’s more common for firms to lean one way or the other.
One way to figure out a firm’s political valence is to look into the former government service of its lawyers (especially high-powered partners). This method would suggest to you that WilmerHale, home of the diva-licious Jamie Gorelick, is left of center, while Gibson Dunn, home of Ted Olson, is right of center.
As our correspondent notes, campaign contributions also shed light on the political leanings of a law firm. On that subject, Lindsay Fortado of Bloomberg News has this interesting article. Here’s something that surprised us:

Lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis, the law firm that’s home to Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr and Bush administration official Jay Lefkowitz, have given more to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign than to all of the top Republican candidates combined.

Kirkland, based in Chicago, is one of several corporate law firms that traditionally backed Republicans where lawyers are turning to Democratic candidates….

With respect to K&E, though, we’d guess that this varies from office to office. The Washington outpost of Kirkland, which is stocked with tons of former Scalia and Thomas clerks, is probably not funneling massive cash to La Hillary.
Which way does your firm lean? Please discuss in the comments. Thanks.
Kenneth Starr’s Law Firm Gives More Money to Clinton [Bloomberg]

Clerkship Bonus Watch: Akin Gump and Willkie (and WilmerHale Pulls a Latham)

By David Lat

100 dollar bill Above the Law Above the Law law firm salary legal blog legal tabloid Above the Law.JPGHere are two updates about clerkship bonuses (a subject of interest to a limited group of readers — but those who care REALLY care):

1. Willkie Farr & Gallagher: The rumor that Willkie pays a $50,000 clerkship bonus has been confirmed. We understand this applies to both New York and Washington.

2. Akin Gump: In New York, the firm pays a $50,000 clerkship bonus. (We don’t know what they do in other offices.)

In addition, one tipster calls out WilmerHale for, well, trying to pull a Latham.
If you’d like to know why WilmerHale’s $35,000 clerkship bonus may not truly be a $35,000 clerkship bonus, read the rest of this post, after the jump.

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Morning Docket: 07.31.07

By B Clerker

* Roberts, C.J., recovering. [New York Times; Washington Post (via How Appealing)]
* Senator Stevens’ office raided by feds! [CNN]
* Surgeon accused of organ harvesting. [MSNBC]
* Can Congress commute a sentence? [Slate]
* Inside Iraq’s “Rule of Law Complex.” [NYT]
* Al Gore III pleads guilty to drug possession. [CNN]

Laptopgate, and the New York Bar Exam: The Aftermath

By David Lat

laptop pink girl woman Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgWe recently posted about technical difficulties surrounding last week’s administration of the New York bar exam. About ten minutes ago, candidates who sat for the exam received this email:

From: New York Bar Exam Administration
Date: 30 Jul 2007 17:03:09 -0400
Subject: NYS Bar Exam Laptop Program

As you may know, some candidates taking last Tuesday’s bar examination experienced technical problems with the Securexam software during the examination, and some also experienced problems after the examination when attempting to upload their work. The State Board of Law Examiners has been working with Software Secure to resolve the problems.

Our primary focus during these past few days has been collecting exam files from candidates’ computers and confirming that we have all of the essay answers. Software Secure is in the process of sorting through and reviewing the thousands of files that were either uploaded or transferred to them through the utility that was described in an email sent by Software Secure on July 25, 2007.

For those of you who are interested, the rest of the message appears after the jump.

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Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Texas

By David Lat

Texas map Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgOur series of open threads on different legal markets around the country is winding down. We’ve already covered most of the biggies:

1. CHICAGO

2. BOSTON

3. SAN FRANCISCO / SILICON VALLEY

4. NEW YORK

5. LOS ANGELES

6. ATLANTA

7. PACIFIC NORTHWEST

8. WASHINGTON, DC

But we haven’t covered TEXAS. That’s what this here post is for.
Y’all know what to do, in the comments. Thanks.
Update: This just in, from the Texas Lawyer: Winstead Says Yes to Bonuses, No to Raises.
P.S. We realize that Texas has several major cities. E.g., Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio. But our (admittedly anecdotal) understanding is that many Texans are flexible with respect to which city they go to. So we’ve decided to have a consolidated, omnibus Texas thread.

Breaking: Chief Justice Roberts Taken To Hospital

By David Lat

animated siren gif animated siren gif animated siren gif drudge report.GIFBreaking news, from NBC (via Drudge):

Chief Justice John G. Roberts was hospitalized Monday after falling while on vacation in Maine, the Supreme Court told NBC News. Roberts, 52, fell at his summer home off Port Clyde [previously profiled in Lawyerly Lairs]. The court said he was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

The nation’s top judge was fully awake and coherent both at his home and later at the hospital, the court said.

Lyle Denniston has a few more details over at SCOTUSblog.
The upshot: JGR is doing just fine. But it’s a reminder that anything can happen — that life is full of unpredictability.
Because if any member of the Supreme Court were to star in a Lifealert commercial — and utter those famous words, “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” — wouldn’t it to be Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
Or maybe John Paul Stevens, who bears a reasonably strong resemblance to the man who cries out, “I’m having chest pain!” If you disagree, refresh your recollection here:

Chief Justice Roberts hospitalized [MSNBC]
Chief Justice falls [SCOTUSblog via How Appealing]
Lifecall/Lifealert – Commercial [YouTube]
Earlier: Lawyerly Lairs: Chief Justice Roberts’s Island Hideaway

  • 30 Jul 2007 at 3:00 PM
  • Blogging

Blawg Review #119

By David Lat

Blawg Review Law Blog blogging Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgAs we mentioned last week, it’s now our turn to host Blawg Review, the roving carnival of legal blogs. So welcome to Blawg Review #119 — a most auspicious number.
Today, in case you hadn’t noticed, is Monday. We’re grumpy, and maybe you are too.
So the theme for this installment of Blawg Review is complaining. Whining, bitching, moaning — which lawyers are very good at. Indeed, many attorneys are better at complaining than they are at doing their jobs. Especially summer associates.
The rest of this cheery Blawg Review — a litany of laments, a pile of pet peeves — appears after the jump.

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Sentencing Reform: Dancing Will Set You Free

By David Lat

We’re guessing you’ve all seen this video of 1,500 Filipino prisoners dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” It has been discussed all over the blogosphere and MSM. E.g, Gawker; Concurring Opinions; Times of London.
(We’re just surprised that sentencing guru Doug Berman — who, by the way, moderated a great panel on the federal sentencing guidelines at the recent ACS convention we attended (and will write about later) — hasn’t weighed in on this innovative approach to criminal punishment.)
In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the clip:
Cebu Philippines Filipino prisoners prison inmates dancing Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpg
Pretty cool, eh? Professor Charles Nesson of Harvard Law School quipped, “I want to meet the warden.”
Well, Professor Nesson, we can help. As it turns out, Byron Garcia — the prison official who came up with this idea, and uploaded the video clip to YouTube — is our uncle!
You can read our correspondence with Tito Byron, after the jump.

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BlawgWorld 2007: The Best of the Blawgosphere

By David Lat

We’re guessing, from your presence on this site, that you enjoy legal blogs. And you probably like free stuff, too — ’cause who doesn’t?
With that in mind, we’re pleased to join many other fine blogs in announcing the arrival of BlawgWorld 2007 (PDF). This delightful, free eBook collects exemplary posts from 77 leading law-related blogs.
You can download a copy (as a PDF file) by clicking on the graphic or the link below. Enjoy!
BlawgWorld 2007 Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpg
BlawgWorld 2007 with TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide (PDF) [TechnoWorld//Peerviews Inc.]

Lawsuit of the Day: Legal Fight Over Ladies’ Night

By David Lat

Ladies Night party girl Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgSo what do lawyers do when they leave the hallowed halls of Cravath, Swaine & Moore?
Some move on to smaller firms. Some, like former corporate partner Robert Kindler, go into investment banking (and make even more money).
But some take more surprising paths. From the current issue of the New Yorker:

A former associate at Cravath, Swain [sic] & Moore, [Roy Den Hollander] had moved to Russia to work as a private investigator. There he met a woman, with whom he returned to New York. They were married in March, 2000, and separated by December. In Den Hollander v. Flash Dancers Topless Club et al., Den Hollander sued his ex-wife and her employer under the auspices of a civil RICO statute. The suit was dismissed.

Did that romantic misadventure leave Hollander with hostility towards women? It might explain his latest legal quest, which is our Lawsuit of the Day:

In June, [Hollander] filed a federal lawsuit alleging that ladies’ nights constitute a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Citing invidious discrimination, he named as defendants the night clubs A.E.R., Lotus, Sol, China Club, and the Copacabana—which charged lower admission fees for women at, respectively, their Remix Thursdays, Velvet List Wednesdays, Models and Bottles Fridays, Metropolis Fridays, and College Party Thursdays.

What do other crusaders for gender equality make of the case? Karen DeCrow, vice-president of the Greater Syracuse chapter of the National Organization for Women, agreed with Hollander’s legal theory — even if, she noted, “it probably wouldn’t be very fun to go out to dinner with him.”
On the Docket: Hey, La-a-a-dies! [New Yorker]
N.Y. Lawsuit Calls ‘Ladies’ Night’ Discriminatory [National Law Journal]

Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Washington, DC

By David Lat

Capitol building Above the Law Legal Blog 2.JPGOur series of posts on different cities, timed to coincide with fall recruiting season, rolls on. These open threads are designed to allow folks to compare notes about law firms in each market. The posts have a tendency to get fairly long fairly quickly, but you can just run searches on each page to find comments about a specific firm or issue.
Here are the prior installments in the series (which we encourage you to revisit, since most of them are still active):

1. CHICAGO

2. BOSTON

3. SAN FRANCISCO / SILICON VALLEY

4. NEW YORK

5. ATLANTA

6. PACIFIC NORTHWEST

This post, which some of you have been eagerly anticipating, is about WASHINGTON, DC. Please discuss the legal market in our nation’s capital in the comments. Thanks.

Morning Docket: 07.30.07

By B Clerker

Alberto Gonzales 5 Alberto R Gonzales Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpg* How to try and pull a fast one on the entire NBA. [Slate]
* AGAG testimony called “splitting hairs.” [CNN]
* Vick co-defendant to have plea hearing. [Sports Illustrated]
* Morning Docket’s lawyer of the day (for last Wednesday, and while you were sleeping). [Canton Repository]
* Thoughts on how Democrats might approach a conservative Court (from Emily Bazelon). [Slate]

Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: Happy Days Are Here Again

By David Lat

100 dollar bill Abovethelaw Above the Law law firm salary legal blog legal tabloid Above the Law.JPGNot much associate pay raise news right now. We have just two more announcements, neither of them super-exciting, both from firms with “Day” in their names:

1. Jones Day: The firm’s Dallas and Houston offices now pay starting salaries of $160,000. We don’t have a memo, but a tipster directed our attention to these pages on the firm website (as well as this compensation overview).

2. Day Pitney: For those of you who follow the Connecticut market, Day Pitney will be raising first-year associate salaries to $120,000 — but not until January 1, 2008. (At that time, starting salaries in the firm’s Boston and New York offices will go up to $150,000.)

The Day Pitney memo appears after the jump.

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Non-Sequiturs: 07.27.07

By Billy Merck

* Another ATL shoutout! [ABA Journal]
* Jail for Ritchie too, but only the minimum. [CNN]
* Sue ‘em if they can’t take a joke. [AP via Yahoo!]
* Stop calling me nip! [New York Times]
* Who WON’T the ACLU represent? [Las Vegas Review Journal]

Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 07.22.07: Seeds of Love

By Laurie Lin

Legal%20Eagle%20Wedding%20Watch%20NYT%20wedding%20announcements%20Above%20the%20Law.jpg
Apart from our three finalist couples, there isn’t much to highlight for you this week: just some minor WGWAG action, and, in the Vows column, a nice shout-out to LEWW’s temporary home city.
So without further ado, we bring you our fabulous finalists:

1. Nykeesha Davis and Chad Peterman
2. Deborah Bernstein and David Foster
3. Ellen Bradford and Todd McIntosh

More about these couples, after the jump.

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