September 2007
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Associate Salaries, Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Duval & Stachenfeld, Job Searches, Law Schools, Money, Skaddenfreude, Small Law Firms
Attention Tier Two Grads: Duval & Stachenfeld Wants You
Never heard of Duval & Stachenfeld? Well, that’s about to change, thanks to the firm’s innovative approach to associate compensation, which is getting some media mentions. From an article by Kellie Schmitt in The Recorder: The 50-lawyer firm, based in New York but with a small L.A. office, starts first-year associates at $60,000 — or […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 09.25.07
* New York Times Magazine profiles Justice Stevens. [New York Times Magazine] * Breaking down the New York Knicks sexual harassment trial. [ESPN] * Prosecutor contradicts Sen. Craig’s story. [CNN] * NY AG subpoenas Facebook. [MSNBC] * Vick may face state charges related to dogfighting. [Sports Illustrated]
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Education / Schools, Free Speech, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Politics, Reader Polls
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: To Speak or Not To Speak?
Earlier today, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a controversial appearance at Columbia University. The decision to invite Ahmadinejad was defended by President Lee Bollinger, who criticized Ahmadinejad and his views while introducing him, but condemned by Columbia Law School Dean David Schizer. Dean Schizer’s statement provides us with enough of a “law” hook to write […]
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Clerkships, Federal Judges, Feeder Judges, Law Schools
The Clerkship Application Process: What's Going On?
Many judges are done hiring their law clerks for next year. We’re happy to report that several of our friends, whom we were informally advising on the process, landed clerkships with their top picks. For those of you who are still going through the process, this gossip might be of interest: Rumor check: word on […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Kathleen Sullivan, Technology, Videos
Quinn Emanuel: No Video for You
We aren’t the only ones having fun with the story of the Quinn Emanuel recruiting junket to Deer Valley. Check out this cartoon, over at The Recorder. As noted by some commenters, Quinn Emanuel just launched a new, upgraded website. Sadly, the “Day in a Life of an Associate” video — which featured a fictional […] -
Bar Exams, Law Schools
Does Taking Black-Letter Courses in Law School Help You Pass the Bar Exam?
Maybe not. A summary of the findings of a recent study, from Freakonomics: [R]esults were unequivocal: no relationship existed between law school courseloads and the passage rate of students ranked in the first, second or fourth quarters of their law school class, while only a weak relationship existed for students who ranked in the third […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Skaddenfreude
Year-End Bonus Watch: Washington, DC
We have to step away for a bit. We’ll leave you with another open thread to discuss year-end bonuses. Today we focus on our base of operations: WASHINGTON, DC. If your firm has a stated bonus policy, what are the basic terms? If not, what are you expecting by way of a bonus this year? […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Money, WSJ Law Blog
Loyola 2L Hits the Big Time (Even If Not the Big Law)
On the front page of today’s Wall Street Journal, there’s an excellent article, by Amir Efrati, about the not-so-hot job prospects for non-top-tier law school graduates. Here’s the lede, which nicely summarizes the situation: A law degree isn’t necessarily a license to print money these days. For graduates of elite law schools, prospects have never […] - Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
Books, Dahlia Lithwick, Federal Judges, Jeffrey Toobin, Media and Journalism, SCOTUS, Shameless Plugs, Supreme Court
More Delicious SCOTUS Press Corps Navel-Gazing
More good press for Jeffrey Toobin’s new book, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. It scored a front-page review in the New York Times Book Review, which is the Holy Grail of the publishing industry. But we’re partial to this great Slate piece, by Emily Bazelon and Dahlia Lithwick (two of […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 09.24.07
* Wall Street Journal front page article on bleak JD job market. [WSJ via Law Blog] * Ohio State must pay former coach $2.5 million. [ESPN] * Florida dems risk delegates with early primary. [CNN PoliTic] * If he did it, was it because of football injuries? [Slate] Update: We’ll be doing a full post […]
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2nd Circuit, Airplanes / Aviation, Fashion, Federal Judges, Michael Mukasey, Non-Sequiturs, Sentencing Law
Non-Sequiturs: 09.21.07
* As a judge, Michael Mukasey cited Shakespeare in snarking on — and striking down — the federal sentencing guidelines. [AP] * Speaking of district judges, the well-regarded Judge Paul Cassell (D. Utah — at right) is resigning from the bench — partly due to low judicial pay. [Sentencing Law & Policy via WSJ Law […] -
Breasts, Fabulosity, Federal Judges, Hotties, Pictures, Ursula Ungaro
The Eyes of the Law: Judge Ursula Ungaro Parties With Judge Alex
Federal judge Ursula Mancusi Ungaro was sighted at a recent “Constitution Day Party” down in Miami. She posed for photos with other guests — including TV judge Alex E. Ferrer, better known to television audiences as Judge Alex. This photo of Judge Ungaro and Judge Alex, by lawyer-blogger David Oscar Marcus, was our favorite. Behold […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Reader Polls
What's Up With That Deer Valley Trip? Quinn Emanuel Partners Speak
We’ve devoted an insane amount of coverage to Quinn Emanuel’s plan to take recruits to a resort in Deer Valley, Utah (in lieu of callbacks). Now The Recorder has this interesting article: Instead of bringing students met during on-campus interviews back to the office for a series of sit-downs, the firm will take them on […]
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Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get…
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Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Skaddenfreude
Year-End Bonus Watch: Chicago (and a Reminder About L.A.)
So you can’t get a decent horse meat sandwich in the Windy City. How about a decent year-end bonus? In the comments, please discuss the subject of year-end bonuses for law firm associates in CHICAGO. Topics might include hours cutoffs for hours-based policies, historical patterns in bonus size (e.g. what happened last year), and gossip […] -
7th Circuit, Animal Law, Food, Nauseating Things, Richard Posner, Weirdness
They Eat Horses, Don't They?
Well, not in Illinois. In Cavel International v. Madigan (PDF; via How Appealing), the Seventh Circuit upheld an Illinois law making it unlawful to “slaughter a horse if that person knows or should know that any of the horse meat will be used for human consumption.” It’s a quirky and interesting case. Howard Bashman provides […] -
Food, Jews, Practice Pointers, Prisons, Pro Se Litigants
ATL Practice Pointers: Do Not File An Egg with Judge Muirhead
Is this litigation kosher? You bet. From Vos Iz Neias (Yiddish: “What’s News”): A New Hampshire prison inmate’s file drove a federal judge to rhyme to express himself. A prison inmate protesting his [non-Kosher] diet attached a hard-boiled egg to documents sent by mail to U.S. District Court Judge James Muirhead. “I do not like […] -
Fabulosity, Lawyerly Lairs, Litigators, Private Equity, Real Estate, Wall Street
Lawyerly Lairs: Star Litigator Bails Hedge-Funder Out of $8 Million Mansion
Here’s a sign of changing times: lawyers are picking up luxury real estate holdings that hedge fund guys can’t afford to keep. From the Daily Business Review: A high profile Miami litigator is expanding his real estate holdings on Key Biscayne. Attorney Eugene E. Stearns and his wife, Diana, purchased a two-story home at 250 […] -
Lawsuit of the Day, Lunacy, Politics, Religion, Tort Reform
Are You There God? Yes, I Am
Time for a quick update on a recent Lawsuit of the Day — the case filed by Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers, against God. Yes, God. From the AP (via TaxProf Blog): A legislator who filed a lawsuit against God has gotten something he might not have expected: a response. One of two court filings […] -
Advertising, Job of the Week, Job Searches, Private Equity, Shameless Plugs
Job of the Week
Here’s the latest Job of the Week from Lateral Link, ATL’s career partner: Title: Attorney In Charge Of Firmwide Private Equity Knowledge Management Location: Chicago Description: This position is a combination business and legal position at a top international law firm, with no billable hours and no client development expectations. The position is full-time, affording […] -
Advertising, Books, Colbert Report, Jeffrey Toobin, O.J. Simpson, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Television, Videos
A Colbert Report for Legal Geeks
Last night’s Colbert Report was a bonanza for law nerds. The featured guest was Jeffrey Toobin, who spoke about his new book, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. Toobin and Colbert had a relaxed and easy rapport, and their conversation was highly entertaining — perhaps the best CR appearance since Neal […]