March 2008
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Animal Law, Crime, Rape, Weirdness
A PSA from ATL: Watch Out for Wombats!
Unless you’ve always wanted an Australian accent. From the Telegraph: A New Zealand man who claimed he was raped by a wombat and that the experience left him speaking with an Australian accent has been found guilty of wasting police time. Arthur Cradock, 48, from the South Island town of Motueka, called police last month […] -
Weirdness
Disorder in the Court: Memphis Defendant Spittin' Mad and Issuing Death Threats
We don’t know if there are many public defenders regularly reading ATL. For those who do, we salute you for putting up with clients like this one: Earlier this year, burglary and rape suspect Joshua Beadle got himself into deeper trouble by spitting at the judge. This week, while shackled and outfitted in a special […] - Sponsored
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Celebrities, Law Professors, Linda Greenhouse, Media and Journalism, Money, New York Times
Musical Chairs: Linda Greenhouse in Da House at Yale Law
We have a strange obsession with Linda Greenhouse, the Supreme Court correspondent for the New York Times. When we spotted her recently at Jennifer 8. Lee’s D.C. book talk for The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, we practically leapt out of our seats in excitement. [FN1] If you’re a fellow LG groupie, and if you’re at Yale […]
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Job Survey
Featured Job Survey: Where Does Your Work Come From?
So far, almost 1,000 ballots have been cast in this week’s ATL / Lateral Link survey on where you’d most want to work, and it’s clear that some firms are trying to win those votes. Front-runner Latham has announced a “no layoffs” promise, and Ropes & Gray has upped the ante on the cool factor […] -
Lawsuit of the Day
It's a Small World After Ahhhhhh... Stop Beating Me...
Disney World is one of those places that’s magical through the eyes of a 5-year-old, but the realization of one of Dante’s circles for adults. The long waits, the overpriced tickets and food, the body odor of foreign tourists, and the fear of being viciously attacked for cutting in line: Aimee Krause says Victoria Walker […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 03.27.08
* Clear Channel and private equity firms sue banks they claim are balking on financing their buyout deal; injunctive relief secured. [WSJ Law Blog; AP] * Lilly settles Zyprexa litigation with Alaska. [New York Times] * SCOTUS considers pro se rights. [Washington Post] * Did KPMG “enable” New Century’s collapse? [New York Times] * Federal […]
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Pregnancy / Paternity
Biglaw Perk Watch: WilmerHale and O'Melveny & Myers to 18 Weeks
A few more firms have joined the 18 Week Club. New and improved parental leave policies, from WilmerHale and O’Melveny & Myers, appear after the jump. We admit we can be a little idiosyncratic in terms of which firms’ announcements we highlight. For more comprehensive information, check out Justin Bernold’s handy-dandy, continually updated tables of […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 03.26.08
* Not as coveted as Miley Cyrus tickets, but some people will pay good money for access to a Supreme Court oral argument. Is this kosher? [Rumors Daily] * Would you take tax advice from Wesley Snipes? If so, drop by “New Tax City” for a free consultation. [News Groper] * Supreme Court Fantasy League? […] - Sponsored
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Gambling / Gaming
Lawyer of the Day: Jane Willis
Picking our Lawyer of the Day was easy. Today the winning hand belongs to Ropes & Gray partner Jane Willis. From the Boston Globe: Jane Willis was always a standout student. Her reputation as a math whiz was well known at Phillips Exeter and Harvard, where she graduated in 1991 with a lofty recommendation from […] -
Law Schools
Update: Hey Teacher, Leave Those Kids (and Their Internet) Alone!
We reported yesterday about the University of Chicago Law School cutting off access to ATL internet in the classroom. A University of Chicago student sent along the e-mail from Dean Saul Levmore explaining the anti-internet policy, and said that we “should absolutely post the full text of Levmore’s asinine email.” Check it out in its […] -
What's Up at Latham & Watkins?(Morale - thanks to a 'no layoffs' promise.)
Here’s a round-up of interesting items pertaining to Latham & Watkins, a favorite firm among ATL readers. 1. Latham makes the “no layoffs” pledge. Just like Milbank, Latham has promised that it won’t be laying off lawyers in response to the current economic crisis. From an LW tipster: Last Wednesday, managing partner Bob Dell gave […] -
Dorsey & Whitney
The T25 Club: Membership Has Its Privileges
The rich get richer. Movie stars who already earn millions of dollars per picture get showered with freebies, like award show “gift bags” worth thousands of dollars. Similarly, students at top law schools, who already have their pick of $160K job offers, get wined and dined by leading law firms. There IS such a thing […] -
Job Survey, Layoffs
Featured Job Survey: Layoffs?
We’ve received approximately five hundred responses to last week’s ATL / Lateral Link survey on whether you expect layoffs at your firm, and how you’re coping. By and large, you’re a pretty gloomy bunch. Forty-three percent of respondents are afraid that their firm will have layoffs. Among respondents who are Class of 1999 or more […]
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SCOTUS, Weirdness
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished(If you file a cert petition for a fellow prison inmate and do not have a law degree.)
There’s an interesting behind-the-scenes story in an appeal heard by the Supreme Court this week. The appeal concerns a South Carolina drug dealer and the definition of a felony. For details, see this AP story. What we find interesting is the former paralegal serving jail time who got SCOTUS to accept the case. We previously […] -
Boalt Hall, Daniel Solove, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Paul Caron, Ridiculousness, UVA Law
Please Do Not Wet Yourself With Excitement: The 2009 U.S. News Law School Rankings
Relax, folks. We are aware that the 2009 law school rankings of U.S. News & World Report have leaked, in advance of their official Friday publication date. They’re all over the blogosphere and the message boards (links collected below). We’ve been sitting on this item for a little while — coordinating with our other posts […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 03.26.08
* Supreme Court rebuffs claim of presidential power with respect to enforceability of World Court ruling. [Washington Post] * Meanwhile, other countries’ courts reject U.S. punitive damages. [New York Times] * Second Circuit shoot down New York State’s Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, on preemption grounds. [New York Times] * Affirmative action opponents seeking ’08 […]
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Partner Profits
2007: It Was A Very Good Year (For the Most Part)
We linked to it yesterday in passing, but thought we’d draw your attention to it in a dedicated post. Check out TheLawyer.com’s report on the 2007 financial performance of the top 50 U.S. law firms (ranked by revenue): The top 50 US firms last year generated a total of $46.8bn (£23.4bn) in revenue – an […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 03.25.08
* An account of Attorney General Michael Mukasey’s Supreme Court argument. Depressing detail: he rented his morning coat. [The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times] * Conservative legal celebrity deathmatch: U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement v. Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz. [Concurring Opinions] * Nationwide Layoff Watch: Merrill Lynch. [Dealbreaker] * The Obamas release their […] -
Education / Schools
Bullying and Biglaw: Perfect Together?
The New York Times is on a bit of a “bully” kick lately — using their “bully pulpit,” if you will. They recently ran this 1100-word article, by Pulitzer Prize winner Dan Barry, about an Arkansas teen who has been subjected to bullying at school for years — sometimes to the point of physical violence. […] -
Dewey & LeBoeuf
Biglaw Perk Watch: Dewey & LeBoeuf to 18 Weeks
The latest major law firm to enhance its parental leave policy: Dewey & LeBoeuf. Remember the holiday party car controversy? All is forgiven. Eighteen weeks, plus Denim Day? You couldn’t ask for anything more. Actually, maybe you can. From a male tipster at the firm: D&L just went to 18 weeks for parental leave: 8 […]