Honorary Lawyer of the Day: Ted Frank
We can't make Ted Frank, of AEI and Overlawyered, our Lawyer of the Day. First, we just bestowed that prize on George Bush. Second, since he's a former ATL guest blogger -- see his celebrated posts on the Obama tax plan (here and here) -- there might be a conflict of interest.
Third, ATL Lawyers of the Day usually do stupid s**t embarrass themselves, while Frank is doing some good. As reported earlier this week, by Jonathan Glater in the New York Times, Frank is objecting to the highly dubious Grand Theft Auto class action settlement. In recognition of his efforts, we'd like to name Ted Frank our Honorary Lawyer of the Day.
Earlier this week, Ted trekked up to New York for the fairness hearing before Judge Kram. We caught up with Ted the other day. He described for us his mishap-laden trip to the courthouse:
The hearing is scheduled for 10:30. I decide to time myself to arrive at 9:30. Good thing, too: the 6 train sits at Bleecker for 5 minutes, and then at Canal for 10 minutes (during which time I read the entire NY Times Business section twice, especially pages 1 and 4) before they tell us to switch trains. I mistakenly switch to the J rather than simply going above ground and walking from Canal Street, and then try to find my way to the courthouse from the Chambers Street stop.Ok, I know I'm going to 500 Pearl. I'm on Centre Street, going North, I see the big marble facade of the US Courthouse, on the corner of Centre and Pearl, so I assume I'm going there. I absent-mindedly walk past some construction as I think about my argument, and go up the steps of the first courthouse I get to. Long delay through security, and then there are no signs anywhere. I ask a guard where Judge Shirley Wohl Kram's chambers are. He says there's no such person there. I say yes there is. No there isn't. Of course there is, I impatiently respond, I have a noticed hearing at 500 Pearl in front of Judge Shirley Wohl Kram. The guard, with pure New York sarcasm dripping from his voice, happily informs me that thank-you-very-much I'm in the middle of the state courthouse at 60 Centre Street. D'oh!
I run back outside, and cross the street to where the construction is. I circle the building, but don't see an entrance not blocked off. I ask another guard. The U.S. Courthouse is not in the building labeled U.S. Courthouse, but is further down Pearl Street, I am told. I make it through security, and even make it to the right floor on my second try reading the directory. Fortunately, I wasn't confused when Judge Kram's courtroom had a big sign on the outside saying "Judge Leonard B. Sand," and I safely entered at 10:10.
This is why law firm partners need associates.
Thankfully, the hearing went better than Ted's trip did. Check out his firsthand account over the fairness hearing at Overlawyered. The upshot: Judge Shirley Wohl Kram has taken the matter under advisement.
We wish Ted luck. We'll keep you posted on the progress of his challenge.
Hidden Sex Scenes Draw Ho-Hum, Except From Lawyers [New York Times]
Grand Theft Auto: Class Action - the argument [Overlawyered]
Fame: SO edition [Prettier Than Napoleon]
(35) 
What a retard.
-Founding Fathers
A retard with a hot girlfriend, judging by that last link.
"honorary" lawyer makes it sound like Ted isn't a real lawyer...
ZOMG! there's more than one courthouse in NYC!
One word comes to mind: fugly.
If there were some sort of non-profit designed to challenge these ridiculous settlements -- where the lawyers get millions but the consumers get coupons -- I would TOTALLY donate tax-deductible funds.
Perhaps Manhattan Institute can give Loyola 2L's of the world actual public-interest jobs...
Enough. With. The. Cutsey. Strikethrough. Lat. Thanks.
What is TTT? I have been reading atl for a while, keep seeing ttt but still don't know what it stands for. Take mercy and provide an answer
Lat - Please stop with the little tacit endorsements of/puff pieces on your favorite fat, neo-con, Federalist Society, D-Bag buddies that you have a (gay) schoolboy crush on. Thanks.
Man, that story about how he got to court is stupid and pointless.
Man, that story about how he got to court is stupid and pointless.
He has a cool job, cool friends, a stellar resume, and a hot girlfriend.
Yeah, I'm sure his life would be all that much better if he started doing some crunches.
Keep the hate coming, losers!
TF is a moron, and a deceitful one at that, going by his BS posts on Obama's tax policies a while back.
TTT = Third Tier Trash --- I think.
TTT = Third Tier Toilet. HTH
TTT = third tier toilet
4:41=Ted Frank
How were TF's posts on Obama deceitful? He was right. The Obama "donut hole" is completely worthless to married BigLaw couples, because it applies to households, not individuals. My wife and I are going to get screwed in 2009, with at least $40,000 in extra taxes between us.
ttt=third tier toilet (not trash).
though you dont have to be retarted to get lost downtown, but still what the hell is this and why is he (honorary) lawyer of day? well at least he is a former guest blogger.
also my firms partners actually know where they have to be.
4:37 - Man, your two comments are stupid and pointless.
"My only advice is that he should do the right thing at every moment."
180
5:07 -- you are quite ignorant.
The tax in question comes out of INDIVIDUALS' paychecks. An INDIVIDUAL must earn over $250,000 a year to be affected under Obama's plan.
Frank was deceitful in describing the situation, and I believe he also stated that the donut hole would be at 200k, when (a) it was not clear Obama had any concrete plan, and (b) that his one quote had mentioned $250k. Lo and behold, the donut hole *does* begin at $250k
Just to recap: currently, an individual only pays this tax up to the first $100,000 earned. Obama proposes to continue taxing the wages that *individuals* earn above $250,000. Note also that it's just taxing the excess amount. Let's say you make $350,000k. You pay the tax rate (say 3%) on the first 100,000 (so 3k) and then again on your earnings above 250k, which, in my example, are a further $100k. So your tax bill increases to 6k.
Note: I recognize the tax % is not the real one. I didn't bother to look it up. But the operation of the plan remains the same.
TTT = UVA poppin collars.
Did 5:54 strike out with some UVA ug at the softball tourney?
Poor fucker... or not, as the case seems to be.
"The tax in question comes out of INDIVIDUALS' paychecks. An INDIVIDUAL must earn over $250,000 a year to be affected under Obama's plan."
5:48, you're the one who is ignorant. The tax in question is on households under the Obama plan. If you and your spouse each earn $175,000, then only the amount between 102 and 125 is subject to the donut hole. You're getting taxed another 12%+ between 125 and 175.
How was Frank deceitful? The spreadsheet allows one to change the assumptions to include the donut hole.
That's an ugly ass mfer.
No, 6:43, Obama's tax plan applies to INDIVIDUALS. I don't know whether you are ignorant or just spreading lies intentionally.
See here (http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/politics/2008/view.bg?articleid=1100633) or here (http://www.nypost.com/seven/06142008/news/nationalnews/obama_tax_plan_raises_big_bracket_115443.htm)
The tax in question is the *payroll* tax. It applies to *one's* paycheck. If one's salary is over $250,000, the tax would kick in again above that range. There is simply no way for the tax to be applied against a household -- the tax is deducted from one's paycheck.
Do you actually work? Check out your paycheck next time -- it's the FICA tax. There is no way for that to apply against a household.
Get your basic facts straight.
Also 6:43, either you're lying again or your post is filled with typos. The donut hole is between $102,000 and $250,000. All that income in that range is exempt from the FICA tax under Obama's plan. Your examples using 125 or 175 would all be exempt. Since the FICA tax is assessed on an INDIVIDUAL's paycheck, neither of your hypothetical individuals above would pay any more on the FICA tax than they do currently if their income is $175k each.
To recap, an INDIVIDUAL must have a yearly salary in excess of $250,000 for this plan to make any difference. I believe that statistically, the Obama plan will mean a change for approximately 3% of American individuals.
See also here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/13/obama-wants-payroll-tax-o_n_107072.html
Perplexed at the statement that his girlfriend is "hot." Truly perplexed.
5:48 - The current tax rate is 6.2% for employees with your employer picking up an equal amount (12.4% if you are self-employed althogh you get a dedution for half). Where does Obama's plan say that over 250k would get the same tax rate as the income before the donut hole? It is deceitful to say that it would be the same rate. (See http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/27/news/economy/obama_wealthy_taxes/index.htm)
1:29 - "the Obama plan will mean a change for approximately 3% of American individuals." You are referring to the change on the payment side. On the benefits side it turns social security, an insurance system historically (albeit a failing one), to a welfare program.
Austan Goolsbee, Obama's economic adviser, has stated that the donut hole might not be as big as $250,000. Indeed, Obama has said he'd pay for his $400 billion of new spending with new taxes, but he can't even begin to get there without closing the donut hole, since soaking the $250k+ with new income tax increases and payroll-tax increases only raises $40 billion. Obama also plans to raise taxes on capital gains and dividends.
Two things:
1. First of all, this whole Obama "tax plan" argument may be fun for some of you but it is futile. Just because Ted Frank (and others) are trying to convince you that little snippets from a candidate website or sound bites from stump speeches or Austan Goolsbee talking on CNBC constitute a real "tax plan" that will be enacted on day 1 of his administration doesn't mean you have to be so stupid as to agree with them and assume that it has already been written into law. You ignorant law students really aren't paying attention much in Con Law are you - there are actually three branches of the government and the legislative branch is the one that passes the laws - including any "tax plan" that may be proposed by some candidate. So if you are really that concerned, write a freaking letter to your congressman.
2. Where is this photo of his alleged girlfriend?
1. Stop bringing up the tax plan nonsense. You're just feeding the trolls.
2. Sounds like Ted Frank did indeed embarass himself, and is thus rightly within the ranks of the more heinous Lawyers of the Day, if he's so dumb that he couldn't even find the courthouse...
i dont know about any hot girlfriend but it looks like ted owns ceiling cat. http://www.corpreform.com/2008/06/the-right-way-t.html