Along with his colorful co-defendant, private investigator Anthony Pellicano, prominent entertainment attorney Terry Christensen is now a convicted felon. Earlier today, a federal jury convicted the pair on conspiracy charges relating to illegal wiretapping.

Not a great way to kick off a holiday weekend. And not good news for the 110-lawyer firm that Christensen founded -- Christensen, Glaser, Fink, Jacobs, Weil & Shapiro.

(That firm name may ring a bell. Name partner Robert Shapiro famously served on O.J. Simpson's victorious defense team.)

Private eye Anthony Pellicano, attorney Christensen convicted of wiretap plot [Los Angeles Times via WSJ Law Blog]
Terry N. Christensen bio [Christensen, Glaser, Fink, Jacobs, Weil & Shapiro, LLP]

When it comes to seating juries, desperate times call for desperate measures. Like arresting -- and shackling -- jury duty deadbeats, which is what's done in D.C.

Out in Oregon, they conscript jurors from off the street:

A juror shortage forced a judge to look through a phone book before sending sheriff's deputies out into the street to round up enough people for a trial.

Lane County Presiding Judge Mary Ann Bearden said an unusually large number of criminal trials combined with an equally unusual number of no-shows for jury duty forced her to invoke a little-used state law.

"I dealt with some angry people," the judge said. "They didn't think it was fair."

Their anger is understandable. These folks were out for a nice morning stroll, on a sunny day in August. The next thing they knew, they were jurors on a sex abuse trial -- for a man accused of screwing the pooch aggravated animal abuse. And the defendant wasn't even a federal judge.

Democracy: what a bitch.

Oregon judge tries dialing, rounding up jurors [AP via Seattle Times]

[Ed note: Though Non-Sequiturs is our traditional sign-off, posted at or near the end of the day, we're not quite done -- more posts will follow. We just wanted to give a quick round-up for those leaving the office early.]

* If you happen to be stuck at work over the long weekend, Paul Caron has you covered. It's much better than trying to figure out which non-contiguous state you like best. [Tax Prof Blog]

* Chief Justice Roberts will be judging a moot court competition. If that sounds odd, consider that the competition is in Florida, home to 27 sweet electoral votes. [BLT: The Blog of Legal Times]

* The Veoh ruling might not help YouTube as much as they hoped. Maybe they should try garlic to battle with Viacom and Sumner Redstone [Law.com]

* Wait, pole-dancing isn't exercise but beach volleyball is an Olympic sport? I'm so confused. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Gustav. Seriously. Running away is always a good option when dealing with nature. [Washington Post]

If going in-house was why you went to law school in the first place, this week's Job of the Week is something you should check out.

It's for a corporate attorney looking to move to more of a consulting role. As always, the Job of the Week is brought to you by Lateral Link. For more information about Lateral Link's team of personal search consultants, or to see about joining their team, click here.

Position: Attorney Consultant

Location: Orange County, CA

Description: A Fortune 500 insurance company is seeking an attorney with at least two years of experience to consult on a variety of corporate matters. The attorney will be expected to develop mutual fund board meeting materials, draft fund and investment adviser procedures, prepare/negotiate related agreements, and work on all fund and adviser-related matters. In addition, the attorney will provide legal advice and other legal support to internal clients and monitor legislation and new laws affecting mutual funds and investment advisers. The role will involve drafting prospectus disclosure, investment adviser disclosure, and documents and materials, along with implementing appropriate procedures to comply with new laws.

For more information about this position, or to apply, please see Position 9656 on Lateral Link. Current members can also contact their personal search consultant directly to discuss this position. Membership in Lateral Link is free, and you can apply at www.laterallink.com.

Facebook just got a lot less cool, and a lot more LinkedIn. Watch out, for your firm may be coming to F-book soon.

The ABA Journal reports that Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle has launched a Facebook page to aid in its recruiting efforts:

Looking for a way to better promote itself to the next generation of lawyers, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle has launched a Facebook page as part of its broader law school recruiting efforts.

"We are pleased to be capitalizing on the popularity of the most widely used social networking site," Nancy Delaney, a Curtis partner who is a member of the firm's personnel committee, says in a release (PDF) about the page. "As a Firm, we recognized the power of this format of communication and the wide use being made of it by future lawyers."

Their page has 55 fans at the moment. We would pooh-pooh that, but the Above the Law fan page currently has just 96 fans.

(The ATL group page on Facebook, however, has more robust ranks, with over 800 members.)

Facebook Page is New Twist in Biglaw Recruiting [Robert Ambrogi's LawSites]
BigLaw Firm Recruits on Facebook [ABA Journal]
Curtis, Mallet, Prevost, Colt & Mosle Facebook Page [Facebook]
CURTIS DEPLOYS FACEBOOK PAGE TO HELP ATTRACT TOP LAW STUDENTS [Curtis, Mallet, Prevost, Colt & Mosle Press Release - PDF]

According to the New York Times, John McCain has tapped Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Appeal to disaffected Clinton voters? Trying to lock up the Mike Gravel fan base?

Update: Although Governor Palin is not a lawyer, there have already been several legal issues mentioned with regard to her candidacy. Just last month, her own state legislature opened an investigation into allegations that she tried to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from his state trooper job

Law professor Ann Althouse has already gone on record with a furry opinion about Palin's credentials.

Without a professional legal background to pontificate on (compare Joe Biden), we here at ATL will continue to scour our sources to bring you the latest on Palin's positions about the things that matter to lawyers, big and small. Anyone know her views on SCOTUS nominations?

McCain Chooses Palin as Running Mate [New York Times]
Alaska's Palin Faces Probe [Wall Street Journal]

For about a year now, ever since he took a mysterious leave of absence in August 2007, we've been following the troubles of Judge Samuel B. Kent (S.D. Tex.). A suspension from the Fifth Circuit, allegations of breastfeeding and BJ requests -- it hasn't been pretty.

Yesterday things got even worse for Judge Kent. From the Houston Chronicle:

U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent was indicted Thursday on charges of abusive sexual contact and attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a female employee, making him the first federal judge to be charged with federal sex crimes and the first in Texas indicted in recent history.

Congratulations, Your Honor? It's a privilege to be FIRST.

The alleged victim -- Judge Kent's former case manager, Cathy McBroom -- issued a statement after the indictment came down:

"After a very difficult 17 months, I feel like I have finally been validated. I have listened and read with horror as Judge Kent's lawyer suggested that what happened to me was 'enthusiastically consensual,' " wrote McBroom, who remains a federal court employee. "I am relieved to find that even federal judges are not above the law, and that sexual abuse in the workplace is never acceptable, no matter the status of the offender."

Thanks for the shout-out, Cathy!

A little bit more, below the fold.

The tips keep rolling in about firms no offering summer associates. Today's confirmed casualty report comes from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan.

Unlike Wiley Rein, Winston & Strawn, and other reports we've heard that suggest firms are coalescing around a 90% offer rate, Stroock made offers to only 80% of their '08 summer class.

Stroock did not directly confirm this number, but they did not deny it either.

Instead, Stroock communications director Jim Ponichtera focused on a different percentage:

In 2007, Stroock made a strategic decision to increase the size of its incoming class. Our summer classes were typically in the 28-30 range, and in 2008 we had 54 summer associates. Part of this was due to our decision to increase the class size, and part of this was due to an unexpectedly high acceptance rate of offers to join our summer program.

At the end of the summer, we extended a record number of entry-level offers - over 50% more than in 2007, which is consistent with our current business plan.

You hear that? 50% more offers.

More on the 20% who didn't make the cut after the jump,

This marks the end of our review of the firms in the Vault 100. This is the final bunch up for discussion (with prestige scores in parentheses):

91. Lovells (4.494)
92. Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP (4.489)
93. Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP (4.478)
94. Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP (4.459)
95. Kilpatrick Stockton LLP (4.452)
96. Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP (4.439)
97. Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP (4.421)
98. Seyfarth Shaw (4.399)
99. Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC (4.394)
100. Fenwick & West LLP (4.373)

Discuss. Dissect. Compare. Contrast. Most of all, enjoy.

Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads - 2009

* The Democratic love fest peaked last night. Senator Barack Obama addressed more than 80,000 people in a Denver football stadium. Our favorite line was his take on "it's not me, it's you." [New York Times]

* A reporter for ABC News wasn't feeling the love at the Democratic convention this week. Denver police arrested him Wednesday for trespassing while he tried to get interviews on a public sidewalk. His attorneys and the ACLU want all charges dropped. [The Blotter/ABC News]

* Under new Justice Department rules, "federal prosecutors will no longer be able to strong-arm corporate targets to reveal protected conversations with their attorneys." [CNN]

* Florida lawyers acting badly may make it hard for workers to file overtime violation suits. [National Law Journal]

* Embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is suing to stop the hearing that would remove him from office. [Washington Post]

* ... We hope his lawyers are making him prepay for that. An attorney has filed suit against Mayor Kilpatrick for allegedly stiffing him on a $79,000 legal bill. [Detroit Free Press]

* Tom Cruise is being sued for $11 million by a bunch of German actors who say they were injured in the filming of his last movie. Show me the money! [Onlinewire]

* Rick Reilly continues his transition from inane blather on Sports Illustrated to inane blather on ESPN. [ESPN.com]

* Taxpayers in Texas had to pay money for a judge to deal with Hilary Duff's birthday party. [Houston Chronicle]

* Target will pay $6 million in damages and make their website accessible to the blind, having already succeeded in making their website perfectly accessible to those who are poor and have low standards. [Law.com]

* The Justice Department is apparently going to try the Joanne Galloway "I strenuously object" argument with SCOTUS. [SCOTUSblog]

To paraphrase Austin Powers, Heller Ehrman is getting to "town bicycle" status. The latest firm to take a ride through Heller's financials: Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw.

According to Am Law Daily, citing sources close to both Heller and Mayer Brown, Heller is "aggressively" pursuing other merger options, with Mayer Brown looking like the most promising match. They add:

The current talks between Mayer Brown and Heller, which began days after Heller's talks with Baker & McKenzie ended, actually represent a second effort to combine the firms.

Before anybody starts requesting new business cards, it must be noted that Heller merger rumors tend to be as bankable as that Nigerian guy who needs your account number. In the past few months, Heller has been linked to Winston & Strawn, Proskauer Rose, and Baker & McKenzie. Given that a Heller/Mayer Brown merger has fallen through before, this latest rumor could be more about smoke screen than actual fire.

Just last week, Heller announced that it was postponing start dates until after Martin Luther King Day. We'll keep you updated on Heller's continuing efforts to be saved.

Heller Ehrman, Mayer Brown In Merger Talks [Am Law Daily]

[Ed. note: This post is by guest writer LIAM HILL (no relation to Kashmir), who will be writing a series of posts about fashion and style. Fashion is a popular topic these days. See, e.g., the undershirts post (200 comments).

Perhaps it's because Fashion Week is about to get under way in New York. You can follow goings-on over at our sister site, Fashionista, which will be covering the collections live from Bryant Park.]

With the economic downturn, lawyer layoffs, and pushed-back start dates, I've been wondering about the influence that such turmoil has had on -- what else? -- office fashion. I tend to agree with Mark Twain, who said, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." (Well, unless you're in the middle of Times Square, with a guitar and a cowboy hat.)

Leaner times tend to bring out the Brooks Brothers aesthetic, and business casual once again goes where it belongs -- away. Ties and coats return, flip-flops and "commuter shoes" stay home, and "white shoe" again can once mean white shoe (but only on Fridays). Although many will resist the siren song of a more formal workplace, the trend is inevitable. I know you won't believe me, but apparently those who want to take your job already do. At least according to Turnbull & Asser.

Read my interview with James Cook (pictured), Bespoke Manager of Turnbull & Asser, and share your thoughts on the current state of men's fashion, after the jump.

Stealing Swiss Miss from your law firm's kitchen is not a good idea. If you're a summer associate, it's a recipe for getting no-offered.

And stealing food from the law firm refrigerator is also unwise. See here (and note the "FYI" postscript).

Does anyone care to guess -- or actually know -- the law firm where this sign was posted?

Reasons Not To Steal Food From the Company Fridge [Midtown Lunch]

Am Law Daily highlights the work of James Clark, a fifth-year at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, who took a two-month unpaid leave to volunteer for the Obama campaign in Pennsylvania.

Clark was a community organizer for three different townships in Bucks County, a county Hillary Clinton carried with over 60 percent of the vote. He felt that his Cleary litigation experience helped him in his campaign stint organizing local volunteers:

Volunteers are kind of like junior associates in that you have to clearly articulate what needs to be done so that everyone is on the same page.

Also don't make any sudden movements. Be firm, yet gentle.

Clark credits Cleary for allowing him the opportunity to work in rural Pennsylvania:

The firm has always made it clear to me that they are committed to the community and they've allowed me to sort of be a pro bono rainmaker and go out and find things that are worthwhile.

Can Clark make partner with his book of pro bono business now?

We jest, but only out of jealousy. Taking two months off to do something you feel is important is commendable, regardless of your politics. Keeping your Biglaw job while you do it (Clark is getting married soon) makes you the winner, even though you lost.

ELECTION 2008: Cleary Associate Gives Up Paycheck for Obama [Am Law Daily]

As we mentioned earlier today, we're doing a series of posts on law firms no-offering their summer associates. Recently we heard this, from an operative in a law school career services office:

The first blow of what we expect to be a horrible recruiting season has landed. Winston & Strawn in Chicago was "oversubscribed" and is handing out no-offers and soft offers.

We contacted the firm for comment. From spokesperson Darryl Van Duch:

I am responding on behalf of firm management regarding your inquiry about Winston's summer class. In your email you stated that Winston & Strawn in Chicago is oversubscribed, and is handing out no-offers and cold offers.

It is the firm's policy to not comment on individual personnel issues or hiring issues. However, we felt in this situation it was appropriate to address your statements. As to the issue of cold offers, we have not made and will not make so-called 'cold' offers. Additionally, the overall percentage rate of offers we made to summer associates in the firm this year was in the 90s, consistent with prior years.

What we've been hearing is roughly consistent with Van Duch's statement. Tipsters tell us that the firm's Chicago office no-offered 7 out of 67 summer associates, meaning that 90 percent of summers did receive offers.

Now, 90 percent seems plenty high. But it's certainly lower than the 95 to 100 percent offer rates that were par for the Biglaw course during recent boom times. According to the NALP directory, the Chicago office of Winston had an offer rate of 100 percent in 2007, with 37 out of 37 summers getting offers.

More ruminations on offer rates, after the jump.

The end of this tale is tragic and grim, but we'll focus on the salacious over the sad. From the Telegraph:

James Muir-Little, 45, a deputy district judge, resigned his post before the outcome of disciplinary proceedings against him. He had cheated on his own wife with Joanne Hall, 31, a cardiac nurse, after meeting her through and internet website for swingers.

They exchanged naked pictures and sexual fantasies by email before twice meeting for sex at hotels. In one email Mrs Hall promised to be a "dirty little slut" for the judge.

Not to be confused with clean big sluts. Or Nazis German prison workers. They're popular on the other side of the pond.

The tragic part is that when Joanne Hall's husband, Gavin Hall, learned of her infidelity, he killed their three-year-old daughter in revenge.

But let's not dwell on that. More details about the swinger judge, after the jump.

Thanks for all of the tips in response to our Friday post on no-offers. We are investigating various leads and will bring you a series of posts based on what we learn.

We'll start with Wiley Rein. The firm's 2008 summer class was oversubscribed, but only four summer associates paid the price. We'd been hearing reports that Wiley gave offers to 34 out of 38 SAs, and the firm has now confirmed the news.

Kay Nash, director of professional development and attorney recruiting at Wiley, said over email:

As is always the case here, everyone who deserved an offer received one, despite our higher numbers this summer. We are confident that we can comfortably accommodate the excellent students to whom we extended offers. We always aim for approximately 25 new associates, but gave a significantly higher number of offers reflecting the strength of our summer class.

A few tipsters pointed out that Wiley's class may have been oversubscribed due to the huge fees the firm earned as part of the 2006 Blackberry litigation. The settlement pushed Wiley's profits per partner all the way to number one for 2006.

Thirty-four offers out of an expected 25 slots suggests that Wiley is doing the best they can. But that probably does not mean a lot to the four fallen. We pour out our 40 to the undeserving four.

Earlier: Fall Recruiting Open Thread: No Offer, No Cry

If you have a small penis the only thing you can do about it is buy a gun.

I can finally say that with the authority of judicial precedent behind me. As the WSJ Law Blog reported yesterday, Steve Warshak, founder of Enzyte, was sentenced to 25 for defrauding sad, pathetic men.

I have often watched the late night replay of the Daily Show and Colbert and wished, nay prayed, that somebody would put an end to this stupid ad-campaign so I could get back to Girls Gone Wild promos. Though U.S. District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel ruled that the company would be allowed to stay in business, one expects civil litigation to destroy once and forever the concept of "natural male enhancement."

There are lots of penis products on television, usually in the form of car commercials. But the lack of subtlety from these Enzyte jerks is just totally out of place for the quiet, drunken depression that marks watching late night television. Get out of my head Smilin' Bob, I do not believe you!

Now if we could only get rid of commercials telling me that I have to keep it up for 36 hours, life would be better.

Fraudulent Male Enhancement Drug Gets Company Founder 25 Yrs. [WSJ Law Blog]

Over at f/k/a, David Giacalone wonders why few people have taken a stand on Harvey Silverglate's outrageous contention that the "Harvard Factor" has somehow killed satire in the legal profession.

Stand at my wall and start screaming "Hektor," why don't you?

Professor Silverglate reminds me of the guy, Dr. Pritchard I believe, who wrote the poetry textbook in Dead Poets Society. He tries to make objective the subjective art of "comedy," despite the fact that he is not funny.

Silverglate is annoyed that so many people reacted poorly to the New Yorker cover of Barack Obama dressed up in so-called "muslin" attire. His reasoning for the backlash over the cover is that "elites" -- like Obama -- have become so stifled in their thinking that they can no longer take a joke.

He specifically calls out the HLS Parody (full disclosure: I was part of the show each of my three years). He states that none of the humor approaches the frankness or "brutality" of previous incarnations.

Excuse me while I stand on my desk and shout "yawp."

Maybe back in Silverglate's day, all the good 'ol boys could sit around and tell watermelon jokes with impunity. Today, at Harvard and I'd imagine most anywhere else, you can still make fun of racial and gender stereotypes, you just have to be a little bit more intelligent and creative about it. Why? Because "Gee golly, them girls sure can't drive," just isn't funny anymore. It's called progress.

More ad hominem attacks on Silverglate, after the jump.

Our Vault 100 series is winding down. We hope that the insiders have enjoyed the opportunity to brag (or to vent) about their firms. And that the curious have appreciated insights into life at various firms in the top 100.

Here is the next bunch up for discussion (with their prestige scores in parentheses):

81. Crowell & Moring LLP (4.763)
82. Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP (4.754)
83. Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP (4.735)
84. Arent Fox PLLC (4.726)
85. McGuireWoods LLP (4.697)
86. Venable LLP (4.676)
87. Dorsey & Whitney LLP (4.575)
88. Dickstein Shapiro LLP (4.554)
89. Baker & Hostetler (4.531)
90. Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P (4.503)

Are the following statements true or false?

Okay, you know the drill.

Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads - 2009

* Barack Obama and Joe Biden accept the love of the Democratic Party. [Washington Post]

* Sobering news for the lovefest: "A potential conflict of interest involving Biden and one of the nation's biggest asbestos litigation law firms." [Politico]

* Bad Citibank! It owes 53,000 credit card customers $14 million for stealing their positive balances. According to one executive, "Stealing from our customers is a business decision, not a legal decision." [Courthouse News Service]

* Child killer smiles as he hears death sentence. [CNN]

* Mexican Supreme Court upholds Mexico City's abortion law. [Guardian]

* A Nepalese family is suing Iraq contractor KBR for human trafficking. [BBC News]

* Beach nudists sue for the right to be naked. [New York Times]

*... Fortunately for them, Orange County Superior Court Judge Shelia Fell likes nudity. [San Diego Union-Tribune]

* Expect McCain's Veep pick today. [Politico]

The start of the new Supreme Court Term is still over a month away. The nine robed ones are all over the world -- teaching in Europe, chilling in New Hampshire, and otherwise getting away from One First Street.

So things have been relatively quiet on the Supreme Court clerk hiring front. There are no new names over at the Clerkship Notification Blog or at Wikipedia (which also seems to be missing a few names that we reported last month).

But there has been some movement. We hear that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recently hired David Newman (Yale 2006 / Katzmann / Rakoff (S.D.N.Y.)) as her second law clerk for October Term 2010. (RBG has already completed her OT 2009 hiring.)

Have other justices interrupted their summer vacations to do some clerk hiring? If you're aware of some news not previously reported in these pages, please share what you know, by email (subject line: "Supreme Court clerk hiring").

If you're interested, check out the updated list of Supreme Court clerks for OT 2009 and OT 2010 (with David Newman added), after the jump.

The Vault 100 march continues! In this series of open threads, we list the firms, and you all discuss their upsides and downsides. We'll be wrapping this puppy up this week.

Here are the next ten (with prestige scores in parentheses):

71. Nixon Peabody LLP (5.218)
72. Hunton & Williams LLP (5.208)
73. Perkins Coie LLP (5.119)
74. Reed Smith LLP (5.057)
75. Patton Boggs LLP (5.050)
76. Chadbourne & Parke LLP (4.997)
77. Bryan Cave LLP (4.969)
78. Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP (4.967)
79. Howrey LLP (4.926)
80. Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (4.910)

Usually, we have fun with the "notable perks" chosen by Vault. But as we move down the list, the perks are becoming distinctly less notable -- e.g., gym membership discounts, free parking, and "good views." Oh well.

You know what to do! Have at it in the comments.

Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads - 2009

* DJ Vlad is suing Rick Ross for an alleged beatdown administered by Ross and four other ... creative consultants. You can almost hear DJ "punk-a$$" Vlad's record label screaming "Noooooooooo." [MTV News]

* The WSJ's Ashby Jones wonders if summer programs -- and the hiring timetable they're tied to -- are to blame for Biglaw's financial predicament. [Wall Street Journal (subscription); WSJ Law Blog]

* Sadly, this should come as no surprise: Kafka sheds light on the legal profession. Move over, Above the Law; now there's Before the Law. [Lexis Hub / BBPL]

* Really, really old laws will soon make it on to the internet. Moses would be so proud. [The Guardian via HuffPost]

* Former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan saw his child support payments reduced. The appellate court invoked the "three pony rule," as in: "no child, no matter how wealthy the parents, needs to be provided [with] more than three ponies." Maybe now Strahan can afford to fix his teeth. [Law.com]

* Did Hillary Clinton misquote Harriet Tubman? [The Caucus / New York Times]

As we expected, celebrity professors Cass Sunstein and Samatha Power were the winners of last week's July Couple of the Month voting, running away with over 60 percent of the vote. Congratulations to this nerdy-hot duo!

This week's set of contestants might be the strongest we've seen this season. Their write-ups feature five Harvard degrees, a Rhodes, and one of Biglaw's most exalted surnames. Here are the names of the newlyweds:

1. Geneviève Treuille and Daniel Wachtell

2. Melissa Langsam and Todd Braunstein

3. Amanda Schwoerke and Stephen Sachs

Read more about these couples -- and see their pictures -- after the jump.

Remember when "outsourcing" was something that only blue collar workers with "some" high school education had to worry about? Well, those days are long gone, and now the global economy is officially poised to raid Biglaw jobs.

In an opinion (PDF) made public on Tuesday, the ABA declared shipping legal work overseas to be ethically permissible. The New York Law Journal reports that the first causalities will likely be contract attorneys brought in for extra muscle during document intensive litigation.

But we know it won't stop there. Check in with any other industry that has to face off against a subcontinent of educated, English-speaking professionals willing to do the work for fractions of what Americans demand. It's not pretty.

To be sure, we can count on the ABA to erect other (largely protectionist) policies, to ensure that high-end legal work remains the sole purview of partners graduates from accredited law schools.

Yet so long as Biglaw remains big business, how long before the work of junior associates can be cost effectively shipped overseas? It's not like firms want to go to $190K for incoming associates.

People already in the pipeline should be fine. But change is coming to our profession. This ABA decision isn't the tip of an iceberg, it is the receding sea that anticipates a tsunami.

Make haste for high ground.

ABA Gives Thumbs Up to Legal Outsourcing [Law.com]

Earlier: Biglaw to... Rupees?

Things are looking good these days for Weil, Gotshal & Manges. For the sixth year in a row, it made the top 10 of the Vault 100. It took fourth place in the American Lawyer's A-List rankings, and turned in a strong showing in the magazine's midlevel associate survey (#11 out of 80+ New York firms).

And Weil attorneys are an interesting crew, too. Some plunge into rapping careers. And some compete on reality shows!

Meet first-year associate Charlie Herschel. He's a contestant on the latest season of Survivor, premiering on September 25. From his bio:

Charlie Herschel has been a fan of SURVIVOR since the first season and has been training for it ever since. A lawyer for one of the top 10 most prestigious law firms in the world, Herschel is ready to try his persuasion skills on a different type of jury.

This 29-year-old, marathon-running attorney and University of Pennsylvania graduate says he is above nothing when he gets to the island. Charlie's strategy is to be authentic but with a twist. "With high risks, come high rewards, but the risks must be calculated." The middle son of three boys and a native New Yorker, the Ivy Leaguer is not afraid to claw his way to the top.

If Herschel can survive in the Biglaw jungle, Gabon should be a piece of cake. And there's precedent for lawyers faring well on Survivor. E.g., Yul Kwon (winner of Survivor: Cook Islands, and a year behind us at YLS).

Now, large law firms can be a bit stodgy. Some don't react well to their associates' forays into reality television. See, e.g., David Otunga (from I Love New York 2, and no longer at Sidley); Jeremy Anderson (from The Bachelorette, and no longer at Hunton & Williams). But see Denise Gitsham (welcomed back by K&L Gates, after appearing on The Bachelor); Stacy Rotner (still at Sidley, after appearing on The Apprentice; guess it's more respectable than I Love New York 2).

What was Weil's response to Charlie Herschel going on Survivor? Find out -- and ogle photos of a shirtless Herschel -- after the jump.

We have some bad news for this year's summer associates. Based on Monday's survey, brought to you by ATL and Lateral Link, about one in four attorneys at your firm didn't like you.

The number of practicing attorneys who said "Summer associates, hate 'em" narrowly beat the number of practicing attorneys who said "Summer associates, love 'em," by a margin of 25.06% to 24.82%. And while that edge may not be statistically significant, it still has to sting a little.

Among lawyers who had been practicing for more than two years, the gap widened considerably, to 30% vs. 22%.

And in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, and Miami, associates of all ages hated summer associates most of all, to the tune of at least 40%.

Mind you, half of practicing respondents were simply neutral on the question -- but that's still pretty cold comfort, in this season of cold offers.

Read more, below the fold.

Judging from our traffic, readers are enjoying this rundown of the Vault 100. We do aim to please here at ATL. We appreciate those who have offered insights about firms in the comments.

Moving on to the next group (with prestige scores in parentheses):

61. Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (5.608)
62. Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP (5.583)
63. Bingham McCutchen LLP (5.583)
64. Greenberg Traurig, LLP (5.478)
65. Holland & Knight LLP (5.416)
66. Heller Ehrman LLP (5.346)
67. Foley & Lardner LLP (5.266)
68. Steptoe & Johnson LLP (5.252)
69. K&L Gates LLP (5.242)
70. Kaye Scholer LLP (5.230)

As we move down the Vault list, "notable perks" are becoming less elaborate. This group is dominated by tales of free food, from endless soda at Greenberg Traurig to weekend doughnuts and muffins at Foley. And it appears that Pillsbury lacks a monopoly on cookie benefits; over at Cahill, lawyers are plied with "twice daily cookie trays."

We note this food-related perk at Bingham: "If any lawyer takes out a more junior lawyer for drinks/dinner, he/she can submit the expense to the mentoring budget AND the senior person can get creditable hours." Can you expense the roofies?

We invite you to compare and contrast these firms' work, lifestyle, benefits... and cookies, in the comments.

Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads - 2009

Yesterday, we criticized law schools for slavishly following the dictates of U.S. News and World Report. But a law firm responding to associate concerns is a different matter entirely.

A tipster informs us that Wiley Rein associates were told that up to 50 pro-bono hours would be credited towards meeting billable targets.

Firm Chairman Richard Wiley delivered the message personally to associates at an afternoon lunch yesterday. The new policy could be a response to the firm's low pro-bono commitment rating in this month's AmLaw midlevel survey (subscription).

Is 50 hours a "commitment," or merely lip-service? How does the new Wiley Rein policy stack up with your firm's?

American Lawyer Midlevel Associates Survey [American Lawyer (subscription)]

Earlier: The American Lawyer Midlevel Associates Survey: Open Thread

Aside from occasional flurries of Golden Tee dominance, I rarely watch golf unless Tiger Woods is prominently involved. This makes me just like everybody else, a fact that the L.P.G.A has apparently noticed.

After unsuccessful attempts to woo Tiger into a sex-change operation, the L.P.G.A has a new marketing strategy: English-speaking golfers!

Starting in 2009, the ladies' professional tour will suspend golfers who are not conversant in English.

Lest you think the ability to speak English has little to do with the entertainment value of hitting a ball and then walking after it, think again. Lisa Galloway, deputy commissioner of the tour, thinks that speaking English will help the sport attract sponsors and fans:

For an athlete to be successful today in the sports entertainment world we live in, they need to be great performers on and off the course, and being able to communicate effectively with sponsors and fans is a big part of this.

The lawyers weigh in after the jump.

* Those Bratz got a spanking, but not as severe a spanking as Mattel hoped. The jury awarded Mattel $100 million, rather than the $1 billion Quinn Emanuel's John Quinn had requested. [CNN]

* U.S. District Judge John D. Bates rules Harriet Miers must testify before Congress. The big moment could come as early as next month. [Washington Post]

* Eight of the sixty judges sacked by former Pakistani president Pervez Musharaff have been reinstated. The others are still twiddling their thumbs. [BBC News]

* Barry Bonds wants to knock his case out of the park. His lawyers have moved to dismiss most of the government's case against him for lying to a grand jury about steroid use. [Associated Press]

* In Mexico City, abortion is legal in theory, but not often in practice. Now the Mexican Supreme Court is considering overturning the one-year-old abortion law. [International Herald Tribune]

* Colorado U.S. attorney files charges in the Obama murder plot. The last name of one of the accused is Adolf. [Smoking Gun]

* How is Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick still in office? [Washington Post]

* Update in the case of the alleged half-ton murderess. Her attorney says she's too fat to have killed her nephew. [CNN]

With the U.S. economy in the toilet, third tier or otherwise, law firms are building up their bankruptcy practices. They're eagerly scooping up lateral associates in the field -- and partners, too. From the American Lawyer:

A rough 18 months for Mayer Brown got a little worse on Monday, when San Francisco's Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe announced that Raniero "Ron" D'Aversa Jr., the co-chair of Mayer's restructuring and bankruptcy practice, would join Orrick immediately.

Considered a rising star of the bankruptcy bar, the 44-year-old D'Aversa -- whose book of business is said to exceed $5 million by sources familiar with his work and reputation -- will be based out of the New York office of Orrick. The firm placed 27th in this year's Am Law 100 rankings with gross revenues of $772,000 and profits per equity partner of $1.7 million.

Will D'Aversa be taking clients with him? There's disagreement on that score. Roger Frankel, the (kinda scary-looking) chair of Orrick's bankruptcy practice, said that "it's clear that there will be significant clients moving with him." But Mayer issued a statement claiming that "no disruption of any client relationships is expected."

Mayer Brown Loses Restructuring Chief to Orrick [American Lawyer]
Ron D'Aversa bio [Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe]
Raniero D'Aversa, Jr. bio [Mayer Brown via Google Cache]

Earlier: Job of the Week: Bankruptcy Can Be Good

* Every time a law blogger gets sued subpoenaed, our sphincters tighten up just a little bit more. [Legal Blog Watch]

* Students at Delaware's Widener Law School hoping to take Con Law with Biden may be sorely disappointed. [WSJ Law Blog]

* And here I thought it was impossible to express dislike for Clarence Thomas and Derek Jeter with the same train of thought. [Cleveland Plain Dealer via How Appealing]

* ATL's comma police keep it together far better than the average bear. [Gawker]

The constitutionality of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, enacted as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, was recently upheld -- decision available here (PDF) -- by a divided panel of the D.C. Circuit. But those who challenged the Board's legitimacy are fighting on.

The appellants will either seek rehearing en banc in the D.C. Circuit or certiorari from the Supreme Court. In their efforts, expect them to draw support from the forceful dissent by judicial superstar Brett Kavanaugh (who is, by the way, familiar with this fine website).

If appellants seek succor from the SCOTUS, their pleas may fall upon sympathetic ears. From our colleague, former Skadden and Latham corporate lawyer John Carney, over at Dealbreaker:

Perhaps the most ominous sign for the PCAOB is the fact that Judge Kavanaugh clerked for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who would probably hold the swing vote if the case went to the Supreme Court. His dissenting opinion seems tailor-made to provoke the conservative wing of the court into striking down the board. Unless Congress acts to amend it, we'd bet the autonomous PCAOB is headed for extinction.

You can read the rest of his analysis -- which will take you "back to Con Law and the halcyon days of youth," in the words of one Dealbreaker commenter -- over here.

Short Sarbanes-Oxley's Accounting Board [Dealbreaker]
Free Enterprise Fund v. PBAOB (PDF) [U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit]
Sell Sarbanes-Oxley [New York Sun]
D.C. Circuit Affirms Constitutionality of Accounting Oversight Board [WSJ Law Blog]
Will a Lawsuit Unravel SOX? Firm Brings Constitutional Challenge [WSJ Law Blog]

Here's a fact pattern: teen steals liquor, teen gets hammered, adult is called to help, adult drives teen home, teen dies, adult gets charged with... negligent homicide?

That's the reality facing Candice Collard. The 24-year-old woman is being charged with homicide in Utah for failing to help Jess "Micade" Horrocks, 14, who died of alcohol poisoning this past April.

The charge seems especially harsh given that Utah has a criminal statute for failure to render aid. Uintah County Deputy Attorney Greg Lamb said that the homicide charge was warranted because Collard "failed miserably in several areas that could have prevented [Horrocks's] death." Lamb admits that his office is taking a "novel" approach to this case, which should make Collard feel swell.

Collard drove the teen 13 miles to Collard's home instead of 2 miles to t