Admin, Announcements, ATL Idol

And Now The Hard Part(Or: Meet ATL's incoming editor.)

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My name is ELIE YING MYSTAL, f/k/a SOPHIST, and it looks like I will be taking over day-to-day editorial responsibilities here at Above the Law.
I would like to thank everybody who read anything that I’ve written over the past three weeks. I’ve always found writing to be a deeply personal experience and so I truly appreciate it when somebody bothers to read my work. Whether any of you actually liked it is a different question entirely, but one that we can work on together.
I’d also like to applaud the other contestants for their efforts. The best writing and journalism is almost always a collaborative process. I was impressed with what the other contestants were able to produce without the editors and other colleagues available to most professional writers. I hope this contest has given you all additional confidence about your own skills and talents.
I intend to rely heavily on the structures already in place here at ATL during this transition and beyond. I will learn everything I can from David Lat short of going “Sylar” with his brain. I was ecstatic to learn that many of the regular contributors to this site will be staying on. I will read as many comments as time allows, and try to draw out the “constructive” aspects hidden among the criticism.
I want to get better at this, and I will take advice on how to accomplish that in whatever form it is available.
More about me after the jump.


I haven’t yet had a chance to look “under the hood” and learn how ATL works. My first job is raising my game to match the quality and consistency of ATL. I’ll be more focused on that project than making changes right out of the gate.
I believe that my personal opinions and beliefs should be as far removed from the content that I post as possible. However, I’ll let the readers be the judge of whether I am doing a good job at maintaining intellectual and professional impartiality. Here are some of my identification labels.
I’m male. I’m liberal. I’m Catholic (of the “a la carte” variety). I believe in evolution and global warming. I’m happily married. I’m African-American (Althouse. “Racism alert.” What does that even mean? Go jump in a Great Lake). I’m a Mets fan. I prefer the PS3 to the Xbox 360. I think the ASPCA does some of the best work on the planet, while PETA does some of the worst. I hate vegetables on general principle. I’m 30. I worked at Debevoise & Plimpton and still think they are a great firm, as Biglaw firms go.
Thank you for trusting me with a part of your workday entertainment. I will not let you down.
Elie Mystal

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