August 2008

On Tuesday, I profiled worthless classes that most everybody had to take. Today, the readers weigh in on classes that allow law schools to bilk you for additional years full of totally useless information. Many commenters also suggested which lessons law students should really be focusing on, if they want to succeed in Biglaw. With […]

We know that attorneys at top firms like WilmerHale can charge stunning rates — up to $750 an hour for litigation chair Howard Shapiro. But if you ask them, that’s a bargain. Wilmer moved for an award of attorneys’ fees after winning a $90 million verdict in a False Claims Act case. The usual lodestar […]

This week, Working Mother magazine, in association with Flex-Time Lawyers, released its second annual Best Law Firms for Women rankings. Some of the firms on this year’s list are notorious sweatshops, more likely to help women freeze their eggs than they are to aid either sex in raising a family. I contacted Deborah Epstein Henry […]

* Liberal religious leaders say a new McCain online ad is intended to label Obama “the antichrist.” Is that worse than being compared to Paris Hilton? [Political Perceptions/Wall Street Journal] * Judge throws out murder case against New Orleans policemen who fired on unarmed residents during the Katrina crisis. [BBC News] * Blackberry vs. iPhone. […]

* We know how he feels about taxes. But when it comes to judicial nominations, Obama is keeping an open mind. [Washington Briefs] * A law firm in defense of its diversity record: we hold office screenings of Crash. [Lexis Hub / BBLP] * A Horse Walks Into… the AutoAdmit Litigation? Or: If you want […]

We’re down to your last two ATL Idols: FROLIC AND DETOUR and SOPHIST. It’s time for them to face off in the third and final head-to-head round of ATL Idol, the reality-TV-style talent search for Above the Law’s new editor. You know the drill, but if you’re just tuning in, here’s how this round will […]

If you’ll be interviewing at law firms this fall, make sure you double check the address of the place you’re headed to. Law firms are constantly on the move and trading spaces. From the New York Observer (which follows commercial real estate as obsessively as we follow law firm layoffs): Entertainment law powerhouse Pryor Cashman, […]

[Ed. note: This is the farewell post of ALEX, who was recently eliminated from ATL Idol, the “reality blogging” competition that will determine ATL’s next editor. It is marked with Alex’s avatar (at right).] Farewell, all. And thank you for everything — the support and the criticism. This is a bitter-sweet moment. I was excited […]

A tipster dubbed yesterday “the day legal comedy died.” From the Las Vegas Review-Journal: While the Judicial Discipline Commission weighs the fate of embattled District Judge Elizabeth Halverson, voters delivered their own verdict Tuesday, deciding Halverson must go. Halverson, who faces complaints of falling asleep on the bench and harassing her staff, received less than […]

We’ve noticed that the comment thread on the cold offers post has morphed into a fashion advice column. Here are some of the on-campus interview attire questions that have been posed: — Is a light gray suit a bad choice for interviews? Dark brown shoes, black, or either? — What suit colors are acceptable? — […]

We received 629 responses to Monday’s ATL / Lateral Link survey on social networking, and it looks like most of you are avid surfers. Overall, 81% of you use at least one social networking site or maintain a blog. Facebook was the overwhelming winner, as 94% of attorneys who use social networking sites have an […]

* Does using GPS to track suspects constitute an illegal search and seizure? [Washington Post] * Lawyers are demanding a criminal investigation into the death of a 34-year-old Hong Kong immigrant. A successful New York computer engineer, he died of cancer after not receiving medical attention while detained for months by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. […]

If you’re a regular reader of legal newspapers and blogs, you might get the sense that law firm layoffs are happening everywhere. At the current time, the ATL category tag for Layoffs contains about 90 posts (and counting). It’s a topic that we cover extensively — and many readers still clamor for more. Here at […]

[Ed. note: This post is by FROLIC & DETOUR, one of the finalists in ATL Idol, the “reality blogging” competition that will determine ATL’s next editor. It is marked with Frolic & Detour’s avatar (at right).] It’s puzzling that lawyers have a reputation as a bunch of thieving shysters. After all, we have to prove […]

Last week, we gave you a sneak preview of Vault’s 2009 law firm rankings: the top 50 firms ranked by prestige, and the top 20 firms ranked by quality of life. Now the complete 2009 rankings are available. In addition to the prestige and “best to work for” rankings, they include the diversity and partner […]

[Ed. note: This post is by SOPHIST, one of the finalists in ATL Idol, the “reality blogging” competition that will determine ATL’s next editor. It is marked with Sophist’s avatar (at right).] With classes starting soon, another crop of 1Ls will be starting on a journey that has only one sure outcome: the accumulation of […]

[Ed. note: This post is by SOPHIST, one of the finalists in ATL Idol, the “reality blogging” competition that will determine ATL’s next editor. It is marked with Sophist’s avatar (at right).] Next week, Louisiana will become the last state in the union to officially ban cockfighting. The business was already on the decline in […]

[Ed. note: This post is by FROLIC & DETOUR, one of the finalists in ATL Idol, the “reality blogging” competition that will determine ATL’s next editor. It is marked with Frolic & Detour’s avatar (at right).] A man claiming to be a police detective entered a Longmont, Colo. adult store and demanded to see the […]

* The new president-elect of the American Bar Association is Carolyn Lamm, of White & Case. [BLT] * Another example of U.S. exceptionalism: expert witnesses. [The New York Times] * Endangered Species Act may lose some teeth. [Washington Post] * Name-brand retailers don’t like the sale of fake goods on eBay. Tiffany is filing an […]

A Stoel tipster sent this video to us, along with the message, “My intelligence is officially insulted.” We are confused as to whether this is a promo for Stoel Rives or for freestyle running. Apparently, if you hire a Stoel attorney, you’re basically hiring James Bond (the Daniel Craig version). We had three take aways […]