September 2008
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Drinking
Summons of the Day: Get Your Government Off Of My Stoop
Open container laws are both massively annoying and haphazardly enforced. The mere concept of it offends the notion of freedom and remains the single best reason to move to New Orleans. The law prevents anyone from drinking in public, which unfortunately requires lawyers to haggle over the definition of “public space” instead of going home […] -
Sullivan & Cromwell Goetz With the Program
When it comes to law firm swag — and compensation, and prestige — Sullivan & Cromwell has long been a market leader. Remember their famous bonsai trees? Last year, S&C made an appearance at the Lavender Law conference, an annual gathering for LGBT lawyers and law students. To improve their standing in the gay community, […] - Sponsored
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Divorce Train Wrecks
Alternative Dispute Resolution By Frat Stud?
SideTaker.com might be the best example of schadenfreude ever created. It is ostensibly a form of alternative dispute resolution for divorcing or generally unhappy couples. The concept is pretty simple. A disgruntled lover pays a $12 fee and posts his or her grievance on the website. Then he/she invites their partner to do the same. […]
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Law Professors, Law Schools, Money
Prof Wars: $600K To Teach Corporations?
I guess the market for law school professors is recession-proof. Stephen Bainbridge has it that Yale offfered a $600,000 poaching fee to secure a Harvard Law School corporate professor. Didn’t Yale Law School Dean Harold Koh read our coverage of Bill Henderson’s empirical evidence proving that Yale will be safe at the top for the […] -
Holidays and Seasons, Job Survey
Associate Life Survey: Putting The Labor In Labor Day Weekend
In last Wednesday’s ATL / Lateral Link survey, we asked you whether you billed over Labor Day Weekend this year. We received 1,046 responses, and, not counting summer associates, 55% of you reported that your weekend was actually fun. Associates in New York and Denver were most likely to celebrate the holiday, with roughly two […] -
Clerkshipship Advice Roundup
Over the weekend, many readers and clerkship applicants opined that the federal hiring plan is, once again, FUBAR. However, helpful advice for applicants also came in over the comments board and email. In anticipation of the today’s noontime green flag, we bring you the best advice from your fellow ATL readers on how to handle […] -
Judge of the Day, Prostitution, Sex, Sex Scandals, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns
Judge of the Day: Ronald Tills
New York judge Ronald Tills is the guy you want in charge of your bachelor party. You might think he’s out of touch at 73 years old, but he still knows where to find the ladies. Unfortunately, they’re the kind you have to pay for. Tills pleaded guilty last week to violating the Mann Act […] -
No Offers, Staff Attorneys / Discovery Attorneys, Summer Associates
Nationwide No Offer Watch: Squire Sanders(SSD to SAs: Wannabe a staff attorney?)
The no-offer reports keep rolling in from our readers, but one tip about Squire, Sanders & Dempsey stopped us in our tracks: [A summer associate] at Squire Sanders got offered a staff attorney position. Apparently one-third of the class got real offers, some got staff attorney offers, and the rest? Staff attorney — i.e., a […] - Sponsored
Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar on April 10th, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket 09.08.08
* Big government to the rescue. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be taken over and bailed out, with taxpayer-funded infusions of up to $200 billion. [Washington Post] * How do you get the youth vote out legally? Virginia says college students shouldn’t register to vote from their college address. If parents claim them as […]
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Clerkships
Open Thread: Your Clerkship Offer Is Coming
Let us turn our attention to judges and the law students who do all their work. Monday marks the first day where judges can schedule interviews with clerkship applicants. ATL will be right there with the applicants, poring over the Clerkship Notification Blog. The plan is simple, according to the 2008 Law Clerk Hiring Plan. […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 09.05.08
* No offer, no problem. Just hang a shingle. Or work for a small firm. Or … dear God could somebody please fix this economy? [Greatest American Lawyer] * Just once I’d like to see a judge run on a platform of “In my court, families are the real criminals.” You know, like they do […] -
Rank Stupidity, Ridiculousness
Somebody's Hiring
One of the best things about getting a law degree is that you can really help people. People in need who are being railroaded by the system. People in power who are creating jobs for the economy. And occasionally, people suffering from perma-drunk on craigslist. WANTED FRESH BARRED VA ATTORNEY just graduated college and I […] -
Law Schools
The law school saga begins(Or, Tips for 1Ls)
The school year has begun for many a fresh-faced law student. Most 1Ls have likely performed the starting school rituals: they’ve bought their textbooks, chosen their classes, and watched “The Paper Chase.” Now that these lawyer wannabes have embarked on the three year quest for a J.D. (three years for now at least), it is […]
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Politics
What Can You Do With A Law Degree? Join The Marines and Run For Congress
Once you get into a top law school, staying on the Biglaw course requires determination, talent and a clear headed focus on your goals. Getting out of Biglaw requires all the same strengths, mixed with a little bit of crazy. J. Ashwin Madia has been a law firm associate and a Marine, and now he’s […] -
Gunderson Dettmer, Law Firm Mergers, Musical Chairs
Musical Chairs: Cooley and Gunderson's Failed Romance
Fans of Sex and the City will recall the famous episode in which Carrie was dumped via post-it note. If law firm mergers are like relationships, here’s a tale that seems as classy as breaking up by post-it. [FN1] The New York office of Gunderson Dettmer was all set to move, en masse, to Cooley […] -
Elizabeth Halverson
Breaking: Judge Halverson Hospitalized After Frying-Pan Attack from Her Husband!
Last month, after Judge Elizabeth Halverson lost her reelection bid, we lamented her imminent departure from these pages. It seems that we spoke too soon. From the Las Vegas Review-Journal: Embattled District Judge Elizabeth Halverson is in the hospital after she was assaulted by her husband, Las Vegas police said this morning. Her injuries are […] -
Law Firm Mergers, Law Firm Names, Thelen Reid & Priest
Law Firm Merger Mania: Nixon Peabody + Thelen = Nixlen Thelpea?
Thelen has laid off attorneys and changed its name, the law firm equivalent of hitting the gym and getting a makeover. Now they’re back in the club and looking for a mate. Leigh Jones of the National Law Journal reports: Thelen and Nixon Peabody are in merger talks, with a possible agreement pending, according to […] -
No Offers
Nationwide No Offer Watch: Foley Didn't Get the Memo. 43% Offer Rate? Tastes Like Burning.
Foley & Lardner. You’ve heard the rumors. We’ve heard the rumors. Foley & Lardner have heard the rumors and chosen not to respond. But the smoke screen cannot obscure the summer structure fire. Multiple tipsters coalesced around these numbers: 9 of 21 Foley Chicago summers received offers. But six of those offers went to IP […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket 09.05.08
* Senator John McCain had a tough act to follow after the electrifying Wednesday night speech by his VP pick, Sarah Palin. He accepted the nomination and promised that change is a-comin.’ [Washington Post] * Nearly 400 protesters were arrested outside of the Republican National Convention last night. For singing a Rage Against the Machine […]
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Google / Search Engines, Intellectual Property, Technology
Google Chrome Owns Your Thoughts
Google is getting into the browser wars with their new Chrome product. As Futurelawyer points out, who needs a new browser (besides anybody who still uses IE)? But Chrome is made by Google and Google knows what they are doing so we assume the product will sell. Take a closer look at the boilerplate Terms […]