December 2008
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Associate Bonus Watch 2008, pls hndle thx
Pls Hndle Thx:Do Not Seek Unto God's Privity
[Ed Note: Do you have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com] Hi ATL, I am a 3L with an offer from a V50 firm. I, like many of my peers, am extremely nervous about having my offer revoked if the economy continues to tank. Should I contact my firm and ask […] -
University of Chicago Black Law Students Association's Adventures in Racial Profiling
Apparently some members of the Black Law Students Association at the University of Chicago Law School need a refresher in Constitutional Law. Or maybe some of them could just re-watch Eyes on the Prize and remember why we fight. A tipster reports on some exclusionary practices undertaken by the BLSA group at what was supposed […] - Sponsored
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Associate Bonus Watch 2008
Associate Bonus Watch: Milbank Tweed
A match of Cravath — no surprise there. There’s not much suspense left to this process (with the possible exception of what S&C and maybe Weil will do). From a Milbank tipster: What is funny is all the false Milbank “no bonus” rumors, posted as comments to other posts (e.g., here), probably made associates here […]
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Supreme Court Clerks
Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: Justice Breyer's 2010 Hires
With Barack Obama about to assume the presidency, alongside a heavily Democratic Senate, the justices in the liberal wing of the Supreme Court are free to retire if they like. Don’t be surprised if Justice David Souter, never a fan of life at One First Street, heads for the exit early in the Obama presidency. […] -
Lawsuit of the Day
Lawsuit of the Day: Eau de TTT Civil Suit
Some people love perfume. Some people hate it. Susan McBride says it makes it “difficult for her to breathe and impossible to do her job.” McBride filed a suit against the city of Detroit last year under the Americans with Disabilities Act, because of her government co-worker’s perfume. The Detroit News reports that Michigan District […] -
Associate Bonus Watch 2008, Dewey & LeBoeuf
Associate Bonus Watch: Dewey & LeBoeuf Pulls a Half-Skadden Too
At this point, why would you pay market rate? Half-Skadden opened the door, and now other firms are crashing through like there’s a sale at Wal-Mart. The latest predictable news comes from Dewey & LeBoeuf: Class of 2008 — $17,500 (pro-rated) Class of 2007 — $17,500 Class of 2006 — $20,000 Class of 2005 — […] -
Job Survey, Skaddenfreude
Associate Life Survey: Got Morale?
We received almost two thousand responses to last week’s ATL / Lateral Link survey on attorney morale. That’s way up from the survey we did in April. Your morale, not so much. Roughly 43% of practicing attorneys who responded to the survey are in poor spirits: * 24% said their morale was “bad”, up […] -
Layoffs
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Reed Smith Cans Staff, Associates, 'And Your Little Dog Too'
Reed Smith officially announced massive layoffs today. They didn’t do it “stealthily,” but you can’t really fire over 115 people and have it go unnoticed. A firm-wide email explained the bloodbath: Today we are laying off approximately 115 support staff personnel across our US offices. These layoffs include people in all of our support areas, […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
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Associate Bonus Watch 2008
Associate Bonus Watch: Cleary Matches Cravath Et Al.
The latest major law firm to fall short of Skadden in terms of bonuses: Cleary Gottlieb. Here’s the official CGSH bonus scale. The specific numbers should look quite familiar to you by now: 2008 and participants in the International Lawyer Program: $17,500 (prorated) 2007: $17,500 2006: $20,000 2005: $22,500 2004: $25,000 2003: $27,500 2002: $30,000 […] -
Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay, Morning Docket, Politics, SCOTUS, Sexual Harassment, Sheppard Mullin
Morning Docket 12.03.08
* Barack Obama has promised to close Guantanamo Bay, but what is going to happen to the most dangerous inmates? Should they be released anyway? What legal basis can the U.S. use to keep them captive? [Bloomberg.com] * Roman Polanski — the Academy Award-winning director of Rosemary’s Baby, who admitted to having sex with a […]
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Bar Exams, Drinking
Sign of the Times: No More Bubbly at Wilson Sonsini
Here is just one small indication that law firms everywhere are feeling the pinch. As is customary at many firms, a firm-wide email went around Wilson Sonsini today congratulating all of the associates who passed the July 2008 bar exam. The happy message reads as follows: Congratulations to our attorneys who passed the July 2008 […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 12.02.08
* What should you get for your assistant this holiday season? It’s a good question assuming your firm hasn’t already fired all of the assistants. [Corporette] * Should the government revoke the tax exempt status of churches that financially supported Prop. 8? [TaxProf Blog] * How about this solution: Bush won’t pardon all his war-on-terror […] -
Layoffs
Stealth Layoffs at McDermott Will & Emery?
Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of rumbling over at McDermott Will & Emery. One tipster succinctly explained what many MWE associates are seeing: [T]here is literally no work … nothing at work for a few weeks. Apparently everyone is waiting for the axe to fall. You should watch MWE like […]
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Money, Skaddenfreude
Did Harvard Law School Take Your Bonus?
As many people have pointed out, being angry over “only” a $20,000 bonus is something that most of the working world finds appalling. We get it: “spoiled whiners,” “real people are losing their jobs,” “nobody should complain about a six-figure salary,” yada, yada, yada. But other people have pointed out that most of the working […] -
Partner Profits
New Simpson Thacher Partners: No Simpson Thacher Dealmakers
A week ago we asked if new partner promotions were an indication law firm’s financial health. Skadden-Mart just released its new partner roster, and it does appear that the firm’s tepid bonus announcement is reflected in the new promotions. The New York Times reports that Skadden-Mart made five new greeters partners: Simpson’s latest class is […] -
Biglaw
A law firm without an ampersand can still thrive
For those attorneys back on the market, we’d like to note other firm options beyond those with ampersands. A recent issue of Fortune Magazine profiles web-based law firm Axiom. Founded in 2000 by Biglaw refugees, it appears the high-end legal temp agency has been steadily growing. Back in December 2006, the Wall Street Journal profiled […] -
Lawyer of the Day
Lawyer of the Day: Philly ADA Gets The Yeyo
Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Adam Yanoff just started his job as prosecutor in August. But maybe he should have been a public defender. Yanoff was busted over the holiday weekend carrying 1.3 grams of crack cocaine and about $20 worth of weed: The cop observed Yanoff empty the cocaine from a small bag onto a […] -
Kirkland & Ellis New Vacation Policy: Tastes Great, But Is It Less Filling?
The associates who work at Kirkland & Ellis remain sublimely confident that their firm will pay elite bonuses as opposed to the discount payouts being offered elsewhere. But in these uncertain economic times, any change in firm policy — even one that seems positive — has to be met with skepticism. Yesterday, our inbox started […] -
4th Circuit, 9th Circuit, Bankruptcy, Morning Docket, Pornography, Supreme Court, Trademarks
Morning Docket 12.02.08
* Thailand’s constitutional court decided to disband the country’s ruling party and ban the prime minister from politics for five years. [CNN.com] * A former federal courts chief is calling for the resignation or impeachment of an appellate judge in California for watching internet porn. In one month, there were 90,000 hits on 1,100 porn […]
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Grade Reform, Law Schools
Grade Reform at USC Gould School Of Law: Here's a Free .1
At least the USC Gould School of Law is being relatively honest. According to the administration, USC students do not get grades on par with students at peer institutions. This hurts USC students in the job market. The most simple way to fix this discrepancy is to just give everybody at USC Law an extra […]