Morning Docket 01.30.09
* The New York Times is on to the “kill the billable hour” story. Cravath says it is increasingly charging clients flat fees rather than by the hour. Scott Turow manages to get quoted even though he only responded to the reporter by e-mail. [New York Times]
* Political veterans “marvel at the sheer number of lawyers Obama has appointed or nominated so far,” and warn him not to let the White House counsel’s office grow more influential than the Justice Department. [The Washington Post]
* The Southern District of New York is the Ivy League of U.S. Attorneys’ offices, sending its alumni on to prominent positions in politics, academia, and law. [New York Times]
* Like so many Americans, Ron Rod Blagojevich has lost his job. Northwestern Law grad, Lieutenant Gov. Patrick Quinn, steps in to take his place. [Chicago Tribune]
* Marc Dreier was indicted yesterday. In the words of his attorney, “the indictment is not a surprise.” [Bloomberg]
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I'm Ron Blagojevich?
The only thing scarier than a country run by neocons and oil company insiders is a country run by lawyers.
3, well, the B School doods got their chance and look what happened to the economy . . . . and our laws?
Next time, perhaps we'll turn it over to the doctors? See what they come up with?
A little proofreading, please -- Illinois just impeached ROD Blagojevich. His brother's name is Rob. Never heard of "Ron Blagojevich." Geez. He's been on the front pages for weeks.
As an associate at Cravath, Swaine, and Moore, all I can say is...
THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS FOR JOHN MCCAIN!
I read Turow's piece in the ABA journal. You know what wasn't in there? Any serious suggestions for alternatives to the billable hour.
I hear his next article will be entitled "We Should Find A Cure For AIDS, Because AIDS Is Bad, M'Kay."
What a waste of wood pulp that was.
2 said it best.
Killing the billable hour is just a way for law firms to make more money. I like the guy in the story advocating it, then telling an anecdote about when his former firm did it once and made 150% of what they would have made billing by the hour.
Comment removed by moderator.
2,
EPIC WIN
#7 is my new hero, mmmkay?
Are all Democrats corrupt like Blago? It's starting to look that way.
I like Turrow's comment. The number of hours associates bill have been growing and growing. But what to do when the ceiling is hit? How will law firms grow the bottom line then? There's only 8,765 hours in a year.
1965 - 1200-1600 hours
2009 - 2000-2400 hours
Blago went to Pepperdine for law school, not Northwestern. Is this blog incapable of getting anything right?
Blago went to Pepperdine for law school, not Northwestern. Is this blog incapable of getting anything right?
14: This is my issue with Turow. He's great at diagnosing the problem, but he has no prescription. At the risk of violating some unwritten rule against two Churchill references in the same chain of comments. the billiable hour is the worst system for pricing complex litigation, except for every other system ever though of.
--7
16: Read ti again. It says Quinn went to NW, not Blago.
15 & 16:
It says Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn went to NU, not Blagojevich.
Not to jump on the "Bash 15 & 16 bandwagon" but I'm going to do it anyways. If you are going to make a comment attacking someone for not getting it right, make sure that you "get it right" first. Seriously, some of the posts here have plenty of problems (see "Ron Blagojevich") but you should also attempt to read.
BTW: I was FIRST to bash 15/16.
--18