May 2009
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Advertising, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
A Word from Our Sponsors
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Gender, Women's Issues
Gender Gap Disappears If You Just Keep Working
A new study shows that women who have children — but don’t put their careers on hold to raise the kids — perform just as well as men when it comes to salary and partnership prospects: A study of data concerning graduates of the University of Michigan Law School showed no significant difference between men […] - 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. -
Layoffs, Summer Associates
Update Potpourri on Sullivan & Cromwell
Even people who were not stealth layoff victims write us at Above the Law, pissed about their firm’s shady treatment of their friends and colleagues. And when stealth layoffs happen at top firms, we get top emails. We initially reported that 15 – 20 people were quietly let go from Sullivan & Cromwell, but that […]
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Craigslist
Craigslist Relents: No More 'Erotic Services'
The Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, has scored a victory for prudes decency and safety. Craigslist will be removing its erotic services section in the next seven days: llinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says that Craigslist is getting rid of its “erotic services” ads and will create a new adult category that Web site employees […] -
Education / Schools, Money, Student Loans
Student Loan Bailout: The Choice of a New Generation
A couple of months ago, it occurred to me that if the government didn’t start tackling the student loan issue, people would simply stop paying off their loans: The stick is this: nobody is really going to pay you back anyway. Where do you think loan payments rank on a priority list that includes: food, […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket 05.13.09
* The legal battle over ownership of our genes is on. [New York Times] * This is why you shouldn’t mess with tech geeks. The Pirate Bay owners have devised a scheme to bankrupt the law firm responsible for their prosecution. [Guardian] * East Coasters will no longer have to trek west to bet on […]
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Contract Attorneys, Document Review, Layoffs, Notes from the Breadline
Notes from the Breadline: Comes A Time (Part II)
Ed. note: Welcome to the latest installment of “Notes from the Breadline,” a column by a laid-off lawyer in New York. Prior columns are collected here. You can reach Roxana St. Thomas by email (at roxanastthomas@gmail.com), follow her on Twitter, or find her on Facebook. This column is a continuation of last week’s column, which […] -
Day Pitney, Layoffs
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Second Round of Layoffs at Day Pitney
Back in February, Day Pitney laid off a number of staff. Today, the bad news has trickled up into the associate ranks. The firm wide memo just went out: Earlier today, we met with 20 associates and counsel to notify them that their positions are being eliminated. The reductions are spread throughout our offices and […] - Sponsored
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 05.12.09
* Yesterday, we had a law student trying to be a cheerleader. Today we have an associate (formerly at Allen Matkins) who is going to be a Minnesota Vikings cheerleader. Hopefully she’ll be able to adapt her firm bio for her new role. [Minnesota Vikings] * In fairness, nominating this woman might cause some of […] -
Partner Issues
Partner of the Day: Barton Winokur Takes a $1 Million Pay Cut
As we’ve been reporting on layoffs, salary freezes and salary cuts, some disgruntled associates have suggested in the comments that partners should share more in the pain. Well, they are. In addition to PPP taking a hit due to revenue declining, de-equitizing partners now seems to be an option (and is rumored to have already […] -
John Yoo, Law Professors, Media and Journalism, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Did I Miss the Part Where John Yoo Actually Matters?
Berkeley Law School professor (and former Department of Justice attorney) John Yoo published his inaugural column in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday. He argues that Obama should nominate somebody FDR would have liked to the Supreme Court: Franklin Roosevelt faced exactly this dilemma. With large majorities at his back, FDR pushed through sweeping legislative efforts […] -
Education / Schools, Law Schools, Legal Ethics
Cheaters Never Win, Winners Never Cheat
I’ll admit, I’ve never really understood the utility of cheating on a test. Even if you don’t get caught, what have you really gained from getting a couple of extra questions right? A third of a grade? A full grade? It just strikes me as ridiculously hypocritical. If you really care that much about your […] -
Layoffs, Willkie Farr
Stealth Layoff Watch/Impending Layoff Watch: Willkie Farr
Last week, a very angry comment appeared in one of our threads: Well its official Wilkie [sic] Farr Gallagher has started the rounds of FIRINGS. It is utterly despicable that these firms can turn around and fire people under the guise of “poor performance”. After treating their associates as two bit whores for years they […]
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Associate Bonus Watch 2009
Sullivan & Cromwell Spring Bonus (And: The 2009 Summer Associate Budget)
Last week, we reported on stealth layoffs at Sullivan & Cromwell. We mentioned that 15 to 20 associates were laid off (although subsequent reports we’ve received indicate the number may be closer to 30). We also observed that S&C’s promised spring bonus would be an excellent opportunity to see if the layoffs were motivated by […] -
Crime, Samuel Kent, Sex, Sexual Harassment
Federal Judge Samuel Kent Will Have To Make His Advances on Female Prison Guards
We noted in yesterday’s Morning Docket that libidinous federal judge Samuel Kent is heading to the slammer for three years. We’ve covered Kent’s unraveling extensively, but new details continue to emerge. Kent is the first federal judge to be charged with a sex crime. He could have faced up to 20 years in prison, but […] -
Dreier, Morning Docket, SCOTUS Potential
Morning Docket 05.12.09
* Marc Dreier pleaded guilty yesterday. “He has disgraced the honorable profession of law,” said Judge Jed S. Rakoff. [New York Times] * Dreier’s $400 million swindle obviously supported quite a lavish lifestyle. Check out his 2500+ sq. ft. Southampton beach house to be auctioned off next month. [David R. Maltz & Co.] * The […]
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Lawyer of the Day, Oral Sex / Blow Jobs, Prostitution, Sex, Sex Scandals
Disbarred Stanford Grad Trades Counsel for CoitusAnd is now trying to set up shop in South Carolina?
When we first got a tip that a Florida lawyer had been disbarred for making a client pay her fees with sexual favors, we thought, “Ho hum. Another crazy Florida lawyer.” Then we Googled the pro boner attorney, James Harvey Tipler, and found out that the low-life lawyer has a sterling Stanford degree. According to […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 05.11.09
* A couple of the cheerleader hopefuls for the Indianapolis Colts are law students. Isn’t that nice? I especially like Ashley, who lists “my education” as her most prized possession. Because you know what is really sexy? Irony. [Indianapolis Colts] * Negotiating your salary upwards? In this market? Without taking your clothes off? Well, now […] -
Salary Cuts
Salary Cut Watch: Drinker Biddle Cuts Salaries AND Rates
Sorry to go all caps on you. But we finally have a firm that is using the crisis to seriously rethink the nature of the first year experience, instead of just firing them, deferring them, cutting their salaries, or generally acting like first years are solely responsible for ruining the Biglaw model with their entitled […] -
Layoffs
Milbank Layoffs Follow-Up
Last Monday, we reported that Milbank laid off 89 people. Milbank did not respond to our requests for comment for that story, but when one tipster asked firm management how many people were laid off from the firm, the tipster was told to “check the blogs.” We take our responsibility on that front seriously, and […]