May 2009

When we reported on the salary cuts at Nixon Peabody, we mentioned that the firm would allow associates to make up some of the money come bonus time. Here’s how the firm explained the opportunity: With our new levels of base pay in place, we will be introducing a bonus program that offers the potential […]

So far, law firm partnerships have put on a unified front about the cost cutting measures that need to be taken during this economic crisis. When it comes time to layoff associates or cut salaries, partners look like a monolithic group. But law firm partners do not all think with one mind. And the cracks […]

The upcoming retirement of Justice David Souter has led to lots of speculation about the next Supreme. We held a poll here at ATL, including some of the potential nominees that have been mentioned most often by the legal press. Almost 10,000 ATL readers put Sonia Sotomayor, with 28% of the vote, and Elena Kagan, […]

* A Los Angeles Judge accused an asbestos litigation firm of playing “a grisly game of asbestos litigation” after they refiled a Texas case in California because it has more exacting standards for a defendant to obtain summary judgment. Perhaps, judge, you’ve lost a little perspective? [ABA Journal] * A German court rejected a woman’s […]

Even though U.S. News blithely skips from tier 1 to tier 3, we are definitely in the tier 2 part of the law school rankings. You’ll have to do some digging here to find the school that is the right fit for you. Here is the next batch: 77. Chicago – Kent; Rutgers – Camden; […]

* I didn’t know how much I hated Celebrity Lawyers until I read this post. But now I see that there is yet another force in the universe that needs to be destroyed. [New York Personal Injury Law Blog] * Maine is the latest state to adopt fairness when it comes to gays and lesbians. […]

The Texas firm Thompson & Knight has laid off 42 people: 17 associates, 25 staff. The firm’s managing partner, Peter J. Riley, had this to say to Texas Lawyer: “It’s no fun,” Riley says. All of the lawyers are associates — only two of them are first years — who practiced in real estate or […]

In March, we reported on layoffs at the mid-sized Texas firm, Gardere Wynne Sewell. Since everything is quieter in Texas, the firm confirmed the layoffs but declined to mention how many people were let go. Today, Above the Law has learned that Gardere Wynne has also cut associate salaries. And the firm is not shy […]

The debate over the merits (or demerits) of having a female boss is a perennial one. Well, maybe not perennial, but has been going strong in recent decades since skirt suits on bosses have become the norm. The American Lawyer sticks its toe in the perilous gender waters in an article in this month’s issue: […]

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. There was a time when, as working attorneys, many of […]

After the surprising news that Columbia Law School had invited former California Governor Gray Davis to speak at commencement, we got the bright idea to take a closer look at who was coming to a law school campus near you. Happily, TaxProf Blog has done all the work for us. The site has compiled a […]

Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com. ATL – My friends and I are in bar trip discussions right now. We all have deferred start dates (some with stipends), but at least one of us is convinced that her start date will be pushed back further. I’ve been looking […]

Today, the Minority Law Journal published its new Diversity Rankings. There was a big change in the publication’s methodology, and that resulted in significant upheaval in the rankings: All this churn comes courtesy of a new ranking formula adopted after we found ourselves wondering whether our traditional approach to measuring diversity–calculating the overall percentage of […]

* President of San Francisco’s Federal Reserve says the economy is getting better. “For the first time in a while, there is some good news to savor.” If by good news, you mean that laid-off lawyers have taken to wearing track suits around the house “savoring” comfort food instead of 6-figure salaries, then yes, there […]

Stanford Law School just issued a press release announcing that Judge Michael McConnell of the 10th Circuit will be joining the school’s faculty in the fall. McConnell hails from Utah and was on Bush’s Supremes short list in 2005. From the press release: McConnell will step down from his role on the bench to rejoin […]

Last Thursday, Mark Levy, a Kilpatrick Stockton attorney who had been laid off, tragically committed suicide at the firm’s office. Sadly, we have more disturbing news to report today. Above the Law has learned that a Simpson Thacher associate died two weekends ago in an apparent suicide. We understand that the female associate was recently […]

* LexisNexis is offering limited but free access to 2009 graduates who are doing a public interest internship. It’s a very nice gesture from the company, and it makes deferred from Biglaw associates even more valuable. [LexisNexis] * So here’s who knew about Souter’s retirement, in chronological order: Patrick Leahy, Underneath Their Robes/Above the Law, […]

Most of the time, when law students flip out, they flip out about their law school. But in this era of law student meltdowns, it was only a matter of time before law students started brawling with each other. On April 30, New York Law School (not to be confused with NYU School of Law) […]

Don’t look now, but this is actually shaping up as a pretty bad week for associates who want to hang onto their jobs. Seyfarth cut 50 people late Friday, Milbank let go of 89 yesterday, and we’ve been able to confirm stealth layoffs at Sullivan & Cromwell. The latest news comes from Fenwick & West. […]

Associates at Dewey & LeBoeuf just left a firm wide meeting. Sources report that firm management was very frank with associates about the firm’s financial numbers and future health of the firm. But the headline news is that Dewey & LeBoeuf has decided to join Skadden (and Shearman & Sterling) in offering a year-long deferral […]