June 2009
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Associate Advice, pls hndle thx
Pls Hndle Thx: Negotiating with Terrorists
Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com. Dear Above The Law, I am currently clerking and the term ends Sept. ’09, and I’ve applied to a bunch of firms for an associate job, but none have responded to my resume. I routinely field calls from whiny associates and partners […] -
Contract Attorneys, Salary Cuts
Nationwide Salary Cut Watch: Fish & Richardson Scales Back Salaries
Is it nationwide salary cut day and nobody told me? Earlier today, Bryan Cave cut associate salaries. Now, Fish & Richardson will be doing the same thing. We just don’t know when. At a firm wide video conference today, Fish & Richardson president Peter Devlin said that the firm would be cutting salaries in the […] - Sponsored
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Salary Cuts
Nationwide Salary Cut Watch: Bryan Cave(s) to the Salary Cut Phenomenon
At least the salary cutting craze is staying localized in the lower echelons of the Vault 100. But that probably doesn’t mean very much to associates at Bryan Cave. Today, the firm announced that it was cutting salaries. The cuts were announced via firm wide email from firm chairman, Don Lents: Annual compensation levels for […]
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Elena Kagan, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Martha Minow
Martha Minow Named New Dean of Harvard Law School
A replacement for Elena Kagan as dean of Harvard Law School has been named. It’s the well-liked law school professor Martha Minow. Harvard University President Drew Faust announced the news to HLS students, today: I am delighted to let you know that Martha Minow has agreed to serve as the next Dean of Harvard Law […] -
Advertising, Sonia Sotomayor
Texas Realtor Uses 'SotomayOR' to Drum Up Business
As Dave Chapelle once impishly remarked: “this racism is killing me inside.” I get the joke. It’s like how saying “hillbilly” is a lot easier than saying “Kenny Hilbig.” -
Admin, Announcements, Biglaw, Job Searches, Shameless Plugs, Vault rankings
Getting Back in the Game: How to Restart Your Career in a Down Economy
We regularly receive tips about educational or charitable events that might interest our readers. Because we don’t have the ability to give shout-outs to all, and to ensure equal treatment, we direct everyone with events of a non-commercial nature to mention them in our Community section (which, by the way, is overflowing with openings for […] -
Minority Issues, Racism, Real Estate
Title VII Suit Against Mayer Brown
A former Mayer Brown associate, Venus Yvette Springs, has filed a complaint against the firm. She alleges Mayer Brown discriminated against her and eventually fired her in 2008. Springs was an associate in the real estate group of Mayer Brown, Charlotte. In her complaint, she claims that the head of the group, Frank Arado, said […] -
Morning Docket, Samuel Kent, Sonnenschein
Morning Docket 06.11.09
* UCLA Law students were successful in protecting our right to curbside carne asada. [Los Angeles Times] * Apparently, Sonnenschein is “fat and happy” and moving its New York office. [New York Observer] * Washington, D.C. lawyer Kenneth Feinberg has been appointed compensation czar and will get to set the salaries of CEOs at beleaguered […]
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Lawsuit of the Day
Lawsuit of the Day: Class Action for Those Not Getting Action
Dating is a mix of exhilaration and dejection, depending on your success or failure. It can be tough on the ego if you make a move and get rejected. Some say it’s easier online. You wink, poke, or send a message. If not winked, poked, or messaged back, you can move on to the next […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.10.09
* As usual, yesterday’s outsourcing story sparked some strong reactions. But now there is a Scottish lawyer trying to get jobs based in Bangalore outsourced to Scotland. Globalization baby. Catch the fever. [Legally India] * Billing during sex is much better than billing for sex. [Lowering the Ball] * I have lots of questions for […] -
Paralegals, Salary Freeze, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants
O'Melveny Freezes Staff Salaries to July 2010
At what point does a salary freeze start to feel like a salary cut? Staff at O’Melveny & Myers are about to find out. O’Melveny just announced a new salary ice-age for its staff. Above the Law obtained this internal memo sent to O’Melveny staffers: We are committed to taking proactive steps to maintain our […] -
Layoffs
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Bass Berry Lays Off 32 Employees
I guess the summer months aren’t a bar to firms laying off more associates and staff. The Nashville Post reports (subscription) that Bass Berry is going through a round of cuts: In yet another sign that things in the economy need to get worse before they will get better, one of Nashville’s premier law firms […] -
Contests, Summer Associates
ATL Contest: What's the Best Summer Associate Event of 2009?
For the last few months, media outlets covering the legal industry — present company included — have predicted lean, mean summers for this year’s summer associates. Well, now you summer associates are ensconced in your Biglaw offices. Welcome! (Again.) We know that most programs are leaner in terms of the number of summer associates. Firms […]
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Law Schools
Now Law Schools Are Spawning Colleges
As if creating new law schools from scratch wasn’t enough, now the schools themselves are starting to breed. Legal Blog Watch reports that The Massachusetts School of Law at Andover is metastasizing and creating a hybrid undergraduate program: The Massachusetts School of Law at Andover is branching out. It is launching the nation’s first college […] -
Lawyer of the Day
Lawyer of the Day: Former Pillsbury Associate Doesn't Know His Place
In these tough economic times, I’m sure many people have been tempted to sightly exaggerate their credentials, experience, and competence. But you shouldn’t lie exaggerate to clients. At least not if you want to be a member of the bar in good standing. The National Law Journal reports that a former Pillsbury associate is getting […] -
Biglaw, Law Schools
Has Work-Life Balance Toppled Over Thanks to the Teetering Economy?
Remember the days when junior associates thought that work-life balance was important? Remember when people thought that law firms could be forced to change to accommodate associates who wanted to be lawyers and have personal lives? Those days are seemingly over. An interesting post on Law21 suggests that the quest for work-life balance (WLB) is […] -
Start Dates
Shearman & Sterling Start Date Watch: You Better Hurry
Incoming first years at Shearman & Sterling have been trying to figure out when they can start at the firm. A couple of months ago, the firm said that December 2009 would be the earliest start date. But Shearman also encouraged its incoming first years to defer until September 2010, while promising those deferrals that […] -
Morning Docket, Sonnenschein, White & Case
Morning Docket 06.10.09
* Does SCOTUS need some affirmative action for non-Ivy League grads? [New York Times] * White & Case partner Tom Lauria, who got SCOTUS to issue a stay in the Chrysler-Fiat deal, is pissing people off and “enjoying the heck out of it.” He may take on GM next. [Wall Street Journal] * SCOTUS decided […]
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Advertising, Biglaw
Adventures in Lawyer Advertising: 'Midsize Is the New Big'
We want you here as long as it makes sense. — Fictional Firm Chairman What does that mean? — Fictional Junior Partner It means you’re here until you’re not. — Fictional Firm Chairman Those are lines from a bit of YouTube fantasy porn for BigLaw attorneys frustrated by the way their firms are treating them […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.09.09
* Don’t forget: Lolcats and Above the Law with David Lat and Ben Huh tonight at 7:00 p.m. [Asian American Writers’ Workshop] * What happens when smart people don’t make smart decisions? The “human capital bubble” bursts. [Yahoo! Personal Finance] * Free CLE, with an option for even more free CLE if you use Twitter. […]