August 2009
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Bill Clinton, Media and Journalism
Bill Clinton, The Living God
Was there any doubt, ever, that Bill Clinton would go to North Korea and come back with two women? The Associated Press reports: North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has issued a “special pardon” to two American journalists convicted of sneaking into the country illegally, and he ordered them released during a visit by former […] -
Harvard, Lawsuit of the Day, Racism
Lawsuit of the Day: Bananas Cop Sues Police
What’s better than a Boston cop emailing a newspaper specifically to call a black man a “banana eating jungle monkey”? Well when that same cop turns around and sues the police department for a civil rights violation. The Boston Globe reports: Justin Barrett, the Boston police officer suspended from the force for his e-mail likening […] - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Biglaw, Canada
Canadians Know How To Stimulate The Legal Economy
Have you noticed that every time we run a story about the legal market in Canada there are a bunch of commenters telling us how great things are for lawyers in the great white north? Well, now we know why. The American Lawyer reports that the Canadian government has been pitching in to help Canadian […]
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Blog Wars, Blogging, Media and Journalism, Washington Post
Attribution in the Internet Age: When Does 'Repackaging' Become Stealing?
The inherent tension between the old media and the new media boiled over the weekend when Ian Shapira wrote an insightful article for the Washington Post about how Gawker appropriated one of his stories. For people concerned with the so-called “death of journalism,” it is a must read. It is a fairly accurate description of […] -
David Souter, Lawyerly Lairs, Real Estate, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Lawyerly Lairs: Souter's Upgrade
I guess Justice Souter no longer has to play the role of humble civil servant, and can now start living the life of a former uber-powerful person. Yesterday, the New York Times reported that Souter is getting new digs: When he retired from the Supreme Court in June, it was expected that Justice David H. […] -
Career Alternatives, Entertainment Law, Layoffs, Music
Career Alternatives for Attorneys: Band Manager
If you’re leaving Biglaw and moving to New England to innkeep is not your thing, maybe you should consider moving to Los Angeles to promote music. The American Lawyer has an interesting piece on a laid-off first-year associate, Brandon Dorsky. He was among the batch of Pillsbury Winthrop associates whose departures were inadvertently leaked by […] -
Email Scandals, Rudeness
Jones Day Slams Its Competitors
Jones Day has escaped a lot of the worst side effects of the recession. The firm hasn’t had massive layoffs, it hasn’t cut associate salaries, it hasn’t canceled its summer program. That is something to be proud of. And Jones Day seems very proud. Above the Law has obtained an internal newsletter from Jones Day […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket 08.04.09
* The Virginia and New York U.S. attorney’s offices both want a piece of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. [Washington Post] * Guys at my high school who were married to the Secretary of State used to go on “private missions” to North Korea all the time. It was no big deal. [New York Times] * Utah […]
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
Gregory Craig, White House Counsel
Is White House Counsel Gregory Craig Getting Played in a Washington Parlor Game?
Last night, the Wall Street Journal (subscription) sent out a news alert claiming that President Obama’s White House counsel, Gregory Craig, is getting kicked to the curb: Obama administration officials are holding discussions that could result in White House counsel Gregory Craig leaving his post, following a rocky tenure, people familiar with the matter said. […] -
O.J. Simpson
O.J. Wants Out of Jail While Conviction Is Appealed
O.J. Simpson wants the Nevada Supreme Court to review his armed robbery conviction he picked up last year. That’s not surprising. What is surprising is that Simpson wants to be released from prison while the judges review his case. The Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports: [Simpson’s] lawyers will try to convince a trio of […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 08.03.09
* British Parliament wants to ban photoshopping of people in ads aimed at children. I have no idea why the government would want to frighten young children with pictures of un-air brushed Brits. Maybe they are running a very subtle abstinence campaign. [Fashionista] * Transparency is a good thing. And we are doing our part. […] -
Law Schools, Violence, YouTube
Update on Future Hamline Law Student Kevin Heinz
Last week, we made dancing groom Kevin Heinz our (Future) Law Student of the Day. Heinz, his bride, and their wedding party danced down the aisle to Chris Brown’s Forever instead of the traditional Canon in D Major. They put it on YouTube last month and it’s since been hit on more than a hot, […] -
Law Schools, Money, Student Loans
Public Law School Tuition On The Rise
Just this morning, we distinguished between a recent graduate who is suing her alma mater, and the general need for somebody to rein in law school tuition. Today, the National Law Journal provides us with additional evidence that law school administrators are totally detached from the economic realities facing law school graduates: Double-digit tuition increases […]
Sponsored
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get…
Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so…
Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm.
Sponsored
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
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Generative AI In Legal Work — What’s Fact And What’s Fiction?
Zach Warren from the Thomson Reuters Institute discusses the potential and the pitfalls.
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Barack Obama
Obama Likes 'Em Young
After taking some criticism for appointing federal judges who need to wear Life Alert buttons Underneath their Robes, Obama seems to be reversing course. Politico reports: On Friday, Obama nominated Abdul Kallon, 40, of Birmingham, Ala., and Jacqueline Nguyen, 44, of Los Angeles, Calif., to district court judgeships. The two lawyers are the youngest of […] -
Associate Salaries, Biglaw, Money, NALP, Salary Cuts
It's All Downhill From Here? Pay Reaches Apogee, NALP Says
There’s nothing quite like the burning smell of deflation on a Monday morning. NALP has released its associate salary survey. The good news is that the median starting salary for associates is $130,000. The bad news is that there is no way on God’s green earth that the median salary is going to stay that […] -
Wall Street
Bonuses Still Getting Bank of America in Trouble
If the SEC was a private law firm, it would have dissolved already. The SEC is taking action against Bank of America over its bonus payments. But it probably won’t matter. Even if the SEC levels BOA with huge fine, we’ll probably just bail them out of again. Click on the link below to read […] -
Canceled Summer Programs - 2010, Summer Associates
Seyfarth Shaw Cancels 2010 Summer Program
While there seems to be some good news for rising 3Ls, there is more bad news for rising 2Ls. Seyfarth Shaw is the latest firm to cancel its 2010 summer program. Here’s the news from an email that went out to associates earlier today: [T]he Executive Committee has made the decision to not host a […] -
Money, Student Loans
Unemployed Student Wants Her Money Back
You all know me here. I’m the guy that has relentlessly pushed for the government to do something about the crushing level of student indebtedness in this country. I have argued that students should be more easily able to discharge their debts through bankruptcy. I’ve implored law schools and universities in general to stop bilking […] -
Li-ann Thio
Update: NYU Law ACLU Doesn't Hate Dr. Thio(And the town hall meeting is happening.)
Yesterday we posted a letter from the NYU Law School chapter of the ACLU to Dean Richard Revesz. In its letter, the ACLU requested that a “town hall” meeting to discuss the controversial visiting professorship of Dr. Li-Ann Thio go forward as planned, even though Dr. Thio has canceled her visit to NYU. We’ve learned […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches, No Offers, Summer Associates
Summer Offer Rate Open Thread: Are We Back to 100%?
Summer programs at many firms are shorter this year than last year. That means the summer is over at a lot of places, and summer associates are starting to learn their fates. So far, there is some surprising news. Summers are getting offers. Many people have reported that their firm has given full, 100% offers […]