* Never forget, New York has always been and will always be an awesome city. [What About Clients]
* Remember that our new “pay czar” did the good work of running the September 11th Victim’s Compensation fund. [New York Personal Injury Law Blog]
* The person who was suing Match.com because his emails went unanswered dropped his lawsuit due to “the amount of ridicule” he received. Good job all. [Overlawyered]
* Live tweets from the Wone trial. [Twitter.com/wonetrial]
* Gordon Brown apologized for the conviction of the great WWII code breaker, Alan Turing. Yay progress. [The Volokh Conspiracy]
Archive for September 2009
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Posted in:
Cleary Gottlieb, Diarmuid O'Scannlain, Harvard Law School, Jon Newman, Merrick Garland, New York Times, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court Clerks, Weddings, Yale Law School
Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 9.6: The Point Is Probably Moot
By Laurie Lin
LEWW’s memory isn’t what it once was, but we can’t recall a stronger week in legal nuptials than this one. All six of our featured newlyweds are truly impressive, and a few are even interesting! And not to give anything away, but if you love SCOTUS clerks (and oh, we do!) prepare to curl your toes in ecstasy.
Here are our finalists:
1. Lee Bickley and Martin Carr
2. Betsy Anderson and David Gottlieb
3. Karen Dunn and Brian Netter
Join us in evaluating these couples, after the jump.
Continue reading “Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 9.6: The Point Is Probably Moot”
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Posted in:
Arnold & Porter, Layoffs, Staff Layoffs
Staff Layoff Watch: Arnold & Porter Axes 44 Staffers
By Elie Mystal
Reports are circulating today of staff cuts at Arnold & Porter. Here is one account from a tipster:
44 staffers laid off yesterday at A&P – 24 from the DC office.
Arnold & Porter confirmed the new to Above the Law a short time ago:
[Arnold & Porter] can confirm that as of yesterday our firm had a reduction in force affecting 44 staff positions in the firm’s domestic offices. These positions are mostly administrative assistant/secretarial positions; no associates or attorneys were involved in the reduction.
Ranked #18 in you Vault guides, Arnold & Porter has weathered the recession better than some other firms. The firm is actually up two spots from its #20 Vault position last year. The firm froze salaries at the beginning of year, but hasn’t resorted to cutting salaries.
But no firm is immune to the economy. Good luck, laid off staffers.
Earlier: Updated Salary Freeze Round-up: Even More Firms on Ice
Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Vault 16-20 (2010)
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Posted in:
Lawyer of the Day
(Fake) Lawyer of the Day: Random Dude Neither A Lawyer Nor A Judge
By Elie Mystal
Don’t forget that this coming Tuesday is primary day in New York City. In New York county (“Manhattan” for the uninitiated) the race is to replace Robert M. Morgenthau, the venerable Manhattan district attorney. There are three people running to be the new district attorney for the borough.
But just because Morgenthau is on his way out, it doesn’t mean that he has stopped doing his job. He is still busy, keeping us safe from lawyers that aren’t really lawyers but like to say they are lawyers.
Elizabeth Wurtzel is still safe. But that’s because she’s not been defrauding immigrants. The New York Times reports Robert P. Mangieri cannot say the same:
It turns out that Mr. Mangieri is not a lawyer and, according to Manhattan prosecutors, any fee he received was more than his services were worth.
Mr. Mangieri, 68, has been indicted on charges that he pretended to be an immigration lawyer and bilked more than $1,000 from at least one immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago, Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney, announced on Wednesday.
Mangieri is not a Mangenius.
Tough news cycle for Trinidad and Toboggans. First their football team loses a game to the U.S. that they could have won, and now this.
That Lawyer Who Was Hurting? It Gets Worse… [City Room]
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Posted in:
Layoffs, No Offers, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
Squire Sanders & Dempsey: Layoffs and No Offers
By Elie Mystal
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey has already canceled its 2010 summer program. We received information that Squire Sanders decided not to extend offers to anybody in its 2009 class. A tipster reports:
SSD no-offered EVERYONE this year. This isn’t that surprising given that they’ve deferred this year’s class, canceled their 2Ls who were supposed to return for a cameo and have scrapped summer 2010 already. The hiring partner cited the economy and said that they are making no offers at this time but are keeping everyone on an “offer eligible” list for a potential look again some time in the future.
Our tipsters report that this decision came down yesterday.
Above the Law asked the firm about its decision. Apparently, the firm has had a change of heart.
After the jump, Squire Sanders’s new offer plan, and reports of additional stealth layoffs at the firm.
Continue reading “Squire Sanders & Dempsey: Layoffs and No Offers”
The Harvard Law Record reports that HLS will be cutting back on perks:
On September 4, an email by Dean of Students Ellen Cosgrove detailed the reduction in perks students would begin to notice at HLS, where, under the tenure of former Dean (and now Solicitor General) Elena Kagan ’86, free food for events and even some classes had become common, free coffee abounded from morning until noon, and a logo-emblazoned skating rink animated Jarvis Field during the cold winter months.
The lifestyle changes students face are not stark: the free coffee has not been completely cut, as was rumored, but will be served in fewer locations, and is expected to last only until 10:15. A survey later sent to the student body by Cosgrove asked whether students would share in cost-cutting efforts by providing their own mugs rather than relying on the paper cups the school now buys. Likewise, free food will be rarer at events, and the hours of the dining facilities at Harkness Commons will be reduced depending on demand.
Everybody needs to tighten their belts during the recession. And this new “only limited free coffee” policy should better prepare Harvard Law grads for the rough and tumble employment environment that they’ll face after graduation.
Conference cutbacks are on the way too.
H to the K (Hong Kong) and B to the J (Beijing), things are picking up in Asia a bit. Our Director – Asia Markets, Justin Flowers, will be in China for the next month making rounds with firms and Fortune 500 companies as well as meeting candidates, so if you are interested in Asia-based opportunities, law firm or in-house, give him a shout. This Job of the Week, brought to you by Lateral Link, is hot off the press.
Position: Mid – Senior Corporate Associate
Location: Hong Kong, SAR
Description: The Hong Kong office of a top US firm is seeking a mid to senior level corporate associate to join their strong China platform. Candidates should have 2-5 years’ M&A and Capital Markets experience with a top-level US or Magic Circle firm, preferably in the region, and must be currently employed with an international firm. The firm has an excellent Asia platform, specifically in China. The successful candidate must have strong drafting skills and be able to speak/read/write in Mandarin.
For more information about this position, assuming you qualify for it, please contact Justin Flowers (Email: jflowers@laterallink.com | Phone: 646.257.4886), who oversees attorney placements (both partner and associate level) and client relationships with the top international US- and UK-based firms in Asia, the Middle East and Emerging Markets. Prior to joining Lateral Link, Justin recruited for both an international search firm and a New York-based domestic legal search boutique. He practiced law as a litigator for several years before becoming a recruiter. Justin earned a J.D. from NYU School of Law and an undergraduate liberal arts degree, cum laude, from the University of Oklahoma, where he attended the Honors College.
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Posted in:
Clerkships, Federal Judges, Feeder Judges, Job Searches
Clerkship Application Season: Clear The Phones
By Elie Mystal
A couple of days ago, we heralded the start of clerkship application season. Given the weakness in the legal economy, there should be a lot of people trying to snag a clerkship offer this year.
Today is the day that judges can start calling around and setting up interviews. A tipster reports:
Per the hiring plan, judges can start calling to extend interviews at 10 a.m. today. Thousands of 3Ls across the country are doubtless waiting anxiously by their phones. The whole process obviously will be agonizing …
Who is making calls? Share your boasts and fears in the comments.
Earlier: Clerkship Application Season: Open Thread
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Posted in:
9th Circuit, Elena Kagan, Fabulosity, Fashion, SCOTUS, Solicitor General's Office, Supreme Court
Solicitor General Elena Kagan: What Color Was Her Pantsuit?
By David Lat
In her excellent interview with Chief Judge Alex Kozinski at the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Solicitor General Elena Kagan poked gentle fun at the controversy surrounding what she should wear while arguing before the Supreme Court, as the first female Solicitor General. She quipped: “That this is the big question of the Washington Supreme Court bar probably tells you something about the Supreme Court bar.”
And yet, despite making light of the issue, Solicitor General Kagan simultaneously built the suspense over what she would wear to One First Street. She deflected Judge Kozinski’s inquiries regarding her attire: “I’ve ostentatiously kept it a secret as to what I’m doing. If I told you, I’d have to shoot you.” (She was willing to admit, under intense questioning from Judge Kozinski, that she would not be arguing in Jimmy Choos.)
On Wednesday, Solicitor General Kagan ended the suspense, when she appeared before the Court to argue the Citizens United case. For recaps of the argument in this important and highly charged case, see Adam Liptak and Dahlia Lithwick.
We’ll focus on what really matters: What did Solicitor General Kagan wear on Wednesday? She eschewed the traditional morning coat, or some feminized version thereof, in favor of a pantsuit.
And that’s where the disagreement begins. Leading Supreme Court correspondents had different takes on its color. Tony Mauro of the Legal Times described it as “a businesslike black pantsuit with an open-collared white blouse.” But Dahlia Lithwick of Slate described it as “a tasteful blue pantsuit.”
So, what color was the Solicitrix General’s pantsuit? We reached out for comment to someone who ought to know: the SG herself.
Continue reading “Solicitor General Elena Kagan: What Color Was Her Pantsuit?”
* It is time for our annual remembrance of 9/11. And the slow progress that is being made at Ground Zero. [New York Times]
* Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook isn’t plagiarized, and it’s fantastic. [New York Post]
* California Assemblyman Michael Duvall says that his open mic sex talk was “just storytelling.” And he says that his resignation was not an admission that he had affairs. [Courthouse News Service]
* Cigarette smokers in San Francisco are one step closer to needing a shady hook-up in order to buy a pack of smokes. [The Recorder]
* I heard President Obama mention tort reform during his health care speech. But I wasn’t sure what exactly he was offering. Maybe both parties can work together on this? [Washington Post]
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Posted in:
Caption Contests, Contests, Eyes of the Law, Food, Joe Biden, Politics
ATL Caption Contest: American Pie
By David Lat
Time for an Eyes of the Law celebrity sighting. On Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden visited Syracuse University. From the Syracuse Post-Standard:
Vice President Joe Biden talked with Syracuse students, teachers and parents Wednesday about his mission to strengthen the middle class.
Then, he rode in a limousine to a ballroom where people had paid $250 to have lunch and $1,000 to pose for a picture with him. After that, he rode the limousine a few more blocks to mingle with more people who had paid thousands of dollars to spend private time with him.
But staff members at Syracuse Law, the VP’s alma mater, got to meet with him for free. All it took was some homemade blueberry pie.
A picture of Vice President Biden getting his pie on, plus a caption contest, after the jump.
* Sunstein. Confirmed! Finally. [Law Dork 2.0]
* Ben Roethlisberger is ready for the season opener tonight. His attorneys are pursuing all avenues against the woman who accused him of sexual misconduct. [Pro Football Talk]
* Yes, we read the Fail Blog. But we also read the WSJ Law Blog. [Fail Blog]
* Beatles Rock Band. Catch the mania, help the boys. [Miss Trials]
* Should universities start spending down their endowments? [The Economist]
* Going to a “non-elite” law school is often seen as a dangerous proposition, but some observers beg to differ. [Ideoblog]
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Posted in:
Arent Fox, Bryan Cave, Chadbourne & Parke, Howrey LLP, Hunton & Williams, Job Searches, Patton Boggs, Perkins Coie, Reed Smith, Schulte Roth & Zabel, Vault 100 Open Threads: 2010
Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Vault 71 – 80 (2010)
By David Lat
We continue our slog push through the nation’s 100 top law firms, as ranked by our friends over at Vault. Here are the next ten firms, to be discussed in the comments to this post:
71. Reed Smith
72. Bryan Cave
73. Perkins Coie
74. Hunton & Williams
75. Patton Boggs
76. Arent Fox
77. Schulte Roth & Zabel
78. Howrey
79. Chadbourne & Parke
80. Crowell & Moring
Assorted observations about these firms, after the jump.
Continue reading “Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Vault 71 – 80 (2010)”
Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com.
ATL,
I just started law school. I won’t say which one because your readers will call me “TTT.” I’ve read about how terrible the 2L job market is, about the non-existent 3L job market, and about the awful legal economy. But I’m at law school anyway — trust me, it is better than being a lumberjack.
My question is, what can I do to increase my chances of getting a job *this* summer, after my 1L year. Already the career services dean is saying I should “broaden my horizons” and look at secondary markets. But if I wanted to live in bumfuck — again, I’d be cutting wood instead of sitting in a classroom all day. Even if I can’t get a 1L SA position, what can I do 1L summer to make me a more attractive candidate during 2L recruiting?
It might sound weird, but I honestly want the status and respect of being a corporate litigator living in a major city. I don’t feel entitled to that life, I just want to do whatever I can to make that happen. Aside from grades, what can I do?
Logjamin
Dear Logjamin,
I saw this question and nearly punched my monitor but restrained myself because I paid for this computer. Seriously, does anybody even read this column? Turn off your Pandora for a hot minute and read this very carefully: THERE ARE NO JOBS TO BE HAD. They’re not on Monster.com, they’re not on Craigslist. They’re not hiding under some rock guarded by elves in Iceland. Elie and I aren’t hogging them just in case the blogging gigs don’t pan out. There. Are. No. Legal. Jobs. Anywhere. Is that clear? Crystal.
Not sure where you heard about these alleged “1L jobs” because as far as I know there never WERE1L SA jobs – even before economic Armageddon. When I was in law school,1L recruiting consisted of two or three firms rolling up to campus, getting everyone’s hopes up, making people buy itchy suits, conducting sham interviews and hiring no one. It was the oldest scam in the book, along with online dating and Minoxidil. Nobody’s hair ever grew by spraying crap on their head, and nobody ever got a summer associate job through 1L recruiting, either.
For your 1L summer, get creative. Apply to judicial internships (including magistrate, bankruptcy and state judges) – in the jurisdictions where you would consider living. Paper the inboxes of Legal Aid, elder law centers, arts and cultural organizations, humane societies, human rights groups and the other places that clutter your mailbox begging for $15 donations. And if all else fails, the economy hasn’t gotten so bad that you can’t find a job doing something, somewhere. I happen to have a sweet hook up at the Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, NY so if you’re interested for summer 2010, two-way me and I’ll put you in touch.
Your friend,
Marin
Elie agrees with me OR ELSE, after the jump.
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Posted in:
Election Law, Lawyer of the Day, Politics, Williams Mullen
Former Lawyer of the Day: Temporarily Homeless, Currently on Unemployment
By Elie Mystal
A few months ago, we reported on the saga of Mark Hardman. He was an attorney for the commonwealth in Portsmouth, VA. But he was fired after only five months on the job. He claims that his termination stemmed from his decision to run for public office, against his boss. Back in March, we noted:
[Hardman was fired] most likely because Hardman decided that he should be the boss, after only five months on the job:
“A 27-year-old prosecutor in Portsmouth said he was fired because he plans to challenge incumbent Harvey Bryant for Virginia Beach commonwealth’s attorney.”
Incumbent Harvey Bryant denies the charges.
Hardman’s campaign continues, but it seems that he continues his fight at great personal cost. The Virginian-Pilot reports some difficult circumstances for Mr. Hardman:
The challenger in the race for commonwealth’s attorney hasn’t had a fixed address in the city since June 1 and last month filed for unemployment benefits in Newport News….
“I wasn’t prepared, financially, to lose my job at that point in the election cycle,” he said. “It had an impact on my living situation, and I continued to… take all steps that were necessary to maintain my residency in Virginia Beach.”
Without a job, Hardman said he was unable to sign a new lease in June, and he couldn’t afford the summer rent for his home on 75th Street. That address was the only one on file for Hardman’s residence as of Wednesday at the Beach general registrar’s office.
Hardman said filing for unemployment benefits in Newport News shouldn’t have any effect on his residency. He said he has used his mother’s house as a billing address for about 10 years.
That is the kind of situation that makes standing on the breadline so terrifying.
After the jump, Mark Hardman responds to these reports.
Continue reading “Former Lawyer of the Day: Temporarily Homeless, Currently on Unemployment”
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Posted in:
Boutique Law Firms, Insurance, Job Searches, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms, Small Law Firm Open Threads, Solo Practitioners
Small Law Firm Open Thread: Insurance Law
By David Lat
The comments on last month’s post about small law firms were uncommonly good. Readers shared valuable insights and information about life beyond Biglaw, including discussion of the pluses and minuses of working at a small — or smaller (size is relative) — law firm.
One commenter — after pointing out that non-Biglaw firms come in many shapes and sizes, making it hard to generalize — had this excellent suggestion:
You know what would be really helpful? A variety of open threads on different types of small firms. Do one or two threads a day getting people’s input on salaries in boutique regulatory firms, other types of transactional, plaintiffs firms, insurance defense, class action boutiques, whatever.
As someone that’s focusing my search primarily on small firms, it’s been really difficult trying to get a sense of what my salary demands should be. Short of asking my friends how much they make, the information really doesn’t exist in any useful form. A variety of open threads focusing on specific practice areas and what people can expect for salaries and benefits would probably be really beneficial to many readers.
Salary demands? How about just hoping that you have a salary?
But we like this idea for an occasional series of open threads, focusing on small firms with different specialties. Today’s topic: firms that practice INSURANCE LAW.
If this interests you, read more after the jump.
Continue reading “Small Law Firm Open Thread: Insurance Law”
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Posted in:
Asians, Bad Ideas, Hotties, Lexis-Nexis, LexisNexis / Lexis-Nexis, Shopping
Sexy LexisNexis Reward
By Kashmir Hill
LexisNexis has a rewards program that allows loyal users to accumulate points for certain research activities and then to use them to “shop from millions of items.”
One of the items makes us want to give LexisNexis an “ex” rating. An ATL reader and loyal Lexis-Nexis user pointed the item out to us, writing:
Search for it in the rewards store. It’s available for 1261 points. Pretty shocking if you ask me. The calendar that is, not the price.
We’re red-flagging this. Check it out, after the jump.
I’m sure you all remember the Stepford Secretary. She is the secretary that praised lawyers at her firm for their CHARACTER. She was fired, and then she lawyered up.
But the President’s speech on health care last night inspired her. Well, at least it inspired her to email Above the Law:
In his speech tonight the President made reference to the “character of our Country.” I chuckled and said “Watch it, Mr. President, using the word character got me fired.”
Tonight after sitting and watching the President’s address I thought it would be time to give you an update.
I went to [my firm] asking graciously for six months severance (approximately two weeks salary for each of my ten years there). The firm’s decision to terminate me for an attempt (albeit, poor judgment) at giving certain props to colleagues was not persecution enough. They denied my request (shocking) and offered a twisted view of both me and the reasons for my termination. Sadly, there is no hope of taking these well educated, uncouth individuals to Court. I just do not have the bank roll or emotional tolerance for the extended crap they will surely put me through. I know that my original statement came from a place of despair. For now, there is just a file containing numerous accounts of misconduct on the part of the company, and the facade continues.
Stepford
You lie!
Seriously though, emotional bankroll is something that a lot of people are losing during the recession.
Earlier: Stepford Secretary Responds to Above the Law
Stepford Secretary Lawyers Up
Bingham McCutchen’s ‘Stepford Secretary’ Has Left The Building
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Posted in:
Admin, Advertising, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Thanks to This Week’s Advertisers
By Kashmir Hill & David Lat
A quick word of thanks to this week’s advertisers on Above the Law:
If you’re interested in advertising on Above the Law or any other site in the Breaking Media network, download our media kits, or email advertising@breakingmedia.com. Thanks!
Is there any failure where attention deficit disorder isn’t the appropriate excuse? A Hamline law professor allegedly committed tax evasion, and she claims it was due to ADD. According to the ABA Journal:
Prosecutors claim law professor Robin Magee, an expert in criminal law, didn’t file her state tax returns for 2004 through 2006 until this year, never filed for 2007, and underpaid her taxes by $5,000 over the period, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Magee allegedly told investigators she wasn’t able to complete her tax returns on time because she has extreme attention deficit disorder, according to the Pioneer Press story. Investigators also claim Magee told them she isn’t familiar with tax law; however, her online biography says she practiced tax law while in private practice.
Apparently, Magee has been suffering from ADD/tax fraud for a long time. Details after the jump.
Continue reading “Hamline Law Faculty Might Need Some Ritalin”
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Posted in:
Advertising, Shameless Plugs, Sponsored Content, This Is an Ad
The BarMax Manifesto: “We Are Not Sheep”
By Above the Law
In 2009, a small group of Harvard Law School students noticed an absurd monopoly in the bar prep space, held by an unchallenged leader with a non-evolving product. In response, these students teamed up with Harvard Law alumni to launch BarMax on January 14, 2010.The mission: democratize bar prep by embracing new technologies to provide the very best bar exam review courses at a fraction of the cost normally associated with these courses.
Since then, with the encouragement of thousands of students and an unwavering commitment to their success, BarMax has established itself as a comprehensive alternative to the stagnant, over-priced status quo.
As we continue to expand, we do not want to lose sight of the basic premises that led us to create BarMax in the first place. If you are a law student who believes that there is something fundamentally wrong with being forced to take out yet another loan to pay for a $4,000 bar exam prep course, you are not alone.
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Posted in:
Advertising, Asia Chronicles, Shameless Plugs, Sponsored Content, This Is an Ad
The Asia Chronicles: In-House Openings at Hedge Funds In Hong Kong / State Of The Market / 7 New Kinney ’12 US Associate Placements In HK / China
By Kinney Recruiting
Ed. note: This post is authored by Evan Jowers and Robert Kinney of Kinney Recruiting, sponsor of the Asia Chronicles. Kinney has made more placements of U.S. associates and partners in Asia than any other firm in the past five years. You can reach them by email: asia@kinneyrecruiting.comHappy Chinese New Year! We were extremely busy the past few months, including most of our US based team working from our Hong Kong offices during November and December.
As a follow up from our recent post, which listed our 62 US associate and counsel placements in Asia last year (vast majority in HK / China), please note that thus far in January ’12, we have already made seven US associate and counsel placements in Asia. This is an especially impressive number, considering the biglaw lateral hiring market in Asia is down right now (see state of the market brief overview below). These new placements are of new hires in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, who were interviewing with their new firm for a month or more and they are spread out among different practice areas, including project finance, litigation, fund formation, M&A and cap markets. We are close on four additional new associate placements, in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, that we expect to close soon. We do not discuss partner placements in these articles, but the pace of partner recruitment in Asia (a large part of our business) has continued.
Hedge Fund In-House Openings in Hong Kong
We are seeing a small run of new in-house openings in Hong Kong at hedge funds. We are currently filling three different in-house positions at three different hedge funds in Hong Kong, two of these searches we are handling on an exclusive basis. All three will most likely be filled by a US associate, with about 4 to 6 years of experience. Mandarin not required. Candidates from NYC and London will be considered, but at one of these funds the new hire will likely come from Hong Kong / China or Singapore (with HK being the strong preference).
Please feel free to reach out to us at asia@kinneyrecruiting.com if you are interested in these hedge fund openings. As you probably would expect, the competition for these spots will be fierce and the funds will be very selective when choosing which candidates to interview.
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Posted in:
Careers
