October 2009

The decisions Latham & Watkins has made regarding its associates have been well documented in these pages. Because of the firm’s associate layoffs, some people forget that Latham & Watkins was one of the first firms to freeze associate salaries. Latham froze salaries way back in December of 2008. It would be somewhat fitting if […]

* Iowa Supreme Court is asking for 50 hours of pro bono work from the state’s attorneys. I wonder if the Court would consider asking Iowa state law schools to forgo a semester of law school tuition? [Gazette Online] * “Secretary with benefits.” Oh yeah. [Legal Blog Watch] * Do you think anybody is going […]

I know that I am not alone in having a fear of robots. Trust me now or believe me later, but when we are all slaves to the terminators we create, I’ll be the old guy hiding out on a secluded farm future heroes will seek out. Given my (some would call it “irrational”) wisdom, […]

It looks like Vinson & Elkins caused a little bit of confusion and consternation with a job listing the firm posted at Columbia Law School and NYU Law School. Here’s the V&E listing: Employer: Vinson & Elkins LLP (New York, NY) [view profile] Title: Litigation Associate Description: The NY Office of Vinson & Elkins LLP […]

CORRECTION: It appears that the jobless rate reported below is INCORRECT. Please click here for the correct information. I really hope that students at the University of Colorado Law School have enjoyed their time in Boulder. I hear it is beautiful country out there. But it’s no country for old law students who want a […]

Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com. ATL, I am a T20 2L in the top half (but not top 1/3) of my class. Since I know I will not be able to secure a job practicing law to pay off my loans, and would prefer to avoid returning […]

Yesterday, we reported on a meeting at Cardozo Law School between the law school administration, student leaders, and MTV producers regarding the possible filming of a reality TV show at the school. It would focus on the “true life” of New York law school students. We polled our readers. Almost 60% of the 2,000 who […]

Thomas Friedman of the New York Times has a comically predictable pattern for his columns. He usually starts with a little anecdote from his humdrum life and then launches into a ground-shaking, earth-shattering revelation about global politics. Sometimes we wonder if Friedman has created a custom Madlib for crafting his columns. This week, he opines […]

We don’t have all of the details, but multiple sources report that WilmerHale is laying off 57 staffers today (secretaries and paralegals). We understand that the staff is being informed right now. We don’t have information about what (if any) severance package is being offered to the departed staff. Our sources report that the layoffs […]

It’s partner promotion season in Biglaw. This year, Sullivan & Cromwell is making five new partners — and four of them are women. Am Law Daily reports: Firm chairman H. Rodgin Cohen attributes the growth in female partner ranks to policies, such as flex-time and maternity leave, aimed at promoting and retaining greater numbers of […]

If you were hoping for the AutoAdmit lawsuit to result in courtroom drama, with Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey breaking down in tears on the stand, then we’re sorry to disappoint you. The case has ended, somewhat anticlimactically. Last week, the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their case against the remaining defendants. From the Hartford Courant: Two former […]

* University of Texas students help to exonerate two men wrongfully convicted of capital murder. But why are the law students making undergrads do the heavy lifting? [Fort Worth Star-Telegram] * Back in August, the WSJ reported that rumors were swirling about the departure of Obama’s White House counsel Gregory Craig. The New York Times […]

Devotees of “The Sopranos” will surely recall the character of Vito Spatafore, the closeted Mafia member who was killed after colleagues spotted him at a gay bar. As it turns out, the character has real-life counterparts. A recent sentencing hearing in federal court prompted an exploration of homosexuality and organized crime, in the New York […]

The drama of law is captured daily here at Above The Law, and has been serialized in various television shows (See ‘Law and Order,’ ‘Ally McBeal,’ and ‘The Practice’). Now a reality TV producer wants to get in on the magic. From the Hollywood Reporter: Scott Sternberg Prods. is partnering with Weinberger Media to produce […]

* Blackwater lawyers are asking for protection. [Politico] * The police really need to stop going after people who are minding their own business in their own home. [wTop] * I’m on a list with Jay-Z and Tyra Banks. That’s pretty cool, but I really want to hook up with Harvard economist Roland Fryer to […]

Look, I hate traffic cops and parking tickets as much as the next guy. I especially hate traffic cops in the greater Boston area — those people have no appreciation for the spatial genius required to park a Cadillac in Cambridge. That said, fighting the traffic overlords always felt like a waste of time. But […]

Earlier this month, we reported on layoffs at Foley & Lardner. Foley later confirmed the news. Maybe Foley is just clearing out room so it can bring on its class of incoming associates? Right. Maybe if I had wheels I’d be a wagon? Foley has already deferred its incoming associates until February 2010. Now it […]

Williams Mullen, the large and prominent Virginia-based law firm, announced yesterday that it will be cutting associate salaries by 7.5 percent, effective in January 2010. The new starting salary for associates will be $117,000 (in all offices other than D.C.). A firm spokesperson described this as “a business decision,” made to remain competitive in a […]

A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned the Princeton Review law school rankings. The rankings are based on law student surveys, which may explain why the rankings bear little relationship to reality. But Paul Caron of Tax Prof Blog has looked at Princeton Review’s underlying data, and he’s come up with some interesting info about […]

The legal issues swirling around the Miss California pageant are as messy and troubling as the state’s budget problems. Carrie Prejean was crowned Miss California 2009, and was first runner up in Donald Trump’s Miss USA 2009 contest. But her beauty has not been able to distract from controversy. Topless photos of her emerged on […]