November 2009

Incrementally, the pace of layoffs has been picking up. Perhaps firms are trying to get through all of their cuts before the holiday season? The latest news comes from Day Pitney. A tipster reports: Day Pitney in CT laid off 30 staff today and moved staff to lower positions. A spokesperson from Day Pitney confirmed […]

We’ve talked a lot about law schools that are raising tuition. It borders on unconscionable for schools to pump up tuition at a time of deflationary legal salaries and a difficult job market. So I was a little surprised when I received this email from a University of Miami School of Law student: The Dean […]

The news was first reported by CNBC. See Dealbreaker for more details. We have phone calls and emails in to Ropes & Gray and are waiting to hear back. We will keep you posted on further developments. If you have more info, please email us. Thanks. UPDATE (10:00 AM): According to Bloomberg, the FBI has […]

* Federal prosecutors accuse Troutman Sanders real estate practice group leader, Leonard Grunstein, of participating in a $50 million kickback scheme. [AmLaw Daily] * Bank of America’s general counsel was not on active status to practice law in Massachusetts during his first (crucial) eight days as the company’s top lawyer. [Boston Globe] * Big pay […]

It is the most frightening time of the year for prospective lawyers. The New York State Bar Exam results will be posted tomorrow. As other states have posted results, we’ve seen that this year the “pass or you’re fired” feeling is strong. Here’s the results preview from the New York Board of Law Examiners: Important […]

* Defending free speech requires one to defend some pretty annoying junk. [Underdog] * Have you ever been framed by a prosecutor? [Bad Lawyer] * An openly pagan Republican lawyer won a city council seat last night. In the words of Winston Zeddmore: “I love this town.” [Double X] * I don’t think you should […]

It’s the day after Election Day! Granted, this year’s election cycle wasn’t nearly as exciting as last year — when Obama ended racism in America. Still, there are many winners to congratulate. Republicans Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell are new governors. People can now point to the North Country on a map of New York […]

Duke University 2L Andrew Blumberg is a “Simpsons Superfan,” a designation that got him an appearance on the “Food Network Challenge” this past weekend. The challenge was to create a cake inspired by the Simpsons episode, “Last Tap Dance in Springfield”. Four “superfans” were paired with professional cake designers to ensure character fidelity in the […]

Yesterday’s Lawsuit of the Day — Jones v. Minkin, a $44 million lawsuit against yours truly, Above the Law publisher David Minkin, and Dead Horse Media (now known as Breaking Media) — has been voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiff, University of Miami law professor Donald Jones. There was NO SETTLEMENT in this case. Above the […]

Monday, Cravath kicked off bonus season. Cravath’s announcement started a fresh round of bonus speculation. We previewed bonus season in October. Before Cravath came out with its bonuses, we wrote: The most common speculation we’ve heard is that this bonus season will defy the follow-the-leader market matching of the past. People expect that firms in […]

As we mentioned in our recent open thread on appellate work, Mayer Brown has one of the best appellate and Supreme Court practices in the country. The firm is also known for being rather democratic when distributing SCOTUS arguments; they tend to spread the argument wealth around, instead of funneling all the arguments to a […]

Have you ever wondered what would happen if some of our Above the Law commenters had one of their classic diatribes in open court? I do. I don’t know if Raphael Scotto posts anonymous comments on ATL. But it wouldn’t shock me if he does. The New York Post reports: A defense lawyer was fined […]

A quick word of thanks to this week’s advertisers on Above the Law: The Atlantic Harvard Business School Kinney Recruiting Lateral Link LexisNexis NewportNJ The Red Cross University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Isenberg School of Management WesCary3D If you’re interested in advertising on Above the Law or any other site in the Breaking Media network, download […]

Give Dickstein Shapiro credit. When the firm lays people off, it doesn’t hide behind any performance review rhetoric. When Dickstein laid people off back in January, firm chairman Michael Nannes had this to say: These are purely economic decisions — this is a group of talented attorneys who have made valued contributions to our Firm. […]

So far, firms that have deferred their 2009 summer associates to 2011 have been noncommittal about whether they will be giving a deferral stipend. Many class of 2009 graduates received money from firms for the year long wait. It’s not clear that class of 2010 graduates will be as lucky. With the market still up […]

* Prosecutors prevail at the polls: former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (pictured) wins the gubernatorial race in New Jersey, and former state attorney general Robert McDonnell seizes victory in Virginia. Both are Republicans. [New York Times] * Meanwhile, Maine voters reject a state law that would have allowed same-sex marriage. [Associated Press] * Lawyers for […]

As we’ve noted in Morning Docket for the past two days, lawyer Scott Rothstein is in all kinds of trouble in Florida. From what we understand, it’s Marc Dreier redux, the sunshine state version. We’re still trying to wrap our heads around the story, but as the Bard would say, the sh** hath hitteth the […]

* I wish I had read this post before I voted this morning. [What About Clients?] * Gay marriage activists are outing the names of those who stand opposed to gay rights. Good political strategy or straight up intimidation? [True/Slant] * New Wachtell partners. Congratulations boys, enjoy your fabulous wealth. [Am Law Daily] * Lawsuits […]

In July, Morgan Lewis & Bockius announced that it would be ending lockstep compensation for its associates in 2010. At the time, the firm furnished this statement to Above the Law: “We’re running our own business and focusing relentlessly on client relationships,” said Francis M. Milone, Chair of the Firm. “Doing so responsibly means continuing […]

Celebrity newlyweds Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner won last week’s Couple of the Week poll handily, demonstrating that even with ATL readers, beauty, fame, and vast wealth can compensate for lack of a Supreme Court clerkship. Now, Ivanka and Jared move on to the Couple of the Month round, where their competition is less-credentialed than […]