December 2009
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* If you’re a regular ATL reader, this Bloomberg article on law firm bonuses being squeezed won’t hold many surprises. [Bloomberg] * Being naked in your own home is a crime. [The Post Chronicle] * In 2007, a National Enquirer reporter spotted Tiger Woods visiting a church parking lot for some non-religious ecstasy. Los Angeles […]
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Law Schools, Reader Polls, Rudeness
Proof That Duke Deserved Douchiest Title?
Duke Law School dominated our Douchiest Law School contest earlier this year, beating out Harvard to take home the title. At the time, some complained that Duke Law and Duke’s undergrad population were being conflated. [Ed. note: As a Duke ’03 grad, Kash is mildly offended by that argument.] One commenter wrote: Does no one […]
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“I’ve landed a job as an associate at a top law firm, but why am I paying 7% on my student loans?”
I became a lawyer without really understanding that the job cuts time off of your life. My work hours are long, I can’t see my family or friends, and I am constantly at the mercy of the partner or the client. On top of everything, at one point, I was paying 7% on my law school loans. […]
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This Week in Layoffs: 12.20.09
Ed. note: Above the Law has teamed up with Law Shucks, which has done excellent work translating all of the layoff news into user-friendly charts and graphs: the Layoff Tracker. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of modern American unemployment. In this case, […]
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Law Professors, Reader Polls, Screw-Ups
Visiting Professor at NYU Makes a Mess of 1L Contracts Exam
Sometimes I find myself recycling my own material. I’ll make a joke in front of one group of friends, they’ll laugh, and I’ll use the same joke in front of a different group of friends. The second audience can’t know that I’ve already used the joke with a different audience, lest I be exposed as […]
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* If anyone ever wanted to give me anything free, I’d be more than happy to disclose it. Theoretically, that makes me a better person than Gwyneth Paltrow. Practically, my life is infinitely less fabulous. [Jezebel] * I got your nose. Literally. [Bad Lawyer] * Worst tax of the decade. [Going Concern] * Top celebrity […]
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FantasySCOTUS: Citizens United v. FEC (a.k.a. The Hillary Movie Case) Revisited
Ed. note: ATL has teamed up with the 10th Justice to predict how the Supreme Court may decide upcoming cases. CNN has called FantasySCOTUS the ” hottest new fantasy-league game.” Hillary: The Movie did not have much impact at the box office, but it’s become quite a hit at One First Street. It’s so popular […]
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Holland & Knight, Killing Lockstep
Holland & Knight Avoids Throwing Lockstep Baby Out with the Bathwater
Holland & Knight announced today that it would be moving away from lockstep associate compensation. But unlike the firms that have rushed to jump on the Orrick-style, three-tier “pure merit” model, Holland is adopting a hybrid approach. Here’s how Holland & Knight managing partner Steve Sonberg explained it to associates this morning: The base salary […]
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Copyright, Fashion, Intellectual Property, Shoes
Lawsuit of the Day: Lego My Lego (Shoe)
At first we were of the opinion that Balenciaga’s “Lego shoe” was too hideous to merit copying. But then we learned that Beyonce has been spotted in a pair. If it’s good enough for Beyonce, it’s good enough for the rest of us, right? That was apparently the thinking of Steve Madden, which produced a […]
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Career Alternatives for Attorneys: Swinger Sex Promoter
Were you drawn to Biglaw because of a slight sadomasochistic bent? Then you may be interested in the [NSFW] School of Sex [NSFW]. As you might imagine based on the name, it offers lessons on sex, as well as erotic events. Why are you reading about this on ATL? Because it’s a Friday. And, more […]
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Lessons Learned from the Top eDiscovery Cases and Trends from 2014
The adage that law turns slowly does not hold in eDiscovery. This year saw unprecedented sanction awards for falling behind the curve. Courts did not hesitate to engage with advanced and nuanced technological issues. For lawyers and other eDiscovery professionals who plan on maintaining basic competence, these cases and trends shouldn’t be overlooked. For a full exploration of trends and developments in this area of case law, check out this on-demand webinar.
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Allen & Overy, Associate Bonus Watch 2009, Magic Circle, Salary Freeze, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Associate Bonus Watch (and Salary Thaw): Allen & Overy
Cheerio, old chap! This week brings news of bonuses — and a salary “unfreeze” — in the New York office of Allen & Overy. Allen & Overy — a global mega-firm with over $2 billion in annual revenue, headquartered in London but with a worldwide footprint — is making a go of it here in […]
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Holidays and Seasons, Money, pls hndle thx, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants, Shopping
Pls Hndle Thx: What Secretaries Want
Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com. Fairest Marin, I moved offices in the middle of this year, and as a consequence I lost my lovely and very helpful administrative assistant to a Partner who was staying where she was. Since August, I have had a new, and also […]
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Associate Bonus Watch: Gibson Dunn Open Thread
Welcome to the associate bonus post for Gibson Dunn, which has informed its associates of their 2009 bonuses. This post is going to look a lot like the recent Sidley bonus post. Bonuses at Gibson, like those at Sidley, are individualized and individually communicated. This is especially true for the non-New York offices. (We understand […]
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Football, Lawsuit of the Day, Sports
Every Alabama Lawyer Should Try the ‘BCS Defense’
On Wednesday, we told you about Alabama defense lawyers who filed a motion to continue based on a conflict with the BCS title game. The judge has said he will grant the motion, even though the judge is an alumnus of Alabama’s arch rival, Auburn. Deadspin explains this miscarriage of justice perfectly: If you’re going […]
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Drugs, Labor / Employment, Litigators, Marijuana, Sex
Update: Sex, Drugs, and 3000 Billable Hours
Defendant law firm moves to strike ‘scandalous’ material.The case of Levy v. Sedgwick Detert Moran Arnold LLP — aka “Sex, Drugs, and 3000 Billable Hours” — is starting to look more like Charney v. Sullivan & Cromwell with each new filing. Just as S&C did in the Charney case, the Sedgwick firm has filed a motion to strike portions of the complaint […]
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* Elin lawyers up. [Daily News] * Meanwhile, Accenture is shredding Tiger’s memory. They’ve got some experience in this area. [Going Concern] * Oh yeah, John Edwards. Also a philanderer. [Politics Daily] * The Federal Circuit benchslaps the Eastern District of Texas — for the fourth time in the past year — over the issue […]
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Books, Google / Search Engines
Earlier this week, we attended an interesting debate about the Google Books settlement. It featured Professor Richard Epstein of the University of Chicago Law School, who argued against the settlement, and Jonathan Jacobson of Wilson Sonsini, who defended it. The debate, held at the Cornell Club and sponsored by the Federalist Society, was moderated by […]
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ATL Caption Contest Finalists: Study Stall
For our latest caption contest, we gave you this photo: And you responded by taking a massive dump on us. Almost 500 entries were submitted. We waded through all your s**t, like Hercules cleaning the Augean stables, and came up with ten finalists. View them and vote, after the jump.
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* “Did Facebook break the law when it changed privacy settings?” Quite possibly. [True/Slant] * Former Congressman claims “common law copyright” in his name, and wants the news media to pay him $500,000 to license his name. I have the perfect solution: How about we all agree to never mention him? We know how much […]
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KINNEY’S TOP DOGS IN HONG KONG OVER THE NEXT 10 DAYS
For about the 40th time in the last five years, Kinney Recruiting’s got a team flying to Hong Kong for visits with clients and candidates. Please feel free to reach out to Evan and Robert at asia@kinneyrecruiting.com and set up a meeting with them if you would like to discuss your career and the market.
