It’s not surprising that Drinker Biddle is moving to a full merit-based pay scale. Back in May, we reported that Drinker Biddle decided to change the nature of the first-year associate experience. We reported that Drinker would turn its associates’ first six months at the firm into an intensive training period. During that time, first […]
As you may know, it’s been an exciting new year at Breaking Media. Here at Above the Law, we’ve decided to ramp up by adding more staff. Our addition is somebody many of you already know and love. Kashmir Hill is joining the Above the Law team, full time. Kash has been writing for ATL […]
Law firms and legal departments are writing the future of the profession in separate rooms. What happens when they actually work together?
Over the holiday weekend, reports came pouring into the ATL inbox about the most expensive iPhone app currently on the market. It costs $1,000 and is aimed at legal types, specifically those who want to be lawyers in California. From PCWorld: BarMax: California Edition, available now in the iPhone’s App Store for $999.99, is a […]
On Friday, we reported on a mystery meeting for all associates at Sidley Austin. We noted that associate salaries — salaries that have been frozen since 2008 — were on the agenda. So what was the outcome for Sidley associates? Apparently, more confusion. A Sidley tipster reports: we left the meeting confused. they said we […]
* Wall Street’s main lobbying arm is lawyering up to fight President Obama’s proposed bank tax. Appellate star Carter G. Phillips of Sidley Austin, a former clerk to Warren Burger, is on the case, though he may try to fight this one out at the Capitol rather than in a courtroom. [Bloomberg] * The FBI […]
Legal blogs and trade publications have been writing about “The Death of Big Law” for months. But now it’s official. The patient has been pronounced dead by no less an authority than the New York Times. Who needs the fat lady to sing when the Gray Lady has spoken? First, a quick caveat. Obviously Biglaw […]
LexisNexis sat down with John Ursin, Managing Partner at Schenck Price, to learn how the firm is using legal AI to strengthen client service and daily legal work.
Many law students these days are angry and frustrated. If the allegations are true, one has resorted to gun violence (and not just against his casebooks). From Philadelphia’s Fox 29: A Virginia man is in custody after a weekend shooting in front of Fox 29’s studio in Philadelphia that was caught on camera. Temple University […]
* The Obama administration extends temporary protected status to Haitian immigrants (a possibility that we discussed here). [New York Times] * The Massachusetts Senate race between two lawyers, state attorney general Martha Coakley (B.U. Law) and state senator Scott Brown (B.C. Law.), is too close to call; Obama takes the stump for Coakley. [Boston Globe; […]
Today we remember the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the pioneering civil rights leader. Dr. King’s birthday was actually on January 15th, but the holiday is observed on the third Monday of January each year. If you’re not at work, we hope that you are enjoying the day off. If you are at […]
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. If you thought unemployment and underemployment (which does include people who become discouraged and voluntary stop looking for work) were arbitrary and capricious, you’ll really […]
With the addition of Uncover’s technology, the litigation software is delivering rapid innovation.
* Hey law students: Why not donate your Lexis points to Haiti earthquake relief? It’s better than using them for this. [Nuts & Boalts] * Professor Dave Hoffman reads the fine print in the terms of sale for Nexus One (pictured), the new Google smartphone, and suggests a new slogan for the company: “Don’t be […]
I’ve been trying to be optimistic about the future of Biglaw in 2010. There’s no harm in hoping for the best. But I’m positive that 2010 will see more outsourcing of American and British legal jobs to India. And from the perspective of junior Biglaw associates or current law students, that trend does not lead […]
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.” Welcome to the sixth installment of Predictions of the 10th Justice, brought to you by FantasySCOTUS.net. The league has over 3,400 members, who have made predictions […]
Great news for Biglaw partners and the associates who love them. Early returns suggest that despite the global economic meltdown that wrecked multiple American industries, profits per partner remained relatively stable in 2009. Biglaw partners made out okay. They survived. And they’re looking forward to even more profit in 2010. The WSJ Law Blog reports: […]
On December 30th, 2008, Sidley Austin froze associate salaries. At the time, the firm said: Given the current uncertainty in the economy and financial markets, and the impact on law firms, we are still in the process of evaluating associate salary levels for 2009. We expect to make a decision on this issue sometime during […]