Ed. note: Above the Law is a bit estrogen-deprived this week, with both Kash and Marin on vacation. So your above-signed writer, who is more in touch with his feminine side than Elie, was called up for duty. He apologizes for not being able to do justice to this subject. UPDATE (6 PM): The New […]
Apparently, cutting salaries, changing its compensation structure, and canceling its summer program just isn’t getting Seyfarth Shaw the kinds of cost savings it needs. So the firm has returned to the old fail-safe option: layoffs. Am Law Daily reports that the firm laid off approximately 20 attorneys and 20 staffers. The firm-wide email from Seyfarth […]
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.
On Wednesday, we commended the firm of Paul Hastings for moving so quickly to support Haiti earthquake relief efforts. Since then, a number of other top law firms have pledged their support to this worthy cause. (Okay, Rush Limbaugh questions the worthiness of the cause. But we suspect that Limbaugh’s position — like that of […]
* First, Dominic Carter lost his job as political anchor for New York 1. Now, he’s been sentenced to one month in jail. The lesson: don’t beat your wife. [Daily News] * Gilbert Arenas, the Washington Wizards guard, has been charged with felony gun possession. [Washington Post] * In other basketball-related legal news, Shaquille O’Neal […]
We have previously predicted that, when the American Lawyer releases its data on profits per partner in 2009, we’ll see some declines over 2008. Last year was not a pretty one for the profession (although most of you think this year will be better). But could our prediction be wrong? Is it possible that, owing […]
* Cleary U.K. associate goes ape$hit at a Freshfields event. Totally nutters. Lots of pointing. [Am Law Daily] * Apple — with a little help from Orrick — tells Valleywag that paying people to steal trade secrets is illegal. [Gizmodo] * … Which means Orrick, indirectly, wins Valleywag’s prize for confirming that Apple is indeed […]
Legal work isn’t slowing down, and the firms that win won’t be the ones working harder — they’ll be the ones working smarter.
Marin is away this week. She’s on vacation. But don’t worry, she reports that she’s having a miserable time. She wilts when people aren’t constantly asking her to fix their miserable lives. Without Marin, a confused law student turned to Slate’s Dear Prudence to help her out with some troubles. Apparently this law student spent […]
We’ve spent a lot of time discussing DLA Piper’s new compensation structure for its associates. I’ve assumed that DLA Piper’s changes have the support of DLA partners. I mean, we’ve received leaked memos from DLA partners defending the plan. But it’s wrong for me to think of partnerships as monolithic groups, especially at a firm […]
In addition to being one of the world’s most successful law firms, Skadden is also a public-spirited one. The firm just donated $100,000 to Haiti relief efforts, for example. (More on that later.) In addition, the firm supports public interest work through the Skadden Fellowship Program: The Skadden Fellowship Foundation, described as “a legal Peace […]
Is the customer always right? In the legal profession, not necessarily. As a lawyer, sometimes your job is to talk some sense into your client — and to refuse to move forward if your client, ignoring your advice, orders you to prosecute frivolous (or borderline frivolous) litigation. Perhaps this lesson needs to be learned by […]
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
Add Dickstein Shapiro to the list of firms that have decided to do away with lockstep associate compensation. As of January 22, Dickstein will adopt a new merit-based compensation system. Like many firms that have abandoned lockstep, Dickstein will be using a three-tiered system, similar to Orrick’s compensation structure. Starting salary for new Dickstein associates […]
Is suing a former client for unpaid bills a wise idea? Maybe not. As John Marquess, president of Legal Cost Control, told the New York Law Journal, “If I were advising any law firm, I would tell them suing a client over fees is a no-win situation. It’s going to get you adverse publicity you […]
When I think of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), I think of, well, conservatives. When I think of Liberty University, which claims Jerry Falwell Jr. as its chancellor, I think of conservatives. So when Liberty Law School sponsors a CPAC event, I don’t expect there to be major conflicts between the two organizations. And, […]
Yesterday the United States officially halted the deportation of Haitian illegal immigrants, on a temporary basis. The New York Times reports: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Haitian deportations would be halted “for the time being,” without specifying a time period. Immigration officials said it was clear they could be putting Haitians’ safety at risk […]
* Taxing banks for fun and profit — remember McCulloch v. Maryland? Obama will propose a tax on big banks, to recoup taxpayer losses from the Wall Street bailout. [New York Times] * Josh Levin and Dahlia Lithwick discuss yesterday’s Supreme Court argument in the American Needle case, regarding the application of antitrust laws to […]