April 2010
-
Fashion, In-House Counsel, Lawyer of the Day, Screw-Ups
In-House (and Inactive) Lawyer of the Day: Jonathan Moss
Gucci wants g’s for the use of its big G. Gucci sued Guess Inc. in 2009 for trademark infringement, for allegedly selling knock-offs of its designs and for using the interlocking “GG” pattern. Guess may be the company making knock-offs, but Gucci’s the company with fake lawyers. Gucci recently fired in-house lawyer Jonathan Moss because […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs 04.06.10
* So how did Judge of the Day Shirley Strickland Saffold get outed anyway? Well, it started with some hurtful anonymous comments. [On the Media] * Wait a minute, you’re saying that playing football could cause head injuries that lead to dementia? But the game looks so peaceful. Why weren’t we informed of this? [WSJ […] - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Lawyer Advertising
Adventures in Lawyer Advertising: Spanish-Speaking Squirrels and Reggae Songs
Personal injury law firms do not tend to have the classiest advertising campaigns. But Greenstein & Milbauer has taken the art of terrible law firm advertising to new heights. Or new lows. The firm has an official rap (sample lyrics: “have a neck broke from an accident you didn’t provoke?”) and its mascot is a […]
-
Old People, Partner Issues
Kelley Drye Strikes Back at the EEOC and Ancient De-equitized Partner
Earlier this year, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Kelley Drye & Warren for stripping aging partners of equity in the firm. Here at ATL, we have mixed feelings about the elderly. In an ATL debate over mandatory retirement policies at law firms, Elie endorsed kicking old partners to the curb, while I objected […] -
D.C. Circuit
D.C. Circuit Quietly Ruins the Internet for Everybody
This morning, a friend texted me, “You should do a post on D.C. destroying net neutrality.” In my best Arnold Drummond text/voice, I responded “What the f*** are you talking about, [Friend]?” See, in my world, the courts are here to help us — not to come into my home and place of business like […] -
Associate Bonus Watch 2009, Associate Salaries
Mintz Levin: A Salary Thaw and PPP Info
During the recession, Mintz Levin froze associate salaries and deferred 2009 summer associates all the way until 2012. Not good times. But the recession is starting to lift its death grip on law firms and the lawyers who work there, and Mintz Levin is in the mood to share the wealth. We spoke with Mintz […] -
Job Searches, NALP, National Association for Law Placement (NALP), Summer Associates
Summer Offer Rates: Vault Top 25 Are Hot
On Friday, we told you that NALP released its updated forms on firm offer rates. There is a wealth of information in the NALP data, and an Above the Law reader teased out the summer offer rate information: I’m sure you’ve noticed, some firms only give NALP multi-office reports, some give multi-office reports in conjunction […] -
Advertising, Parties, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Practical Law Company and ATL Invite You to Start the Summer
We’ve still got space for the Summer Associate Kick-Off Party hosted by Practical Law Company. The event is next week, April 13th, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Amity Hall, (80 West 3rd Street). I’m excited because, among other reasons, the party will fulfill my pledge to go to the West Village at least […] - Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Abortion
SMU Law Grad Morphs Into Anti-Abortion Warrior
Erlyndon Joseph Lo, 27, graduated from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 2007. Lo is a devout Catholic and has been using his knowledge of the law to fight abortion. We must add that his knowledge of the law appears to be shaky. In March, he sued the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket 04.06.10
* Virtual offices unethical? [New Jersey Law Journal via ABA Journal] * Lil Wayne has a lil’ prison blog. [Gothamist] * Goodwin Liu bares it all. [Confirm Goodwin] * Former Judge of the Day Shirley Strickland Saffold refuses to step down in Ohio serial killer case. [Associated Press] * New York personal injury attorney Marc […]
-
Environment / Environmental Law, Screw-Ups
Gibson Dunn Discovers a Typo
Steven Donzinger has been working on behalf of Ecuadorian natives for seventeen years, representing them in a lawsuit against Chevron alleging the oil company has destroyed their rainforest. It’s a much-covered case, and Harvard Law grad Donzinger has usually been cast as the hero fighting the big bad oil company. But it looks like Donzinger’s […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 04.05.10
* Here’s yet another ridiculous aspect of the U.S. News law school rankings. How do you differentiate between 200 schools on a scale of 1 through 5? [Concurring Opinions] * When offshore lawyers are trying to convince managing partners to send your work overseas, here’s what they say. [TechnoLawyer] * Texas: the prison rape capitol […] -
Divorce Train Wrecks, Hedge Funds / Private Equity, Lawsuit of the Day, McCarter & English
Lawsuit of the Day: Patricia Cohen's Ex-Lawyer Wants to Get Paid
We’ve been following the legal wranglings between SAC Capital’s Steve Cohen and his ex-wife, Patricia. Why wouldn’t we, how often does an ex-wife file civil RICO charges against a billionaire? Initially, Patricia Cohen retained civil RICO expert, Paul Batista. Apparently, Cohen and counsel didn’t see eye-to-eye. Batista withdrew the initial suit and Cohen retained Gaytri […]
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
-
Law Schools, Money
Open Thread: The State of Law School Giving
As an undergraduate, I worked for the Harvard College Fund. I made calls to alumni of the college and many of the professional schools asking for money. Yes, scum salt-of-the-earth kind of work. You learn a couple of things doing that job: don’t let women call people who graduated before 1960 and think that girls […] -
March Madness, March Madness 2010
ATL March Madness Final: DC v. San Francisco
It’s the finals in our March Madness. No underdogs made it. In our contest, Cinderallas were sent home from the ball with a glass of shut-the-hell-up: It’s the nation’s capital vs. the West Coast’s finest. Vote after the jump. -
Blind Item, Job Searches, Labor / Employment, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms
Blind Item: Law Firm Cutting Costs With Undergraduate Slave Labor?
Over the weekend, the New York Times took employers to task for taking advantage of university kids eager to get work experience. Unpaid internships abound, and the recession has made it easier for corporate employers to cry poor, and bring on free labor. However, there are strict federal guidelines [PDF] around unpaid internships, and many […] -
Deferral Stipend, Job Searches
In Chicago, Deferred Lawyers a Big Hit with Public Interest Organizations
Last month, we learned that deferred lawyers got along pretty well with their temporary public interest colleagues in New York. Yesterday, the Chicago Tribune reported that public interest organizations were more than happy to have temporary talent who had their Biglaw dreams deferred for a year: The opposite ends of Chicago’s legal profession found a […] -
Drinking
Drinking Advice from Indiana Law
Do you know how to drink responsibly? I hope so. By the time you get to law school, I really hope that you at least know how to avoid criminal behavior when drunk. Law school administrators do too. At the Indiana University Mauer School of Law, the Dean of Students decided to send 1Ls preparing […] -
Baseball, Sports, Tax Law
It's Opening Day: Why Can't I Afford to Go to the Ballpark?
The Major League Baseball Season started last night and gets underway in earnest today. Football might be the biggest sport on the American landscape, but baseball is still America’s pastime. It’s a favorite of lawyers and judges — and according to a recent poll, baseball is the sport that draws a nearly equal percentage of […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket 04.05.10
* Adam Liptak joins the chorus singing Justice John Paul Stevens’s departure song. [New York Times] * The front runners to take his spot are Solicitor General Elena Kagan and federal appellate judges Diane Wood and Merrick Garland. [Business Week] * Loyola Law: leveling the playing field or grade inflation? [Los Angeles Times; Chronicle of […]