The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil suit against Goldman Sachs this morning. According to the SEC, Goldman is guilty of taking a “do what I say, not what I do” approach to mortgaged-backed securities. Well, d’uh. That’s why Goldman isn’t suckling on the federal teat right now. The SEC claims Goldman sold a […]
In yesterday’s post about the departure of D.C. power broker Lanny Davis from McDermott Will & Emery, a firm he joined a little over six months ago, we put out a request for more information. That request was promptly answered — by none other than Lanny Davis himself. The drama lover in us was hoping […]
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.
I have been a lifelong cannabis user, on an almost daily basis since I was in high school. I am now the managing partner of a very successful law firm in the Washington, D.C. area. I have been in a professional law practice for almost 27 years. I work 60+ hours a week, and all […]
Back in December, DLA Piper decided to move to a merit based compensation system. Attendant to that move, the firms instituted a 10% pay cut, dropping starting salaries to $145,000. Despite widespread outrage among DLA associates, the firm repeatedly defended the move. Other Biglaw firms that moved away from lockstep would not follow DLA down […]
Last month, Midwestern firm Polsinelli Shughart raided Bryan Cave. Approximately 22 attorneys from Bryan Cave’s Phoenix, D.C., and Chicago offices spread their wings and flew over to Polsinelli. The Phoenix flock was the largest, consisting of 12 partners and associates. When a big group of attorneys leave, it sometimes spooks those left behind. We hear […]
* MSM, it’s a volcano, not the apocalypse. [New York Times] * Liberal law students are unimpressed with the frontrunners to replace Stevens. [Slate] * Patients can now chose who can visit them in the hospital and make crucial medical decisions. That’s another step in the road towards fundamental fairness for gays and lesbians. [Associated […]
With the addition of Uncover’s technology, the litigation software is delivering rapid innovation.
This is my last report about the Harvard Law School/New York Law School Future of Education Conference. If you read the previous installments, you’ll note that assembled law school deans, professors, and other educators spent a lot of time talking about the past. Towards the end of the day however, the conference turned forward looking […]
* Is the iPad a good gadget for a young associate? [Young Lawyer’s Blog] * The blogosphere is still trying to come to grips with Chester Paul Beach’s statement. [Simple Justice] * I think I know why we are all so obsessed with the U.S. News rankings. [True/Slant] * New York City to close “rubber […]
Back in October, we wrote about D.C. powerhouse lawyer Lanny Davis moving from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe to McDermott Will & Emery. He was joined in his Orrick-to-McDermott move by Eileen O’Connor, the journalist-turned-lawyer who worked with him in his crisis management practice. Now, just a few months later, it appears that Davis is striking […]
Today Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer made a rare appearance on Capitol Hill to testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee, regarding the Court’s budget. It started out jovially, with Justice Thomas poking fun at Justice Breyer for agreeing with him for the very first time (at the 15 minute mark, regarding taking […]
Law firms and legal departments are writing the future of the profession in separate rooms. What happens when they actually work together?
Take a look at this picture and tell me how flying animals represent diversity: via Copyranter. I don’t even know what the hell is supposed to be going on in this picture, so I’ll let a professional in decoding advertising messages explain…
Given the recession, a lot of lawyers shut out of Biglaw are trying to get jobs with small firms. The problem is, the skills required to get one of those jobs are not obvious to your average recent law school graduate. Of course, small and solo practitioners want to help young lawyers better themselves! In […]
Or: Horror Story From A Young Associate, Wrongfully Sanctioned And Job Hunting During The Great Recession.
Ed. note: Gretchen Rubin is the author of The Happiness Project. The book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for 15 weeks, ever since its publication (including hitting the #1 spot). Although she’s now a writer, with a total of five bestselling and/or critically acclaimed books to her name, Rubin started her […]
Today is a very special and important day. Do you know what day it is? (And no, we’re not talking about the official release of the U.S. News law school rankings, which we’ve already covered.) It’s not National Be Kind to Lawyers Day, which took place on Tuesday. Now your secretary has no reason to […]