June 2010
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Bar Exams, Hotties, Reality TV, Romance and Dating, Television
Why Unemployed Lawyers Shouldn't Go On Reality TV Shows -- Exhibit A: Victoria, of MTV's Downtown Girls
With job prospects bleak and the allure of fleeting fame high, some lawyers have considered sending their résumés to reality TV show casting companies instead of legal recruiters. But competition is tough in the realm of trashy television, too. One unemployed New York lawyer is living the reality TV star dream. Meet Victoria. She is […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.09.10
* It’s shocking that the crime of adultery is still on the books in New York, but it’s not surprising that a woman is getting slammed with it. The Hester Prynnes in these situations always get it worse than the Arthur Dimmesdales. [Gothamist] * Minnesota Congresswoman drafts legislation calling for Professor Erlinder’s immediate release. What’s […] - Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
Attorney Misconduct, Crime, Divorce Train Wrecks, Legal Ethics, Lindquist & Vennum, Scott Rothstein, White House Counsel, White-Collar Crime
A Trio of Misbehaving Lawyers: Some Updates
For some reason, today brings lots of news about lawyers and the criminal justice system. And we’re not talking about lawyers representing clients, but lawyers who are the clients: John Michael Farren, the former White House lawyer accused of attempting to murder his wife; Scott Rothstein, the Florida attorney who ran a massive Ponzi scheme; […]
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Grade Reform, Law Schools
Tulane: The Latest School to Adopt Grade Reform
By this point, you know the drill with grade reform: A) Law school experiences embarrassing employment outcomes. B) Administration refuses to admit legal education is ridiculously overpriced given the soft job market. C) Students demand immediate administrative action to help students find work. D) Administration has precisely zero ideas on how to help students get […] -
Entertainment Law, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: Don't go in the entertainment law water...
In order to maximize their control over the creature, the “Jaws” filmmakers built three sharks for their 1975 movie. All created from the same mold, the sharks were dubbed “Bruce” after Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Ramer. — ‘Jaws’ Shark Hunted Down -
Attorney Misconduct, Lawyer of the Day, Legal Ethics
Lawyer of the Day: A Disappearing Act
One summer associate story from years past involved an SA who simply stopped showing up to work for several days. Given how big summer classes were back then (not like today), and how much misbehavior was tolerated in those halcyon days, it took a surprisingly long time for the perpetrator to get in trouble. The […] -
Breasts, Citigroup, Hotties, Sex, Sexism, Sexual Harassment
Debrahlee Lorenzana's Breasts: An Attractive Nuisance
It seems the world can’t get enough of Debrahlee Lorenzana, the former Citibank employee who alleges she was fired because she was “too hot.” She’s been making the rounds of the morning talk shows, and people have been absolutely gushing about her figure, which allegedly got her fired. But could you call her body an […] -
Advertising, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Thanks to This Week’s Advertisers
A quick word of thanks to this week’s advertisers on Above the Law: Conrad Hotels France Tourism Kinney Recruiting Lateral Link Lexis Nexis – Case Map Lexis Nexis – Discovery Solutions Lexis Nexis – Law Firm Marketing Products Lexis Nexis – Martindale Lexis Nexis – RLS Specialized Law Lexis Nexis – Search Advantage & Hosted […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Book Club, Books, Elena Kagan, Law Professors
'Getting It': A Novel About a Diabolical Pursuit of PartnershipAnd an interview with the author, NYU Professor Daniel Shaviro.
If you’re the type who is convinced that the people you work with in Biglaw are evil, conniving, and ready to stab you in the back with a really sharp highlighter, you will love Getting It, a novel by Daniel Shaviro. In a post titled “james joyce meets the paper chase,” an Amazon reviewer says: […] -
Law Firm Mergers, Sonnenschein
Sonnenschein Merger with Denton Wilde Is Official
A few weeks ago, news broke that Sonnenschein would merge with the U.K.-based firm of Denton Wilde. Today the firms announced that partners on both sides of the Atlantic unanimously voted in favor of the merger. From the Sonnenschein press release: The partnerships of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP (SNR) and Denton Wilde Sapte LLP […] -
Law Schools, Money, Student Loans
Open Thread: It's Time For Another Round of Tuition Hikes
Over the past year, we’ve devoted a great deal of coverage to the value proposition of going to law school. While reasonable people disagree on just how much law school should cost (Canadian professor Robert Martin starts the bidding at $12 a year), there is a growing consensus that the cost of legal education is […] -
Biglaw, Outsourcing
Outsourcing: It's Not Just About the Money
It’s been a while since we checked in with the coming junior associate apocalypse that is legal outsourcing. Rest assured, LPOs around the globe are working hard to make sure that the Biglaw junior associate becomes extinct — at least as we know it. There’s a fascinating article on Law21 that discusses the evolution of […] -
Morning Docket, Politics, Tax Law
Morning Docket: 06.09.10
* California businesswomen fared well in last night’s primaries. [Washington Post] * But former lawyer of the Day Orly Taitz, aka “The Birther Queen,” lost in the Republican primary for California secretary of state. [Washington Wire] * Meanwhile, a vote over in the Swiss parliament could derail the delicate deal reached between UBS and the […]
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Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
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In-House Counsel, Summer Associates
A Memo for Summer Associates: Bizarro World
Ed. note: This is a special post from Will Meyerhofer of The People’s Therapist. This article is also posted there. I summered at Shearman & Sterling way back in 1996. Judging from my clients’ feedback, the summer associate “experience” at big law firms hasn’t changed much over the years. With the recession, it’s harder to […] -
Asians, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.08.10
* The State Department told an Asian man (pictured) that his passport photo was “too yellow.” We’re constantly vigilant for threats, foreign and domestic, to our national security — but we should feel safer knowing that our State Department civil servants are on the lookout for the yellow peril. [The Darkside] * Jamie Dimon isn’t […] -
Divorce Train Wrecks, Sex, Weddings, Weirdness
Michigan Lawyer Ryan Hill Has a Funny Way of Showing 'Marriage Matters'
Michigan law firm partner Ryan Hill has a very candid biography on his non-firm website: I am a self-proclaimed family man. My wife and I have open communication about everything, whether it is small things such as who is going to take out the trash, to bigger things such as communicating our sexual desires. We’re […] -
Law School Deans, Law Schools, Sexual Harassment
Update: Rotunda v. Zengerle Has Settled
Last month we covered the somewhat salacious suit that law professor Kyndra Rotunda filed against her former employer, George Mason University School of Law; a GMU law professor, Joseph Zengerle; and the law school’s dean, Daniel Polsby. As we reported, most of the counts, including the juiciest sexual harassment claims, were dismissed. Some state-law claims […] -
john quinn, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: CHECK YOU CAREER CHOICES
sometimes it seems i just go from protecting one billionaires’ billions to protecting another billionaires’ billions. — John Quinn, managing partner of Quinn Emanuel, describing his job to his followers on Twitter. -
Cert Pool, Elena Kagan, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Kagan and the Cert Pool: Should She Jump In?
The confirmation hearings for Solicitor General Elena Kagan, nominated to replace Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court, are currently scheduled to start on Monday, June 28. We will, of course, offer extensive coverage, including some liveblogging. But most observers expect little confirmation drama — which makes sense. Elena Kagan is an eminently qualified […] -
Canada, Law Professors, Law Schools, Student Loans
Blame Canada -- For Its Crappy Law Schools
The Canadian legal blogosphere has been buzzing this week over an article penned by last year by a retired Canadian law professor. In it, University of Western Ontario emeritus professor Robert Martin likens Canadian law faculties to “psychotic kindergartens” and offers other hilarious taunts about the quality of Canadian legal education. The Guardian highlights this […]