June 2010
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.11.10
* Lawyers are terrible at predicting the outcome of their own cases. [Chronicle of Higher Education] * Boies Schiller is about to get its hands on some Goldman Sachs money — and everybody knows that GS money is worth more than regular money. [Reuters] * And here I thought that the “Extender” bill was sponsored […] -
Divorce Train Wrecks, Family Law, iPhone, Technology
Divorce Attorneys Have Competition from the iPhone
Marriage: an institution so sacred that two gay guys could ruin it with their love and commitment. But someday soon we might be able to get out of this sacred tradition using our phones. Already there’s a company offering some basic divorce information via iPhone apps. Robert Ambrogi’s Law Sites has the news: If you’re […] - 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… -
Bill Clinton, D.C. Circuit, Elena Kagan, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Quote Note of the Day: Elena Kagan's Sweet Side
There have been many profiles of the latest Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan, but this personal note to President Bill Clinton provides insight that a newspaper story can’t. It was among the documents released by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library today: The tipster who pointed it out to us (among the 2000 pages it […]
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Food
Skadden D.C. Cafeteria: Closed for Health Code Violations!
Last month, we reported that Skadden might be moving its Washington offices into the fabulous new CityCenter D.C. project. We expect their new digs to have a glamorous cafeteria, one that will rival Condé Nast’s Frank Gehry-designed extravaganza. Or at least a cafeteria that’s compliant with the District of Columbia health code. From the Washington […] -
Guns / Firearms, Ridiculousness, Weirdness
Shooting Yourself in the Foot > Shooting Your Mouth Off
Writers tend to use the word “literally” too much — and literally incorrectly. In this case, the word is entirely appropriate. A lawyer literally shot himself in the foot. The ABA Journal reports: An Ohio lawyer shot himself in the foot on Monday as he was retrieving his gun from a locker at the courthouse. […] -
Ann Althouse, Bad Ideas, Law Schools, Rank Stupidity, Student Loans
College Grad Exposes Everything That's Wrong With 0Ls
We spend a lot of time telling prospective law students to carefully consider the decision to go to law school. And still they come. We tell prospective law students that law school is expensive and the job market is weak. But still they come, in record numbers. What makes them come? NPR did a story […] -
Biglaw, Lawyer Advertising, Technology
Cravath Website Gets A Makeover... But Its Associates Don't
Forget Queer Eye and the Biggest Loser. When it comes to makeovers, we’re far more entertained when Biglaw firms overhaul their websites. Especially when they involve mind games (MoFo), body shots (Ballard Spahr and Cox Smith), or hotties (Davis Polk). Cravath previously had an Internet 1.0-type website. It was extremely basic; its sole function seemed […] -
Grade Reform, Law Professors, Law School Deans, Law Schools
A Brawl at DePaul Over Grades
We’ve done a lot of reports on schools that have instituted grade reform to make it easier on their students. But at DePaul College of Law, the administration decided to strictly enforce its curve as a way of combating wanton grade inflation. Apparently not all of the professors were on the same page. Professor Howard […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Biglaw, Weirdness
Worst Law Firm Scam Ever?
Why do people try to scam law firms? Is it because people know firms are flush with cash, or out of some deep-seated hatred of lawyers, or because they think law firm bookkeepers are stupid (since sometimes they are)? Earlier this month, the FBI issued a warning to law firms about overseas scammers sending e-mails […] -
Andrew Cuomo, Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.11.10
* Americans are warming up to Lady Kaga: public support for confirming Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court has reached 58 percent. [Washington Post] * But two Republican senators have issues with some of the memos Kagan wrote as a law clerk to Justice Marshall. [Associated Press via How Appealing] * As new estimates double […]
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Biglaw, Feminism, Gender, Women's Issues
Female Lawyers, Can You Have It All?
Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are examples of female lawyers who have it all: success in both their personal and professional lives. They both reached the pinnacle of the legal profession — a seat on the Supreme Court — but also raised families, blessing the world with judicial opinions galore, children, and grandchildren. […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.10.10
* Super 9/11 lawsuit settles. [New York Personal Injury Law Blog] * Prospective jurors still need to show proper respect for the judge. [Bad Lawyer] * The “Shaggy defense” isn’t quite as fun as the Chewbacca defense, but it’s just as effective. [Slate] * Measuring judicial ideology. [Concurring Opinions] * More evidence that in-house counsel […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Layoffs, Summer Associates
The Coming Law Firm Staffing Shortage?
There’s a reason why our weekly column by Law Shucks has been retitled from “This Week in Layoffs” to “This Week in Biglaw.” The pace of law firm layoffs has slowed dramatically. They haven’t stopped completely, and we suspect that many firms are still conducting “stealth layoffs” (which we welcome tips about — just email […]
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
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Biglaw, Email Scandals
Emails to Partners That Can Never Be Sent
Here at Above the Law, we like to provide a service to our readers. Sometimes things happen at a law firm that you just can’t talk about to your colleagues. But you can always tell us. Last week, we corresponded with a frustrated attorney. Despite the fact that he’s quite senior and has changed firms […] -
Associate Advice, Fashion, Gender, Health Care / Medicine, pls hndle thx
Pls Hndle Thx: Eyes Are the Window to Flex Spending Accounts
Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com. Dear ATL, I work in Manhattan and it’s time for me to get a new prescription for my glasses. Some of my friends are saying that I should trade in the glasses for contacts, to make me look young (I’m on the […] -
Contract Attorneys, Job Searches, listserv, Technology
The 'What' List?
“Hey, are you on the Posse List?” “The what list?” A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away — seven years ago in the Farragut North area of Washington, DC — the “what?” list was my response when I first heard of the Posse List from a fellow contract attorney on one of […] -
Cars, Crime, Drinking, DUI / DWI, Police
Another Reason You Should Never Blow
Not that we’re in the business of giving free legal advice, but there are a few things every lawyer should know. Lawyers should know how to handle a traffic stop, for instance. They should know how to handle cops who shout slurs at you from across the street. And of course, lawyers should never snitch. […] -
Job Searches, Law Schools, Public Interest
The Secret to '100% Employed at Graduation': Duke's Bridge to Practice
When the U.S. News rankings came out this year, Duke Law School had fallen out of the top ten. But one thing that hadn’t fallen was its Graduates Employed At Graduation statistic. As Elie noted (with skepticism), Duke reported that 100% of its 2008 graduates were employed. Elie wondered how that was possible given the […] -
Quote of the Day, Sports
Quote of the Day: A Puckish Request
We’ve lost every objection so far. Maybe we can win this one. — Chicago defense attorney Marc Martin, after asking Judge Joan Lefkow to delay the next day’s trial start so that jurors could stay up late watching the Blackhawks (w)in the Stanley Cup game Wednesday night. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 06.10.10
* Unhappy investors in Arizona go after the law firm that drafted papers for the company that allegedly swindled them. Greenberg Traurig is hit with a $52 million lawsuit for allegedly aiding a mortgage fund in a $1 billion fraud. [Courthouse News Service] * Elena Kagan and Antonin Scalia’s secret love. [Washington Post] * A […]