August 2010
-
Breasts, Hotties, Kids
Best Defense of the Day: My client is a hottie.
Let’s be clear. My client is tall, brunette and has an ample breast and is therefore going to naturally be sensuous when she applies cream to her chest. — Italian lawyer Gianluca Arrighi in defense of a topless sunbathing client, who applied sunblock in a way that “troubled” two boys, 12 and 14. -
Advertising, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Thanks to This Week's Advertisers
Thanks to this week’s advertisers on Above the Law: BarMax Bonobos Kinney Recruiting Lateral Link Lexis Nexis – Discovery Solutions Lexis Nexis – Law Firm Marketing Products Lexis Nexis – Martindale Lexis Nexis – RLS Specialized Law Lexis Nexis – Search Advantage & Hosted Litigation MasterCard MarketPlace Mercedes-Benz Rocket Matter Sunshine Suites Suntrust 2010 PWM […] - 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… -
Gay, Military / Military Law
Air Force Colonel Sues To Block His Discharge Under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
The Proposition 8 case — a ruling on the motion to stay judgment pending appeal is expected any minute now — isn’t the only gay-related litigation going on these days. As reported in the New York Times, lawyers for Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach filed a lawsuit yesterday in federal court in Idaho. They’re seeking a […]
-
Federal Judges, Old People, Quote of the Day, Richard Posner, Trials
Quote of the Day: You're 71 and Entitled to a Fat Pension; Retire?
I have to, it’s my job. I mean what would I do? I don’t know what I would do. — Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner, when asked at trial how he could carry on after feeling threatened by radio host Hal Turner’s comment that Judge Posner and two of his colleagues “deserve to be killed.” -
Kids, Lawsuit of the Day, Perverts, Weirdness
Lawsuit of the Day: Has Donald Duck Been Unfairly Accused?
Donald Duck tends to be cranky; he’s not the most friendly of the Disney characters. But a Pennsylvania woman, 27, contends that Donald got way too friendly with her during a 2008 trip with her family to Epcot Center. In a complaint posted by the Smoking Gun, April Magolon claims that she asked Donald for […] -
Bar Exams, Glenn Reynolds, John Yoo, Law Professors, Law Schools, Richard Epstein, Television, Videos
Is Law School Becoming a Fool's Errand?
That’s one of the topics covered by an impressive trio of law professors — Richard Epstein, Glenn Reynolds, and John Yoo — in an interesting, wide-ranging discussion over at PJTV. Although they all hail from the right side of the aisle, they disagree on a number of issues. Here’s a summary: Are law schools creating […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.12.10
* Will wedding bells be ringing soon in California? Judge Vaughn Walker will rule today on extending the Prop 8 stay. [Associated Press] * A 32-year-old Canadian lawyer was awarded $6 million after a law firm colleague knocked her down on the dance floor. [The Post] * The Seventh Circuit testifies again in New York. […]
-
Lawyerly Lairs, Nauseating Things, Real Estate, Travel / Vacation
Lawyerly Lairs: A Skadden Partner's 'Hideous' House Causes Cape Cod Controversy
Longtime Skadden partner Hilary Foulkes, recognized by Chambers and Partners for his expertise in cross-border M&A work, is quite distinctive-looking. And so is his Cape Cod vacation house, in Chatham — which is causing some trouble with the locals. Hilary and Tina Foulkes — we thought they were lesbians, until we saw his photo — […] - 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… -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 08.11.10
* And you thought you had a hard time explaining a work gap on your résumé… [Piercing the Veil / Forbes] * Before you exit Biglaw, make sure to check these 50 items off your bucket list. And then go ahead, deploy the slide and take a few brewskis for the road. [Technolawyer] * Do […] -
Intellectual Property, Layoffs, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Brinks Hofer Bids Farewell to 18
Though there are signs that things are looking up for the legal market next year, the economy remains troubled. This week the recession claimed 18 at intellectual-property boutique Brinks Hofer. We spoke with firm president Gary Ropski, who confirmed that seven attorneys, one patent agent, and ten staff were laid off this week. [FN1] Most […] -
Attorney Misconduct, Depositions, Legal Ethics, Paralegals, Weirdness
Will Footsies During a Deposition Lead to Sanctions?
A pair of motions are bouncing around email inboxes this week, thanks to the “foot-tapping lawyer.” (This has nothing to do with Larry Craig, so read on without fear.) It all started in July, when Florida law firm Rasco Klock sent a paralegal to Wilmington for a deposition. The firm is representing a plaintiff suing […] -
Airplanes / Aviation, Constitutional Law, Crime, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Gay
Did the JetBlue Flight Attendant Go Down the Slippery Slope Slide to Criminality?
We touched upon this issue in Morning Docket, both today and yesterday: Is Steven Slater — the JetBlue flight attendant who reportedly unleashed a profanity-laced tirade over the airplane’s public-address system, before fleeing the plane via the emergency-evacuation chute, beer in hand — a criminal? Slater was hit with felony charges of criminal mischief and […] -
Airplanes / Aviation, Layoffs, Quote of the Day, Unemployment
Quote of the Day: Curbing Desires During Unemployment?
Part of the frustration is this incredibly long build-up to nothing. Like, ‘Why did I spend 22 years getting A’s and studying for the chance to eat canned chili?’ … I was in the airport watching people move bags from the curb to the curbside check-in, thinking, ‘At least they do something all day long, […]
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
-
Advertising, Biglaw, Career Center, Shameless Plugs, Summer Associates, This Is an Ad
Career Center: WilmerHale's Summer Associates, For the Win
In anticipation of the release of the summer associate survey results, last week we highlighted the firm with the highest response rate among summer associates, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman. Today we want to congratulate and feature WilmerHale, for having the highest overall number of respondents to the summer associate survey. In a time when […] -
Bad Ideas, Law Schools, Religion
A Law School Is Coming to Shreveport -- Hallelujah!
Some people — such as the many anti-law-school bloggers, or my colleague here at Above the Law, Elie Mystal — think there are too many law schools. I’m not as much of a pessimist; I take a more measured view. Although I share the concern that perhaps too many schools are cranking out too many […] -
Biglaw, Rankings, Vault rankings, Williams & Connolly
The Best Firms To Work For, When It Comes To 'Quality of Life'
Forget about prestige (momentarily). Which firms have the best quality of life? Vault has compiled its annual Law Firm Quality of Life Rankings, based on associate surveys. Associates were asked to rate their firms on “overall satisfaction, associate/partner relations, firm culture, hours, compensation, office space, training, and pro bono and green initiatives.” Williams & Connolly […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.11.10
* Aw. This is quaint: “Why lawyers should work no more than 40 hours a week.” [ABA Journal] * Judge Carl J. Barbier will oversee the BP litigation clean-up. [New York Times; Huffington Post] * Seventh Circuit forgives ERISA “scrivener’s error.” [Reuters via ABA Journal] * The heat is on Google in South Korea. [New […]
-
Summer Associates
The 100% Summer Associate Offer Rates Keep Rolling In
This was a year of small summer classes. Fewer summer associates mean a greater likelihood that all will get offers… unless a law student does something egregious. (Good news for rising 2Ls: There are signs that next year’s classes will be larger.) Latham & Watkins and Gibson Dunn had the biggest summer associate classes this […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 08.10.10
* Judge John Walter (C.D. Cal.) has rejected Bill Lerach’s proposal to rack up community service hours by teaching law at UC Irvine. [National Law Journal via WSJ Law Blog] * The American Bar Association (ABA) has come out in favor of marriage equality (i.e., same-sex marriage). [Poliglot / Metro Weekly] * Former Senator Ted […] -
Sarah Palin, Social Networking Websites, Technology, Trials
A Guide to Internet Slang, Courtesy of the Sarah Palin Email Hacker Trial
Earlier this year, David Kernell, 22, was found guilty of hacking into Sarah Palin’s Yahoo! account and posting some of her emails on the Internetz. The Palins were pleased by his conviction. One of the places where Palin’s correspondence wound up was the (enter-at-your-own-risk) message forum 4chan.org. During the course of the April felony trial, […]