This has all happened before, and this will all happen again. So say we all. At the beginning of the recession, just weeks after Lehman Brothers collapsed in September 2008, we brought you a New York Times article from 1990 that illustrated the similarities between the tough legal job markets created by Bush 41 and Bush 43.
Today, we run the DeLorean even further back in time, and to an entirely different country. A loyal reader was cleaning out his office and came across an article from The Law College Magazine of Bombay, India, from 1930. The piece is entitled: “Is It Worthwhile? A Frank Talk With Budding Lawyers.” And it’s all about whether a person should pursue a two-year law degree in India in the 1930s.
Folks, let me tell you: some people worry that India will become the new market for American legal jobs, but that’s not the real fear. The real fear is that American law students will become like Indian law students in 1930.
And maybe that process is already well underway….
Continue reading “Back to the Future: What the J.D. Class of 2011 Can Learn From Indian Law Students in 1930″
* I’ve already shared my thoughts on the passing of Greg Giraldo. Here’s a wonderful piece about other members from Giraldo’s HLS class of 1990 (gavel bang: commenters). [Esquire]
* Joe Miller, the YLS grad who is running for U.S. Senate in Alaska, has more skeletons in his closet. Have Alaskan political journalists ever heard of vetting somebody before the primary? [Think Progress]
* In other would-be Republican Senator news, it appears that hands-free High Priestess Christine O’Donnell has a non-profit that never filed any tax returns. I’d make more fun of her, but given how the Democrats roll, Obama might now be interested in bringing O’Donnell into his administration. [Going Concern]
* Robert Bork on Canada’s legalization of prostitution. I’ve always found it too cold in Canada to find a good street walker, so this might not be all bad. [Newsmax]
* Finding a Rabbi is much more complicated than I thought. To find a good priest, all I have to do is walk down to my local Boys and Girls Club and… whoa, that lightning bolt almost got me this time. [Antitrust & Competition Policy Blog]
* The ACLU is supporting Judge Isaac Stoltzfus, the guy accused of passing out condoms hidden in acorns. [Elie slowly shifts ACLU card back behind his GameStop card to the "time out" corner of his wallet.] [ABA Journal]
* A former lawyer leaves her job and travels around the world, and when she comes back, all of her stuff is stolen. Can you help her out? [Legal Nomads]
* 8 prosecutors you don’t want to face in court. This list names names, not stereotypes. Too bad, because the “distractingly smelly” prosecutor has to be the worst. [Court Reporter School]
Glenn C. Lewis: he's a billable-hour machine.
A few days ago, the Washington Post reported on the legal misadventures of prominent D.C. attorney Glenn Lewis (no relation to the Canadian R&B singer, as far as we know). According to the Post, “Glenn C. Lewis is an acknowledged titan of the D.C. area divorce bar, a former president of the Virginia Bar Association who boasts that he is the most expensive lawyer in the region: $850 an hour. He has an impressive office in the District and an array of high-profile clients.”
One would expect a lawyer of Lewis’s stature and success to have impeccable judgment. But it appears that recently he made a serious misjudgment. He decided to sue a former client for an extra $500,000 in fees and interest, after having already received some $378,000 from that client.
Unfortunately for Glenn Lewis, that client was a lawyer — and decided to strike back. By the end of the whole episode, Lewis ending up owing his former client money — an amount in the six figures….
Continue reading “Lawyer of the Day: Suing a Client for Nonpayment of Fees — and Ending Up Owing the Client Money”
A law school faculty member who is engaged in training as a counselor/therapist is seeking volunteers for listening sessions. The purpose of the sessions is for the faculty member to practice basic listening skills while reflecting back to the volunteer what the volunteer has said. The sessions are not themselves therapy or counseling. Nonetheless, everything that the volunteer says will be kept confidential.
– a strange email sent by an administrator to the entire student body of Stanford Law School
Or maybe news you could have used. Apologies for not reminding you, as we’ve done in past years, about the application deadline for the Department of Justice’s Honors Program. The application deadline for the 2010-2011 program fell on September 7, 2010. [FN1]
(If you’re not already familiar with how the Honors Program works, read our prior post or visit the official DOJ website. The short description: “The highly competitive Honors Program is the only way that the Department hires entry-level attorneys.” Most applicants to the program are 3Ls and judicial law clerks.)
Yesterday, if you checked the DOJ website, you could find out whether you were selected for an interview (although you couldn’t tell which DOJ component had selected you). This morning, official interview notifications went out to selected candidates. To those of you selected for interviews, congratulations! Feel free to crow about your success or trade tips with other interviewees in the comments to this open thread.
Getting picked for an Honors Program interview is quite an accomplishment, especially given the still-tough legal job market and the many 3Ls and law clerks searching for jobs. Word on the street is that the DOJ received 3,000 applications for an estimated 160 vacancies in the Honors Program. Says a source: “[T]hat’s nearly 20 applicants per position. Which is actually pretty low by comparison with clerkship apps, I bet, but still daunting.”
If you didn’t get selected for an interview, or if you missed the application deadline altogether, don’t despair. Here’s another opportunity for graduating law students who are interested in working for the federal government. And the deadline has not yet passed — but it’s fast approaching….
Continue reading “News You Can Use: Federal Government Job Opportunities
And Open Thread: DOJ Honors Interview Decisions“
'So, do you have any questions for ME?'
Not too long ago, when law firms used to supersize their summer associate classes and make offers to anyone who had a pulse, callback interviews were a mere formality. Today’s post-recessionary firms are understandably more careful about hiring, and as a result,the callback interview has become a sine qua non for getting into Biglaw. We talked with an attorney recruiter, as well as attorneys currently conducting callback interviews, to bring you the top ten tips for getting an edge over the competition.
The complete article is available on the Career Center, but we’ve highlighted the first three tips after the jump.
Continue reading “Career Center: Navigating the Callback – 10 Tips for a Successful Interview”
Tyler Clementi
Over the past few days, we’ve learned a lot about Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers college student and talented violinist who killed himself after his roommate streamed, live on the internet, a hidden webcam video of Tyler hooking up with another man. On September 22, a few days after the incident, Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge.
Former ATL editor Kashmir Hill has learned even more. She’s been tracking Clementi’s digital footprints, and found that he went to a message board for gay men seeking counsel after he learned of his roommate’s prank.
I used the word “prank” because that’s how I see the actions of Tyler Clementi’s roommate, Dharun Ravi. Ravi is an 18-year-old kid in his first semester at college. Along with a friend, Molly Wei, Ravi pulled a prank on his new roommate — one that went horribly wrong.
Because Clementi killed himself, the media has worked itself into a rabid lather over Ravi’s and Wei’s actions. The story was all over the New York Times yesterday. Michael Daly criticized Ravi so harshly I thought I was reading about some kind of modern day Billy Zabka in the New York Daily News this morning. Some gay rights groups want Ravi to be charged with a hate crime.
Before we crucify this college freshman, I have a couple of questions…
Continue reading “Invasion of Privacy or College Prank Gone Wrong (or Both)? What to Do With Tyler Clementi’s Roommate”
‘Tis the season to be frantic, especially if you’re an incoming associate at a small law firm. Last November, Elie posed this question to the Biglaw readership: “Bar results are out. Does everyone still have a job?”
I’m really curious to hear how smaller firms are handling this. Generally speaking, you’re closer to the action as a first-year associate at a small firm. Sometimes, you’re knee deep in the action. See, e.g., this email I received from a reader and first-year associate at a small firm:
I draft contracts and other documents largely on my own, they go from me to the principal, back to me for revision, and then to the client/court. I deal with clients all the time. I go to court, mediation, negotiations…
This describes my own experience as a new associate almost exactly. I was expected to be… well, to be an attorney — with most things I was called upon to do requiring a license….
Continue reading “Small Law Firm Bar Exam Thread: Is Your Job at Stake?”
Judge Vaughn Walker is coming out -- of the federal judiciary, that is.
* Michigan AG candidate David Leyton demands that assistant AG Andrew Shirvell be faaaaaaaabuloussss fired. [Ann Arbor News]
* If at first you don’t succeed, ignore the judge’s ruling and try again. Lawyers for the Department of the Interior beg for a pass on the second deep-water drilling moratorium. [Bloomberg]
* “I’m black, I’m transsexual, and my name is Lord Jesus Christ.” Three strikes and you’re out at this Massachusetts library. [The Republican]
* New Jersey ethics laws have loopholes? Impossible –- New Jersey is a bastion of honesty and integrity! [Philadelphia Inquirer]
* Being the director of FernGully Avatar now qualifies you as an expert in federal Indian law. [Vancouver Sun]
* The Iranian Blogfather has been sentenced to 19 ½ years in prison for blogging. Yes, blogging. Good thing we ATL staffers don’t live in Iran… [CNN International]
* HTTP 404 – Net neutrality not found. Congress now looks to the FCC to reboot the internet. [Wall Street Journal]
* San Francisco judge Vaughn Walker (N.D. Cal.), of Prop 8 fame, is stepping down from the federal bench at the end of the year. Will this have an impact on the case going forward? [Los Angeles Times]
Apparently, Angelina Jolie doesn't have a lot of friends. Aww. Would you be her friend?
* The 9/11 health care bill finally passed the House. Too bad. Not about the bill, the bill looks good. I was just kind of hoping for another epic meltdown from Anthony Weiner. [Salon]
* Could an MBA be even more worthless than a J.D.? [Out of the Storm]
* Real Wall Street types opine on Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. I’m using their input for the screenplay I’m working on, Wall Street: Money Flees America. [Hellerman Baretz]
* Let’s be clear: we need more lawyers. We just need them to work for poor or lower-middle-class clients. Wouldn’t it be awesome if law school tuition came down so that more people could do this work? Otherwise, we might just have to find a way to obviate the need for lawyers altogether. [Truth on the Market]
* Are successful women lonely? [Psychology Today]
* The laws surrounding suicide notes. The subject matter is so depressing that few people, even lawyers and journalists, actually know how to treat these documents. [Legal Satyricon]
I like the work, I like the people, I like the clients, I set my own hours, I set my own price structure, I call the shots with what I will and will not do.
– Valerie Scott, one of the three sex workers who successfully challenged restrictions on prostitution in Canada’s Criminal Code (via Morning Docket).
This is the most bizarre story we’ve seen in quite some time. And we always appreciate the opportunity to use our State Judges Are Clowns tag. (Federal all the way, baby.)
So, Isaac H. Stoltzfus is a judge from Intercourse — yes, Intercourse — Pennsylvania. As for the rest of the story….
Eh, res ipsa loquitur. Just click on the link below.
Judge from Intercourse, Pa., gives women condom-stuffed acorns
[Associated Press via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
You have to hand it to the people at Latham & Watkins. Former employees can bitch and moan all they want about being laid-off, but the firm has a certain kind of “star quality.”
Take this story from this month’s American Lawyer. It turns out that when Oliver Stone needed to figure out what was really going on during the height of the recession, he turned to Latham attorneys Alexander Cohen and Brian Cartwright. The lawyers are at Latham now, but their previous government experience gave Stone the inside knowledge he was looking for.
And because of their efforts, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps will be a much better movie…
Continue reading “What’s the Latham Billing Code for ‘Chilin’ With Oliver Stone’?”
Yesterday we discussed the merger talks that are currently taking place between Akin Gump and Orrick. We solicited your views on a possible combination, and we received some interesting feedback (in the comments and by other means).
Let’s start with the happy stuff. Here are some positive takes on an Orrick / Akin merger, from the comments (yes, positivity in the comments — it happens):
- “I have been at both firms and I believe it would be a good fit both geographically and practice-wise. Orrick is almost all about finance, and finance is one key area that Akin lacks real depth.” [FN1]
- “#1 Vacuum company in America + #1 brand of cocktail shrimp = unstoppable legal force.”
But it’s not all vacuums and cocktail shrimp, sunshine and puppies. Insiders with knowledge of both firms also identified downsides to a possible Orrick / Akin merger….
Continue reading “Law Firm Merger Mania: Opinions on Orrick + Akin”
Andrew Shirvell
Andrew Shirvell, the Michigan assistant attorney general who has decided to launch a smear campaign against a Michigan undergraduate student council president, appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 last night. Shirvell made headlines two weeks ago, when his hate blog against University of Michigan student council president Chris Armstrong attracted media attention. Shirvell claims Chris Armstrong advances a “radical homosexual agenda.” Shirvell’s blog depicts Armstrong with photoshopped swastikas on his face and features all sorts of hateful rhetoric directed against Armstrong. We previously wrote about Shirvell here.
I don’t know if Shirvell thought he was going to get fellated by Larry King when he walked into the CNN studio. But Anderson Cooper was not about to let this unrepentant homophobe have an unchallenged opportunity to spout his hate to a national audience. The best Cooper line: “You seem to be obsessed with this young, gay man.”
Why don’t you check out the video clip, and then we’ll discuss…
Continue reading “Andrew Shirvell Gets Boned by Anderson Cooper”
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Guess we won’t have Kenneth Kratz to kick around anymore. Kratz, aka the Sexting District Attorney, will soon step down as DA of Calumet County, Wisconsin. According to his attorney, Kratz’s resignation will take place before October 8, the date set for his removal hearing. The news was reported on Tuesday by the Associated Press.
Losing his post as chief prosecutor will definitely cramp Kratz’s dating style. He’ll forfeit his high-profile job and its $105,000 salary. He’ll no longer be able to hit on women victims seeking help from his office by sending them text messages that read “Are you the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA?” and “I’m the atty. I have the $350,000 house. I have the 6-figure career. You may be the tall, young, hot nymph, but I am the prize!”
And no more romantic dates at the medical examiner’s, either.
On a more serious note, one aspect of Kratz’s conduct in particular merits special condemnation….
Continue reading “The Sexting District Attorney: Ken Kratz to Resign as DA, But He’ll Always Be ‘The Prize’”
Ed. note: The following piece was authored by The Legal Tease, of Sweet Hot Justice fame. Check out her other musings from Sweet Hot Justice here.
You may have noticed that people working in Big Law are more pissed off than usual lately. And I can’t say that I blame them. The threat of associate layoffs still looms large. A six-figure salary barely keeps you off food stamps. White shoe firms are crawling with bed bugs. And herpes. But it looks like there’s a new kid on the block — a pair of kids, actually — gaining traction as the latest target for Big Law acrimony, at least if the state of affairs in and around my firm is any indication: Boobs. Or more to the point, how front and center they should be when it comes to dressing for work.
Now, arguments over appropriate sartorial choices for the workplace, breast-related or otherwise, are nothing new. Panels have been convened over them. Entire websites have been launched about them. Lawsuits have been waged because of them. But when the argument focuses on the degree of exposure — or lack thereof — of female breasts in the workplace, especially in a legal workplace, that’s when tempers really start to get out of control.
I can tell you’re already starting to get a little hot under the collar, aren’t you? OK, look, let’s all just calm down, take a deep breath, and take a tour of some photographic evidence….
Continue reading “Keep Those Breasts Firm… Appropriate”
