October 2010
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Feminism, Gender, Sweet Hot Justice, Women's Issues
The Price of Getting Pretty: Productivity
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. Let’s say you just woke up. After working at the firm until midnight last night, you’re already underslept and overtired and now you have to haul your ass out […] -
9th Circuit, Alex Kozinski, Bad Ideas, Federal Judges, Lunacy, Pro Se Litigants, Rudeness
Pro Se Litigant of the Day: Deborah Frisch, Ph.D.Practice pointer: don't refer to judges as 'frocked cowf**kers.'
For a long time, Jonathan Lee Riches reigned as Craziest Pro Se Litigant in America. But at a certain point, JLR jumped the proverbial shark. His handwritten complaints, making bizarre allegations against everyone from Michael Vick to Martha Stewart to the late Benazir Bhutto, were just too clever by half. And once he passed the […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
In-House Counsel
Not in Kansas
There’s one thing every lawyer, no matter how miserable, seems to agree on: law school wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was kind of fun. Things take a nosedive when you get to a firm. That’s when you start hating life. Maybe we should take a look at this phenomenon, and ask ourselves why this […]
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Clarence Thomas, Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 10.20.10
* Virginia Thomas, the politically active wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, called Anita Hill and suggested she apologize to Clarence in order to get “passed” the whole ugliness. Does that blow your mind, Anita? That JUST happened! [ABC News; New York Times] * Foreclosed homeowners smell blood, and K&L Gates… well, they probably smell a […]
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pls hndle thx
Pls Hndle Thx: Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?
Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com Dear Above the Law, I’m a third-year litigation associate in New York City. Lately, I have been thinking about *trying* to make a lateral move. But a nagging thought keeps holding me back: When you’re a lawyer and you reach your late 30s/ early 40s, what […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 10.19.10
* Joe Miller might not be Yale Law School’s most disgraceful graduate, but his campaign is certainly taking some interesting turns. [The Mudflats] * Potty police at the Second Circuit: rude bathroom graffiti results in a handwriting test for court employees. [Page Six / New York Post] * If Snooki gets in legal trouble again, […] -
Contests, Law Schools, Reader Polls
Congratulations to Yale Law School’s Most Disgraceful Graduate!
Last week, we asked you to vote on this question: Who is the most disgraceful graduate of Yale Law School? Our post was inspired by a spat between two YLS alums, former president Bill Clinton ’73 and Alaska senate candidate Joe Miller ’95, over who had done more to tarnish Yale’s good name. We offered […] -
Family Law, Gay Marriage, Politics, Quote of the Day, Shoes, Weddings
Quote of the Day: Jimmy McMillan Happily Slides Down the Slippery Slope
If you want to marry a shoe, I’ll marry you. — Jimmy McMillan, running for governor of New York as the candidate of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party. (Watch this awesome video clip of McMillan from last night’s debate.) - 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… -
Advertising, Continuing Legal Education / CLE, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
The Financial Services Regulatory Revolution: Are You Ready?
In cooperation with our friends at ALI-ABA, Above the Law will be helping you out with your Continuing Legal Education needs. We’ve combed through the extensive CLE offerings of ALI-ABA and picked out a few courses that struck us as particularly interesting, even sexy (at least by the standards of CLE). Today we bring you […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Law Schools, Recovery
Introduction to the Legal Recovery (We Hope)
Ed. Note: Will the Lost Generation ever find its way back into Biglaw? If recent law school graduates can’t find a Biglaw job straight out of school, or if they were laid off from their initial Biglaw job, the chances of them having a Biglaw career seem unlikely. But not impossible. This new column is […] -
Constitutional Law, Politics, Rank Stupidity, Religion
Christine O'Donnell Asks: 'Where in the Constitution Is Separation of Church and State'?
West Wing fans will get a kick out of this. Liberals will get a huge kick out of this. Republican leaders who hope to take back the Senate will cry softly to themselves. The Tea Party darling and Republican nominee for Senator from Delaware, Christine O’Donnell, has struck again. Last week, we learned that Christine […] -
Airplanes / Aviation, Crime, Gay
JetBlue Flight Attendant Steven Slater Pleads Guilty
In a reader poll we took back in August, 80 percent of you expressed the view that JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater, famous for his on-board meltdown and dramatic exit, is not a criminal (or shouldn’t be treated as one). Well, now he is. This morning Steve Slater pled guilty to second-degree attempted criminal mischief, […] -
Advertising, Biglaw, Career Center, Job Survey, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Career Center: Associate Morale Survey Results – Part 2
In part 1 of the results of the Associate Morale Survey, brought to you by Lateral Link, we revealed that 74% of respondents felt that associate morale was either the same or worse than last year. Though not entirely surprising, this result is troubling, given that low employee morale is not helpful to the economic […]
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American Bar Association / ABA, Job Searches, Law Schools
The ABA Is Slowly Coming Around on Law School Transparency
For the second time in a month, the people at the American Bar Association are making noises about taking their role in regulating law schools more seriously. Earlier this month, the ABA’s “recession czar,” Allan Tanenbaum, criticized the new law school opening at Belmont. Today the National Law Journal reports that new ABA President Steve […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 10.19.10
* Bank of America is petitioning courts to get that sweet sweet foreclosure gravy train moving again. [Washington Post] * Practically speaking, the Fox-Cablevision dispute means Lat missed the Wendy Williams Show last night. Legally speaking, well… this post sorts that out. [Am Law Daily] * As President Obama plays Mythbuster, his Justice Department plays […]
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Job Searches, Law Schools, Student Loans, Videos, YouTube
How Many Jaded Attorneys Does It Take to Discourage One Law Student?
It has been a while since we’ve had one of these cut-rate animation movies discouraging people from going to law school. There have been some great ones in the past: A Law School Carol springs to mind, as well as Don’t Go To Law School. There was a time when I thought little video clips […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 10.18.10
* Asian moms aren’t always enthusiastic about alternative careers for their lawyer children. [Fresh Off the Boat via The Careerist] * What does the foreclosure scandal say about the state of the legal profession? Professor Larry Ribstein has some thoughts. [Truth on the Market] * An attractive blonde prosecutor, Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi, is going after a […] -
Cardozo Law School, Food, Immigration, Politics, Quote of the Day, Sandra Day O'Connor
Quote of the Day: Sandra Day O'Connor Will Heal the World One Fajita at a Time
I would make Mexican food and get some beer and have everyone over for dinner. — Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, explaining how she would achieve legislative consensus among state senators in Arizona, in remarks to Cardozo law students over the weekend. -
Admin, Announcements, Blogging, Gay
A Response to the Boycotters of Above the Law
Above the Law is currently experiencing its first organized boycott. Surprisingly enough, it’s coming from readers who hate typos believe that ATL has shown insensitivity towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. UPDATE: We are pleased to report that, after some productive dialogue, the boycott appears to be over. Details below. This came as […] -
Small Law Firms
Caveat Small Firm Hopeful: Socially Inept Need Not Apply
My former practice at a small law firm was primarily commercial and residential real estate development. The week after my bar results came in, my boss gave me a stack of documents to read through and let me sit in on a couple of closings. I watched, listened and pretended to take notes. Then one […]