October 2010
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 10.12.10
* Judge Phillips (C.D. Cal.) has suspended enforcement of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Or: “Virginia Phillips has made her decision; now let her enforce it.” [Metro Weekly] * A new law review article, by Michael Macchiarola (my fellow Regian) and Arun Abraham, looks at the higher education bubble — and proposes “a […] -
Education / Schools, Kids, Suicide, Tort Reform, Violence
Bullying Shouldn't Be A Crime, No Matter How Many Kids Kill Themselves Because of It
They had to set the Karate Kid remake in China. If they had set it in modern-day America, Daniel-san would have been mercilessly bullied by the kids from Cobra Kai, he would have killed himself, and the rest of the movie would have been a courtroom drama where Daniel’s parents sought to bring the evil […] - Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Citigroup, Lawyer of the Day, Layoffs, Real Estate
David J. Stern, the Florida Foreclosure King, Is Under Investigation -- and Doing Layoffs
Back in September, we wrote about David J. Stern, “Florida’s Foreclosure King,” who earned our Lawyer of the Day title for his ascendancy from the fourth tier to the lap of luxury. At the time, we sang Stern’s praises. Stern, a graduate of South Texas Law, employs 900 people, made $17.8 million in 2008, owns […]
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Advertising, Biglaw, Career Center, Job Survey, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Career Center: Associate Morale Survey Results - Part 1
A key issue for the workplace, both during recession and recovery, is employee morale. In last week’s survey, we asked Biglaw associates how current associate morale at their firms compares to morale from one year ago. For those of you who need a quick refresher on what the fall of 2009 was like, envision a […] -
Musical Chairs, Partner Issues, Wildman Harrold
Wildman Harrold Bars the Doors: Enforces 90-Day Notice Period on Partners Who Want Out
Does Wildman Harrold force its partners to take a blood oath? The story ripping around the blogosphere today involves Wildman Harrold enforcing a 90-day notice period on a group of partners who want to leave the firm for Barnes & Thornburg. What is the upside in forcing colleagues to stay who don’t want to be […] -
Gay Marriage, Politics, Quote of the Day, State Judges, Tax Law
Quote of the Day: Preacher Wants IRS to Make His Day
Dear God, please allow the IRS to attack my church, so I can take them all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. — Iowa pastor Cary K. Gordon, who is campaigning against three Iowa Supreme Court justices who voted for same-sex marriage, even though tax-exempt churches are prohibited from campaigning for or against specific […] -
Bankruptcy, Craigslist, Job Searches
A Sign of Improvement in the Chicago Legal Market?
The economy is (hopefully) on the mend. The recession is officially over. There are signs of recovery in the legal sector, too. For example, law firms are giving away iPads to young associates. Such generosity seems very 2007 (if iPads had existed back then). Meanwhile, in the less glamorous world of Craigslist postings of legal […] -
Job Searches, Law Schools
If You Hire Miami Law Students, The School Will Pick Up The Bill
Say this for the University of Miami Law School: it tried to warn its own students that there were too many of them. Remember, back in 2009, Miami actually deferred incoming 1Ls. The class was oversubscribed; too many people wanted to go to law school. Dean Patricia White even told prospective students: “I urge you […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 10.12.10
* The road to hell foreclosure is paved with good intentions… and fraudulent paperwork. [Wall Street Journal; DealBook / New York Times] * A 9/11 first responder is the first to sue the Park51 mosque’s imam, citing ties to terrorism. [New York Post] * Thanks to the First Amendment, you soon might be able to […]
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Boutique Law Firms, Gay, Labor / Employment, Lawsuit of the Day, Plaintiffs Firms, Sex, Sexual Harassment, Small Law Firms, Weirdness
Lawsuit of the Day: Pass the Wooden Dildo, Please
We first mentioned this lawsuit, which was filed back in August, last month (second item). But so many of you have emailed us this AOL news story that we’ve decided to provide more detailed coverage. It’s a lawyer versus lawyer lawsuit, usually the ugliest kind of litigation. But the allegations made here are perhaps more […] -
Books, Dahlia Lithwick, Facebook, Lawrence Lessig, Movies, Non-Sequiturs, Seth Stern, Stephen Wermiel
Non-Sequiturs: 10.11.10
* Professor Larry Lessig’s review of The Social Network. [New Republic] * Dahlia Lithwick’s review of the big new Brennan biography, by Seth Stern and Stephen Wermiel. [New York Times] * Molly Wei, one of the two Rutgers students involved in the Tyler Clementi case, feels “attack[ed]” — but she’s hanging in there. [Celebitchy] * […] -
Job Searches, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants, Small Law Firms
In This Market You Don't Have to Try That Hard to Get People to Work For You
It shouldn’t be that hard to find a qualified legal secretary. Actually, in this market, you can probably find a J.D. who will gladly answer phones and make copies for the chance to do anything with “legal'” in the title. But the firm of Minor & Brown, a small law firm based in Denver, still […] -
Ann Coulter, Biglaw, Politics, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: She's No Miss Congeniality
At a big law firm you are doing so much mindless work and so much suck-uppery. And I am not a suck-up kind of person. — Ann Coulter, conservative pundit and former Cahill Gordon & Reindel associate.
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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…
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
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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…
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Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm.
Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
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Attorney Misconduct, Bad Ideas, Federal Judges, Legal Ethics, Lunacy, Solo Practitioners
Taj Oladiran's 'Motion of the Year' Earns Him Sanctions
Arizona attorney Tajudeen “Taj” Oladiran came onto our radar back in 2009, when he filed one of the craziest motions we’ve ever seen. Solo practitioner Oladiran, a former associate at Greenberg Traurig, filed a racketeering lawsuit against “Suntrust Bank and its pimps” for allegedly suckering him into predatory housing loans. The motion that caught our […] -
Job Searches, Law School Deans, Law Schools
SMU Law Dean Knew About Terrible Job Market in 2008: But Did He Tell Anybody?
Students at the SMU Dedman School of Law are having a tough time securing jobs. Not shocking, I know. (But please send us your thoughts on how recruiting is going, or text us at 646-820-TIPS.) The legal job market has been so bad for so long that it hardly even feels like news when we […] -
Blogging, Small Law Firms
Under the Shingle: 10.11.2010
I like to think of this column as a conduit for information relevant to small firm practices. Given the variety of practice settings we’re lumping into the phrase “small law,” it’s important that you hear from people other than myself. I know, you’re crushed — me too. Toward that end, I’ll be interviewing small firm […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 10.11.10
* The Bureau of Labor Statistics says legal jobs are on the rise. Looks like the BLS has been smoking some of the good sh*t. [Am Law Daily] * Your case might not be right for the Supreme Court, but it’ll look great on your lawyer’s resume. [New York Times] * In Connecticut, those too […]
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Biglaw, Law Firm Mergers, Law Shucks, Rankings
This Week in Biglaw: 10.10.10
Ed. note: Law Shucks focuses on life in, and after, Biglaw, including by tracking layoffs, bonuses, and laterals. Above the Law is pleased to bring you this weekly column, which analyzes news at the world’s top law firms. Despite this being the busy season for the hiring and (in the few firms that cling to […] -
Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Washington Post
Quote of the Day: Actually, That Would Be Fabulous
[W]ouldn’t we be perturbed if a justice decided that a little rhinestone trim along the sleeves would be quite nice? Or what if a justice decided that a mink collar would be quite lovely in the winter? — Robin Givhan, fashion critic of the Washington Post, opining on Supreme Court fashion. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 10.08.10
* Did the Justice Department strong-arm a federal judge into “disappearing” an opinion — and replacing it with a new one containing different facts? [ProPublica] * Why are Canadians such perverts? First the judges, and now the law librarians. [National Post] * The real stars of The Social Network: the lawyers. Does the film glorify […]