November 2010
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Politics, State Attorneys General
Republican Momentum Stalls at State Attorneys General Offices
If you like gridlock (and as lawyers, you should love gridlock) last night was a big night for you. Thanks to a divided Congress and a weakened President, we shouldn’t be seeing any national legislation for some time. And even as Republicans enjoyed gains in state legislatures around the country, in many cases the State […] -
Biglaw, Law Firm Mergers, Townsend and Townsend and Crew
Law Firm Merger Mania: Kilpatrick Stockton Merges with Townsend and Townsend and Crew
Remember back in May when we told you that Kilpatrick Stockton was in merger talks with Townsend and Townsend and Crew? But we had to say they “might” be in talks because nobody would go on the record confirming them? Then in July we told you that they definitely had been in talks, but 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
Extremely Versatile Crockery
Ed. note: This post is written by Will Meyerhofer, a Biglaw attorney turned psychotherapist. A former Sullivan & Cromwell attorney, he holds degrees from Harvard, NYU Law, and The Hunter College School of Social Work. He blogs at The People’s Therapist. For the record, a law degree is not “versatile.” Being a lawyer amounts to […]
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Election Law, Gay, Gay Marriage, Politics
About Last Night: Iowans Truly Embarrass Themselves.
All things considered, I’m feeling pretty good this morning. It’s a lot easier to tear something down than to build something up. For over a year, the Tea Party has been like the developmentally disabled kid in kindergarten whose main talent is knocking over other people’s Lego creations. Now that they’ve got their own house […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 11.03.10
* Proposition 19 lost in California. Your revolution is over, Mr. Lebowski. Condolences. The bums lost. [Associated Press] * Would law school warning labels make any difference? Let me go snag another pack of delicious Parliament Lights and get back to you on that one. [The National Law Journal] * Why is David Boies such […]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 11.02.10
* So, where should liberals move to for the next two years? I vote Paris, nothing bad ever happens in Paris — you know, so long as the Germans are not involved. [Gawker] * Did Nancy Pelosi start getting drunk before noon? [Politico] * Mom shot by four-year-old son claims she’s not a bad parent. […] -
Election Law, Politics
Election Day Shenanigans Watch: Polling Station Closed due to Election Monitor Fight
And now there’s this election day tidbit from the Philadelphia Daily News: We’re told that the polling place at the Mummer’s Museum at 2nd Street and Washington Ave. has been shut down and that police are on the scene. “It’s Our Money” blogger Ben Waxman is down there and tells us that the shut down […] -
Billable Hours, Money, Partner Issues, Partner Profits
Simpson Thacher Threatens to Withhold Salary For Delinquent Time Keepers
If you talk to law firm partners who are in charge of collecting fees, they’ll tell you that getting clients to pay has become a real hassle ever since the recession started. Clients are trying to make their books look as palatable as possible, and if that means avoiding or delaying payments to their lawyers, […] - 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… -
Lawyer of the Day, Old People
Lawyer of the Day: How Much Money Do You Have Including The Cash Stuffed in Your Closet?
Here’s a fun one. Lawyer owes $72.5 million. Lawyer claims he has $50,000. Lawyer conveniently forgets the $8.9 million in assets he has, and the nearly $1 million he has stuffed in his closet. That’s the story of Harry Pavilack, a lawyer who is well known in South Carolina thanks to his television ads. The […] -
Election Law, Politics
Election Day Shenanigans Watch: So Long As You Can Avoid the Pigs, You Should Be Golden
We’ve collected a couple of tips on reports of election day problems around the country. And I have to say, so far, so good. It’s nothing like 2008. Even in New York, things seem calm, despite the fact that the city is rolling out new voting machines which were a total joke during the primaries. […] -
Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Jones Day Prepares for Bonus Season By Telling Staff They'll Get Nothing
Until Cravath proves me wrong, I’m going to keep on believing that associate bonuses will be better this year than last. But this early indication from the notoriously secretive firm of Jones Day doesn’t bode well for my prediction. Today Jones Day communicated to its administrative staff that it wouldn’t be paying them a bonus […] -
Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court, Video games, Violence
Quote of the Day: Is Justice Sotomayor a Trekkie?
Does the statute cover depictions of violence against Vulcans? — Justice Sonia Sotomayor, asking whether video violence against “an image of a human being” could be extended to human-like figures, during oral arguments for Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association. -
Election Law, Politics
Are You Ready to Vote? 'Cause Lawyers are Ready to Recount Your Votes!
Election Day, yay! It’s one of the best days of the year. A triumph of Democracy and a people’s government over the tyranny of birth and military might. Let’s get pumped. [Ed. Note: If I sound flat it’s because the peaceful transfer of power is a lot less exciting when power is being stripped from […]
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
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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Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 11.02.10
* The Iranian lawyer defending the American hikers accused of espionage practices. Call it Bignutslaw. [Los Angeles Times] * Charlie Sheen has filed for divorce from his wife, Brooke Mueller, and seeks joint custody of their twin sons. Any divorce lawyers want to chime in on this one? [People Magazine] * Google is suing the […]
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Holidays and Seasons
Halloween Recap
As promised, I’m posting pictures of my Halloween costume. I went as soon-lose-his-gubernatorial-bid Jimmy McMillan, of The Rent is Too Damn High fame. Unfortunately, I only came away with two usable pictures from the night. About halfway through the evening my pants ripped down the side (I’m not sure why, it might have had something […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 11.01.10
* Alternate juror potentially screws up murder trial because she was trying to get a date with the bailiff. If the genders were reversed, I’m sure we’d be talking about how the bailiff was dressed. [WSJ Law Blog] * Our own therapist, Will Meyehofer, is absolutely righteous about student debt, work/life balance, and the general […] -
Biglaw, Politics
Which Law Firms Made the Most Campaign Contributions?
There’s an excellent story written by Amanda Becker in the Washington Post today which looks at the law firms who were serious about making campaign contributions this electoral season. Regardless of whether the Republicans take control of the House or the Democrats hang onto the Senate, a few law firms will be well protected either […] -
Benchslaps, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Law Professors, Music
Before Thomas-Rassert Gets Tried a Third Time, Charles Nesson Receives 'Instantaneous' Benchslap.
Tomorrow, Jammie Thomas-Rasset goes to trial for a third time over her illegal downloads of 24 songs. As we’ve reported before, the music industry is determined to make an example of her, and tomorrow they’ll be fighting over damages the Thomas-Rasset should pay for stealing things valued at $1 on iTunes. But what should and […] -
Courthouses
Bomb Threat Closes Atlanta Courthouse for an Hour: But Everybody is Okay.
There was a bomb threat this morning at the Fulton County Court complex. The threat was deemed credible enough to place the courthouse on lockdown for an hour this morning. But the court has reopened and everybody appears to be safe. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports: The sheriff’s office issued a “shelter in place” order […] -
Gambling / Gaming, SCOTUS, Video games
The Hacking and Slashing of Free Speech: To Protect Children of Course
The Supreme Court is on record as being a grand protector of the people’s right to free speech — so long as by “speech” we mean money and by “people” we mean corporations. But when it comes to the right of artists (in this case, video game producers) to do their thing, the Court wants […]