November 2010
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Biglaw, Citigroup, David Boies, Jed Rakoff, Layoffs, Litigators, Litigatrix, Pregnancy / Paternity, Trials
The Boies Schiller Three: An Update
It’s time for a brief postscript on one of this month’s juicier (and well-trafficked) stories: the dismissal of three women associates from litigation powerhouse Boies Schiller. We have a few additional tidbits that we can share with you. But this is probably the last story we’ll be doing on this drama, since we don’t expect […]
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Biglaw, Billable Hours, Partner Profits, Staff Layoffs
Staff Layoffs Could Happen as Firms Struggle to Pump Up Profits
Welcome back from your long weekend. I trust everybody is ready to put in a lot of hard work through the holiday season in order to finish the year off strong. Ah, what’s the point? Based on the early bonus news, it seems that Biglaw managers are going to go with stingy bonus payments for […]
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“I’ve landed a job as an associate at a top law firm, but why am I paying 7% on my student loans?”
I became a lawyer without really understanding that the job cuts time off of your life. My work hours are long, I can’t see my family or friends, and I am constantly at the mercy of the partner or the client. On top of everything, at one point, I was paying 7% on my law school loans. […]
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* John Paul Stevens penned an essay explaining why he now believes that the death penalty is unconstitutional. Chief among the reasons is surely that, at 90, death is scary as all hell. [New York Times] * Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether California’s prisons are unconstitutionally overcrowded. Personally, I think any […]
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Immigration, Law Schools, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: Living the American Dream?
People used to tell me, ‘Why go to college if you can’t get a real job when you graduate.’ If I had listened to those people, I wouldn’t have done anything with my life. – Luis Perez, the first undocumented immigrant to graduate from UCLA School of Law (and the subject of a recent profile […]
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Admin, Announcements, Food, Holidays and Seasons
Happy Thanksgiving from Above the Law
Let’s face it: lawyers aren’t great about giving gratitude. Yesterday we posted a Quote of the Day urging readers to take stock of their blessings and to be thankful for them. The quotation and its source were promptly mocked. On Thanksgiving Day, it’s appropriate to ask: Why aren’t lawyers better about giving thanks?
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Advertising, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Thanksgiving Thanks — To Our Advertisers
This Thanksgiving, we express gratitude to the latest advertisers on Above the Law, who help put food on our tables: American Express BarMax Best Buy BMW Delta Kinney Recruiting Lateral Link Lexis Nexis – Discovery Solutions Lexis Nexis – File & Serve Lexis Nexis – Law Firm Marketing Products Lexis Nexis – RLS Specialized Law […]
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Christopher Christie, Fat People, Gay, Non-Sequiturs, Politics, Student Loans
* Thinking of forwarding a juicy email to tips@abovethelaw.com? A federal court recently ruled that forwarding defamatory email is immunized by 47 U.S.C. § 230. [Eric Goldman / Technology & Marketing Law Blog] * Kelli Space has almost $200,000 in student loans — and she doesn’t even have a law degree. [Gawker] * Giving thanks […]
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Holidays and Seasons, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: Happy Thanksgiving, Counselors
I realize some readers may be unemployed and other lawyers are not happy in their jobs. You still have plenty of reasons to give thanks for what you do have. Not everyone has the opportunities to go to college and law school, and not everyone possesses the abilities to read, to argue, to counsel and […]
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Airplanes / Aviation, Boutique Law Firms, Deaths, Partner Issues, Texas
Greg Coleman, Leading Appellate Litigator and Former Texas Solicitor General, RIP
We’ve received a number of email messages from readers today conveying some very sad news. In the words of one correspondent, “Texas lost one of its finest lawyers, as well as a great man and father, last night.” On Tuesday night, prominent Texas lawyer Gregory Coleman — name partner at appellate boutique YetterColeman, former Solicitor […]
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Lessons Learned from the Top eDiscovery Cases and Trends from 2014
The adage that law turns slowly does not hold in eDiscovery. This year saw unprecedented sanction awards for falling behind the curve. Courts did not hesitate to engage with advanced and nuanced technological issues. For lawyers and other eDiscovery professionals who plan on maintaining basic competence, these cases and trends shouldn’t be overlooked. For a full exploration of trends and developments in this area of case law, check out this on-demand webinar.
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Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Milbank Matches
How can you tell that your firm is embarrassed by its bonus payment and would rather people not see and comment about the payment? If they try to dump the news on the day before a major holiday. Sorry Milbank PR, we’re still here, plugging away on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. And we’re able to […]
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Fabulosity, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Lawyerly Lairs, Money, Real Estate
Lawyerly Lairs: Dean Van Zandt’s Delicious Listing
Isn’t it nice when people who do good also do well? David Van Zandt — the outgoing dean of Northwestern Law, and the incoming president of The New School — is a beloved figure, at NU Law and beyond. Professionally, he’s an innovator in legal education; personally, he’s a great guy. We’re big fans of […]
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Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Did Kirkland & Ellis Already Promise to Blow Cravath’s Bonuses Out of the Water?
The happiness emanating from the offices of Biglaw partners is palpable. Cravath paid a 2009 bonus despite a stronger 2010, and lowballing associates means more money for partners. Partners are giving anonymous quotes expressing their happiness. Skadden whipped off its Cravath-matching bonus memo so quickly it looked like a damn blog post. And, predictably, consultants […]
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* Congrats to Boies Schiller and Bingham, for their client Oracle’s record-setting, $1.3 billion verdict against SAP. It’s the largest 2010 jury award, the largest for copyright infringement ever, and the 23rd-largest of all time. [Am Law Daily; Bloomberg] * MC Hammer was wrong – the TSA can touch this. On the eve of Opt-Out […]
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Biglaw, Deferral Stipend, Dissolution, Heller Ehrman
Deferral Stipend Judgment Is a Moral Victory for Two Former Heller Ehrman Associates
Way back in 2008, back when people were wondering just how bad the recession was going to be for Biglaw, Heller Ehrman collapsed. When the firm dissolved, there was a lot of fear that it would be the first of many to fold. While a few other firms also dissolved during the recession, we didn’t […]
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Elizabeth Wurtzel, Non-Sequiturs, Sarah Palin
* Wachtell pwns Cravath — not just in bonuses, but also in the Delaware Supreme Court. [DealBook / New York Times] * Crowell & Moring is partnering with UDC Law to help at-risk youth. Like UDC Law students? [The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times] * Law students: when filling out end-of-semester course evaluations, refrain […]
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Department of Justice, New York Times, Sandra Day O'Connor, Supreme Court Clerks, Vanderbilt, Wall Street, Weddings
Legal Eagle Wedding Watch: Buffeted
People, here at LEWW we hate reality TV. Really, really, really hate it. It makes us feel bored, uncomfortable, and grossed-out by humanity, all at the same time. We can watch sports, which we suppose is “reality” in some sense, but other non-scripted programming sends us lunging for the remote. Dancing with the Stars? Gagging […]
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Akin Gump, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Email Scandals, Partner Issues, Rudeness
Akin Gump Partner Pens Email Fantasy About Firing Delinquent Time Keepers
Nothing says “Biglaw” quite like an old-fashioned partner threat. Biglaw partners, a self-important bunch if there ever was one, generally do little to mask their huge egos. But when those egos express themselves in the form of threats against underlings, well, that’s when you learn why people get paid $160,000 right out of school. You […]
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Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Skaddenfreude
Associate Bonus Watch: Skadden Matches Cravath
Bonuses have just been announced at Skadden. The following memo went out earlier today to all Skadden partners, from executive partner Eric Friedman: To All Partners: The attached memo announcing a year end discretionary bonus will be sent to associates in North America on a class by class basis today. Bonuses will range from $7,500 […]
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KINNEY’S TOP DOGS IN HONG KONG OVER THE NEXT 10 DAYS
For about the 40th time in the last five years, Kinney Recruiting’s got a team flying to Hong Kong for visits with clients and candidates. Please feel free to reach out to Evan and Robert at asia@kinneyrecruiting.com and set up a meeting with them if you would like to discuss your career and the market.
