January 2011
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Bernie Madoff, Biglaw, Divorce Train Wrecks, Family Law, Money, Partner Issues
A Millionaire Paul Weiss Partner Might Get Money from His Ex-Wife -- Thanks to Bernie Madoff
Being married to a Paul Weiss partner is nice; getting divorced from a Paul Weiss partner is even nicer. Thanks to the prestigious firm’s eye-popping profits, getting divorced from a PW partner should give you a seven-figure payday (assuming the Paul Weiss partner has been a partner for a while and is the “monied spouse” […] -
Biglaw, Gender, Media and Journalism, Women's Issues
Hot Women Lawyers
This month’s issue of the American Lawyer includes a very interesting feature. The magazine identified 45 up-and-coming female attorneys under the age of 45, at Am Law 200 firms. These kinds of lists tend to be nothing more than a popularity contest, but Am Law seemed to do a thorough job in culling through a […] - 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: 01.05.11
* This Kentucky attorney is filing a new brief against the TSA, but not the kind that you’d expect. [Cincinnati Enquirer] * There used to be a street in Chicago named after Rahm Emanuel, but it was changed because nobody crosses Rahm Emanuel and lives. [Clout Street / Chicago Tribune] * Who wants to plug […]
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Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Counsel Bonus Watch: Open Thread
We’ve devoted extensive coverage to associate bonuses. But what about bonuses for those lawyers who are neither associates nor partners (nor staff attoneys), referred to by most large law firms as “counsel”? How much are they getting in bonuses this time around? Many Biglaw bonus memos contain language stating that counsel bonuses are determined separately […] -
Google / Search Engines, Musical Chairs, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.04.11
* Musical chairs: Donald M. Remy leaves Latham to become the new general counsel for the NCAA. No offense, but I hope he’s terrible at his job. The NCAA needs to be sued by all comers until they stop profiteering off the sweat of poor young athletes so that old, rich university presidents can make […] -
Crime, Guns / Firearms, State Judges
Judge of the Day: Minnesota Jurist Grabs Glock, Subdues Intruder
Which would you rather wield: a gavel or a Glock? Who says you have to choose? Not Judge Shaun Floerke, of Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District, who used a .45-caliber Glock from his safe to protect his wife and five children from a home invader on New Year’s Day…. -
American Bar Association / ABA, Blogging, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Student Loans
The ABA Started 'Warning' People About Going to Law School Years Ago
I have no idea why this is blowing up today, but it looks like the mainstream media just figured that maybe going to law school isn’t the most awesome idea (especially in this economy). On New Year’s Eve, John Carney — our former colleague, from his days at Dealbreaker — noted on CNBC’s NetNet that […] -
9th Circuit, Benchslaps, David Boies, Gay, Gay Marriage, Stephen Reinhardt, Ted Olson
Breaking: Ninth Circuit Certifies Standing-Related Question to California Supreme Court
Here’s the Ninth Circuit’s certification order, available on the court’s Perry v. Schwarzenegger portal page, and here’s a quick write-up, from Bay City News. Essentially the Ninth Circuit wants the California Supreme Court to decide whether the official proponents of Proposition 8, California’s ban on gay marriage, have standing to defend the initiative’s constitutionality in […] - 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… -
Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses, Law Schools, Reality TV, Television
Associate Bonus Watch: Sherman & Sterling(And... Jeopardy!)
We want to hear about your firm’s bonus news, even if it’s old. If we haven’t reported on it yet, we want to know about it. (Use our site search box in the upper-right-hand corner, or scroll through our Associate Bonus Watch archives, to see which announcements we’ve already covered.) Here’s some old bonus news […] -
Cars, Lawsuit of the Day, Minority Issues, Police, Racism, Violence
The Police Need to Learn That Tasers Don't Help Diabetics
As an overweight man, adult onset diabetes is one of the things that makes me consider dropping a few pounds. But I’m still so young, so invincible, that long-term health concerns aren’t really enough to stop me from having an extra helping of Christmas goose (not that I even know anybody who eats a freaking […] -
Advertising, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Career Center, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Career Center Survey: Did you hit your billable hours requirement?
By most accounts, law firms had a stronger year in 2010 than in 2009 (although you wouldn’t know it from the disappointing bonuses that many of them paid out). Did a busier year translate into plenty of billables for all associates? In this week’s survey, we want to know whether you met your firm’s minimum […] -
Antonin Scalia, Food, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Quote of the Day: Is Justice Scalia a Pizza Originalist?
I think [New York pizza] is infinitely better than Washington pizza, and infinitely better than Chicago pizza. You know these deep-dish pizzas — it’s not pizza. It’s very good, but … call it tomato pie or something. … I’m a traditionalist, what can I tell you? — Justice Antonin Scalia, in an interview with California […] -
Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses
Associate Bonus Watch: Patterson Belknap
Even though the holidays may be behind us, bonus news is not. Much of the big bonus news tends to come down in November and December, but announcements (and payments) continue into January, February, and beyond. So stay tuned for the latest updates. Yesterday we posted an open thread for discussion of firms that have […]
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Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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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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Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
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…
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Crime, Lawyer of the Day, Shoes, Violence
Lawyer of the Day: Deputy Prosecutor / Other Woman Allegedly Beats Up Wife
What the hell is going on with female lawyers in Indiana? Last month, a lawyer there was accused of going on a rampage, in which she allegedly attacked a boyfriend she suspected of cheating and then assaulted a corrections officer. Today we’ve got another attorney — a deputy prosecutor, no less — accused of violence. […] -
Facebook, Hair, Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 01.04.11
* Hey baby, your placenta or mine? Four nursing students may have aborted their careers due to oversharing on Facebook — and now one of them is suing. [Wall Street Journal] * Like sh*t through a goose: a woman claims she now has digestive problems because she got to second base with Donald Duck. [Washington […]
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Associate Bonus Watch 2010
Associate Bonus Watch: Let's Make a List of Firms Like Irell & Manella That Are Killing Cravath Bonuses
Over the holiday break, Irell & Manella announced its associate bonuses. Multiple sources are telling us that the Irell bonuses doubled the bonuses offered by Cravath, Sullivan & Cromwell, or their followers. That’s great news, but Irell associates are not particularly impressed. Irell doubled the small bonuses of Cravath and S&C last year, too. And […] -
Announcements, Blogging, James Sandman, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, Shameless Plugs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.03.11
* Aviation lawyer Arthur Wolk, who’s suing Overlawyered and blogger Ted Frank for libel, opposes the filing of an amicus brief signed by star legal bloggers Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit), Marc Randazza (Legal Satyricon), Ed Whelan (National Review Online), and Eugene Volokh (Volokh Conspiracy). His opposition is… kinda crazy. [Volokh Conspiracy] * If our two recent […] -
Attorney Misconduct, Legal Ethics, Litigators, Rudeness
Lawyers of the Day: 'Scum Sucking Loser' and 'Retard'Email insults lead to sanctions for two Florida attorneys.
Sometimes lawyers are rude — really, really rude. And when they get extremely rude in emails with one another, sometimes the result is discipline from the bar. So, counselors, please be polite; treat each other with courtesy and respect. (And treat bartenders with respect too. You never know when one of them might bring your […] -
Arnold & Porter, Associate Bonus Watch 2010
Associate Bonus Watch: Arnold & Porter Will Try Transparency Next Year, This Year Sticks With Cloak and Dagger Routine
It’s hard to understand why some firms choose secrecy over transparency when it comes to associate bonuses. I understand not wanting to tell Above the Law about them. We often find out eventually, but if you want to make us jump through a couple of extra hoops, that’s fine. (To help us jump through the […] -
Alston & Bird, Biglaw, Drinking, Holidays and Seasons, Rudeness
Associates: Try Not to Leave Behind Evidence of New Year's Debauchery
(Admittedly, that advice would have been more helpful on Friday than it is now, but then I wouldn’t have had anything to write up today.) Every year there are people who use New Year’s as an excuse to go out and act like fools. I know, the bubbles in the bubbly are hard to handle. […]