January 2011
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Fashion, In-House Counsel, Legal Ethics, S.D.N.Y., Shira Scheindlin
Good News for In-House Counsel: Privilege Prevails in Showdown at Gucci Gulch
Back in April 2010, we bestowed Lawyer of the Day honors upon Jonathan Moss, former in-house counsel to Gucci. There was a question, however, as to how much of a “lawyer” Moss was. During his seven years working at the luxury fashion house, Moss did not have an active law license: he was a graduate […] -
Crime, Lawyer of the Day, Violence
Lawyer of the Day: Ex-Prosecutor Maybe Had A Little Too Much Peet's Coffee
There’s nothing quite like a good old-fashioned Christmas meltdown — and apparently there was an epic one at San Francisco International Airport on Christmas Eve. Angela West, a Harvard Law School graduate and former Los Angeles prosecutor, allegedly went to town on a Peet’s Coffee kiosk. With a three-foot metal pole. Tsk tsk, Ms. West. […] - Sponsored
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 01.07.11
* If you’re a famous pill-popper, you can now blame your shadiness on privacy needs. Judges will totally feel bad for you and let you off the hook. [Los Angeles Times] * Match.com wants you to know that it’s okay to look. What they don’t want you to know is that you’re looking for love […]
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Admin, Announcements, Contests, Reader Polls
ATL Lawyer of the Year: The Finalists!
Although we’re now in 2011 — don’t forget to date your checks properly — we can still see 2010 in the rearview mirror. For example, our 2010 holiday card contest is still going on; you can review the contenders and cast your vote here. And we still have yet to name a Lawyer of the […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.06.11
* Predictions for the legal industry for 2011, from some “legal media stars” — Dahlia Lithwick of Slate, Robin Sparkman of The American Lawyer, Jenna Greene of the National Law Journal, Marisa Kashino of Washingtonian, and our very own David Lat. [Hellerman Baretz] * A third bedbug lawsuit against the Waldorf-Astoria. And a travel tip: […] -
Biglaw, Holland & Knight, Perks / Fringe Benefits, Technology
Holland & Knight Has Common Courtesy to Give Associates Reach-Arounds iPads
When does the gift of a hot gadget feel like an insult? Apparently when you are an associate at Holland & Knight. This bonus season, the firm gave all of its associates free iPads. And… Well, associates are still waiting to see if there will be anything other than iPads as a bonus present from […] -
Police, Rudeness
Comatose Little Girl Gets Ticket for Jaywalking
The nerve of some people. There’s a little girl in Las Vegas who was hit by car. She’s 13-years-old and in a medically induced coma. Allegedly, Takara Davis was jaywalking when she got hit. So a police officer showed up at the hospital and gave the ticket to her mother, Kellie Obong. Why did they […] -
Advertising, Biglaw, Career Center, Shameless Plugs, Tax Law, This Is an Ad
Career Center: Top Tax Practices
Obtained your LLM in tax and want to know the best corporate tax firms in the country? Check the firm profiles below and see how associates really feel about working at one of these prominent tax firms. And don’t forget to check out the profiles of other firms on the Career Center, powered by Lateral […] - 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… -
In-House Counsel, Litigators, Money
Inside Straight: Charging Litigation Losses to Business Units
Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Inside Straight, Above the Law’s new column for in-house counsel, written by Mark Herrmann. Here’s an issue that outside counsel never think about, but that matters intensely to in-house counsel: How should you charge business units for litigation losses? For some types of cases, this poses no […] -
Admin, Job Survey
A Short Reader Survey
Every now and then we conduct reader surveys, to learn a little more about you. Today’s short survey — just two to four questions, depending on your responses — focuses on what you do and where you do it. The survey is anonymous. The results will be used by us for a variety of purposes, […] -
Constitutional Law, Immigration, Racism, Rank Stupidity
Born in the U.S.A. No Longer Good Enough for Republican Lawmakers
I’m not a constitutional scholar, and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn last night. But I really struggle to find the ambiguity in this line from the Fourteenth Amendment: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State […] -
Perverts, Pornography, Privacy
You're On Hidden Camera, XXX-Rated Edition
There are several reasons to steer clear of fake baking, such as the heightened risk of cancer and of turning out looking like Snooki. But there’s one other novel reason to avoid Sunkissed Tanning and Spa in western Pennsylvania. Two women allege that the tanning salon had cameras hidden in the ceilings, which captured clients […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 01.06.11
* Anyone want to buy a piece of toilet paper for $200K? On second thought, don’t, it’ll probably chafe your ass. [NetNet / CNBC] * Dead sexy. This girl’s New Year’s Eve joy ride allegedly ended in a post-mortem strip search and photo shoot. [Fox News] * Jersey restauranteurs aren’t fans of BYOB liquor laws. […]
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How Generative AI Will Improve Legal Service Delivery
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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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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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Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar on April 10th, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm.
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Lexis Create provides simple access to internal and external knowledge — directly within Microsoft Word.
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Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Contests, Holidays and Seasons, Reader Polls, Small Law Firms
ATL Holiday Card Contest: The Finalists!
The holidays may be behind us (sigh), but Above the Law’s second annual holiday card contest remains in full swing. Thanks to everyone who responded to our call for submissions. The response was overwhelming. Perhaps too overwhelming: we received dozens and dozens of nominations. I have literally spent several hours reviewing them all — hours […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.05.11
* I suppose stealing lobsters from Africa for export back to the U.S. is better than the alternative. [WSJ Law Blog] * Adderall ring busted in Brooklyn! Don’t worry guys, looks like med students and doctors were the main miscreants (but a Tennessee lawyer is suspected of being a supplier). [Gothamist] * You can now […] -
Biglaw, Email Scandals, Technology
ATL Public Service Announcement: Watch Out for 'Brian Willmer' of 'Willmer Hale'
Is “phishing” running rampant throughout the legal community? A few weeks ago, Professor Charles Nesson of Harvard Law School fell victim to a phishing scam. As the HLS Help Desk helpfully explained at the time, “Phishing emails are fraudulent email messages claiming to be from a legitimate source that ask you to send confidential information […] -
Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate (and Staff) Bonus Watch: Vinson & Elkins Is Treating All of Its Employees
Associates bitch when partners won’t share the wealth, but nobody says a peep when legal support staff get shafted. The very concept of staff bonuses has gotten lost in the recession shuffle, despite the fact that the support staff who remain are being stretched so thin. Well, it looks like Vinson & Elkins remembers that […] -
Advertising, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Thanks to This Week's Advertisers
It’s a happy new year here at Above the Law — thanks in part to our advertisers for this week, whom we’d like to thank: American Express BarMax Columbia Business School EMBA Kinney Recruiting Lateral Link Livescribe Thomson Reuters WestlawNext If you’re interested in advertising on Above the Law or any other site in the […] -
Attorney Misconduct, Clerkships, Job Searches, Legal Ethics, pls hndle thx
Pls Hndle Thx: The Informant
Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com. Dear ATL, I am an assistant clerk at a state court. I graduated in May 2010 and worked hard to find a decent job after taking the July bar. I have noticed over my past few months that a co-worker, also a […] -
Cellphones, Constitutional Law, Drugs, Privacy, Technology
On Why It's Better To Be A Drug Dealer in Ohio Than in California
As a place to live, California has a lot going for it: the Pacific Ocean, pleasant weather, celeb spottings. But if you’re concerned about the police perusing the contents of your smartphone without a warrant, you might prefer to spend your time further east, in the Buckeye State. The Supreme Courts of California and Ohio […]