* “As virtually any clown can attest, no one owns the idea of making a balloon dog.” Jeff Koons was on the wrong side of this awesome legal beatdown. [Freakonomics / New York Times] * In honor of his memory, a new federal courthouse in Arizona will be named after Judge John M. Roll. [CNN] […]
* Do not handcuff law professors and search their homes for drugs unless you are absolutely sure you are right. [SF Weekly] * Facebook adds relationship status options for “civil union” and “domestic partnership.” [Huffington Post] * Quick, 1Ls: Do I need an easement or a covenant to erect a 24-foot cross that shines into […]
Legal work isn’t slowing down, and the firms that win won’t be the ones working harder — they’ll be the ones working smarter.
In Part 1 of the Career Center survey results on debt, we reported that 85% of the 3,700 survey respondents have outstanding student loan debt, with more than half of them owing $100,000 or more. We also found that 75% of respondents considered their debt at least as much as other factors when deciding on […]
Milbank Tweed? More like Milbank Cashmere. Associates at the firm can treat themselves to some luxury goods this weekend, in anticipation of the cash that’s coming their way in a few weeks. Earlier today, the firm announced that it will be matching the Cravath spring bonuses. It’s a pleasant surprise to some….
Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Size Matters, one of Above the Law’s new columns for small-firm lawyers. I moved from Biglaw to a small firm in 2008. I had heard the term “litigation boutique” used positively. Also, I had heard tales of Biglaw associates going on to small firms and doing great […]
I should have written about this days ago, but the pain was still too near to me. The humans have lost to the machines. We might as well start digging towards the Earth’s core, where it’s still warm, and start building our own Zion. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the terrifying […]
LexisNexis sat down with John Ursin, Managing Partner at Schenck Price, to learn how the firm is using legal AI to strengthen client service and daily legal work.
We all know that in this legal economy, 1L grades are critically important. There aren’t enough good jobs to go around, and coming out of your first semester with a strong transcript can really help. This is why some law students flip out over changes (real or perceived) to grading policies or curves. But getting […]
We recently wondered, in the wake of Cadwalader announcing spring bonuses, whether Willkie Farr (and several other top New York firms) might follow suit. Well, the wait is over. Willkie has announced spring bonuses, on the top-of-the-line Cravath scale….
The jury verdict in the attempted-murder trial of Temple Law student Gerald Ung came out on Tuesday, but people are still talking about the case. Some readers have complained about our repeated use of Gerald Ung’s mugshot to illustrate our stories. In yesterday’s linkwrap, we mixed it up a bit, using a more formal photo […]
In a postcript to our detailed post speculating about the future direction of the spring bonus phenomenon, we noted “an isolated report of one firm on the S&C spring bonus scale going back and raising to the Cravath scale,” but said we required additional corroboration. We now have the requisite confirmation. On Tuesday, Simpson Thacher […]
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Inside Straight, Above the Law’s column for in-house counsel, written by Mark Herrmann. First, a shameless plug; then, back to business. The plug: I’ll be giving my “book talk” about The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law in several locations in the next couple of weeks, including in […]
* Hawaii state legislators have approved civil unions for same-sex couples. Tiny gay couples… [Reuters] * Louisiana applies special penalties to those who are convicted of soliciting oral or anal sex, under the Crimes Against Nature law. Kirk Cameron and this Kiwi fella seem to disagree with Louisiana on just how unnatural oral sex is. […]
Usually I’m happy to stand with law students against the slings and arrows of outrageous law school administration. But not this time. This time, instead of a noble law student fighting the good fight, I see an annoying whiner who wants law school to be about teddy bears and rainbows. A student at the University […]
* The California Supremes have agreed to tackle the Prop 8 standing question. [Poliglot / Metro Weekly] * Musical chairs: veteran litigator Thomas Wiegand leaves Winston & Strawn and joins his good friend Steve Molo at MoloLamken. [Am Law Daily] * A report on the appellate proceedings in the Drew Peterson case. [Chicago Tribune] * […]
Yesterday we reported on talks last week between Jones Day and key partners in the construction group of Howrey. It appears that the talks have borne fruit. As reported yesterday by the Daily Journal (subscription), a group of seven Howrey partners — led by prominent construction lawyer Steve O’Neal, former chairman of the now-defunct Thelen […]