Andrew Shirvell (far right) and Chris Armstrong
Here’s a quick update on a past Lawsuit of the Day. Last month, Chris Armstrong, the openly gay ex-president of the University of Michigan student body, sued Andrew Shirvell, the former Michigan assistant attorney general and outspoken opponent of homosexuality. As you may recall, Shirvell criticized Armstrong in a blog called Chris Armstrong Watch, making allegations that according to Armstrong were false, and Shirvell also followed Armstrong around Ann Arbor. So Armstrong sued Shirvell for stalking, invasion of privacy, and defamation (among other claims).
Now Andrew Shirvell is firing back. Last week, Shirvell, proceeding pro se [FN1], moved to dismiss Chris Armstrong’s lawsuit.
Not surprisingly, Shirvell claimed in his motion to be a victim: “Plaintiff’s course of conduct was politically motivated and intended to make an example out of Defendant in order to deter others from criticizing Plaintiff’s homosexual activist agenda.” More specifically, Shirvell argued that certain counts of the Armstrong complaint fail to state claims upon which relief can be granted, that Shirvell’s criticism of Armstrong was protected by the First Amendment, and that Shirvell never had direct contact with Armstrong (e.g., by email or by phone).
In addition, Shirvell lodged some counterclaims against Armstrong. What is the basis for Shirvell suing Armstrong?
Continue reading “Shirvell Won’t Shrivel: Former Michigan Prosecutor Turns It Around on Chris Armstrong”
Raj Rajaratnam
Raj Rajaratnam, the billionaire leader of the Galleon Group, has been found guilty.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty on all 14 counts Rajaratnam was facing — nine counts of insider trading and five of conspiracy. Rajaratnam could get a sentence of up to 19 and a half years under the federal sentencing guidelines, according to prosecutors.
Rajaratnam’s defense lawyer, John Dowd of Akin Gump, is a renowned advocate — but he’s not a miracle worker. Raj was just too big a target.
Check out our sister site Dealbreaker for continuing coverage.
Raj Rajaratnam Found Guilty [Dealbreaker]
Galleon’s Rajaratnam Found Guilty [Dealbook]
Ed. note: This post is by Will Meyerhofer, a former Sullivan & Cromwell attorney turned psychotherapist. He holds degrees from Harvard, NYU Law, and The Hunter College School of Social Work, and he blogs at The People’s Therapist. His new book, Life is a Brief Opportunity for Joy, is available on Amazon (affiliate link).
Some big law firms are like the mob. They do ugly things, but prefer to avoid “ugliness.” The partners, like the capos of major crime families, have delicate constitutions.
Ugliness could result from ill-considered communication. For that reason, a capo – or a partner – isn’t going to tell you what he really thinks. That would be indelicate. It could lead to misunderstandings.
You, in turn, shouldn’t tell a partner what you really think. That could lead to sleeping with the fishes.
My client recently received a lesson in partner communication…
Continue reading “A Little Chat”
Hillary Clinton: redacted for 'modesty.'
* SlutWalk: no, I’m not talking about your weekend plans. Don’t tell law students not to dress like sluts, because they’ll use their brains and hold a half-naked protest about it. [CNN World]
* More than 23,000 people downloaded The Expendables? Seriously? You deserve to be sued. My boyfriend made me see that movie, and it was horrendous. [Techland / TIME]
* Hillary Clinton was too sexy to be pictured in this Jewish newspaper. I bet that’s the first and last time you’ll see “Hillary Clinton” and “sexy” so close in the same sentence. [Washington Post via ABA Journal]
* A new lawsuit claims that the LSAT is biased against the visually impaired. But when you can’t get into Cooley, it may be that the test is just biased against the intellectually impaired. [Daily Tribune]
* You’d think that Utah has more important things to worry about than illegal immigrants. I guess it’s good to know the citizenship status of the guy who stole from your sister wives. [Boston Globe]
* Elie, my friend, you may want to lay off the Chantix. No one wants an ATL murder-suicide. The site would be left in the hands of Juggs and me, and that would just not be pretty. [Beaver County Times]
UVA looks tranquil -- but looks can be deceiving. (Yes, I know this is a picture of the Rotunda on Central Grounds, not the Law School. But I took it myself, when I spoke at UVA a few years ago, and wanted to use it.)
Just out of curiosity, I took a look at the academic calendar for UVA Law School. It turns out that they’re right in the middle of spring exams (which started on Monday, May 2, and finish on Friday, May 13). I can’t imagine trying to study for or take exams amidst this kind of upheaval.
And, as it turns out, the Johnathan Perkins controversy isn’t the only thing happening at the law school right now. On Friday, a 2L at UVA, Daniel Paul Watkins, was charged with stalking and assault by university police.
UPDATE (8/31/11): Daniel Watkins has been cleared of all charges.
This incident is separate from L’Affaire Perkins, but some suggest there’s a connection….
Continue reading “More Drama From UVA Law School”
We’re a little bit late with April’s lawyer of the month reader poll. First of all, we’ve been doing a lot of reader voting so far in this month. (There are still a few hours for you to vote in our Law Revue Video Contest.)
The other reason why we’re a bit delinquent this month is because we think we know who is going to win. It’s not every day that a recent law grad finds himself trying a murder case — and getting reprimanded by the judge for “lack[ing] knowledge of proper trial procedure.”
Such is life during the Obama “recovery.” Check out this month’s nominees below…
Continue reading “Lawyer of the Month: April Reader Poll”
* On my birthday, I think I’ll take this advice and forgive all who have oppressed me. Not forever, just for today. [Underdog]
* Here’s a list of law school commencement speakers. Sadly, I’m not on it. [Tax Prof Blog]
* Cell phones need to collect more data from us about as much as Lat and Kash need more milk at my parties. [Not So Private Parts/Forbes]
* So, it looks like that present I ordered for myself from China won’t be coming through for a little while. [Huffington Post]
* Osama bin Laden death photos could be presents to some U.S. senators. [Village Voice]
* The older I get, the more I want a Navy SEAL Team 6 outfit to find and destroy the compound where the PC Police are hiding. [Feministe]
* Do you like a good horror story? Do you like a good horror story about Biglaw? This is my birthday present to all of you. [Kristopher-Kelly]
Last month, we announced our exciting Legal Technology Leadership Summit, which we’re hosting in partnership with the Electronic Discovery Institute and the American Society of Digital Forensics and eDiscovery (ASDFED).
We are pleased to announce TCDI and Planet Data as VIP Ambassadors of the event. We also continue to add great speakers to the panels, including Nishan DeSilva of Microsoft, Ronke Ekwensi of Pfizer, Paul Meyer of Towers Watson, and Demetrius Rush of Zurich N.A.
Space is limited, so please sign up now to attend.
Legal Technology Leadership Summit
Earlier: For Legal Technology, Above the Law Needs An Entire Summit
It has been a proud time for us Illinoisans. Yes, one of our congressmen is the hottest and fittest of them all. As I was “reading” the Men’s Health cover story (i.e., drooling over the shirtless photos of Aaron Schock), I realized that times are changing. Gone are the stodgy and round politicians. The future is lean, mean and pre-teen.
According to Law Firms: A Less Gilded Future — the Economist article discussed in nearly every law-related tweet last week, and mentioned twice (here and here) in these pages — Aaron Schock is the model for law firms as well….
Continue reading “Size Matters: Take Your Shirt Off To Succeed”
What an awesome venue. They should try playing football there or something.
Well, Michigan Law Dean Evan Caminker got what he wanted: Ohio Senator Rob Portman addressed gradating 3Ls, at senior day. But conscientious members of the Michigan Law community didn’t have to stomach it if they didn’t want to. There was a walk-out during Portman’s speech, and some reports claim that over 100 students (out of 400) joined in.
Michigan students who support civil rights and marriage equality should feel proud. They’ve brought national attention to this issue. And they did so without “ruining” graduation for anybody else. There’s video of the walk-out up on Perez Hilton, and it doesn’t appear that the protesting Michigan students were unduly disruptive to those who wanted to hear Portman speak.
While it is sad to see the class split like this, perhaps the Michigan administration will invite a less divisive speaker next year. Given the position Michigan Law put its LGBT community in, I’m not sure how this could have turned out much better…
Continue reading “Michigan Law Commencement Walkout”
The high-powered law firm of Paul Weiss has a legendary litigation practice. But their corporate department is strong too — they’re working on, for example, the big Warner Music deal — and it’s only getting stronger.
Yesterday corporate lawyers at Paul Weiss received an unusual email: “We would like to ask all counsel and associates to attend a meeting tomorrow morning at 11 to discuss some exciting developments affecting the Corporate Department. The meeting will be held in the concourse. Please make every effort to attend.”
The meeting took place earlier today. What was announced?
UPDATE: Please note that several updates have been added to this post, after the jump.
Continue reading “Musical Chairs: Paul Weiss Snags Corporate Partners from O’Melveny — Along With a Top Client”
I like crusading AGs with names like "Spitzer" more than "Cuccinelli," but that's just me.
Obamacare scored a huge victory today. Not because of an election or an impassioned debate. Not because of a fresh argument or a political compromise. Not even because of a considered legal opinion. No, Obamacare scored a major victory just because the Fourth Circuit panel randomly chosen to hear the challenge to Obamacare, an appeal spearheaded by crusading Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli, will be made up of three judges appointed by Democratic presidents.
And because we live in a country where our judiciary is about as apolitical as a parliamentary house, it’s reasonable to think that at least two of the three judges (two of whom were appointed by Obama himself) will deliver an Obamacare victory.
Does anybody have a problem with that?
Continue reading “Judging Is Just Politics By Other Means”
Try and guess which firm is highlighted in the blurbs below, and click on the link for each firm to view the full profile. Want to know what the associates on the inside think about their firms? Check out the updated firm profiles at the Career Center, powered by Lateral Link.
- While a Biglaw firm in terms of profits, prestige, and compensation, this firm should really be considered a litigation boutique. Associates here do not receive bonuses, but they don’t mind because the “base salary is higher than market.” Not only is compensation higher relative to its peers, but the firm is also one of the “best law firms to work for” according to its associates.
- This firm has defended more securities class action lawsuits than any other U.S. law firm, and has an impressive patent prosecution and defense success rate to boot. Speaking of boots, the firm finally loosened its bootstraps in terms of compensation, and associates are now enjoying the salaries of pre-2009 levels.
More profiles, after the jump.
Continue reading “Career Center: Do you have what it takes to survive at the following firms?”
Judge Philip Kirk
On Monday, Judge Philip Kirk of Wisconsin sentenced Delton D. Gorges, a 71-year-old former bus driver, to seven years in prison. Gorges was convicted on charges of sexually assaulting boys, after pleading no contest.
Judge Kirk had some odd words for the defendant at sentencing. Most notably, he told Gorges: “I think you were born gayer than a sweet-smelling jock strap.”
(I’m sorry, but is anyone else finding this transcript a little titillating? Maybe even Judge Kirk?)
Judge Kirk — today’s Judge of the Day, naturally — also expressed skepticism toward Gorges’s claim of heterosexuality: “I think that if anyone believes that in the last 10 years or 15 years all of a sudden you developed an interest in homosexuality and young boys, then I must have looked ravishing in my prom dress this year.”
(Well, Your Honor, you do wear a little black dress — well before the start of cocktail hour.)
Okay. Can we get some context up in here?
Continue reading “Judge Calls Defendant ‘Gayer Than a Sweet-Smelling Jock Strap’”
Manual Lawyering
I think we’re all used to the really terrible jobs being offered to recent law graduates these days. The last one we did was so bad that the school that posted it had to apologize.
In this market, you need to have something especially terrible about your job listing to get our attention. Today’s bad job offer has that something special.
Sure, this job offers a very low hourly wage to a recent law graduate. But it also requires some manual labor, and that’s just especially crappy….
Continue reading “If You Want A Job In This Economy, Better Work On Your Physical Strength”
Johnathan is always honest, sometimes brutally so.
– Johnathan Perkins, describing himself for a listing of peer advisers at UVA Law School. Perkins, a 3L at UVA, recently admitted that he fabricated a story of how he was racially profiled and harassed by university police.
* Why is Obamacare better than an apple a day? Because it’ll really keep the doctor away. A trifecta of Obamacare appeals begins today. [Los Angeles Times]
* Hooters could’ve gone tits up if this lawsuit turned out badly. Luckily, the company lawyers are as supportive as a good bra. [Bloomberg]
* Texas: home of big guns, small minds, and outrageous billing practices. Can we get some Jay Shepherd up in here? [New York Times]
* C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me. I guess the Brits are having so much trouble with cookie law because C is for crumpet over there. [Tech Europe / Wall Street Journal]
* Why on earth would you opt out of receiving the yellow pages? They’re so useful — one is stabilizing my coffee table as we speak. [Seattle Times]
* DADT may have been repealed, but even if you go to Harvard, you’re probably going to have problems enlisting if you go by Jack and still buy tampons. [Harvard Crimson]
* I hear that the best way to be represented in the Census is to actually respond to the Census, and not just bitch about it later. Go figure. [Reuters]
Voting in our Law Revue Video Contest continues through tomorrow night. Don’t forget to weigh in; the voting remains incredibly tight, and things are still up in the air. There’s a fierce East Coast / West Coast rivalry raging right now between BU’s I Like the Law and UC Davis’s Davis State of Mind.
While you ponder the very best videos, we figured we’d give you a little extra. You’ve seen the finalists, and you’ve seen the worst. Now let’s look at some videos that, while good, didn’t quite make the cut.
Have fun with these mildly entertaining videos, our “Honorable Mentions” for this year…
Continue reading “Law Revue Video Contest: Honorable Mentions”
* This identical-twin date-rape ad probably wasn’t vetted through legal. [Copyranter]
* Adultery is still illegal in Colorado because…? Maybe state legislators are worried that a “favors adultery” attack ad could work? [WSJ Law Blog]
* The legal industry added jobs in April. [Am Law Daily]
* Law firms still find the time to be charitable. [Street Law]
* Do Republicans spend too much time in the gym, and not enough time passing laws? Check out Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) — and his awesome abs. [Towleroad]
* Are there simply too many law reviews? [Truth on the Market]
* Above the Law commenters can be excellent correctors. [What About Clients? (see "Note" at end)]
