Remember this picture?
Last month, we asked for possible captions, and after narrowing the field to our top ten finalists, we have declared the winners….
Continue reading “Caption Contest Winners: Living in a Van, Down by the River”
Archive for July 2011
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Posted in:
Caption Contests, Contests, Job Searches, Law Schools, Pictures, Reader Polls
Caption Contest Winners: Living in a Van, Down by the River
By Staci Zaretsky-
Posted in:
Law Schools, Money, Student Loans, Trendspotting, University of Minnesota Law School
Private Funding of Public Law Schools = Bad News For Future Law Students
By Elie Mystal
Do you know an easy way for moderately priced public law schools to make even more money? Charge more for tuition. Do you know an easy justification for jacking up tuition rates? Say that you are moving to a “private funding model” while you bemoan the lack of public support for your institution.
After that, it’s all profit baby!
The big news in the law school hot stove league is that another major public law school is toying with moving to a private funding model. The logic for eschewing public funds for an increase in private dollars is, as always, disingenuous. But hey, as long as the law school keeps paying its tithe to the university, few will object to increased gouging of prospective law students…
Continue reading “Private Funding of Public Law Schools = Bad News For Future Law Students”
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Posted in:
Contests, Crime, Fish & Richardson, Lawyer of the Day, Mark Cuban, Prostitution, Reader Polls
Lawyer of the Month: June Reader Poll
By Elie Mystal
Okay, we were really late with the May Lawyer of the Month reader poll. But that was in part because the May candidates were quite dull.
There is nothing dull about the June Lawyer of the Month candidates. I count two candidates who would be runaway winners if they didn’t have to face each other, and two other candidates that would be darkhorse choices to win in any other month.
The scandalous allegations about the June candidates put the sizzle in summer. And no, I don’t know why I wrote that sentence as if I were writing ad copy for Applebee’s…
Got this email in the ol’ inbox this morning — a missive from Jose Baez, the successful defense lawyer of Casey Anthony, who was just acquitted of charges that she killed her daughter (murder and manslaughter).
Thought I’d forward it on to you good folks. Read it if you want. Don’t cost nothing.
From: JoseBaez@——.com
To: JuggaloLaw@gmail.com
Subject: Hey A-hole!
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:29:00 -0600
Dear Juggs,
I’m sorry that it’s taken me this long to respond to the thoughtful criticisms levied against me in your post written almost a month ago, when you named me Above the Law’s Lawyer of the Day and suggested I was in over my head on the Casey Anthony case.
In the whirlwind that is my life, I occasionally misplace things, and your post was just one of those things. It’s probably better this way, as I’ve had the opportunity to collect my thoughts and give you the reasoned response your thoughtfulness begs for. Almost a month on, I think it’s fair to say….
* DSK’s alleged Sofitel victim has filed a libel suit against the New York Post over its hooker allegations. And a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but it’d probably get me sued, too. [CNN]
* Biglaw could teach rappers a lesson or two when it comes to making it rain. As it turns out, the whole Madoff debacle has turned into one giant rainmaker raid after the next. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Guess who will be paying for Whitey Bulger’s defense attorney? You, and you, and you. And especially you. You know who I’m talking about. [WSJ Law Blog]
* You guys can fight over who inherited your dad’s balls all you want, but leave the puggle alone! A doggie order of protection has been filed in the Pogofsky estate suit. [Chicago Tribune]
* Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. A Florida traffic court magistrate allegedly went all om nom nom on a police officer’s finger. [South Florida Sun Sentinel]
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Posted in:
Career Alternatives, Food, Job Searches, Law Schools
Career Alternatives for Attorneys: Peddling Popsicles
By Staci Zaretsky
Wouldn't you love to lick one of these?
When faced with a job that isn’t making you happy, sometimes creativity is necessary in order to escape. Because hey, not everyone can enjoy courtroom glory like that of Jose Baez, knight in shining armor for Casey Anthony. And so, for these people, there are many career alternatives to choose from.
We’ve written previously about these creative types: some decided that they’d rather walk across the country than work another day in Biglaw; others decided to hang their own shingles in the wonderful world of mobile cupcakes.
If doing something that will make you or your customers wish for a summer oasis is your thing, then I say go for it.
But some lawyers opt to pair business sense with their creativity. Some lawyers realize that during the summer, the ideal treat is not scaling a mountain or munching on a cupcake, but instead, licking a popsicle or two. And that is how one former prosecutor started a delicious frozen empire in Georgia to become the self-proclaimed Earl of Pops….
Continue reading “Career Alternatives for Attorneys: Peddling Popsicles”
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Posted in:
Law Professors, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, Pets, Widener Law School
Non-Sequiturs: 07.05.11
By Elie Mystal
* Some West Village pet stores won’t let you buy a puppy if you are drunk. I don’t know if this fact represents a high point in intelligent rulemaking or a reason to bomb a place like the West Village that makes a law like this necessary. [Village Voice]
* People under 30 are most satisfied with their standard of living. I think that’s because people under 30 assume things will get better for them one day, so I’m not sure they’re “satisfied” so much as “delusional about a future that will be hotter, wetter, and has already been sold to the Chinese.” [Huffington Post]
* The only thing worse than an unaccountable judiciary is an underpaid, disgruntled, unaccountable judiciary. [Faculty Lounge]
* Embattled Widener Law Professor Lawrence Connell is now suing students? Be careful man, “embattled” is usually the stage where the wheels start coming off. [FIRE]
* You can once again purchase “Raging Bitch” beer in Michigan. See, now that we know Jim Tressel bought his dominance over Michigan, I think the whole state will lighten up a bit. [Legal Blog Watch]
* Before rising 3Ls realize nobody is coming to interview them, maybe we should point them towards the Schola2Juris program of Waller Lansden one more time? [Schola2Juris]
This weekend I watched the three-part Moroccan adventure on Real Housewives of New York. Each moment was more awkward than the next as I watched the worst clichés about Americans acted out on screen. I could not imagine a more inappropriate set up other than if Bravo had sent a group of small-firm lawyers to the Middle East. Or so I thought….
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Francis Hoang and Joseph Fluet, principals of Fluet Huber + Hoang. This D.C. small firm specializes in, among other things, “legal services in non-permissive environments.”
What does this mean? Find out after the jump….
Continue reading “Size Matters: Small Firm Travels Great Distances”
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Posted in:
Bar Exams, Columbia Law School, UC Hastings Law, UCLA School of Law
Bar Review Diaries: Confidently Rounding the Home Stretch
By Christopher Danzig
We’re closing in on the main event. The holiday weekend may have been your last excuse to slack until the bar exam is over. But here at the Bar Review Diaries, our columnists are at peace. They know they need to buckle down, but they are confident.
After the jump, we learn that Mike has decided to lock himself inside for the next three weeks, the countryside is becoming unnerving to Mariah, and Christopher is coming to terms with all he still wants to learn…
Continue reading “Bar Review Diaries: Confidently Rounding the Home Stretch”
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Posted in:
Admin, Shameless Plugs, Technology, This Is an Ad
Legal Technology Leadership Summit: Golfing Isn’t Just For Doctors
By Elie Mystal
When they asked me “Do you golf,” I naturally responded with “You know I’m not bad, and I love the FaceGen technology, but my swing seems to have a natural fade that I can’t correct for unless I line up the controller exactly right, and that’s frustrating.”
Much to my surprise, they weren’t asking me about Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12. They were talking about real golf. Played outdoors. I don’t even know where they set up the Kinect, but apparently we have the technology to do this now.
And we will be golfing at the Legal Technology Leadership Summit on Amelia Island from September 6 – 8. Click here to attend the conference, and here for more information on the golf outing. Here’s how the festivities were explained to me:
Don’t worry if you’re not a good golfer, or even if you’ve never played before. Each foursome will be comprised of 3 actual golfers (an A, B and C player) and a fourth player whose sole duties will be to drive a golf cart and putt. This will let those non-golfers who don’t want to miss out on the fun a chance to participate without embarrassment (and without the expense of golf shoes!).
The first group will go off shortly after noon on Tuesday, September 6.
Well, my sole duty will be to end up with the coolest foursome at the event. It’s not illegal to drink while driving a golf cart, right?
Legal Technology Leadership Summit [Above the Law]
Television news sources are reporting that Casey Anthony has been found not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, or aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Casey Anthony was found guilty of four counts of providing false information to law enforcement officers.
HLN, the news channel that has been covering this trial since it started, all day, every day, is having a freakin’ field day. Mothers all over the country are ripping their hair out of their heads. Nancy Grace didn’t just have a cow — she gave birth to an entire herd.
Is Jose Baez, Casey Anthony’s lawyer, the Latino Johnnie Cochran? Either way, he’s looking forward to many, many incoming client calls.
As I noted in today’s Morning Docket, Casey would’ve gotten some first degree murder for breakfast from me. Instead, all she got was a few slaps on the wrist.
Will we ever find out what really happened to Caylee Anthony? Sadly, I don’t think the answer to that question is yes.
We will continue to provide relevant updates to this post throughout the day as they arise. Refresh this post for the latest.
UPDATE (2:55 PM): Do you think Casey Anthony was guilty? Take our poll, and see how your fellow ATL readers voted, after the jump….
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Posted in:
Billable Hours, Lawyer of the Day
Lawyer of the Day: Prosecutor Has A Nutty After A 60-Hour Week
By Elie Mystal
With the discussion of heavy Biglaw workloads still fresh in our minds, let’s remember that most attorneys understand the law is a rigorous profession. Lawyers don’t expect to work 9-to-5 hours. Most lawyers aren’t going to freak out when they have to put in a long week.
At least on the East Coast. Maybe, up in the Pacific Northwest, lawyering is a different thing entirely. Maybe it’s a regular, working man’s job, where you “punch in,” “punch out,” and take a precise hour-long lunch away from your desk every day. And maybe northwestern lawyers get so used to this workaday schedule that when they find themselves in the middle of a long week, and the specter of weekend work is staring them in the face, it’s totally usual for them to lash out at opposing counsel with displaced anger.
Or maybe this one prosecutor is just kind of a prick?
Continue reading “Lawyer of the Day: Prosecutor Has A Nutty After A 60-Hour Week”
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Posted in:
Courtship Connection, Politics, Reader Polls, Romance and Dating
Courtship Connection: City Voting and Opposites Attracting
By Kashmir Hill
Anyone who has spent a swampy June/July/August in D.C. knows that it’s not the ideal setting for a sizzling summer romance. So it is time to shift locations for the Courtship Connection, Above the Law’s dating service for legal eagles.
Given my miserable less-than-perfect matchmaking track record, I was surprised by the number of emails from single lawyers and law students begging for Courtship to come to their city. I guess desperate times call for really desperate measures?
Since the only pleasure Courtship Connection tends to bring is to the readers, we shall let you choose the next city. Which metropolis of lawyers offers the greatest potential for throw-downs, of both the clashing and clicking variety? After the jump, you can vote for one of the nominees — Atlanta, Montreal, Miami, L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, or Orange County, CA — and hear about the latest D.C. “cage match” of a date….
Continue reading “Courtship Connection: City Voting and Opposites Attracting”
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Posted in:
Advertising, Biglaw, Career Center, Holidays and Seasons, Job Survey, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Career Center Survey: Did You Work on the Fourth of July?
By Above the Law
Back in the winter months, we surveyed Biglaw associates about working on the MLK Day and President’s Day holidays. Well, over half of respondents said they still clocked in on those holidays. But now that the weather is warmer, the barbecue grills are up and running, and partners are on vacation, surely more of you took Independence Day off, right? Take our short survey, brought to you by Lateral Link, and let’s find out.
As always, your responses are kept completely confidential. Stay tuned later this week when we reveal the survey results. For more information on vacation policies, check out the updated law firm profiles at the Career Center, hosted by Lateral Link.
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Posted in:
Barack Obama, Biglaw, Columbia Law School, Fabulosity, Federal Government, Military / Military Law, Partner Issues, Paul Weiss, Politics
An Afternoon With Jeh Johnson, General Counsel of the Defense Department
By David Lat
Jeh Johnson
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fate of Guantanamo Bay. The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The rise of WikiLeaks. The raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound. The conflict in Libya.
On these and many other critical national security legal issues, one of the most important advisers to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and President Barack Obama’s White House has been Jeh C. Johnson, General Counsel of the Department of Defense. In light of his role as senior legal adviser to the largest government agency in the world, responsible for the work of over 10,000 lawyers, it is no understatement to describe Johnson as one of the powerful and influential lawyers in the entire federal government.
I recently went down to Washington to interview Johnson in his office at the Pentagon. If you think security at your law firm is tight, visit the Pentagon. I had to pass through a metal detector and multiple security checkpoints before arriving at Johnson’s office, located on the E Ring within the mammoth structure — the world’s largest office building by floor area, with over 6.5 million square feet housing over 25,000 employees. (I was accompanied at all times by a member of Johnson’s staff, which prevented me from getting lost inside the maze-like complex.)
Before entering Johnson’s private office, I had to surrender my Blackberry – the office is a SCIF (pronounced “skiff”), or “Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility.” This means that it is specially designed to prevent eavesdropping, thanks to walls and doors of specified thickness and the use of jamming technologies. The windows of Johnson’s office, tinted a yellowish green, are blast-resistant and designed to preclude visual surveillance.
Once I made it to the inner sanctum, I was in for a treat. My wide-ranging discussion with Jeh Johnson covered his remarkable career path, which has included service as a federal prosecutor, partnership at a top law firm (Paul Weiss), and his current post as GC of the Defense Department; the virtues of public service, as well as the growing challenges for lawyers interested in it; and Johnson’s advice for law students and lawyers who aspire to careers in government (hint: keep your nanny on the books)….
Continue reading “An Afternoon With Jeh Johnson, General Counsel of the Defense Department”
* Deliberations in the Anthony trial continue today. If I were a juror, I’d be so pissed about missing an entire day of July 4th fun that I’d serve Casey some first degree murder for breakfast. [USA Today]
* Another day, another rape allegation. Dominique Strauss-Kahn just can’t catch a break. Or a nod for a French presidential run. [Adelaide Now]
* Poor New York judges. How are they supposed to afford their 3,500 square foot significant others on sh*tlaw salaries? Definitely the “most important problem” in our court system. [New York Times]
* The only thing stoners refuse to procrastinate about is access to weed. NJ potheads don’t want to be chronically late to the medical marijuana party, so they might sue the state. [CBS New York]
* A New York bus matron allegedly dragged a kid off a bus and dumped her at the wrong school. I don’t think “No Child Left Behind” means what you think it means, lady. [New York Daily News]
* Octomom is refuting statements made in an alleged interview with In Touch. Of course she loves her kids. When your house is in foreclosure, you need all the state funds you can get. [Examiner]
Ed. note: Your Above the Law editors are busy celebrating their freedom today (and we hope you are, too). We will return to our regular publishing schedule on Tuesday, July 5.
* Well, the government is finally agreeing with the fact that that all men are theoretically created equal. Even the most faaaaaaabulous ones. That only took 235 years. [Associated Press]
* Oh, and by “theoretically,” I meant that according to the Sixth Circuit, some people are created more equal than others. Especially if they want to go to school in Michigan. [New York Times]
* Jose Baez’s closing in the Anthony trial featured quotes like: “Who cut the cheese?” and “Who smelled what?” Whoever smelt it, dealt it. Even “laughing man” Ashton knows that. [Baltimore Sun]
* Obama will host a Twitter town hall meeting this week. How many ways can you express your anger about jobs and the economy in less than 140 characters? #WTF [New York Daily News]
* In the home of the free and the brave, a prisoner can’t even get off. Is keeping a man from making daily deposits in his spank bank a form of cruel and unusual punishment? [Detroit News]
* Wait, did Simpson Thacher cost J.P. Morgan $1.5 billion? That can’t be. That can’t be right. [Huffington Post]
* When in-house counsel get pissy. [Around the Water Cooler]
* Can’t wait till the lawyers get involved in the NBA Lockout. ‘Cause that’s way more fun that talking about basketball. [ESPN]
* Campus security cannot be taken for granted. [Law & More]
* SNR Denton is just getting pounded. [RollOnFriday]
* Congratulations to Associate’s Mind on its one year bloggerversary. [An Associate's Mind]
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Posted in:
Allen & Overy, Biglaw, Musical Chairs, O'Melveny & Myers, Partner Issues
O’Melveny Prepared For A Leadership Fight?
By Elie Mystal
It is getting hard to sugarcoat the situation at O’Melveny & Myers. We have been covering their extensive partner departures over the last few weeks.
The news from earlier this week continues that trend. Allen & Overy is opening a second U.S. office with, you guessed it, O’Melveny partners (specifically, financial regulatory partners Barbara Stettner and Chris Salter, and counsel Charles Borden).
Up until now we’ve been reporting that there has at least been stability in OMM’s firm leadership. But that may no longer be the case. Today’s report suggests that firm chairman A.B. Culvahouse Jr. may be forced out sooner rather than later….
UPDATE (7/2/11): Additional comment from the firm, after the jump.
Continue reading “O’Melveny Prepared For A Leadership Fight?”
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Posted in:
Admin, Advertising, Shameless Plugs, Technology, This Is an Ad
The Legal Technology Leadership Summit: Reducing the Costs and Risks of Over-Preservation of Data
By Above the Law
One of the primary themes of the Legal Technology Leadership Summit is to identify the enormous costs associated with the over-preservation of electronic data by corporations and other organizations and to suggest rules, legislation, or other processes or technologies to reduce those costs and risks. One of the many serious risks associated with the unnecessary over-retention of data is the risk that the data will be hacked or stolen.
Keynote speakers Tom Dawson, a former U.S. prosecutor, and Alan Lange, a political blogger, will address such issues as they relate to the Dickie Scruggs scandal. Dawson was personally involved in the six-month investigation and the three-month trial of Dickie Scruggs and other prominent plaintiffs tort lawyers. Scruggs collaborated with corporate employees in their unauthorized disclosure of paper and electronic records of their employer, a claims processing company that was involved in evaluating and processing Katrina insurance claims.
The data security issues that are central to the Scruggs saga dovetail with one of the recurring themes of the Summit. The presentation by Dawson and Lange is sure to trigger a lively discussion on what, if anything, could have been done to prevent or detect the theft of sensitive information.
The Summit will take place on September 6 – 8, in Amelia Island, Florida. If you are interested attending the Summit, please sign up here to join us. You can also take a look at the full agenda for the event here.
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Posted in:
Advertising, Shameless Plugs, Sponsored Content, This Is an Ad
The BarMax Manifesto: “We Are Not Sheep”
By Above the Law
In 2009, a small group of Harvard Law School students noticed an absurd monopoly in the bar prep space, held by an unchallenged leader with a non-evolving product. In response, these students teamed up with Harvard Law alumni to launch BarMax on January 14, 2010.The mission: democratize bar prep by embracing new technologies to provide the very best bar exam review courses at a fraction of the cost normally associated with these courses.
Since then, with the encouragement of thousands of students and an unwavering commitment to their success, BarMax has established itself as a comprehensive alternative to the stagnant, over-priced status quo.
As we continue to expand, we do not want to lose sight of the basic premises that led us to create BarMax in the first place. If you are a law student who believes that there is something fundamentally wrong with being forced to take out yet another loan to pay for a $4,000 bar exam prep course, you are not alone.
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Posted in:
Advertising, Asia Chronicles, Shameless Plugs, Sponsored Content, This Is an Ad
The Asia Chronicles: In-House Openings at Hedge Funds In Hong Kong / State Of The Market / 7 New Kinney ’12 US Associate Placements In HK / China
By Kinney Recruiting
Ed. note: This post is authored by Evan Jowers and Robert Kinney of Kinney Recruiting, sponsor of the Asia Chronicles. Kinney has made more placements of U.S. associates and partners in Asia than any other firm in the past five years. You can reach them by email: asia@kinneyrecruiting.comHappy Chinese New Year! We were extremely busy the past few months, including most of our US based team working from our Hong Kong offices during November and December.
As a follow up from our recent post, which listed our 62 US associate and counsel placements in Asia last year (vast majority in HK / China), please note that thus far in January ’12, we have already made seven US associate and counsel placements in Asia. This is an especially impressive number, considering the biglaw lateral hiring market in Asia is down right now (see state of the market brief overview below). These new placements are of new hires in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, who were interviewing with their new firm for a month or more and they are spread out among different practice areas, including project finance, litigation, fund formation, M&A and cap markets. We are close on four additional new associate placements, in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, that we expect to close soon. We do not discuss partner placements in these articles, but the pace of partner recruitment in Asia (a large part of our business) has continued.
Hedge Fund In-House Openings in Hong Kong
We are seeing a small run of new in-house openings in Hong Kong at hedge funds. We are currently filling three different in-house positions at three different hedge funds in Hong Kong, two of these searches we are handling on an exclusive basis. All three will most likely be filled by a US associate, with about 4 to 6 years of experience. Mandarin not required. Candidates from NYC and London will be considered, but at one of these funds the new hire will likely come from Hong Kong / China or Singapore (with HK being the strong preference).
Please feel free to reach out to us at asia@kinneyrecruiting.com if you are interested in these hedge fund openings. As you probably would expect, the competition for these spots will be fierce and the funds will be very selective when choosing which candidates to interview.
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Posted in:
Careers
