August 2011
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Bad Ideas, Celebrities, Fame Brief, Television
Fame Brief: And You Thought Lawyers Were Only Dead Inside
Just when you thought TV had run out of legal drama series concepts, Sony Pictures TV went rummaging through 2004’s trash and resuscitated this old turd: Dead Lawyers. The series, originally developed for the Syfy channel, follows “a hotshot defense attorney [who] is run over by a bus and finds himself in his own version […] -
Cars, Cozen O'Connor, Deaths, Gay, Jersey Shore, Lindsay Lohan, Morning Docket, Sexual Harassment, Texas
Morning Docket: 08.03.11
* Cozen O’Connor is caught between the parents and lesbian partner of a deceased attorney in a death benefits war. Lawyers’ fees will eat through that profit-sharing plan in no time. [Philadelphia Inquirer] * Because everything’s bigger in Texas, they’ve got the seventh-largest lawyer surplus in the country. Wrangling a job at the employment rodeo […]
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Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Crime, Deaths, Law Schools, Murder, Police, Prisons, Violence
Breaking: Stephen McDaniel Charged With Murder of Lauren Giddings
A recent graduate of Mercer Law School in Macon, Georgia, Stephen Mark McDaniel, has been charged with the murder of neighbor and classmate of Lauren Giddings, the slain Mercer Law graduate whose torso was found on June 30, inside a trash bin just outside her apartment building. Let's take a look at McDaniel's inmate information sheet....
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Biglaw, Bonuses, California, Cheapness, Money, Paralegals, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants
Is the Staff Getting the Short End of the Stick at Baker & McKenzie?
Without paralegals, legal assistants, legal secretaries, clerks, and receptionists, the entire Biglaw model could come to a screeching halt. That being said, we were a little bit shocked when we learned about what is allegedly happening at one of the world's largest law firms, Baker & McKenzie. Apparently some members of the support staff aren't getting the kind of support they need.... -
Basketball, Breasts, Non-Sequiturs, Sentencing Law, Sports, Wall Street
Non-Sequiturs: 08.02.11
* The NBA is suing its players for failing to negotiate in good faith. Funny, I think the players are acting with the same “good faith” NBA owners do when they steal teams from loving fan bases or hold cities hostage until they build new arenas. [WSJ Law Blog] * Having a drunk woman angrily […] -
Biglaw, Quote of the Day, Summer Associates, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Quote of the Day: The Summer of Her Discontent?
Last week a student worked through the night on a document for a big international arbitration. She willingly stayed and worked with a female colleague and did a great job, but she was actually asked to do so and that shouldn’t have happened. In future we’ll stick to our policy so this doesn’t happen again. — Nicola […] -
Advertising, Biglaw, Career Center, Shameless Plugs, Summer Associates, This Is an Ad
Career Center: An Offer Is Just the Beginning
In this week’s Career Center Summer Associate Tips Series, Lateral Link’s Frank Kimball, an expert recruiter and former Biglaw hiring partner, discusses the importance of evaluating your summer associate offer. Succeeding in a summer program means more than receiving an offer of employment. While receiving an offer is probably the most important objective of a […] -
Feminism, Gender, Small Law Firms, Women's Issues
Size Matters: Small Firms and (Hopefully) Strong Women
Does your small firm need a 'Den Mother' to support its female associates? Small firm columnist Valerie Katz explains why women-owned law firms are a good environment for women lawyers.... - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Barack Obama, Education / Schools, Money, Politics, Student Loans
Debt Ceiling Deal Includes Last-Second Screwing Of Graduate Students
There was one cut in the debt ceiling deal that really illustrates how little the president cares for his young, college-educated constituents. To save about $26.3 billion dollars, the debt ceiling deal eliminates the graduate student loan subsidy. Education certainly seems like a surefire way to kill one's economic future.... -
Biglaw, Feminism, Gay, Gender, Minority Issues, Racism, Rankings, Vault rankings, Women's Issues
The Best Law Firms for Diversity (2012)
Given the significance of diversity, it's not surprising that several organizations and news outlets focus on it, especially with respect to large law firms. Vault compiled a list of 25 best law firms for diversity. Which firms made the cut, and is yours on the list? -
Admin, Advertising, Conferences / Symposia, Continuing Legal Education / CLE, Shameless Plugs, Technology, This Is an Ad
Legal Technology Leadership Summit: Getting Feedback from the Judges
It has been almost six years since the ESI parts of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure became effective on December 1, 2006. In this new age of technology, judges have a lot to say about the level of technical competence of the lawyers appearing before them. The Legal Technology Leadership Summit at Amelia Island, […] -
Bar Exams
Bar Review Diaries: Basking in the Afterglow
The bar exam has come and gone. Our esteemed Bar Review Diarists have lived to tell the tale, and thank goodness none of them fainted or had a baby during the test. But as usual, Mike, Mariah and Christopher also had their fair share of adventures. Keep reading to see how a soggy sweater and […] -
Education / Schools, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Money, Student Loans
University of Baltimore Tries To Keep The Devil Way Down In The Hole
The University of Baltimore Law School's former dean blew the lid off the way the University has been making money off the back of the law school, despite the down legal economy. On Monday, UB President Bogomolny disputed the claims. These kinds of "juking the stats" discussions are usually handled behind closed doors, but now we all get to see it....
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Cars, Kids, Rudeness, Texas
Law License Plates: Back to the Future
It's been almost a month since our last post on law-related vanity license plates. The latest submissions came to us from Massachusetts. Looking at these plates is a bit like looking into a crystal ball. Are you ready to see your future? -
Celebrities, Copyright, Department of Justice, Immigration, Morning Docket, Pornography, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 08.02.11
* The DOJ is suing Alabama because of its immigration law, saying it interferes with federal law. To the extent that federal law won’t prosecute illegal aliens, they’re spot on. [Bloomberg] * Floridians, grab your pitchforks, torches, and chloroform, because Casey Anthony has to return to Orlando for a year’s worth of probation on check […]
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Biglaw, Cold Offers, Job Searches, No Offers, Summer Associates
Summer Associate Offer Rates: Open Thread
Last week, summer associate programs began to draw to a close, and law students are eager to find out if they'll be getting offers of full-time employment. Above the Law has received various reports from summer associates at Biglaw firms, crowing about 100 percent offer rates.... -
Abortion, Crime, Death Penalty, Howrey LLP, In-House Counsel, Non-Sequiturs, Prisons, White-Collar Crime
Non-Sequiturs: 08.01.11
* A federal judge in Kansas has given Planned Parenthood’s Abortionplex a new lease on life. [WSJ Law Blog] * What? A former Supreme Court clerk who got passed over for a job at a law school? Nicholas Spaeth, who’s also the former state attorney general for North Dakota, is suing the Michigan State University […] -
Deaths, Divorce Train Wrecks, Family Law, Kids, State Judges
A Killer Custody Arrangement, and Mom Isn't Happy About It
Some of the best divorce train wreck stories are born of child custody battles. But what about when you're trying to modify a parenting plan to prevent your children from being killed in their sleep? Let's see how that flies with the courts.... -
Cars, Lawsuit of the Day, Suicide
Lawsuit of the Day: Good Samaritans Sue Woman They Rescued
Before you've been through 1L Torts, this story is shocking. After you've been through 1Ls Torts, it's not that surprising. Two men saved a woman from the wreckage of a burning car, and now they're suing.... -
Politics
A Visual Representation of the Debt Ceiling Deal
Havoc on the Hill has an excellent visualization about how this debt ceiling thing went down. It’s funny. It’s funnier if this thing gets passed. Check it out. The Great Debt Ceiling Debate [Havoc on the Hill]