August 2011
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Biglaw, Money, Partner Issues
Empirical Proof That Nice Guys Finish Last
Do you ever get the feeling that the a$$holes in your office end up doing better than the decent folks? Yeah, you're not wrong. A new study shows the people who score below average in "agreeableness" make more money than people who are nice. Doesn't that sound like a law firm partner you may know? -
Bar Exams, Biglaw, Job Searches, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Pets, Texas, Trusts and Estates, Twittering
Morning Docket: 08.16.11
* Led by Cleary and Wachtell, five Biglaw firms were involved in the $12.5B Google/Motorola deal. Talk about a total prestige orgy. [Am Law Daily] * Casey Anthony will be appealing her check fraud probation order in Florida. WHERE’S THE JUSTICE FOR THAT GIRL’S CHECKING ACCOUNT!!?!? [CNN] * Those pushing for a law school at […]
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Generative AI In Legal Work — What’s Fact And What’s Fiction?
Zach Warren from the Thomson Reuters Institute discusses the potential and the pitfalls. -
Asians, Biglaw, California, Feminism, Gender, Intellectual Property, Labor / Employment, Lawsuit of the Day, Litigators, Movies, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, Sexual Harassment
Youngblood v. Irell & Manella: The Law Firm Fights BackFirm denies claims and moves for arbitration.
Last month, Juliette Youngblood, an ex-partner at the elite California law firm of Irell & Manella, filed suit against her former firm. Irell did not respond to the lawsuit at the time, now it has, in a blistering 22-page filing. What does the firm have to say about the specific claims made by Youngblood?
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Health Care / Medicine, Howrey LLP, Non-Sequiturs, Prisons, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Non-Sequiturs: 08.15.11
* Howrey’s pre-Labor Day, everything must go, furniture sale. Don’t miss it. [Am Law Daily] * CBS settles the case with two women suing Dr. Phil for unleashing a naked dinner guest on them for his show. I’m not sure if this is a case of two really uptight women or one really ugly dude, […] -
American Bar Association / ABA, Law School Deans, Law Schools
Villanova Might Need A Kiss From Mommy Since The ABA Slapped Their Wrist Wreally Wreally Whard.
For those who haven't been following along, an investigation revealed that former Villanova administration officials misrepresented the median LSAT scores and GPAs of incoming Villanova students. These are pretty serious findings against the school. You'd expect the punishment to be severe... unless you've actually been paying attention to how the ABA operates. What was the school's punishment? Read on to find out.... -
California, Deaths, Divorce Train Wrecks, Family Law, Kids, Quote of the Day, Suicide
Quote of the Day: I Don't Think 'Right' Means What You Think It Means
I think he did the right thing. I’m proud of my brother and now he’s in a better place. He’s at peace. His daughter’s at peace. She’ll have one name now, and we can move on. And hopefully the court will learn a little thing about justice. — Nabil Samaan, a California attorney, commenting on […] -
Deaths, Education / Schools, Gay, New Jersey, Pranks, Racism, Suicide
Tyler Clementi's Family Learns That 'Discovery' Is A Bitch
Dharun Ravi's legal team has moved to dismiss the criminal charges against Ravi stemming from the suicide of Tyler Clementi. As many of you know, Clementi committed suicide after Ravi streamed video of Clementi hooking up with another guy. And now, Ravi's lawyers have discovered comments from Clementi that his family likely wishes would have remained private. Read on to find out what was said.... -
Asians, Bad Ideas, Drinking, Law Schools, Lawyer of the Day, Violence
Lawyer of the Day: A Renaissance Man Who Might Like Naked Sword Fights
Ladies, admit it. Sometimes you dream of going back in time to the days where damsels in distress were rescued by swashbuckling romantics on noble steeds. But in today’s day and age, there seems to be a shortage of heroic knights. And that’s mostly because the crop of men with swords handy leave certain things […] - Sponsored
Law Firms Now Have A Choice In Their Document Comparison Software
Six months on since its launch, over 200 firms worldwide are now using Draftable Legal for accurate and reliable document comparison, including UK Top 50… -
Associate Advice, Job Searches, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: The Best Advice for Networking Events
How can you go about "marketing" and "networking" as an associate? There were no courses on these arcane arts in law school. Should you make a beeline to the nearest networking event? Small firm columnist Jay Shepherd makes the case for why you shouldn't.... -
American Bar Association / ABA, Law Schools, Politics, Student Loans
Not So Fast, ABA -- Chuck Grassley Isn't Letting You Off the Hook
In mid-July, we wrote about Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and his quest to get answers from the American Bar Association about the future of legal education in this country. Apparently unsatisfied with the ABA's response, Grassley fired back last week with a shorter (and snarkier) list of questions.... -
Biglaw, Clerkships, Federal Judges, In-House Counsel, John Roberts, Law Professors, Law Schools
Inside Straight: How The Legal System Brands The Beef
Many prominent people have raised their voices about the increasing irrelevance of academic writing to practicing lawyers and judges. Yet, despite railing at the academy, those judges -- and law firms, and sophisticated purchasers of legal services -- all rely on the academics to identify talented lawyers. Law schools brand the beef, and purchasers buy based on the brand. Why is that process natural and appropriate? -
Law School Deans, Law Schools, Musical Chairs, Texas
Musical Chairs: Dean of Texas Law To Step Down
Lawrence Sager, dean of the University of Texas School of Law, will be stepping down at the end of the 2011-2012 academic year. He managed to get Texas into the top 14 of the U.S. News law school rankings, but all good things must come to an end. Why is Larry Sager relinquishing the UT Law deanship? -
California, Celebrities, Food, Football, Jews, Money, Morning Docket, Rap, Religion
Morning Docket: 08.15.11
* What kind of a lawyer can’t spot a Nigerian scammer before being bilked out of millions? If you fell for that, please hit me up. I have a bridge I’d like to sell you. [Washington Post] * Will Juliette Youngblood, the self-proclaimed “luckiest girl in the world,” still feel the same way if her […]
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Generative AI In Legal Work — What’s Fact And What’s Fiction?
Zach Warren from the Thomson Reuters Institute discusses the potential and the pitfalls.
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AI’s Impact On Law Firms Of Every Size
How solo lawyers, midsize firms, and global large law firms have an opportunity to adjust the way they work.
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Law Firms Now Have A Choice In Their Document Comparison Software
Six months on since its launch, over 200 firms worldwide are now using Draftable Legal for accurate and reliable document comparison, including UK Top 50…
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Asians, Blogging, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Privacy, Transfer Students
Aspiring Yale Transfer Student Explains and Defends Her Blog
Shortly after writing about a blog entitled Confessions of an (Aspiring) Yalie, its author, Tammy Hsu, reached out to Above the Law with a defense and explanation of her blog's origins, which we will now share.... -
Craigslist, Food, Law Professors, Law Schools, Securities and Exchange Commission, Sex Scandals, Technology
Non-Sequiturs: 08.12.11
* The Kardashians may be “America’s rightful overlords,” as Marin so memorably put it, but even they must respect intellectual-property laws. [Fashionista] * Congratulations to the Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 (class of 2011). Perhaps you know some of the inductees? [National LGBT Bar Association] * In less cheerful LGBT news… another day, another Republican […] -
American Bar Association / ABA, Bar Exams, Law Schools, Minority Issues, Quote of the Day, Racism
Quote of the Day: What About Affirmative Action?
When the statistics tell you that virtually every black college will be in noncompliance, it’s a matter of grave concern. — LeRoy Pernell, dean of Florida A&M University College of Law, commenting on the possibility of a more stringent ABA bar passage requirement for law schools. (At present, to remain in good standing with the […] -
Attorney Misconduct, Biglaw, Legal Ethics, Litigators, Partner Issues
A Request for Advice from ATL Readers
Above the Law’s popular, somewhat tongue-in-cheek advice column, Pls Hndle Thx, has been on hiatus. Marin has been busy following the career of John Stamos, and Elie is on vacation this week. (He’ll be back on Monday.) In the meantime, we have a request for advice from a reader. Let’s take a look at it, […] -
11th Circuit, Constitutional Law, Election 2012, Health Care / Medicine, Supreme Court
Breaking: Eleventh Circuit Rules Obamacare's 'Individual Mandate' Is Unconstitutional
The Eleventh Circuit has declared that Obamacare’s individual health care mandate is unconstitutional. Today’s decision will be lauded as a victory for the 26 states, led by Florida, that challenged the law as unconstitutional. In a 2-1 decision (and the first in which a judge appointed by a Democrat has voted to strike down the […] -
Asha Rangappa, Asians, Blogging, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Privacy, Transfer Students
Confessions of an Aspiring Yale Transfer Student
Law student Tammy Hsu, a first-year student at Wake Forest University School of Law, seeks to harness public exposure for her own benefit. Hsu writes a blog built around her goal of transferring into Yale Law School. Sounds like a great idea, right? Not when the internet isn't on your side.... -
Animal Law, Job Searches, Law Schools, Pets, Ridiculousness, Texas
The Legal Profession Is Literally Going to the Dogs
We mentioned it briefly in Morning Docket a few days ago, but now we know for sure that dogs are marking their territory in the legal profession. Dogs are appearing everywhere from law school libraries to courtroom witness boxes. Naturally, when we heard that the doggie-at-law phenomenon had made it all the way down to […]