October 2011

* If a lockout happens in a league nobody pays attention to until April anyway, does it make a sound? [Legal Blitz] * Above the Law: The Experience. [Faculty Lounge] * If giving porn to prisoners prevents one rape — one single “this ain’t no fairy tale,” horrible occurrence of serving time for a minor […]

When it comes to networking events, there are two schools of thought. Some say that networking events are a waste of time. Others believe that it is important to go to networking events. That is why Valerie Katz attended her law school reunion last weekend. Attending law school reunions is a worthwhile way to network with other attorneys, provided that you follow a few simple steps....

Hot on the heels of support staff layoffs and on-shore outsourcing efforts at O’Melveny & Myers, we have news of another law firm doing the exact same thing. Except this law firm has figured out a way to do it with half the tears and way less relocation angst. On-shore outsourcing might be better for […]

Partners are usually best remembered for behaving badly, or worse, treating associates badly. But not the partners who made our “Top Partners to Work For” list. Last week, we asked you to nominate the best Biglaw partners you work for, tell us why they are the best, and rate them in six categories: expertise within […]

Nobody ever seems to believe me when I say this, but San Francisco gets chilly. It is cold most of the time. And foggy. The warmest time of year is right now, in late October. If you come to visit in July, and you stay in the city, and you will get cold. That’s why […]

This post is about Phoenix Law School, which received accreditation from the American Bar Association in 2010. In news that will shock no one, Phoenix Law is having a little bit of a problem when it comes time to graduate students that can pass the Arizona bar exam. It is marginally more interesting to listen to Phoenix Law students ask for a refund....

About a month ago, we brought you the story of Alisha Smith, an assistant attorney general from New York who was suspended for allegedly moonlighting as a dominatrix. However, we now have news that our lascivious ligatrix can dish it out, but isn't exactly a fan of taking it. Although whips and chains may excite her, being on the receiving end of a professional spanking just isn't as erotic....

When news emerged last week that the Wall Street protests were spreading to London, I dared to dream. Maybe I could inculcate myself among the protesters, I wondered, and persuade their leaders to target a Biglaw firm rather than a bank. Then, I fantasized, having obtained the relevant door-code from one of my disgruntled Biglaw […]

The big news from yesterday morning was bad news for the staff at O'Melveny & Myers. News started leaking out Monday night that the firm would be laying off 75 support staffers. Approximately half the of the laid off O'Melveny staffers will be cut outright. The other half will have the opportunity to be relocated to scenic West Virginia....

* How can you pick a side when it comes to fairness and the law? Can you straddle the fence? Don’t ask Justice Alito, because he’s still not really sure what the answers are. [New York Times] * Paul Ceglia is finding out the hard way that court orders aren’t like annoying Facebook friend requests. […]

Over the weekend, Lat realized that he needed some new white dress shirts. So he headed downtown to the Brooks Brothers at One Liberty Plaza in Manhattan. One Liberty Plaza happens to be located across the street from Zuccotti Park, site of the Occupy Wall Street protests. Since he was going to be in the neighborhood, he decided to pay a visit to OWS. What did he observe?

* Cornel West has been released from prison. He was arrested earlier while protesting the Supreme Court’s pro-business record. I’m not sure if I even get to call myself a progressive black man without getting arrested for something. Any suggestions on what I should civilly disobey? [The Root] * Immigrant parents want their kids to […]

I don’t wear makeup, nor do I wish to spend 20 minutes applying it. — Deborah Rhode, professor at Stanford Law School and author of The Beauty Bias: The Injustice of Appearance in Life and Law (affiliate link), commenting on the results of a recent study funded by Procter & Gamble, which concluded that women […]

When Elie saw an email from a career services officer at a law school where she stated that finding students jobs was not her job, he had to nod his head and say, "Balls." That's how many of them think, right? They "advise" or "counsel" or "leave early to go the gym," but it's somebody else's job to actually make sure these students are employed. Right? At least this particular CSO employee had the guts to tell the student body the truth....

Did you know that Above the Law has introduced a Research Corner to the site? In the Research Corner, readers will be able to sign up and obtain access to white papers, reports, and analysis from leading legal technology companies. From resolving in-house e-discovery matters, to comprehensive document review solutions, the Research Corner has something for everyone. What are you waiting for? Sign up for the Research Corner today....

Last week, we asked our readers to submit possible captions for this photo: On Friday, you voted on the finalists, and now it’s time to announce the winner of our most recent caption contest….

In 25 years working at law firms, I never offered this to a client. In two years working in-house, no outside law firm ever before offered this to me. But I heard it moments ago, and I couldn’t believe how foolish I’ve been. I smiled, shook my head, hung up the phone, and popped open […]

You spend three years of your life going to law school. You spend over a hundred thousand dollars on getting that education. You take a difficult entrance exam to prove that you are qualified to practice law. You'd think that after all that you'd be able to convince sophisticated clients of your value as a lawyer. You would, of course, be wrong....

In August, New York Law School was hit with a class action lawsuit over the school's allegedly deceptive post-graduate employment data. The suit accused NYLS of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and deceptive business practices. Now, two months later, NYLS is packing some Biglaw heat against two small firms, and moving to dismiss the complaint....

* Wait, is this real? People actually sued al-Qaeda and expect to be paid billions of dollars in damages? Seriously? Having a major “what is this I don’t even” moment over here. [Bloomberg] * Judith Kaye is the new centerfold for the New York State Court of Appeals. She’s the first woman in history whose […]