January 2012
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Accounting / Accountants, Drugs, In-House Counsel, Litigators, Music, Plaintiffs Firms
Inside Straight: Learning Who To Hate
Cops learn to hate people. Basically everyone they encounter is a criminal, so cops soon come to believe that everyone is a criminal. Litigators — or perhaps litigators who are repeat players in a particular field — learn to hate people. Personal injury insurance defense counsel come to believe that all plaintiffs are lying fakers. […] -
American Bar Association / ABA, Job Searches, Law Schools, Student Loans, Unemployment
The ABA Thinks It's Your Own Fault If You're Poor and Unemployed
William Robinson, the newly appointed president of the American Bar Association, is taking a stand on the status quo of legal education in our country. But instead calling for reform, Robinson is defending the ABA's role, stating that young lawyers "should have known what they were getting into." Isn't it wonderful to know that the man in charge of the ABA is essentially playing the "blame the victim" card when it comes to debt-saddled and unemployed law school graduates? - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
American Bar Association / ABA, Animal Law, Election 2012, Election Law, Morning Docket, Politics, Prostitution, Scott Rothstein, Sex, Student Loans, Unemployment
Morning Docket: 01.05.12
* Rick Santorum and the Sweater Vests can join Rick Perry’s ballot access lawsuit in Virginia. It’s funny, because at this rate, Perry will have dropped out before the first hearing. [Washington Post] * If you’re an unemployed law grad drowning in debt, you should’ve known that you’d be screwed. Warning! Danger, Will Robinson! Opinion […]
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Associate Bonus Watch 2011, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Irell Whacks Cravath, Again
As we've been saying, it's not that hard to give your associates a better bonus than what they're doling out at Cravath. At the elite California firm of Irell & Manella, they do it every year. Once again, Irell has issued bonuses that put Cravath's to shame. No muss, no fuss -- multiple sources tell us the the bonuses were much bigger than the Cravath bonuses. So how much bigger are we talking about? -
American Bar Association / ABA, Barack Obama, Drugs, Gay, Gay Marriage, Law Schools, Music, Non-Sequiturs, Partner Issues, Politics
Non-Sequiturs: 01.04.12
* The recess appointment of Richard Cordray to head the CFPB could get tricky — not because Republicans are outraged by recess appointments (much like Democrats are outraged by obstructionist filibusters), but because Congress isn’t technically in recess, due to the sham sessions Congress has been running. [WSJ Law Blog] * Milbank, if you’re going […] -
Akin Gump, Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Contests, Crowell & Moring, Fabulosity, Fenwick & West, Holidays and Seasons, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Small Law Firms
ATL Holiday Card Contest: The Winner!
Many law firms send out rather lame holiday cards, cards that marketing guru Ross Fishman would describe as “boring pieces of crap.” Thankfully that wasn’t the case for the eleven finalists in our third annual law firm holiday card contest. Some of these cards were clever, some were beautiful, and some were funny. All of […] -
Barack Obama, Election 2012, New York Times, Politics, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: Speak for Yourself
The country doesn’t want an election that is Harvard Law versus Harvard Law. — David Brooks of the New York Times, in a recent column offering praise for what he describes as “working-class candidate[s]” like Rick Santorum and Sherrod Brown (and implicitly dissing Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, both graduates of Harvard Law School). -
In-House Counsel
House Rules: Positioning Yourself As a Value Add
2012. How many times will some DJ play “(It’s the) End of the World” by R.E.M over the course of the next year? I’d wager about as many times as I was told ad nauseam (pun intended) that a proper Christmas gift is a Lexus (read: upscale Toyota) over the course of the Christmas break. […] - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Biglaw, Ho-Love, Hogan & Hartson, Lateral Moves, Musical Chairs, Partner Issues
Musical Chairs: Energy Lawyers in Motion
January is generally a popular time for partner moves, and energy lawyers are popular people. Right now their practice area is as hot as New York City is cold. As you may recall, this time last year a slew of energy attorneys moved from McDermott to Cadwalader. We've recently received word that at least two prominent partners in the energy space are switching firms. Let's find out who they are and where they are heading.... -
Election 2012, Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Fashion Victims Unit, Lunacy, Patton Boggs, Politics
Michele Bachmann: Out of the Race, But Still in Our Hearts
Yesterday morning, former IRS tax attorney and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann held a press conference to announce that she'd be dropping out of the race. It really is a shame that she decided to call it quits, because people love Michele Bachmann. With that said, we present you with a recap of Bachmann's finest moments on the campaign trail.... -
In-House Counsel
Take My Advice
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, Way Worse Than Being A Dentist, is available on Amazon, as is his previous […] -
9th Circuit, Constitutional Law, Election 2012, Federal Judges, Politics
Rick Santorum: Google Him, Please
Rick Santorum is taking his turn as the non-Romney Republican choice. Rick Santorum. Yeah, that Rick Santorum -- the self-same Rick Santorum who thinks Griswold was wrongly decided and wants to ban birth control -- is now the "real conservative" alternate to Mitt Romney. Ladies and gentlemen, we present your 2012 Republican Party.... -
Bar Exams, Deaths, Election 2012, Election Law, Gay Marriage, Law Schools, Morning Docket, New Jersey, Police, Romance and Dating
Morning Docket: 01.04.12
* Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s Attorney General, wants Rick Perry’s election law suit to be dismissed, because really, what’s the point? Standing or not, Perry got completely hosed in Iowa. [Bloomberg] * What’s next for Stephen Glass? When all else fails, hire a high-profile appellate team to do your dirty work for you. He could write […]
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
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Associate Bonus Watch 2011, Biglaw, Bonuses, Cheapness, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Who's Still Waiting for Their Bonus Announcement?
While it might be fun for Cravath and Sullivan & Cromwell to play chicken over who will announce spring bonuses first, there are a whole bunch of firms who are just sitting around waiting to find out how much they are going to have to pay. And there are a bunch of associates who are starting to wonder if they'll be getting any kind of bonus at all. So who did we miss? Who still owes you a bonus announcement? -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.03.12
* I resolve to not wait for a court order before I start violating the rights of others. [Not-So Private Parts / Forbes] * I resolve to not call Bradley Manning a hero. [Mediaite] * I resolve to resist Google Plus for another year in hopes of slowing the eventual Googlization of the entire world. […] -
Books, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
Size Matters: Carolyn Elefant Teaches Us How to Go Solo
Valerie Katz would bet that at least half of you resolved to find a new job in 2012. And, for many, that new job means going out on your own. As with most New Year's resolutions, however, such a measure may seem overwhelming. Lucky for you, Carolyn Elefant has updated her book, Solo by Choice, and it provides a thorough road map for lawyers looking to make the leap to solo practice.... -
Exercise, Litigatrix, Partner Issues, Texas
Partner Playtime: Lawyer by Day, Roller Derby Diva by Night
Put down the bottle, alkie, because we've got a different de-stresser for you. Maybe you should consider taking this lovely litigatrix's lead, and join the local roller derby team. After all, you get to "slam into people," and that's what sold her on the crazy idea. Let's take a look into the life of Amy Dinn, a partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, who goes by the "Prosecutor" when she's in the rink.... -
Clarence Thomas, Elena Kagan, Health Care / Medicine, John Roberts, Legal Ethics, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Quote of the Day: That Makes One of Us...
I have complete confidence in the capability of my colleagues to determine when recusal is warranted. They are jurists of exceptional integrity and experience whose character and fitness have been examined through a rigorous appointment and confirmation process. — Chief Justice John Roberts, defending the Supreme Court’s ethical standards in light of calls for Justices […] -
California, Cars
Former Attorney Sues Honda... in Small Claims Court
A former attorney in Los Angeles is unsatisfied with her Honda Civic hybrid's gas mileage. It seems her supposedly high-efficiency car was emitting more smog than smug. A class action lawsuit against the auto manufacturer probably won't give her the relief she wants. So she is taking on Honda in an unusual judicial venue and hoping to remove lawyers from the equation.... -
Advertising, Bonuses, Career Center, Money, Reader Polls, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Career Center Survey Results: All I Want for Christmas Is to Get Out of Debt
Christmas 2011 turned out to be a banner year for retailers, and most consumers felt pretty confident about the economy — but don’t tell that to the lawyers. The results are in and the vast majority of survey respondents aren’t purchasing anything fun with their bonuses. Unlike Elie, 52% of Above the Law readers are […]