February 2012
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Canada, Hotties, Law Schools, Videos, YouTube
'Dear 16-Year-Old Me, Don't Go To Law School'
If you're a law student or a lawyer, do you regret going to law school, or are you happy with your decision? If you're in the former camp, this video's for you. -
Barack Obama, Billable Hours, Email Scandals, Federal Judges, Non-Sequiturs, Racism, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Non-Sequiturs: 02.29.12
* Now prison inmates will literally be able to listen to the jailhouse rock. Dancing to it is a different issue. [USA Today] * Why do students surf the web in class instead of taking notes? Probably because their professors are boring. [Legal Skills Prof Blog] * The current Supreme Court justices have less time […] - 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… -
Guns / Firearms, Judge of the Day, Rank Stupidity, Rape, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns
Ex-Judge of the Day: Yes, Flashing Your Piece in Court Is a 'Poor Rhetorical Point'
Last week, a now ex-judge in Georgia pulled out a handgun during a bond hearing, pretended to hand it to an alleged rape victim who was testifying, and said she was “killing her case” and “might as well shoot” her lawyer. What?
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Crime, Eugene Volokh, Free Speech, Reader Polls, Religion, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns, Violence
The 'Zombie Mohammed' Judge: Let's Discuss
A Pennsylvania judge dismissed a harassment charge against a Muslim man who allegedly attacked an atheist dressed up as "Zombie Mohammed." Since then, everyone has been talking about and arguing over this case. What do you make of it? -
Advertising, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Thank You to Our Advertisers
We'd like to take a moment to thank our wonderful advertisers here at Above the Law. -
In-House Counsel, Job Searches
House Rules: Use Your Resume and Cover Letter to Get Inside
This is the second part of a series on getting yourself in the door to an in-house position. Even though you might not have that much “sexy” work to list on your updated resume, it may not be a problem... -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Job Survey, Rankings, Student Loans
ATL Survey Update: Great Unmet Expectations
Do law students have unreasonable expectations about their employment prospects? Survey says.... -
Crime, Jury Duty, Rape, Technology
Child Sexual Assault Conviction Tossed Because of Juror's 'Online Cultural Research'
Juror misconduct by internet can lead to mistrials, and it's becoming increasingly (and unfortunately) more common. Last month the Vermont Supreme Court overturned an unsettling child sexual abuse conviction because the juror conducted his own research about the Somali Bantu culture central to the parties in the case. What a mess… - Sponsored
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. -
Job Searches, Law Schools, Star Jones, Television, Unemployment, Videos
Are Disgruntled Law School Graduates a Bunch of 'Whiners'?
Are disgruntled law school graduates a bunch of whiners? Lawyer turned television personality Star Jones seems to think so.... -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Job Searches, Law Schools, Old People, Student Loans
Fall into the Gap
A generation gap has opened in the legal world. On one side there are lawyers over 50, for whom law still looks like a safe, reliable ladder to the upper-middle-class. From the other side — where their kids are perched — law more closely resembles un ascenseur pour l’échafaud… -
Cyberlaw, Election 2012, Google / Search Engines, Morning Docket, Politics, Privacy, Technology
Morning Docket: 02.29.12
* Remember Phillip Closius, the former dean of University of Baltimore Law, who said the university was raiding the law school’s funds? Yeah, he was totally right. Just guess what percent of the law school budget was going to the rest of the university. Starts with “A” and rhymes with “dot.” [National Law Journal]
* The humanity! Oklahoma’s worst fears have come true; American judges are enforcing Sharia Law! Whatever are we going to do? There is no solution in sight — except to maybe stop overreacting… [CNN]
* Mitt Bot won in both Arizona and Michigan last night. Can we send Santorum back to the 16th century yet? [The Washington Post]
* Twenty-five suspected members of Anonymous were arrested across Europe and South America. They ain’t anonymous anymore. [New York Times]
* In other cyberlaw news, Google’s new privacy policy not only stinks, it probably violates European Union law. Hey Google, don’t be evil! [New York Times]
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Bankruptcy, Law Professors, Law Schools, Money, Student Loans, Television, Videos, YouTube
Lawyers & Economics: Student Debt
Welcome to the latest installment of Lawyers & Economics, our occasional video series on financial topics by Professor William Birdthistle of Chicago-Kent College of Law. Today's topic isn't going away anytime soon. If you have -- or are thinking of taking on -- student loans, keep reading.... -
Airplanes / Aviation, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, Sports
Non-Sequiturs: 02.28.12
* Huh. It turns out people have been criticizing law schools for the same reasons for more than 100 years. There is literally nothing new under the sun. [Inside The Law School Scam] * This takes my disgust with airline cell phone rules to a whole new level. Congress needs to get on this, stat. […]
Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Quote of the Day, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Quote of the Day: These Are Not the Laws You Are Looking For
What business does a case like that have in the courts of the United States? -
Fabulosity, Lawyerly Lairs, Money, Partner Issues, Real Estate
Lawyerly Lairs: A Partner Sells in Brooklyn
A partner at a major law firm has put his Brooklyn Heights townhouse on the market for $10 million. Who is he? And, more importantly, what does his house look like? -
Benchslaps, Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, California, Intellectual Property, Patents, Small Law Firms
Benchslapped: A Not So Fine Day for Feinberg Day
Last week, a federal judge in San Francisco booted several former DLA Piper attorneys, now at the litigation boutique of Feinberg Day, from a patent dispute involving Toshiba and Talon Research. It turned out that the attorneys, who represented Talon Research, had logged more than 3,000 hours for Toshiba when they were still at DLA. Not good. Let's look more closely at our benchslap of the day... -
Biglaw, Layoffs, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants, Staff Layoffs
Staff Layoff Watch: Bingham McCutchen Makes Cuts
Are staff layoffs at large law firms on the upswing? Bingham McCutchen just announced some cuts. How many individuals were affected, and what was the rationale for the reductions? -
Advertising, Career Center, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Career Center: Tips For Promoting Diversity in the Workplace
Although your office may have more Asians than the NBA, it may be far off from being a truly diverse workplace. But as long as your firm can count some minorities on its attorney roster, who really cares about increasing diversity anyway? Clients, for one. As companies become more diverse, they expect their outside counsel […] -
Crime, Email Scandals, Food, Law Schools, Nauseating Things, Ridiculousness
Law School Lunch Drama Continues -- From Coast To Coast
Over the last month, we have continued receiving tips from law schools across the country about Hansen's soda heartbreak and the adventures of a refrigerator warrior. Today, we have a round-up of the most recent law school lunch wars, courtesy of UC Davis Law, Cornell Law School, Iowa Law, and of the University of Cincinnati College of Law… -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Law Schools, Money, Partner Issues, Rankings, Student Loans
Best Law Schools for Getting a Biglaw Job (2012)
Which law schools excel at sending their graduates into jobs at large law firms, i.e., Biglaw? Check out the National Law Journal's annual ranking of the top 50 law schools by the percentage of 2011 juris doctor graduates who took jobs at NLJ 250 firms.