February 2012
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Biglaw, Deaths, Federal Judges, Food, Law Professors, Money, Morning Docket, Privacy, SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer, Suicide, Supreme Court, Television
Morning Docket: 02.21.12
* Vedel Browne has been charged in the machete robbery of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. He faces up to 20 years if convicted, and with that sentence, we’re betting he wishes he got away with more than $1,000. [CNN] * ¡Viva México! These days, Mexico’s got more than just drug cartels, violence, and prison […]
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Job Searches, Law Schools, Quote of the Day, Unemployment
Quote of the Day: Will a T14 Law Degree Ward Off Unemployment?
Does a law degree from a "top 14" law school protect you against unemployment? One undergraduate at Cornell thinks so. - 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… -
Election 2012, Politics, Public Interest, Small Law Firms
The Practice: Political Networking
There, of course, is a natural path from lawyer to legislator. But the low pay, travel, time commitment, and mud slinging that we see on TV and the internet turn many lawyers away from public service.The current political landscape also causes lawyers to be uninterested in participating in politics at any level, whether it means lobbying, running campaigns, fundraising, or attending political functions. It’s a mistake...
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2nd Circuit, Admin, Cocaine / Crack, Deaths, Federal Judges, Holidays and Seasons, Law Schools, listserv, Morning Docket, Rape, SCOTUS, Sports, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
Morning Docket 02.20.12
In today’s Morning Docket: updates on the Justice Breyer robbery, security for the Supreme Court justices, and the Stolen Valor Act goes to SCOTUS.
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Admin, Announcements, Blogging
Above the Law: New Face, Same Soul
As you might have noticed, Above the Law has gotten a little face-lift. We’ve been expanding our offerings over the past couple of months. We’ve added new full-time writers, and started new columns. With those changes, we’ve been bringing in a record number of readers who are interested in our diverse content. It was time […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 02.17.12
* I’ll probably get more into this next week, but here’s a ranking of law schools based on how they prepare you for the bar exam. [Tax Prof Blog] * So voter fraud isn’t as big a deal as the GOP likes to make it, but voter suppression probably isn’t as huge a problem as […] -
Cyberlaw, Facebook, Sex, Sex Scandals, Sexual Harassment, Social Media, Social Networking Websites, Technology
Sex Offenders, Welcome to Facebook (Well, Kind Of)
Sex offenders are the easiest people to take away rights from. Even other criminals hate sex offenders. Their crimes are heinous, it’s unclear if recurring sex offenders can ever be “cured,” and if they ever get out of jail, even most progressives are happy to severely curtail their rights and freedoms. It’s tough to take […] -
Law Schools
Law Students Cry Over School's Absurd Subway Ad Campaign
Back in October, we told our readers about one Boston-area law school’s exciting new advertising campaign. These days, the best way to promote your law school is by hanging posters in city subway stations that proclaim the strength of the nonexistent job market for law school graduates. Now, just a few months later, the law […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Biglaw, Dissolution, Money, Partner Issues, Partner Profits
Make It Rain or Make Way
If you think that making partner is like winning the Biglaw race, you haven’t actually been paying attention to what’s been happening to partners over the past few years. Sure, Biglaw partnerships overall are enjoying higher profits now than they were during the darkest days of the recession (while associate salaries remain stagnant, of course). […] -
Advertising, Job of the Week, Job Searches, Shameless Plugs, Texas, This Is an Ad
Job of the Week: Electric Feel... And So Much More - Energy Work in Bayou City
One of the hottest practice areas right now is energy transactions, a field seeing wide growth not only overseas, but also in the Lone Star State. Texas leads in nearly one-quarter of the United States’ natural gas production. But it’s not just natural gas or petroleum that are the causes for the booming business in […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Law Schools
Vermont Law School Graduates Go On to Be Successful Legal Recruiters and Apple Pickers
Over the past few weeks, it seems Above the Law has unleashed a torrent of populist rage against law school career services’ departments posting crummy job opportunities. Yesterday, we heard about another unfortunate career services posting, this time from the Vermont Law School. What was almost more depressing than the job, though, is our tipster’s […] -
Ave Maria School of Law, Job Searches, Law Schools, NALP
Which Law Schools Are Trying to Be Honest About Their Employment Information?
Law School Transparency (LST) wrote to all law schools accredited by the ABA to request the NALP reports for the class of 2010. The NALP reports contain much more detail than that of the reports released by the ABA, such as information concerning part-time and temporary employment, as well as the number of graduates in jobs that do not require a law degree. This time around, 34 law schools provided their NALP reports, either by sending them directly to LST, or posting them on their websites. But which schools provided LST with the information? And which schools are still avoiding action? -
Law Schools, Texas
University of Texas Law School Tries To Become Hogwarts
Everything is softer in Texas? Occasionally we have an opportunity to look at how soft law school has become. Gone are the trials by fire immortalized in the book One L. Now it seems that law schools are taking their teaching cues from Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore. At the University of Texas School of Law, they've divided their classes into "societies" that compete against each other in games, wear special uniforms, have dedicated house mentors, and employ special Care Bears who hug people when they get back from the library. Okay, one of those things isn't true. Of course, the Texas millennials love it....
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
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Breasts, Perverts, Sexual Harassment, Women's Issues
Scantily Clad Waitresses Are Surprised By Sexual Harassment, Sue Over It in Federal Court
It pretty much goes without saying that if you voluntarily agree to work in an establishment where the uniform consists of knee-highs, a tartan mini skirt, a bare midriff, and a push-up bra, you're going to risk exposure to some lecherous individuals. That's a given. But what happens when it's not just the patrons who are acting like horny frat boys? What happens when the most prominent pervert is your boss? That is what has been alleged in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by employees of the Tilted Kilt in Chicago, Illinois.... -
Biglaw, Gay Marriage, Holland & Knight, Law Schools, Morning Docket, NALP, New Jersey, Sentencing Law, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Morning Docket: 02.17.12
* Chris Christie, you’re making me ashamed to be a Jersey girl. Please allow our state be known for something besides the disgrace that is the Jersey Shore. Just sign the damn bill. [New York Times] * A Biglaw firm that’s got some Seoul: Clifford Chance is the first firm from the United Kingdom — […]
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9th Circuit, Benchslaps, Department of Justice, Federal Government, Federal Judges, U.S. Attorneys Offices
Benchslap of the Day: Say My Name, Say My Name
Judge Carlos Bea is one of Lat's favorite members of the Ninth Circuit. He's refreshingly conservative, on a famously (or infamously) liberal court. He has a fascinating personal history, and he tools about town in a vintage Rolls-Royce (which, rumor has it, he received as payment for legal work before he took the bench). Well, it looks like one assistant U.S. attorney has some expensive tire marks on his back. Check out the epic benchslap that Judge Bea just dished out -- not just to the poor prosecutor, but to the United States Department of Justice.... -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 02.16.12
* The New Jersey assembly passed gay marriage, but Chris Christie intends to veto it. This is how it’s done, Mitt Romney. You have to start pandering to the most extreme and hateful elements of your party long before you’re actually running for president. [Think Progress] * Links that make your legal website look outdated […] -
Facebook, Pro Se Litigants, Social Media, Social Networking Websites, Technology
No, You Can't Sue Your Uncle For Putting Embarrassing Family Photos On Facebook
At this point, nearly everyone has at least one friend who finds perverse joy in posting stupid, unflattering photos of their friends to Facebook. Maybe drunk photos or maybe just dorky, grody ones from right after you ran a marathon or something. In these mildly annoying situations, most people would untag the photos and then […] -
Advertising, Biglaw, Career Center, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Career Center: Don’t Waste Your Year-End Bonus
Unless you work for Kirkland, Cahill, Irell or Boies Schiller, who all shattered the 2011 Cravath bonus scale, you may be feeling a little underwhelmed with your year-end bonus. But don’t just go blowing it all away on a whim –- especially since that spring bonus check isn’t in the mail yet. Here are some […] -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Boutique Law Firms, Quote of the Day, Small Law Firms
From Biglaw to Boutique: Where Does the Time Go?
For attorneys who bill by the hour, one of the less enjoyable aspects of the job is recording time. Associates know that all too often their worth might be measured by their billable hours. Of course, big and small firms alike tolerate the timesheets because they are the firms’ lifeblood. Recording time enables firms to generate their invoices. The inherent purpose of entering time is to generate this request for payment. But an invoice can and should do much more, especially for a small firm or solo practice....