July 2012
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel
Inside Straight: The Structure Of Corporate Law Departments
An in-house lawyer’s work environment turns in part on the structure of a corporation’s law department, and outside counsel can better serve clients if counsel know how a law department is organized…. -
American Bar Association / ABA, Federal Judges, Law Schools, Plaintiffs Firms
Class Action Lawsuit Against Thomas M. Cooley Law School Dismissed
What result in the MacDonald v. Cooley Law class action suit over the school's allegedly deceptive employment statistics? - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Antonin Scalia, Attorney Misconduct, Bankruptcy, Biglaw, California, Deaths, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Election 2012, Gender, Howrey LLP, Joe Biden, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, SCOTUS, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, Silicon Valley, Supreme Court, Women's Issues
Morning Docket: 07.23.12
* Presidential campaigns for Election 2012 are focusing in on the Supreme Court and future appointments to the high court, and Vice President Joe Biden is really not a fan of Justice Scalia. [POLITICO]
* Dewey know what the ramifications of D&L’s $50M insurance policy will mean for the resolution of the failed firm’s bankruptcy proceedings? Well, Steve Davis is probably happy. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Howrey going to pay off all of our creditors? Probably by dipping into the coffers of the 70 other law firms that took on our defectors. Have fun with all of those subpoenas. [Capital Business / Washington Post]
* The percentage of women in Biglaw partnership positions is up 2.8% since 2003, but the equity gender gap remains. At least some progress is being made. [National Law Journal]
* “I thought your papers were terrific, I just disagreed with them.” Kleiner Perkins isn’t a fan of backhanded compliments, so the firm is appealing a judge’s decision to keep Ellen Pao’s case out of arbitration. [Reuters]
* James Holmes, the alleged shooter in the Aurora movie-theater massacre, is scheduled to make his first court appearance today for an initial advisement. Thus far, he’s facing at least 71 charges. [Denver Post]
* The class action suit filed against Cooley Law over its allegedly deceptive employment statistics has been dismissed, much like the NYLS lawsuit before it. More on the dismissal to come later today. [WSJ Law Blog]
* “Sex isn’t going to buy me dinner.” Michael Winner, the attorney accused of offering “pro boner” assistance to female inmates, claims in an interview that the allegations against him are “just plain false.” [WSB-TV Atlanta]
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Biglaw, DUI / DWI, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 07.20.12
* Man busted for drunk driving in a toy car. I hope it’s still legal for me to get wasted and operate my remote control Grave Digger, or else my Saturday night is screwed! [Legal Juice] * This is a good question: where does the Biglaw coffee come frOM? I’d also ask the question, “why does it always taste like s**t?” and “how come they serve it to you in thimbles?” Bottom line, back in the day, when secretaries or interns used to make the coffee, you could get coffee just the way you like it, not some generic crap from whatever minimum wage worker handles the machine in the firm cafeteria. [Law and More] * What nannies need to know about Workers’ Compensation. OR: What expectant fathers wish nannies didn’t know about workers’ comp. [National Nannies] * Gene patents may truly be capitalism at its worst. [WSJ Law Blog] * Here’s some more love for Mark Herrmann’s book. Man, I gotta get me one of those. [She Negotiates / Forbes] * Seriously, good luck this weekend, those of you studying for the bar. [Vault Law] -
Guns / Firearms, Quote of the Day, Rank Stupidity, Social Media, Technology, Twittering, Violence
Quote of the Day: Yeah, No; You're Not Even Close
A fashion company makes an embarrassing Twitter blunder. Basic research is important, people. -
California, Cyberlaw, Department of Justice, Facebook, Privacy, Social Media, Social Networking Websites, Technology
Here They Come to Save the Day! California's New Privacy Squad Is on the Way
California's attorney general announces a new privacy enforcement unit… -
Comment of the Day, Law School Deans, Law Schools
Comment of the Week: Would That Law Schools Were More Like College Football Programs
The comment of the week makes us wish everything was more like college football... -
Document Review, Job Searches, Ridiculousness, Technology
This 'Refreshing' Document Review Job Ad Is Actually Just Annoying And Unprofessional
Does this company want document review attorneys or “camp counselors?” - 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… -
Barack Obama, Guns / Firearms, Politics
Obama Says There Will Be 'Other Days For Politics,' But Will There Ever Be A Day To Address the Violence In Our Culture?
As we process the Aurora, Colorado shootings, focusing on gun laws seems to miss the point... -
Biglaw, Career Files, Job Searches
ATL Career Center: We're Here to Help You Prepare for OCI
Above the Law's Career Center is coming to you with some interviewing tips for this OCI season... -
Canada, Caption Contests, Contests, Pictures
Caption Contest Winner: Employed Nine Months After Graduation in a Full-Time JD Advantage Position
Does this count as a full-time JD advantage position? Check out the winner in our latest caption contest... -
Bar Exams, BARBRI, Facebook
Facebook Hypo of the Day: It's Crunch Time For Bar Review And People Are Starting To Crack
Batbrained bar exam hypo... -
ACLU, Biglaw, California, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Federal Judges, Gender, Law Schools, Money, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Senate Judiciary Committee, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, Silicon Valley, Trials
Morning Docket: 07.20.12
* Dewey know why the deadline for agreeing to a proposed $103.6M settlement for former D&L partners has been pushed back? It looks like these people are still unhappy with the very thought of parting with their money. [Am Law Daily]
* Four judicial nominees were approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee to fill federal district court positions in California, New York, and Pennsylvania. Now it’s time to hurry up and wait for a final vote on the Senate floor. [National Law Journal]
* “This is a garden variety sex harassment case.” That may be true, but when you’re dealing with a high-profile venture capital firm, and the plaintiff is an ex-Biglaw associate, you’re probably going to get some really bad press. [Washington Post]
* Opening statements in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s racial discrimination trial were heard yesterday. Even “America’s Toughest Sheriff” might cower in light of plaintiff representation by Covington & Burling and the ACLU. [CNN]
* Washburn University School of Law is planning to build a new facility for $40M. Unfortunately, the school will never be able to amass the funds needed to kill all the gunners, but we can still dream. [Kansas City Star]
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Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
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Biglaw, Celebrities, Entertainment Law, Facebook, Movies, Small Law Firms
Who are America's Top 100 Entertainment 'Power Lawyers'?
The Hollywood Reporter has just released its list of the top entertainment lawyers in America. Who do you recognize? -
Baseball, Biglaw, Books, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 07.19.12
* If anything, baseball stadiums need less netting to prevent fans from catching foul balls. And if your six-year-old gets clocked in the head by a batted ball, it should be a lesson to wealthy fans in great seats to pay attention to the goddamn national pastime instead talking on your cell phone or watching the scoreboard or doing whatever non-baseball activity that distracted you from the 2-2 count with the lefty up at bat. [Legal Blog Watch] * Pop quiz, law professors. What do you do? [Volokh Conspiracy] * Here’s a great review of Mark Hermann’s book: Inside Straight, that focuses on Hermann’s use of the commenters in his material. This will provide excellent research for my own project: How I Became An Affirmative Action Walrus. [Simple Justice] * Don’t you love how the Michigan Law walk-out on Rob Portman is now actually a bit of a thing in the VEEPstakes? [Gawker] * It’s been a while since I studied commercial paper, but I’m pretty sure SpongeBob Squarepants coins aren’t going to pass muster. [Dealbreaker] * Ohio tries to further regulate fracking, but efforts to frustrate fracking f**k-ups feel futile. [Fulbright Fracking Blog] * Morrison & Foerster elects new firm leadership. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight] -
Antonin Scalia, Election 2012, Health Care / Medicine, John Roberts, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
The Not-So-Young and the Restless: Drama at One First Street?
Are Justice Scalia and Chief Justice Roberts on the outs over Obamacare? And how has public opinion of the Supreme Court shifted in the wake of the Affordable Care Act decision? -
Christopher Christie, Quote of the Day, Rudeness, U.S. Attorneys Offices
Quote of the Day: You Think Chris Christie Is a Bully, But He Thinks You're an Idiot, So There
Is Chris Christie a bully? If so, is it because he used to be a U.S. Attorney? -
Law Professors, Law Reviews, Movies, Tax Law, Weirdness
Welcome to Zombie Law 101
When the zombie apocalypse arrives, how should the government handle taxing the undead? -
Craigslist, Law Schools
Should Taxpayers Fund Your Law School Housing?
Is using public assistance to help yourself go to law school something we should be happy about? -
Celebrities, Movies, Rudeness
Not Even Batman Can Stop Nasty Anonymous Commenting (In Fact, He Is Causing the Problem...)
Even Batman cannot save his critics from anonymous commenting…