September 2012
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues
Inside Straight: Are Law Firms Unnaturally Mean?
Are corporate legal departments "nicer" than law firms? If so, why? In-house columnist Mark Herrmann, a former partner at a major law firm, offers his thoughts. -
Biglaw, Election 2012, Election Law, Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Federal Judges, Job Searches, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Morning Docket, Politics, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns, Summer Associates
Morning Docket: 09.10.12
* There are only 56 days until Election 2012. Does anyone actually think that’s enough time to resolve all of the state election law battles? Even if it is, we could still be looking at a “potential disaster” in terms of post-election litigation. [New York Times]
* “It’s a horrible feeling when you keep waiting for the phone to ring and slowly realize that it isn’t…” Second-year law students are learning that waiting to see if you’re getting a summer associate position is a lot like dating — but worse. [Wall Street Journal]
* Meanwhile, law school graduates are trying to figure out what to do because the call never came. Per the BLS, the legal sector lost 1,400 jobs in August. Must be encouraging if you’re looking for a job. [Am Law Daily]
* Seventeen years after the conclusion of O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, the lead prosecutor on the case accused the late Johnnie Cochran of tampering with the infamous glove. Um, better late than never? [Reuters]
* “If you wouldn’t have been there that night, none of this would have happened to you.” Because being groped by a cop wasn’t traumatic enough, this judge wants you to know that it was all your fault. [New York Daily News]
* If you allegedly tell a judge’s clerk that his boss should “get the f**k off all [your] cases,” and then follow up by allegedly telling the judge to “straighten the f**k up,” then your next stop is probably jail. [National Law Journal]
* Fashion law goes to Fashion Week and makes it work: Fordham’s Fashion Law Institute celebrated its clinics with a presentation at Lincoln Center. Papa Gunn would be so proud. [Crain’s New York Business]
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Rape, Sports, Television
Sports Law, Spaw, Lorts: Más Sandusky
In today's sports law column: Jerry Sandusky, Joe Amendola, and Kevin Pezzoni.
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Election 2012, LSAT, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 09.07.12
* Concurring Opinions has the unsent emails from the Scalia-Posner flap. It's the funniest thing since they explained how professors grade. [Concurring Opinions] * Since a lot of smart kids are not taking the LSAT and applying to law school, maybe this is an opportunity for kids who are not so great at standardized testing to get into a better school than they would have under normal circumstances. Of course, that's not what I would do. If a bunch of people suddenly start running in one direction, I'm the kind of brother who starts running with them and figures out later what all the fuss is about. [The Careerist] * Ohio rescinds it's early voting directive and asks Sixth Circuit for a stay. [Election Law Blog] * Charlotte bankers survive the Democratic National Convention. Somehow. [Dealbreaker] * The problem with owning a gun is that eventually, you are going to give yourself a reason to use it. [NY Daily News] * Former tennis star ready to return serve at Columbia law school. Obviously, I'm using "star" a little bit broadly since I'm talking about a man who finds himself in the drunken class of 2015. [Dealbook] * You have to think that Bill Clinton would have made the best trial lawyer ever. "Can you see her? I want you to picture that little girl. [bites lip.] Now imagine she's white." [What About Clients?] -
Weirdness
Illustrated Court Filing of the Day: The Sound of Silence
Are illustrated court filings the future of legal writing? Probably not, but they're pretty funny anyway. -
Bankruptcy, Comment of the Day, Law Schools, Money, Student Loans
Comment of the Week: Loan Debt Redemption
Who won the award for Comment of the Week? -
Quote of the Day, Rudeness, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns, Texas
Quote of the Day: Holy Smokes, Did You Hear What He Said?
A Texas appellate judge gets reprimanded for trying to throw his weight, and using some choice verbage while doing so. -
Attorney Misconduct, Contests, Lawyer of the Day, Legal Ethics, Oral Sex / Blow Jobs, Reader Polls, Sex, Sex Scandals
August Lawyer of the Month: Suck On My Cannon Balls
Who won August's Lawyer of the Month competition? Let's find out! - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Sandra Day O'Connor, Solicitor General's Office, Sonia Sotomayor, Weddings
Legal Eagle Wedding Watch: Solicitous
Check out the fabulous contestants in this edition of our Legal Eagle Wedding Watch... -
Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Dissolution, Sports
And The Softball Team Played On: Dewey's Softball Team
Let Dewey play... softball. Not law, we're not crazy... -
Bankruptcy, Boutique Law Firms, Lawyer Advertising, Ridiculousness, Small Law Firms
Las Vegas Firm Serves Up Second Helping of Ham
Our favorite lawyers in Las Vegas are at it again, and this time around, we get more awesome porcine puns, cheesy acting, and ugly sweaters. -
Entertainment Law, Television, Videos, YouTube
Mr. Legal Entertainment: Drop Dead Divaliciousness
Check out this informative interview with the creator of Drop Dead Diva... -
Airplanes / Aviation, Privacy, Travel / Vacation
The TSA Needs to Inspect Your Airport Coffee -- Yes, The Cup You Bought AFTER Going Through Security
The TSA strikes again. Leave our coffee alone!
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Career Alternatives, Job Searches, Law Schools
Girl Postpones Law School To Drive A Wiener: Good Call or GREAT Call?
Driving the Wienermobile makes a lot more sense than going to law school... -
5th Circuit, American Bar Association / ABA, Biglaw, Chadbourne & Parke, Department of Justice, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Election 2012, Election Law, Football, Legal Ethics, LSAT, Morning Docket, Real Estate, Texas
Morning Docket: 09.07.12
* It seems that the good people at Chadbourne & Parke won’t wind up homeless after all — or maybe they will. The firm is taking over Dewey’s old digs at 1301 Avenue of the Americas. How ominous! [Reuters]
* The Fifth Circuit gave Texas a stay on a decision that blocked enforcement of the state’s third-party voter registration law. Well, on the bright side, at least the Lone Star state isn’t getting its ass completely kicked in the courts this election season. [Bloomberg]
* While Jerry Sandusky awaits his sentencing on 45 counts of child sexual abuse, his attorney Joe Amendola is contemplating grounds for an appeal. Seriously? It seems to be time for yet another 1-800-REALITY check, my friend. [Centre Daily Times]
* Remember the Texas family law judge who got caught beating his daughter in a viral video? An ethics panel issued him a “public warning” as punishment — he didn’t even get a reprimand. Sigh. [Houston Chronicle]
* The DOJ has asked for permission to intervene in a class-action suit against LSAC that alleges an epic fail on organization’s part when it comes to accommodating LSAT exam takers with disabilities. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Bucky Askew, a former adviser to the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, has moved on to bigger and better things. He’s now a trustee of the National Conference of Bar Examiners. [ABA Journal]
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Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Contests, Fabulosity, Lawyerly Lairs, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms, Real Estate, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
The Best Law Firm Offices in America: Honorable Mentions
There's still time to vote in our Lawyerly Lairs contest to find the best law firm offices in America. In the meantime, check out the four firms that made our "Honorable Mention" list. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 09.06.12
* Eek, here’s another attempt to try to stop Washington from having a football team named after a racial slur. (If you are a new reader who didn’t catch the “eek” reference, click on the link, you won’t be disappointed.) [Washington Post] * Here are eight awesome ways judges have referenced Star Wars. [i09] * Here’s a long essay on “re-imagining” legal education that seems to imagine tuition being just as freaking high. [Huffington Post] * Ben & Jerry porn copyright suit. Really, nothing says “soft serve” like mixing porn and fat people eating ice cream. [Gothamist] * Drew Peterson is guilty. That only took five Lifetime movies. [ABC News] * Confucius would be a very annoying lawyer, I think. [Underdog] * It really does feel like the Supreme Court got a new agent. [Onion] * I’m going to be speaking in front of the Anti-Defamation League’s Young Lawyers Division on September 13th. Click on the link to come out (it’s free) and see me talk about how I deal with hate speech, especially when it comes out of my own mouth. [Anti-Defamation League] -
Antitrust, Department of Justice, Federal Judges, Quote of the Day, Technology
Quote of the Day: These Have Got to Be the Most Literary Case Files Ever
Poet Emily Dickinson makes an extended appearance in a major court ruling -- a ruling about books, of course. -
9th Circuit, Benchslaps, Election 2012, Election Law, Federal Judges, Politics, Stephen Reinhardt
Benchslap of the Day: The District Court Strikes Back
Chief Judge Robert Jones of the District of Nevada lashes back at Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the Ninth Circuit. It's a battle of the benchslaps... -
Associate Advice, Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Partner Issues, Small Law Firms
From Biglaw to Boutique: Apples and Oranges
What are the real differences when moving “From Biglaw to Boutique”?