February 2013
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Attorney Misconduct, Crime, Department of Justice, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Jack Abramoff, Legal Ethics, Sentencing Law, Tim Wu, White-Collar Crime
The Kevin Ring Case Is a Scandal and a Disgrace: Five Things I Think You Should Know
A highly subjective look at the case against Jack Abramoff associate Kevin Ring. The writer, a friend of Ring's, argues it was a miscarriage of justice. -
9th Circuit, Alex Kozinski, New Jersey, Non-Sequiturs, Peter Lattman, Utah
Non-Sequiturs: 02.28.13
* Michigan will assume control of Detroit pursuant to the state’s controversial “Emergency Manager Law.” How controversial? Michigan voters went to the polls to repeal the law last year… and the legislature said no. There’s a fitting symmetry that a law that denies the democratic rights of the people exists only because the legislature trampled on the democratic rights of the people. [WXYZ] * A Harvard Law grad opens an e-commerce lingerie startup. The hook for her bra business is in-home fittings. Perfect for the cross-dresser who hates prying eyes. [Forbes] * Rutgers-Newark and Rutgers-Camden have announced that they will merge into a single law school named “Rutgers School of Law” effective Fall 2014. The new school accomplishes the important goal of removing the words “Newark” and “Camden” from promotional materials. [TaxProf Blog] * Professor Eugene Kontorovich explains how Chief Judge Kozinski’s piracy ruling actually advanced the liberal causes of the Law of the Sea and expanding the scope of the Alien Tort Statute. Yeah, but it also doomed us to destruction if Captain Kirk can’t get his act together in this new timeline. [Volokh Conspiracy] * The producers of The Bachelor may need better lawyers. After they settled a claim with blogger Reality Steve, barring him from contacting cast and crew for spoilers, he’s publishing spoilers again. Reality Steve’s defense? The settlement agreement was silent on the matter of cast and crew contacting him. Touché. Reality Steve wins a one-on-one this week. [IT-Lex.org] * Sometimes you just need to call the other player’s bluff. Right-wing legislators in Utah loudly parroted talk-radio scripts calling for Utah to reject federal grant money. Democrats in Utah agreed and voted to reject federal grants. Then Republicans started to panic. [Utah Political Report] * Jon Stewart calls for the drowning of legal journalist Peter Lattman for being a wizard. Video after the jump…. - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
9th Circuit, California, Football, Gay, Gay Marriage, Quote of the Day, SCOTUS, Sports, Supreme Court
NFL Players File Amicus Brief in Prop 8 Case
NFL players Chris Kluwe and Brendon Ayanbadejo take their opposition to Prop 8 to the Supreme Court.
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Biglaw, Layoffs, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants, Severance, Staff Layoffs
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Staff Stricken at Stroock
What's behind the firm's decision? -
Law Professors, Law Schools, Lawsuit of the Day
Lawsuit of the Day: Law Prof Trips, Doesn't Have a Nice Fall
This law professor is suing because she was apparently too much of a klutz to stand on a platform. -
Small Law Firms, State Judges, Texas, White-Collar Crime
Stanford-Educated Attorney Convicted of Racketeering Jumps Off Bridge
Authorities are searching for a convicted attorney who jumped from a Texas bridge. -
Blogging, Law Professors, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Media and Journalism
Farewell To Inside The Law School Scam
Paul Campos leaves, but the fight for honesty about legal education continues. -
Celebrities, Lindsay Lohan, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
Lindsay Lohan's Lawyer Is Ready To Solve All Her Problems
Lindsay Lohan's new lawyer has a reputation... as a "menace to the public." He'll fit right in. - 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. -
Fabulosity, Law Schools, Money, Public Interest, Student Loans, Television, UVA Law
Law Student Wins Money To Repay Student Loan Debt On Live Television
How can you win money to pay off your law school debt? It's as easy as being a decent human being! -
Craigslist, Job Searches, Law Schools
I Need A Contract Attorney: An 'Ivy League' Contract Attorney
You don't need an Ivy League degree to do contract work. -
Biglaw, California, Department of Justice, Gay Marriage, Law Schools, Morning Docket, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Trademarks, Women's Issues
Morning Docket: 02.28.13
* Like any lawyers worth their salt, attorneys for the Obama administration are wasting precious time and procrastinating on whether they’ll weigh in on the Supreme Court’s Prop 8 case. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* The nation’s largest companies, on the other hand, filed a brief with the Supreme Court concerning the DOMA case. Of course, they care more about money than people, but that’s beside the point. [New York Times]
* Lanny Breuer took his sweet time turning in his resignation from the top post of the DOJ Criminal Division, but his acting successor was named quite quickly. Welcome aboard, Mythili Raman. [Blog of Legal Times]
* Francine Griesing, the ex-Greenberg Traurig partner who alleged the firm was a “boys club,” agreed to mediate her claims. Too bad, we hoped something would actually happen with this case. [Legal Intelligencer]
* Hoping to get all your law school applications out before that looming March 1 deadline? Not gonna happen. LSAC’s site has been borked since Tuesday. Take this for the obvious sign that is is! [National Law Journal]
* Surprisingly not from The Onion: the Vatican wants to call the retiring pontiff “Pope Emeritus,” but a California rapper that no one’s ever heard of is threatening trademark litigation to stop it. [Borowitz Report / New Yorker]
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Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Dewey Ballantine, Dissolution, LeBoeuf Lamb, Money, Partner Issues
Dewey Have A Confirmed Chapter 11 Plan? Yes We Do!
What happened at this morning's hearing to confirm Dewey's bankruptcy plan? Detailed commentary, plus photos. -
Election Law, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 02.27.13
* I mean, if you can’t trust a sorcerer, who can you trust? [Factual Facts] * Not enough Elie Mystal in your life? Catch him talking about the Voting Rights Act on HuffPo Live. [HuffPo Live] * Manhattan lawyer Joseph Rosenzweig has been suspended for six months because he was married to two women at once. That was big of him. [Thompson Reuters News & Insight] * A Detroit judge routinely skips out on work. Honestly, if I lived someplace like Detroit, I’d never be able to sit in an office all day. [Legal Juice] * Are we actually dignifying the “maybe the 3/5ths compromise was a good idea” debate? Because, you know, you don’t have to. [Room for Debate / New York Times] * Rick Pildes writes a guest post at the Election Law Blog asking if Congress abdicated its responsibility when it failed to update the Voting Rights Act. That’s crazy talk. When does Congress abdicate its responsibility? [Election Law Blog] * We say goodbye to Inside the Law School Scam. [Inside the Law School Scam]
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Advertising, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Many Thanks to Our Advertisers
Above the Law extends thanks to its advertisers. -
In-House Counsel, Practice Pointers
House Rules: Is Yahoo Serious?
Working from a brick-and-mortar office is not only unnecessary, but ignores the realities of the modern, global marketplace. -
Copyright, Intellectual Property, Quote of the Day, Service of Process
Teller Silenced In Court By Elusive Defendant
Teller is trying to sue another magician for stealing a trick he created in 1983. But the defendant has a few tricks up his sleeve too. -
Bloomberg, Career Alternatives, Movies, Videos, YouTube
Career Alternatives for Attorneys: Filmmaker
Why be a lawyer when you can make movies about law instead? -
Biglaw, Caption Contests, Contests, Food, Pictures
Caption Contest Winner: For Want of a Biglaw Banana
Are first-year law firm associates really just highly-trained monkeys? Check out our caption contest winner. -
Antonin Scalia, Election Law, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Voting Rights Act Oral Argument: Just How Drunk With Power Has Justice Scalia Become?
Did Antonin Scalia sound like a judge during oral arguments, or a politician? -
Ridiculousness, Rudeness, State Judges, Television, Videos
Tosh.0 Gives a Rather 'Cocky' Defendant a Web Redemption
Have you ever called a judge a name? Maybe you should, because it could earn you a feature segment on Tosh.0!