August 2014

How hard did Biglaw associates work back in the day?

Ed. note: Due to the Labor Day holiday, we’re on a reduced publication schedule today. We’ll be back to our normal Saturday schedule tomorrow. But you don't care about that. More importantly we’ll be off on Labor Day and back to normal on Tuesday. A restful and happy Labor Day to all! * Jesus, this Elle Woods fascination just won’t die. [Law School Lemmings] * Lawyers seek to ruin something beautiful: ALS Association wants a trademark on the concept of an ice bucket challenge. [Washington Post] * Ah, fun tales of the Streisand Effect. [Popehat] * UC Davis Law saw increased applications. Dean Kevin Johnson says, “I do think the market is coming back. And I do think the naysayers of law schools and being a lawyer, their days are limited in number.” You’re the only school in California showing an increase and the country as a whole is down and you’re conveniently not charging any application fee, but yeah, our days are limited. [UC Davis Law] * Lawyer who showed up to court going by the name “Lord Harley of Counsel” gets a tongue-lashing from the judge. [Legal Cheek] * Ant-f**king. OK. [Legal Juice]

Alison Monahan offers some advice for improving your law school performance.

Josh Shaw reminded the world that athletes are liars like all of us.

An in-depth article in Rolling Stone takes a close look at the never-ending litigation between Steven Donziger and Chevron.

An egregious episode offers a lesson in client service.

To argue that the CIA's prolific use of torture and waterboarding has had no impact on how groups treat captured Americans seems like a stretch.

In honor of the Simpsons marathon let’s introduce each of these with a Simpsons quote.

* Dr. Hibbert: And hillbillies want to be called “Sons of the Soil,” but it ain’t gonna happen. — BofA wants that $1.3 billion verdict tossed as “unreasonable.” [Law360]

* Superintendent Chalmers: Oh, I have had it, I have had it with this school, Skinner! The low test scores, class after class of ugly, ugly children! — Suffolk University fired its president just days before school began. I’d like to think it was over their subway ads. In any event, the interim president seems to get the problem: “‘I don’t think there’s growth there,’ he said, referring to [law school] enrollment.” [Boston Globe]

* Homer: Barney’s movie had heart, but “Football in the Groin” had a football in the groin — College football kicked off last night (or Wednesday if we cared about Georgia State), so check in with the lawyer for the USC player who pretended he injured himself saving his nephew’s life. [Deadspin]

* Lionel Hutz: There’s the truth and… the truth! — Bracewell & Giuliani partner, Glenn A. Ballard Jr., got benchslapped in Texas for “an affront to this court, to the other parties and to judicial integrity.” Everything’s bigger in Texas. [Houston Chronicle]

* Chief Wiggum: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say blah blah blah blah blah blah. — After Philip Seymour Hoffman’s overdose, the police actually arrested a jazz musician. He got no jail time after he hired a new lawyer, Alex Spiro, who went after the cops for taking advantage of his client. [NY Daily News]

* Jimbo: You let me down, man. Now I don’t believe in nothing no more. I’m going to law school. — Professor Campos wonders if American University law school will sue students who drop out or transfer? [Lawyers, Guns & Money]

And which law schools best prepare their graduates for Biglaw?

* Here’s the international sign for “don’t urinate in public.” Glad to know we needed a sign for this. [National Review] * An illegal hostile work environment is created when coworkers wear confederate flag T-shirts. Because… obviously it is. Professor Volokh thinks this is unconstitutional. Apparently a document drafted by white slaveholders is set up […]

Does assaulting your parents in a way that is particularly hurtful to their religious values constitute a federal hate crime?

Since 2009, the Windy City has seen a significant increase in lateral moves.

Becker & Poliakoff issues yet another statement about how they won't fire a homophobe.

America, I don't even recognize you anymore.

Latham still has an opportunity to defend itself, but the language of the opinion is not encouraging.

Did you know that if you are rich enough you could just buy a green card?

If a court reporting service just didn't prepare transcripts in criminal cases for months on end, they might earn themselves a hearty benchslapping.

Could good news for Philly translate into good news for other markets?

For a federal prosecutor, every legal problem becomes, at some point, a criminal case.

* Are Apple and Samsung really still fighting? Even people who live on the West Bank are tired of this pointless conflict. [WSJ Law Blog] * Tim Wu + New York Times = Oh, like you could pick Robert Duffy out of a lineup. [New York Times] * Wow, a cop actually got disciplined for […]