November 2014

This story, which started off with a bang -- or rather banging, memorialized in nude photos -- ends with a whimper.

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Not sure about what to get the lawyer or law student in your life for the holidays? We've got you covered!

* John Altorelli, the finance lawyer who allegedly had an affair with sexy Russian spy Anna Chapman, is indeed screwed — he’s the second former Dewey & LeBoeuf partner to file for personal bankruptcy in the wake of the firm’s collapse. [American Lawyer]

* Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had a heart procedure on Wednesday, left the hospital yesterday and should be back on the bench on Monday. [CNN]

* Canada’s newest Supreme Court justice, Suzanne Cote, is no stranger to the spotlight; she’s worked on high-profile cases like the investigation into Justice Lori Douglas (of nude photo fame). [How Appealing]

* Michele Roberts, leading litigatrix and former Skadden partner, is settling into her new job as executive director of the National Basketball Players Association. [New York Times]

* Newly released deposition testimony from Bill Cosby will probably only worsen his PR woes. [Associated Press]

* Stuck in the office today with nothing to do? Take this fun exercise to test your punctuation and copy-editing skills, designed by Bryan A. Garner. [ABA Journal]

The fate of the billable hour, how small firms can compete with large ones, the evil of profits per partner, and more.

Ed. note: Above the Law will be dark on Thanksgiving and on a reduced publishing schedule on Friday, November 28, while we recover from turkey-induced comas.

* Holy backfire Batman! Florida desperately wanted to display a nativity scene in the State Capitol because it’s more important than making real laws. Now they’re probably going to be forced to display a scene from the Satanic Temple. [Slate]

* Researchers assert that college prestige has no bearing on the quality of the teaching. Would this carry over to law schools? [TaxProf Blog]

* The National Bar Association, representing predominantly African-American attorneys and judges, has issued a response to the grand jury’s decision in the Michael Brown shooting. [The National Bar Association]

* Speaking of Ferguson, apparently the investigator listed Darren Wilson as the “victim.” If you needed any more evidence of the power of semantics. [Lowering the Bar]

* The CATO Institute talks about the First Amendment and One, Inc. v. Olesen. It’s an hour-and-a-half panel discussion. Pretty impressive for a 24-word (plus one citation) decision. [C-SPAN]

* Is it a lie? Well, that depends on what your definition of “lie” is? [Dorf on Law]

* Are over the knee boots appropriate office attire? [Corporette]

* 8 women who left the law to follow their passions. [One 400]

* Yesterday, we suggested you should write more thank you notes. Well, here are some reasons why you shouldn’t. [The Muse ]

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On a day-to-day basis the American racial divide is still a canyon, broad and deep. How can we fix it?

No one wants to hear from their loan servicer during the holidays. No one.

What will the controlling bonus scale be now that Davis Polk has beaten the market?

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This event will offer participants insights into new guidelines and best practices from the perspectives of Gretchen Fritz (AGC @ Daiichi Sankyo), Robert Trotta (Attorney @ Axiom) and Linda Pissott Reig (Partner @ Buchanan Ingersoll. Hosted by Axiom and the NJCCA, the program will take place December 9 over breakfast at Osteria Morini in Bernardsville, NJ from 8:30-10am. Click here to RSVP or learn more.

Was she able to pull through the operation?

When you make a mistake, intelligent people try not to repeat it. But some people just have to learn the hard way.

There isn't much good about being a contract attorney, but there's still stuff to be thankful for.

* Indiana Tech Law has yet another new dean after a little more than a year of operations — he currently serves as a dean at the second-best law school in the nation, Cooley Law. [Journal Gazette]

* A Pennsylvania lawyer allegedly had sex with a 14-year-old girl in his office, and prosecutors have already reserved a “special place in hell” for him, and possibly a jail cell. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

* “We feel like we’ve been left hanging in a really stressful time.” While Bingham McCutchen partners and top staffers made moves, less senior staffers were left crying and without a clue. 🙁 [Am Law Daily]

* Since a grand jury failed to indict Darren Wilson in Michael Brown’s death, people are counting on the DOJ to come through for them. “I just don’t think Ferguson has a leg to stand on,” says one negative nancy law professor. [National Law Journal]

* After being down in the dumps for a while due to the recession, according to Citi Private Bank Law Firm Group, law firm leaders are feeling more confident and optimistic about the economy — as one can see from these bonuses. [WSJ Law Blog]

Davis Polk: follower no more!

Which Biglaw firms have joined Simpson Thacher in handing out hefty bonus bucks this time?

* Grand juries rarely let someone go without an indictment unless it’s a cop. Apparently pigs do not make for ham sandwiches. Instead of wishing for another rubber stamp indictment, this may be a good time to demand that everyone benefit from such skeptical grand juries. [FiveThirtyEight]

* Well that’s an interesting name… [Legal Juice]

* Have you written a thank you note lately? Probably not. But you should. [What About Clients?]

* Professor Ilya Somin reviews Lat’s Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link) and talks about the importance of blogs. We agree with him. [The Volokh Conspiracy / Washington Post]

* Maybe you should ditch that temp legal job and go into PR? [Law and More]

* Kinney Recruiting expands its operations to Chicago. [Kinney Recruiting]