December 2014
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Admin, Rankings
Above the Law's Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2014
What were the 10 biggest stories about the legal profession in 2014, according to readers of Above the Law? -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 12.31.14
* In protest, the NYPD has adopted a policy of only making arrests “when they have to.” Shouldn’t that have been the policy all along? Maybe this petulant protest is a good thing after all. [New York Post]
* Michigan banned college athletes from unionizing. Which makes sense because this is an amateur activity that couldn’t possibly afford to pay the students taking risks on the field. In other news, on the exact same day the state of Michigan agreed to pay $5 million a year to the guy who will yell at those same kids. [M Live]
* Do you want a Bryan Garner Bobblehead? For charity? Of course you do. [Law Prose]
* Boies Schiller steps into the Octagon. [Yahoo! Sports]
* Lawyers are sneaking religion into court much more frequently these days. [What About Clients?]
* More fallout from the California Bar Exam results. [Bar Exam Stats]
* The D.D.C. declined to enjoin Abd Al Rahim Hussayn Muhammad Al Nashiri’s military commission trial. Professor Vladeck thinks this decision is dumb. [Lawfare]
* While we’re on the subject of law professors dissing dumb legal arguments, Professor Barnett has some real problems with Nebraska and Oklahoma trying to use Raich to sue Colorado. [The Volokh Conspiracy / Washington Post]
* Why the f**k should you care about net neutrality? Here’s why:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8bV8IhbRrQ
- Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Advertising
Happy New Year To All Of ATL's Awesome Advertisers
Above the Law extends thanks to its advertisers.
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Solo Practitioners
Back In The Race: What's Your Motivation For 2015?
Unless you can find a way to motivate yourself, your solo practice will likely fail. So find your motivation. -
Technology
alt.legal 3-On-3: The New You Of 2015!
What new 'X-factor' skills should associates look to gain to improve their odds of making partner in 2015? -
Blogging, Media and Journalism
The Blogging Lawyer As A Citizen Journalist
Want to become the “go-to” lawyer for people in need of one? Start blogging as a citizen journalist. -
Attorney Misconduct, Crime
Oops! Law Firm Promotes Associate Who Likely Wasn't A Lawyer To Partner
Whoa! The lawyers at this firm must have been pretty shocked by the unexpected news. -
Canada
The View From Up North: Will Adding Women Board Members Make A Difference?
What is Canada doing to close the gender gap, and does it even matter? - Sponsored
How Generative AI Will Improve Legal Service Delivery
Learn how emerging tools will likely change and enhance the work of lawyers for years to come in this new report. -
Contests
Above the Law’s 2014 Lawyer of the Year Contest: The Finalists!
From distinguished to despicable, who should be Above the Law's Lawyer of the Year for 2014? Please vote in our poll! -
Contract Attorneys
Cleary Sued By Former Project Attorney With Reality TV Past
Project Attorney takes firm to court after they tell him, "You're Fired!" Or put on unpaid leave at least. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 12.31.14
* Per the Department of Education, Harvard Law sucks at handling sexual assault and harassment complaints. As it turns out, the DoE only found out about the misconduct because a faculty member from New England Law snitched on the Ivy League school. [Boston.com]
* Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the penalties for pot possession. One state legislator wants to change that in the new year, and hopes his colleagues will puff, puff, pass his bill in favor of small civil fines instead of jail sentences. [VICE]
* “If the court has been waiting until the country is more comfortable with gay marriage, they’ve waited long enough.” The first SCOTUS conference of 2015 will focus on gay marriage cases. It’d be fabulous if they took one. [Supreme Court Brief]
* Latham and Fried Frank are going to be advising on Shake Shack’s initial public offering. Hungry attorneys working on the IPO will be disappointed to learn that their client doesn’t have any public offerings for consumption on Seamless. [Am Law Daily]
* The bankruptcy trustee for the late, great, defunct firm of Howrey LLP keeps lining up big settlements for its remaining creditors. This time, Wiley Rein will contribute $1 million to the failed firm’s coffers. Howrey like dem apples? [Wall Street Journal]
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Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Gibson Dunn Upgrades Its Bonuses
Gibson Dunn does right by its associates outside New York. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 12.30.14
* In all the excitement of being back yesterday, I’d forgotten to note that TV’s Screech was arrested for allegedly stabbing a guy in Wisconsin. Mr. Belding is reportedly pissed. [ABC News]
* United Airlines is suing a 22-year-old for pointing out that they routinely rip-off passengers. Sounds… well, a lot like something United Airlines would do. [WGN]
* Boston law schools lose over a third of their enrollment. Except Harvard. Harvard’s doing just fine. [TaxProf Blog]
* Following up on the release of the July 2014 California bar results, here’s a breakdown that includes an examination of first-time vs. repeater results. [Bar Exam Stats]
* President adopts a werewolf. There’s one important reason you haven’t seen this on Fox News yet. [Lowering the Bar]
* Want to test yourself with a Con Law final exam about Ebola? [Dorf on Law]
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Legal Ethics, Public Interest
Crowdfunding: The Future Of Public-Interest Funding?
This lawyer has done crowdfunding right. Learn from her model. -
Billable Hours, Technology
A Pictorial Walkthrough On How To Use Excel For Law Firm Billing
May your 2015 be full of many months where you need to add more rows to your time entries on your bills. -
Attorney Misconduct
Lawyer Arrives Late To His Own Contempt Hearing, You Won't Believe What Happens Next
If you like to practice law, you probably shouldn't do something like this to a judge. -
In-House Counsel, Money
The Road Less Taken: I’m Not In it For You, Princess. I’m In It for the Money.
Earning a salary that isn't making you happy? You may already have the tools that will help you make up the difference. -
Boutique Law Firms, Small Law Firms
Beyond Biglaw: Year In Review, On A Page
Here's a useful exercise for taking stock of the year now drawing to a close. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 12.30.14
* An African-American Cleary Gottlieb project attorney is suing, claiming that the firm discriminated against him when he was fired. He alleges that white lawyers kept their jobs, but he lost his because he was black. [Legal Times]
* For law deans, hindsight is 180: This D.C.-area school “aggressively” raised tuition when everyone decided to go to law school to ride out the recession, and now its dean is admitting that doing so was a “mistake.” [Washington Post]
* “I want to bring blind justice to the Michigan Supreme Court.” Come New Year’s Day, Richard Bernstein — who has been legally blind since birth — will do just that when he’s sworn in to serve on the state’s highest court. Congratulations! [WSJ Law Blog]
* It’s important to learn the skill of entrepreneurship as part of today’s legal education since you never know when you’ll be forced to open your own practice because you can’t get someone else to give you a job. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News]
* Associate bonuses aren’t the only charitable causes Biglaw firms are willing to throw money at in a given year. In fact, some firms dole out millions upon millions of dollars for the purpose of doing good and supporting their communities. [Am Law Daily]
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Biglaw, Bonuses, Fenwick & West, Locke Lord, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: 5 Firms Foster Frustration
Many Biglaw associates are happy with their bonuses -- but not some associates at these firms.