David Lat
David Lat, the founding editor of Above the Law, is a lawyer turned writer and speaker. You can read his latest writing about law and the legal profession by subscribing to Original Jurisdiction, his newsletter on the Substack platform. David's book, Supreme Ambitions: A Novel (2014), was described by the New York Times as "the most buzzed-about novel of the year" among legal elites. David previously worked as a federal prosecutor, a litigation associate at Wachtell Lipton, and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can learn more about David on his personal website; you can connect with him on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at davidlat@substack.com.
Posts by David Lat
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ACLU, Asians, Civil Rights, Lawsuit of the Day, Lesbians, Sex, Television
Lawsuit of the Day: Lesbians in the OC
No, we’re not talking about that time on “The OC” when Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) shared a girl-on-girl kiss with Alex (Olivia Wilde). Rather, we’re referring to a civil rights case currently pending before Judge James Selna, in the Central District of California. From the L.A. Times (via How Appealing): Two high schoolers are caught […] -
5th Circuit, Advertising, Announcements, Job Searches, R. Ted Cruz, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Ted Cruz Is Looking for a Few Good... Appellate Lawyers
Many of you, especially those of you about to deposit Biglaw bonus checks, will update your résumés at the start of the new year. It’s a common time to jump to a new job, or to start looking for one. In the first few weeks of 2007, expect departure memos to go around like the […] - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Yes, Sullivan Has Matched
We have it on very, very good authority that Sullivan & Cromwell has issued associate bonuses that match the market. So consider the rumor from earlier today to be verified. The only caveat from our source: at the most senior levels, the S&C bonuses do not “top out,” like those at Cravath. As explained by […]
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Blogging, Books, Charles Fried, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Gay Marriage, Neal Katyal, Politics, SCOTUS, Sentencing Law, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
The Breyer-Fried Discussion: Some Highlights (Part 2)
This is a continuation of our prior post about an event we recently attended at Georgetown Law School, “On Liberty: A conversation between Justice Stephen Breyer and Professor Charles Fried.” For more background about the event, click here. For the conclusion to our write-up, keep on reading. We bring you a “true confession” from Justice […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, H. Rodgin Cohen, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Has S&C Matched?
The latest word on the street (per Greedy NY): Sullivan & Cromwell has matched the market with respect to associate bonuses. We are investigating. Update (10:54 AM): We’ve left messages with S&C’s spokesperson and with H. Rodgin Cohen, the firm chairman. We’ll let you know when we hear back from them. Update (12:14 PM): Consider […] -
FCC, New York Times, Sex, Television, Weirdness
Pick Your Poison: Janet Jackson's Exposed Breast, or a Horny Manatee
Near the top of the NYT “Most E-Mailed Articles” list sits a piece entitled So This Manatee Walks Into the Internet. And, oddly enough, there’s a legal angle to the story: At the end of [a recent] skit [on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien”], in a line Mr. O’Brien insists was ad-libbed, he mentioned… www.hornymanatee.com. […] -
Admin, Biglaw, Blogging, Bonuses, Money, Supreme Court Clerks
Associate Bonus Watch: Tuesday Open Comment Thread
As was the case last night, we must take leave of our computer for a little while. (Our plans involve members of the Elect, so this is an excused absence.) There has been some bonus news today (Paul Weiss), even if not as much as yesterday (Cravath and Cadwalader). But the day isn’t over yet, […] -
Associate Salaries, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: The Paul Weiss Memo
Consider the Paul Weiss rumor from earlier this afternoon CONFIRMED. 1. We’ve spoken on the phone with Madelaine Miller, communications manager for Paul Weiss. She confirmed that the firm just announced bonuses ranging from $30,000 for the class of 2006 to $65,000 for the most senior classes. 2. We have the Paul Weiss memo, which […] - Sponsored
Generative AI In Legal Work — What’s Fact And What’s Fiction?
Zach Warren from the Thomson Reuters Institute discusses the potential and the pitfalls. -
Ann Althouse, Biglaw, Blogging, Hotties, Jan Crawford Greenburg, Law Professors, Law Schools, Lunacy, Media and Journalism, Non-Sequiturs, Plaintiffs Firms
Supplemental Non-Sequiturs: 12.12.06
Here’s a delightful potpourri of fun and interesting links. We planned to write about these items in more depth, but just never got around to it. So now we’re just going to air them in these pages. We’ve been saving them up for a while, so some are a bit dated (although some are new). […] -
Law Schools, Pro Bono, Public Interest
Congratulations to the Newest Class of Skadden Fellows!
Right now a heated debate is raging in last night’s open comment thread. The subject: public interest law, and the people who practice it. The debate is aptly summarized by this comment: This comment thread is a microcosm of the unhappy lawyers out there. The big firm lawyers comfort themselves by telling themselves that public […] -
Borat, Movies, Pranks, Sexual Harassment, Television
A Borat Litigation Update
It’s only a matter of time before BNA starts publishing a Borat Law Reporter. There have been a few developments in this area since we last checked in. First, a victory for the defendants: Two college fraternity buddies shown guzzling alcohol and making racist remarks in the “Borat” movie have lost their bid for a […] -
Charles Fried, Constitutional Law, Fashion, Hair, Neal Katyal, SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
The Breyer-Fried Discussion: Some Highlights (Part 1)
As we mentioned earlier, on Friday we headed downtown to Georgetown Law School for “On Liberty: A conversation between Justice Stephen Breyer and Professor Charles Fried,” of Harvard Law School. We were invited to this event by Georgetown Law Professor Neal Katyal (whom we thank for his hospitality). Yesterday we shared with you our photos […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Paul Weiss Matches?
That’s the latest rumor. We’re checking with our Paul Weiss sources (and waiting for a memo). Update (1:12 PM): This is looking pretty solid. No memo yet, and one of our Paul Weiss sources reports not hearing anything yet. But two other Paul Weiss sources confirm that the firm has matched. One of the two […]
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so…
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get…
Sponsored
Sponsored
Generative AI In Legal Work — What’s Fact And What’s Fiction?
Zach Warren from the Thomson Reuters Institute discusses the potential and the pitfalls.
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.
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Biglaw, Fashion, Glenn Reynolds, Non-Sequiturs, Office of Legal Policy, Shopping
Some Neckwear Non-Sequiturs
A recent meme of the legal blogosphere: neckties. We find this subject hard to resist, since it lies at the intersection of two of our favorite topics: fashion and law. Because of the staid fashion standards of the legal profession — dark suits, white or blue shirts, black shoes (or brown if you’re wild ‘n […] -
Cars, Celebrities, Crime, Drinking, Drugs, Howard Weitzman, Nicole Richie, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns
The Honorable Nicole Richie?
After driving her SUV the wrong way down a freeway, famine victim reality TV star Nicole Richie was arrested yesterday for driving under the influence (Vicodin and pot, allegedly). Perhaps she’s gearing up for “The Simple Life: Behind Bars”? Seriously, though, we doubt Richie will do any prison time. She’s in the capable hands of […] -
Constitutional Law, Weirdness, White People
How Would Scalia and Breyer Decide This One?
A quirky and fun story in the Saturday New York Times (which nobody reads except us) describes the legal crusade of one John Lagana. He’d like to ride his WaveRunner around the shores of East Hampton, but can’t, thanks to the wealthy beach town’s ban on water scooters. So like any good American, Lagana is […] -
Admin, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Open Comment Thread
We have a dinner to attend, so we’re stepping away from the computer for a few hours. There has been quite a bit of bonus news today, including announcements from Cravath and Cadwalader. And it’s possible that more news might emerge tonight (although we think it’s unlikely, given that it’s after the close of business […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: More on Cravath and Cadwalader
Consider Cadwalder CONFIRMED. We just got off the phone with Claudia Freeman, director of communications for CWT, who verified the accuracy and authenticity of the memo that we emailed to her. In addition, in case you doubt our Cravath coverage — as well as that of the WSJ Law Blog, which reported the news shortly […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Cravath Announced; Cadwalader Rumored
As predicted, Cravath announced its bonus structure today. They’re paying the same bonuses as they did last year. In other words, they’re matching this year’s Milbank bonuses — except for the most senior classes, whom they’re paying $5,000 less. C’mon, Cravath partners, can’t you cough up another $5K for your most senior drones? Here are […] -
Contests, Hotties, Law Schools, Reader Polls
NYU 3L Hotties: The Winners!!!
Some unidentified NYU Law School students held a contest to find the hottest male and female third-year law students. They came up with two slates of winners: ten hot men, and ten hot women. Unfortunately, these NYU 3L hotties weren’t ranked. But we got a hold of their facebook photos and turned the proceedings over […]