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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Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Pranks, Willkie Farr
Associate Bonus Watch: An Explanatory Note
Still no news. The message boards are quiet (aside from complaints about the “trolls,” and admonitions not to “feed” them). At this point in time, we’re guessing that no major bonus news will break this week. But we’re happy to be proven wrong. As soon as you hear something, please email us. Last night, a […] -
Antonin Scalia, Constitutional Law, Dahlia Lithwick, Media and Journalism, SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
The Nino-Breyer Smackdown (Part 3)
Question: Now that the Supreme Court is hearing hardly any cases these days, how are the justices spending all their free time? Answer: On constitutional law road shows, in which they debate the proper way to go about interpreting that foundational document. What fun! On Tuesday, Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Stephen G. Breyer held […] - 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. -
Law Professors, Nauseating Things, Tax Law, Weirdness
What Does the Colon of a Tax Law Professor Look Like?
If you woke up this morning with this thought burning a hole in your head, guess what? Today’s your lucky day. Tax Prof Colon [TaxProf Blog] P.S. Congratulations to Professor Caron on his clean bill of colonic health.
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Celebrities, Fabulosity, Feldsuk, Hotties, Jeannie Suk, Law Professors, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Musical Chairs, Nauseating Things, Noah Feldman, Noajeannie, Supreme Court Clerks
Musical Chairs: Professor Noah Feldman Is Leaving NYU for Harvard!
Professor Noah Feldman — the brilliant, gorgeous, legal academic superstar / public intellectual — is abandoning NYU Law School (its student body hotness notwithstanding). He’s heading up to Harvard Law School, where his similarly beautiful and brainy wife, Jeannie Suk, is already on the faculty. (Most readers of ATL are probably familiar with this celebrity […] -
Contests, Hotties, Law Schools, Reader Polls
Above the Law Hotties: NYU Law School Third-Years (Male)
Here they are: the then male winners of the recent contest to find NYU Law School’s hottest third-year law students. (For the women, click here.) Top row, left to right: Marcos Arellano, Adan Canizales, Steven Cephas, Seth Endo, Ahmed Ghappour.Bottom row: Matthew Jackson, Michael Okoye, Arinze Onugha, Bryan Swiss, Manoj Viswanathan. You’ve seen the goods […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Pranks, Willkie Farr
Associate Bonus Watch: The Willkie Memo Is Fake
The fake bonus announcement memos really aren’t that funny, people. Everybody gets all worked up for an hour or two, and then the ruse is exposed. The purported Willkie Farr bonus memo, which surfaced earlier tonight, is not authentic. From one of our sources at Willkie: This is clearly a fake. FYI, Willkie never sends […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Pranks, Willkie Farr
Associate Bonus Watch: Willkie's Bonus Memo?
Update: As explained here, the supposed Willkie Farr “bonus memo” reprinted below is a fake. From: “Matthew A. Feldman” Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 6:29 PM To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Subject: Associate Bonuses We are pleased to announce that the firm will once again award year-end bonuses for associates. Class of 2006 – $40,000 Class of 2005 […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Count Your Blessings
We haven’t heard anything yet on law firm associate bonuses. The message boards are pretty quiet, intramural insults aside. There is a rumor going around of “$50K for 1st years” as the likely rate, but it’s just a rumor. No announcement memos yet. What’s not in doubt is that Biglaw lawyers WILL be getting a […] - Sponsored
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… -
Contests, Hotties, Law Schools, Reader Polls
Above the Law Hotties: NYU Law School Third-Years (Female)
This morning we announced the winners of the recent contest to find NYU Law School’s hottest third-year law students. And now we’ve obtained pictures of all ten female hotties. Exciting! These future babes of the bar should not be kept imprisoned within the ivory tower. For your viewing pleasure, here they are: Top row, left […] -
Antonin Scalia, Media and Journalism, SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
The Nino-Breyer Smackdown (Part 2): A Photo Essay
The Scalia-Breyer debate was co-sponsored by the Federalist Society and the American Consitution Society, aka “The Lion and the Lamb.” But which is which? As promised, we bring you some pictures from last night’s debate between Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Stephen G. Breyer, on the subject of constitutional interpretation. Our really awful photography photo […] -
Admin, Announcements, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Shameless Plugs, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
All Rise! Supermogul Is Now In Session
Hey, guess what? Above the Law is no longer the most junior member of the Conference Dead Horse Media family of websites. Today marks the launch of Supermogul.com. It’s nice not being the most junior member. Just ask Justice Breyer, who was delighted when Justice Alito arrived at the Court. As the most junior justice, […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Still No News -- But Now There's a Facebook Group
As we mentioned this morning, we’re all still waiting for the big announcement of law firm associate bonuses. And we’re getting antsy. Well, misery loves company. Are you looking for people to commiserate with in your anxiety-ridden state? Then go join this Facebook group: NY BIGLAW Bonuses better be HUGE [Facebook] Earlier: Prior ATL coverage […] -
Antonin Scalia, Media and Journalism, SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
The Nino-Breyer Smackdown (Part 1)
We have not forgotten that we owe you a report on the very interesting debate we attended last night, between Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Stephen G. Breyer, on constitutional interpretation. Our report, and a handful of photos (not as many as we hoped), will appear… shortly. Alas, it will take us a little time […]
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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
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
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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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.
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…
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Hotties, Law Schools
Your NYU Law School Hotties
The NYU Law School hotties contest that we wrote about earlier has concluded. And the winners have been announced. The results were leaked to us by a tipster who had this to say: Here you go. Personally I question the results, seeing that I’m not on there. Probably hanging chad and all that. We reprint […] -
Britney Spears, Celebrities, Gay, Gay Marriage, Money, Tax Law
The REAL Threat to the Institution of Marriage
Social conservatives are constantly carping about the threat that gay marriage allegedly poses to the institution of marriage. In response, proponents of gay marriage reflexively bring up the (rather tired) example of Britney Spears, and her joke of a marriage to Jason Alexander.* The debate gets pretty old, pretty fast. Here’s what we want to […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: No News Is... Bad News?
Waiting for an announcement of law firm associate bonuses? Take a number. Right now we’re exactly where we were yesterday: No news. And no news isn’t necessarily good news. In our morning review of the message boards, this was the most interesting post: The reason why no firm has announced yet is due to the […] -
Advertising, Old People, Perverts, Screw-Ups, Sex, Shameless Plugs
The Most Happy Fella... Who Molested a Nonagenarian?
We think online advertising is fantastic. Of course, we’re biased; it’s how we pay the bills around here. For more details about how to advertise on Above the Law — which has a large, demographically desirable, and highly targeted readership — click here. But all advertising, whether in print or online, carries risks. For example, […] -
Borat, Movies, S.D.N.Y.
Exactly What Kind of Sex Toy Was Attached to Plaintiff's Stump?
The latest news in the world of Borat-related litigation: A judge on Monday told lawyers who filed a $30 million lawsuit accusing the makers of the hit movie “Borat” of misleading residents of a remote Romanian village that they must make specific allegations in their lawsuit if they want it to have a chance at […] -
Biglaw, Cheapness, Dewey Ballantine, Dewy Orifice, Paralegals, Parties
This Is Just Plain Depressing
Dewey Ballantine partners, have you no sense of decency? If your associates are going to act in completely undignified fashion, can’t you at least give them dignified surroundings in which to do so? No amount of tinsel and mistletoe can disguise this basic truth: making out with a paralegal in the cafeteria is beyond humiliating. […] -
Admin, Announcements, Antonin Scalia, SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court
Programming Note: Nino-Breyer Smackdown
We’ll be stepping away shortly to attend what should be a fantastic event: A Conversation on the Constitution: Perspectives from Active Liberty and A Matter of Interpretation. It’s being sponsored by the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society, and we’re attending as a guest of the ACS (whom we thank for the gracious invitation). […]