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, Too Clever By Half
Associate Bonus Watch: The Milbank Memo Is REALLY Fake
Yesterday we requested tips from you about associate bonuses: leaked bonus memos, juicy rumors, etc. Please send this information to us by email, to tips AT abovethelaw DOT com (subject line: “Associate Bonus Watch”). Please send us tips that you believe in good faith to be true. Because if you send us stuff that’s fake, […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Pranks, Too Clever By Half
Associate Bonus Watch: The Milbank Memo Is Fake
We tend to think that fact-checking is overrated. But sometimes it pays dividends. This afternoon, a document purporting to be a Milbank Tweed bonus memo appeared on the oh-so-reliable message board of AutoAdmit.com, aka xoxohth. It sparked frenzied discussion at both AutoAdmit and Greedy Associates. We checked with our sources at Milbank. The “bonus memo” […] - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
8th Circuit, Fabulosity, Federal Judges, Morris Arnold
Wherein We Receive An Email from Celebrity Judge Morris Arnold
We’re on a roll today in the correspondence department here at ATL. This morning we brought you an email message from Professor Tim Wu, aka “Genius Wu,” young superstar of the legal academy. And this afternoon, we proudly present this cyber-missive, typed by Article III fingers: From: Judge Morris Arnold [email address redacted]Sent: Wednesday, November […]
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Weddings
Legal Eagle Wedding Watch: November 19, 2006
The weekend of November 18-19 was a strong one for lawyer weddings (even if not as strong as November 11-12). Once again, we had to make cuts in deciding whom to write about. Here are the three couples on today’s docket: 1. Carlynn Magliano, Patrick Sweeney 2. Stefanie Silverman, Keir Ashton 3. Jessica Tisch, Daniel […] -
8th Circuit, Federal Judges, Morris Arnold
Wishes for a Speedy Recovery to Judge Morris Arnold
Earlier this month, Judge Morris Arnold, one of the most respected federal appellate judges in the country, suffered a heart attack. From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Morris S. Arnold of Little Rock was hospitalized Wednesday night in St. Louis, where he is a judge on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, after having a heart […] -
Biglaw, Fashion, Interview Stories
Interview Horror Stories: Wait 'Til You Have the Offer Before Busting Out the Piercings
Over the years, law firms have become more relaxed about the attire and appearance of their associates. But there are limits. From the National Law Journal: “It’s really hard,” said [hiring partner Matthew] Jones, with Duane Morris. He recently interviewed 18 University of Virginia School of Law students in about six hours. He had 15 […] -
Brown Raysman, Dorsey & Whitney, Musical Chairs, Real Estate, Thelen Reid & Priest
Musical Chairs: 11.29.06
From Biglaw to business: * Another Wachtell Lipton partner is leaving the firm. Corporate partner Mitchell Presser recently left to join Fox Paine. We now hear that WLRK real estate partner Michael Benner may be leaving to become general counsel at real estate giant Tishman Speyer. New Partners: * Dorsey & Whitney: Banking lawyer Mark […] -
9th Circuit, Copyright, Music, Nude Dancing, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court
Worried About Overeating at Lunch Today?
Here’s a good appetite suppressant: Ginsburg in the Nude?* As it turns out, the article has nothing to do with Ruth Bader Ginsburg sans robe. It’s about a copyright / misappropriation case, decided by the Ninth Circuit, that is now the subject of a certiorari petition before the Supreme Court. Usually cert petitions emanating from […] - 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. -
7th Circuit, Fast Food, Federal Judges, Food, Frank Easterbrook, SCOTUS Potential
It's Official: Say Hello to Chief Judge Easterbrook
Back in September, we reported that Judge Frank Easterbrook — “a veritable judicial hottie, a possible SCOTUS nominee, and brother of well-known author and ESPN.com commentator Gregg Easterbrook” — would be taking over in November as the chief judge of the Seventh Circuit. The passing of the torch has now come to pass. From a […] -
Hotties, Law Schools
NYU Law Students: Dorkily Desirable?
The NYU Law School hotties contest that we mentioned yesterday is still underway. The polls will close at 11:59 PM on November 30. Alas, the Geocities voting site — which a commenter claimed was operational earlier today — appears to have gone down again. So we’re unable to see what all the fuss is about. […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Welcome to ATL Associate Bonus Watch
Hey kids, guess what? It’s almost December. Christmas is only a few weeks away; the end of the year is within sight. And we all know what that means: Associate Bonuses!!! Welcome to Associate Bonus Watch. In this recurring ATL feature, we’ll keep you updated on the latest news and rumor about bonuses for law […] -
Anna Schneider-Mayerson, Law Professors, New York Observer, Richard Posner, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court Clerks, Tim Wu
Wherein We Receive An Email from Celebrity Law Prof Tim Wu
Although we mentioned it in passing, we didn’t give adequate attention to Anna Schneider-Mayerson’s delightful profile of Tim Wu when it appeared earlier this month in the New York Observer. (It was discussed on several other prominent blogs.) Now we have an excuse to double back and correct the error: We’ve received an email from […] -
Adam Liptak, Affirmative Action, Biglaw, New York Times, Racism
How Long Will It Take...
for this thought-provoking article — “Lawyers Debate Why Blacks Lag at Major Firms,” by Adam Liptak, one of our favorite legal affairs writers — to hit the New York Times “Most E-mailed Articles” list? (Our prediction: By the close of business tomorrow, November 29, it will be in the top 10.) Update: It happened even […]
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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
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
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…
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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Hotties, Law Schools
Who Are the Most Attractive 3Ls at NYU?
Details here. The original site is currently unavailable, apparently due to overload. If you have the full email, please send it our way. We’re curious about this contest, so any additional information would be most welcome. You know where to reach us. NYU Law Students: Hot or Not? [Gawker] Who Are the Most Attractive 3Ls […] -
Banking Law, Fashion, Hair, Supreme Court, Ted Frank, Television
The AEI Panel: A Final Dispatch
The AEI panel discussion on Watters v. Wachovia Bank that we were liveblogging earlier has ended. Our quick thoughts on the question-and-answer session, after the jump. -
10th Circuit, Alberto Gonzales, Anthony Kennedy, Brett Gerry, Department of Justice, Eyes of the Law, Federal Judges, Feeder Judges, Kellogg Huber, Neil Gorsuch, Office of Legal Policy, Rachel Brand, SCOTUS, SCOTUS Potential, Supreme Court
The Eyes of the Law: Judge Neil Gorsuch's Investiture
Last week, an investiture ceremony was held for Judge Neil Gorsuch, recently confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. And it was a star-studded affair. From the Denver Post: Seven-year-old Emma and 5-year-old Belinda helped their father, Neil Gorsuch, into his judge’s robes Monday after the newly appointed 10th Circuit Court […] -
Banking Law, ERISA, Fashion, Hair, Supreme Court, Ted Frank, Television
Surely Better Than a Daytime Soap
The televised event that we put in a plug for earlier today is now underway, on C-Span. And it’s actually not just a conversation with Ted Frank (at right), much as we’d enjoy that. It’s a full-blown panel discussion, sponsored by AEI, on Watters v. Wachovia Bank, to be argued before the Supreme Court tomorrow. […] -
Federal Judges, G. Thomas Porteous
Send That Robe Out for Dry Cleaning
You may recall Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr. (E.D. La.), recently named an ATL Judge of the Day. He’s currently the subject of a federal criminal investigation, and he’s on an extended leave from the bench (to focus on the investigation and to mourn his recently deceased wife). Judge Porteous has now applied to extend […] -
Money, Nauseating Things, New York Times, Weddings
Legal Eagle Wedding Watch: A Note on Our "Family" Scoring
We’re a little behind in Legal Eagle Wedding Watch (hereinafter “LEWW”). We’ll be rectifying that shortly. But before we do, a methodological digression. It concerns how we score couples on the “family” component of the competition. We respond to some reader questions we’ve received: 1. “Isn’t rating people based on the wealth and pedigree of […] -
Asha Rangappa, Harold Koh, Hotties, Kids, Law School Deans, Law Schools
Congratulations, Dean Rangappa!
Some happy news from New Haven, Connecticut. Seriously. It’s about Asha Rangappa, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Yale Law School — and here at ATL, better known as the winner of our recent Hottest Law School Deans contest. Check out this memo, from YLS Dean Harold Koh: To: Yale Law School CommunityFrom: Harold Hongju Koh […]