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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Bad Ideas, Exercise, Free Speech, Police
To Grunt or Not To Grunt?
This hasn’t turned into a lawsuit — yet. But we can see one coming from a mile away. And local law enforcement did get involved. So it’s appropriate fodder for Above the Law. Here’s the story: You can lift, strain, crunch and sweat all you want at the Planet Fitness in the Dutchess County village. […] -
Cyberlaw, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns
Back to the Sandbox: State Judicial Elections
Federal judges are lucky in that they don’t have to run for office. Because campaigns for judicial office can get so undignified. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via TortsProf Blog): A Madison County official and Democratic Party stalwart said Tuesday that he is unapologetic about Internet hijinks that are drawing criticism from supporters of Republican […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Biglaw, Fashion, Interview Stories
Interview Horror Stories: Clothes Don't Make the Man
This next tale isn’t really an interview “horror” story, and it’s from many years ago. But we found it somewhat interesting. From another western reader: This may shock you, but there are white shoe firms in the West. I had an interview with one in 1983. I showed up for the interview in cowboy boots, […]
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Federal Judges, G. Thomas Porteous, Judge of the Day, Legal Ethics
Judge of the Day: G. Thomas Porteous Jr.
Judge Thomas Porteous Jr., of the Eastern District of Louisiana, is no stranger to bad publicity. We’ve written about this New Orleans judge before (see item 2(b)). Well, Judge Porteous’s exploits continue. From the New Orleans Times-Picayune: In 2003, a seaman named Robert Hanna sued his employer, an offshore drilling company, after stairs on one […] -
Attorney Misconduct, Bad Ideas, Interview Stories, Pets, Sex
Interview Horror Stories: The Curious Incident of the Dog That Loved To Hump
Some of you think we don’t give the West Coast enough love here at ATL. We’re happy to report that our next few interview anecdotes come from west of the Rockies. Here’s the first: Some years ago, I was a junior associate at a Big Firm in San Francisco. I was asked to take a […] -
Canada, Fashion, Fashion Victims Unit, Nude Dancing
Fashion Victims Unit: The Canadian Supreme Court
We’ve been on a bit of a Canada kick here at ATL. What can we say, those Canadians are teh funny. Check out this story (robe swish: Paul Horwitz of PrawfsBlawg): Some [Canadian] Supreme Court judges seek relief from work stress in the comfort of their families. Others love nothing more than to curl up […] -
Food, Lawsuit of the Day, McDonald's, Nauseating Things
Lawsuit of the Day: And Don't Even Ask About the McNuggets
As former employees and occasional patrons of McDonald’s, we weren’t exactly “lovin’ it” when we read about this lawsuit: Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Todd Haley, his wife Christine, and the family’s au pair, Kathryn Kelley, have sued a Southlake, Texas, McDonald’s. [They allege that] the wife and nanny took home a salad, began to eat […] -
5th Circuit, Confirmations, Craigslist, Crime, Federal Judges, Holidays and Seasons, Kids, Romance and Dating
A Quick Post-Halloween Linkwrap
We hope that you’ve recovered from any Halloween festivities you attended last night. For those of you who took your children trick-or-treating, we hope the kids have come down from their sugar highs. We didn’t receive much in response to our request for funny, law-related Halloween stories. But we can offer you a few random […] - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
In-House Counsel, Merck, Money, Skaddenfreude, Vioxx
Skaddenfreude: In-House Salaries, Please
This item, from yesterday’s WSJ Law Blog, caught our eye: As the 11th Vioxx trial got underway yesterday in federal court in New Orleans, Merck disclosed in an SEC filing that it’s giving its general counsel Kenneth Frazier a raise and a promotion, effective Nov. 1. The GC who will forever be associated with the […] -
Bad Ideas, Law Schools, Politics, UVA Law, Videos, Violence
The Misadventures of a UVA Gunner
The Virginia Senate race between Republican incumbent George Allen and Democratic challenger Jim Webb has been one of the most bizarre and entertaining races in recent memory. To recap, here are some of the things we’ve been treated to in recent weeks: — the magnificent spectacle of “Macaca”-gate;— a Southerner’s dramatic discovery of his long-lost […] -
Biglaw, Brown Raysman, Law Firm Mergers, Money, Partner Profits, Thelen Reid & Priest
Another Day, Another Law Firm Merger
On the heels of the Dewey Ballantine/Orrick announcement, news of another law firm merger: Partners at Thelen Reid & Priest and New York’s Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner voted to combine the two firms Monday, creating a 617-lawyer firm that, based on last year’s revenue, would have placed 56th on the Am Law 100 […] -
Allen & Overy, Biglaw, Holland & Knight, Magic Circle, Musical Chairs, S.D.N.Y., U.S. Attorneys Offices, Willkie Farr
Musical Chairs: 10.31.06
Tons of moves to report today — and these are just the highlights: New Partners: * Latham & Watkins — which, as discussed yesterday, is very popular with Supreme Court clerks — has elected 26 new partners, in offices around the country. That’s enough lawyers to start a whole new law firm. You can check […] -
Harold Koh, Litigatrix, Pictures, Sheila Birnbaum, WSJ Law Blog
Separated at Birth: Sheila Birnbaum and Harold Koh?
When we surfed over to the WSJ Law Blog a few minutes ago, quickly scanned the page, and saw the photo for this post, we thought it had to do with Yale Law School. But upon closer inspection, we learned we were wrong. Instead, it was a post about Skadden Arps partner Sheila Birnbaum. Birnbaum, […]
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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…
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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.
Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
Sponsored
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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.
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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…
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Art, Celebrities, D.C. Circuit, Eyes of the Law, Fabulosity, Feeder Judges, R. Alexander Acosta, Samuel Alito, Stephen Williams
The Eyes of the Law: Judge Williams's Portrait Ceremony
If you, like us, find Supreme Court justice sightings more thrilling than Brangelina spottings, you would have died from excitement at the portrait ceremony for Judge Stephen F. Williams. Judge Williams is the brilliant former law professor who now sits on the venerated D.C. Circuit. Back in the day, before he assumed senior status, Stephen […] -
Celebrities, Lawsuit of the Day, Music
Lawsuit of the Day: You Can't Always Get What You Want
But if you file a lawsuit, you may be able to win money damages. From the New York Daily News: Rosalie Druyan wants to stick the Rolling Stones between a rock and a hard place with a $51 million lawsuit. Shattered when Mick Jagger’s sore throat scrapped the Rolling Stones concert Friday in Atlantic City […] -
Biglaw, Cars, Gay, Interview Stories, Lesbians
Interview Horror Stories: And Then He Suggested She Buy a Subaru Forester
Law firm recruiting season is winding down, but we remain interested in your job interview horror stories. To read prior stories, click here, then scroll down. (Note: The “horror” in “interview horror stories” is loosely defined. Stories that are somewhat embarrassing or mildly amusing will suffice.) Most of our interview horror stories involve interviewees saying […] -
Holidays and Seasons
A Happy Halloween from ATL
A friendly reminder from ATL: Today is Halloween. If this slipped your mind, be sure to stop by your local CVS / Duane Reade / RiteAid on the way home, and pick up a bag of miniature chocolates for the trick-or-treaters. Some lawyers, judges, and law professors get into the Halloween spirit. For example, back […] -
Bad Ideas, Canada, Crime, Drugs, Marijuana
Criminal Justice, Canadian Style
Yesterday we implied that Canada isn’t tough on crime. Maybe we should take that back. Check out this interesting case: “Return to the Court With a Verdict of Guilty.” That’s what a Canadian judge told the jury in a marijuana possession case, where the defendant claimed he possessed the marijuana for medical reasons (though he […] -
Crime, Drugs, Judge of the Day, Prostitution, Sex, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns
Ex-Judge of the Day: Glenn Staege
We worship federal judges — for their brilliance, their probity, and their service to our nation. We have a somewhat lower opinion of state court judges. Many state judges are talented and dedicated public servants (and some of them later serve on the federal bench). But some of them are like the Not-So-Honorable Glenn Staege: […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Lori Alvino, Money, SCOTUS, SCOTUS Clerks Are Fair Game, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Clerks
Last Year's Supreme Court Clerks: Where Are They Now?
If you’re wondering where your favorite October Term 2005 Supreme Court clerk wound up — like, for example, this Kathryn Judge groupie — the National Law Journal has the answers. Check out this juicy article (free access): Latham & Watkins is the “in” spot this year for recent U.S. Supreme Court clerks leaving the rarified […]