Kashmir Hill
Posts by Kashmir Hill
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Biglaw, Law Schools, Summer Associates
The Real World: Corporate Law Edition
I have been writing for Above the Law since March of 2008. This Monday, though, will be my last day as a daily contributor. I am heading over to Forbes to write about privacy, law, social media, and technology (aka The Not-So Private Parts). For those who will miss my daily presence on ATL, please […] -
Canada, Drinking, Trials
Here's One Way To Get A Big Bonus From Your Firm
Sometimes law firm outings can get pretty crazy. It seems like this is especially true in Canada. Who would have thought, eh? Last month, we wrote about a bottles-and-models party in Toronto that led to one associate losing his Canadian cookies in a cab, and a partner allegedly grinding (inappropriately) on female associates. Maybe those […] - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Breasts, Hotties, Kids
Best Defense of the Day: My client is a hottie.
Let’s be clear. My client is tall, brunette and has an ample breast and is therefore going to naturally be sensuous when she applies cream to her chest. — Italian lawyer Gianluca Arrighi in defense of a topless sunbathing client, who applied sunblock in a way that “troubled” two boys, 12 and 14.
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Kids, Lawsuit of the Day, Perverts, Weirdness
Lawsuit of the Day: Has Donald Duck Been Unfairly Accused?
Donald Duck tends to be cranky; he’s not the most friendly of the Disney characters. But a Pennsylvania woman, 27, contends that Donald got way too friendly with her during a 2008 trip with her family to Epcot Center. In a complaint posted by the Smoking Gun, April Magolon claims that she asked Donald for […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.12.10
* Will wedding bells be ringing soon in California? Judge Vaughn Walker will rule today on extending the Prop 8 stay. [Associated Press] * A 32-year-old Canadian lawyer was awarded $6 million after a law firm colleague knocked her down on the dance floor. [The Post] * The Seventh Circuit testifies again in New York. […]
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Intellectual Property, Layoffs, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Brinks Hofer Bids Farewell to 18
Though there are signs that things are looking up for the legal market next year, the economy remains troubled. This week the recession claimed 18 at intellectual-property boutique Brinks Hofer. We spoke with firm president Gary Ropski, who confirmed that seven attorneys, one patent agent, and ten staff were laid off this week. [FN1] Most […] -
Attorney Misconduct, Depositions, Legal Ethics, Paralegals, Weirdness
Will Footsies During a Deposition Lead to Sanctions?
A pair of motions are bouncing around email inboxes this week, thanks to the “foot-tapping lawyer.” (This has nothing to do with Larry Craig, so read on without fear.) It all started in July, when Florida law firm Rasco Klock sent a paralegal to Wilmington for a deposition. The firm is representing a plaintiff suing […] -
Airplanes / Aviation, Layoffs, Quote of the Day, Unemployment
Quote of the Day: Curbing Desires During Unemployment?
Part of the frustration is this incredibly long build-up to nothing. Like, ‘Why did I spend 22 years getting A’s and studying for the chance to eat canned chili?’ … I was in the airport watching people move bags from the curb to the curbside check-in, thinking, ‘At least they do something all day long, […] - 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. -
Biglaw, Rankings, Vault rankings, Williams & Connolly
The Best Firms To Work For, When It Comes To 'Quality of Life'
Forget about prestige (momentarily). Which firms have the best quality of life? Vault has compiled its annual Law Firm Quality of Life Rankings, based on associate surveys. Associates were asked to rate their firms on “overall satisfaction, associate/partner relations, firm culture, hours, compensation, office space, training, and pro bono and green initiatives.” Williams & Connolly […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.11.10
* Aw. This is quaint: “Why lawyers should work no more than 40 hours a week.” [ABA Journal] * Judge Carl J. Barbier will oversee the BP litigation clean-up. [New York Times; Huffington Post] * Seventh Circuit forgives ERISA “scrivener’s error.” [Reuters via ABA Journal] * The heat is on Google in South Korea. [New […]
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Summer Associates
The 100% Summer Associate Offer Rates Keep Rolling In
This was a year of small summer classes. Fewer summer associates mean a greater likelihood that all will get offers… unless a law student does something egregious. (Good news for rising 2Ls: There are signs that next year’s classes will be larger.) Latham & Watkins and Gibson Dunn had the biggest summer associate classes this […] -
Sarah Palin, Social Networking Websites, Technology, Trials
A Guide to Internet Slang, Courtesy of the Sarah Palin Email Hacker Trial
Earlier this year, David Kernell, 22, was found guilty of hacking into Sarah Palin’s Yahoo! account and posting some of her emails on the Internetz. The Palins were pleased by his conviction. One of the places where Palin’s correspondence wound up was the (enter-at-your-own-risk) message forum 4chan.org. During the course of the April felony trial, […] -
Crime
Plea Deal of the Day: Poker Payback for Securities Fraud
Samuel McMaster, Jr. didn’t play his cards right before, but hopefully he can now. The former stockbroker admitted to 26 felony charges of securities fraud, after having sold half a million dollars of worthless promissory notes to his victims. He faces up to 12 years in the clinker. But, apparently, McMaster is a skilled poker […]
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
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Law School Deans, Law Schools
Duke Law School Dean David Levi Comes Out Swinging for Young Lawyers
Law schools — as Elie likes to remind readers on a frequent basis — are businesses. Like any good CEO should, Duke Law School dean David Levi has written an editorial defending his product: young lawyers. In the National Law Journal, he starts off by acknowledging that the legal market for young lawyers is in […] -
Job Searches, Unemployment
Florida Lawyer Holds a $5,000 Contest to Find Him a Job in California
Earlier this month, we asked, “How much would you pay somebody to give you a job?” The question was sparked by a lawyer in Manhattan who posted a Craigslist ad offering up $1,000 to anyone who could help him nail down a legal position. He said he would pay it in cash — $200 for […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 08.09.10
* HLS Dean Martha Minow points out that Justice Marshall’s legacy was confirmed along with Justice Kagan on Saturday. [Boston Globe] * We’re still reviewing Morning Docket applications. One application started an argument between us about the usefulness of Victoria’s Secret experience, and then Elie went on vacation leaving it unresolved. Meanwhile, here’s another legal […] -
Career Alternatives, Music
Career Alternatives: Starving ArtistEmory Law Grad Eugene Ahn Gives Up Labor Law for Rap
Eugene Ahn developed an alter ego to explore his creative side while working for a small litigation and employment law firm in Washington, D.C. The Emory Law grad goes by Adam WarRock in his creative projects, which include musical pursuits and a side gig as a contributor to the FakeAPStylebook Twitter account. This summer, he […] -
Outsourcing, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: No Impure Thoughts at Hughes Hubbard
It’s not that we’re snobs. It’s because we couldn’t trust it. The reason clients pay us what they pay us is because they know we’re 100 percent quality control. — Hughes, Hubbard & Reed partner Kenneth A. Lefkowitz in a New York Times/City Room story about outsourcing. -
Summer Associates
Summer Associate Etiquette 101: Share Your Bottle of Wine
There was not much in the way of summer associate scandal this year. There were fewer summer associates at law firms, and they were on their best behavior — resulting in 100% offer rates at many firms. This meant, though, that the stream of summer associate stories was disappointingly dry. (Of course, if you have […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.09.10
* Elena Kagan was sworn in on Saturday… and is still looking for law clerks. [BLT – Blog of the Legal Times] * Entrepreneurial law firms could make out like bandits from the whistleblower incentives in the financial reform bill. [Financial Times] * War crimes trial at the Hague devolves into Naomi Campbell prosecution. [Gawker] […]