Bad Ideas
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Advertising, Bad Ideas, Lawyer of the Day, Pornography
Lawyer of the Day: Corri Fetman
As you know, here at ATL we have a weakness for lawyers who pose in the nude. So today’s pick for Lawyer of the Day should surprise no one. From Legal Blog Watch: Remember the racy billboard ads posted by Chicago law firm Fetman, Garland & Associates that raised so much controversy last spring? The […] -
Bad Ideas, Blogging, Drudge Report, Law Professors, Law Schools, Movies, Non-Sequiturs, Politics, Tax Law
Non-Sequiturs: 01.10.08
* Actually, Judge Lamberth, calling a presidential candidate as “a European socialist” constitutes an endorsement — at least at most American law schools. [AP via WSJ Law Blog] * News you can use: under the “Free File” program, opening tomorrow, the IRS and its private-sector partners will provide free tax preparation and electronic filing services […] - Sponsored
The Ethical use of Generative AI
What’s the key to empowering your legal team with the efficiency and insight of AI while protecting the integrity of their work? Read this article… -
Bad Ideas, Blackberry-Crackberry, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Email Scandals, Jews, Rudeness
Dewey & LeBoeuf: A Bunch of Nazis?
The firm of Dewey Ballantine was never known for being particularly PC. From a 2004 article by Anthony Lin, for the New York Law Journal: Nearly one year after lawyers at Dewey Ballantine infuriated members of the Asian-American community by performing a stereotype-laden parody song at their annual dinner, the law firm is again dealing […]
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Advertising, Bad Ideas, Plaintiffs Firms
Why We Need More Regulation of Lawyer Advertising
The ethical rules governing advertising by lawyers are designed in large part to protect the public from misleading pitches. But maybe it’s the lawyers who need protecting — from themselves. If these lawyers scratch themselves inappropriately during meetings, or hog the cold cuts at lunch, don’t say they didn’t warn you. Magilla Gorilla, Esq. [copyranter] […] -
Bad Ideas, Drinking, Holidays and Seasons, Parties
Ring in the New Year... At Skadden!(But BYOB - In Your Stomach)
Wondering where to spend New Year’s Eve this year? Well, if you’re in New York City, do you have any friends over at Skadden? Surely you must. Considering that the firm recently passed the 2,000 attorney mark, everyone has friends at Skadden (if they don’t work there themselves). From an internal email by “New York […] -
Advertising, Bad Ideas, Hogan & Hartson, Weirdness
Those Weird Hogan & Hartson Ads: The Mystery Revealed
Remember those strange radio advertisements about Hogan & Hartson? We discussed them here and here. The ads went something like this: Did you hire a Hogan and Hartson senior partner for bet the company liltigation? Was your case handled by a junior lawyer instead of the senior partner you thought you were paying for? Call […] -
Announcements, Bad Ideas, Crime, Perverts, Sex
ATL Public Service Announcement: If You Want To Screw a Mannequin, Turn Off the Lights First
Statutory interpretation is fun! Check out this wacky fact pattern, perfect fodder for a criminal law final exam, from Court TV News (via Blogonaut): In a 5-0 ruling, the [South Dakota Supreme Court] overturned the conviction of Michael James Plenty Horse for indecent exposure because he didn’t attempt to arouse others when he tried to […] -
Bad Ideas, Judge of the Day, Nude Dancing, Rudeness, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns
(Former) Judge of the Day: James Michael Shull
On some days, the posts just write themselves. From Blogonaut: James Michael Shull is no longer a Virginia Judge, thanks to the decision of the Virginia Supreme Court that unanimously upheld his removal from the bench. Shull’s misconduct on the bench included ordering a woman to pull down her pants in open court during a […] - Sponsored
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Bad Ideas, Biglaw, Holidays and Seasons
Bend Over, Aaron Charney. Today Is National Boss Day!
Looking for a way to earn some brownie points? Wish your boss a happy National Boss Day! Yes, that’s right. Today is National Boss Day. Here’s some history: • Began in 1958 when Patricia Bays Haroski, then an employee at State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Ill., registered the holiday with the U.S. Chamber of […] -
Bad Ideas, David Otunga, Law Schools, Reality TV, Romance and Dating, Television
I Love New York 2: What a Train Wreck
We just caught the second half of I Love New York 2 (previously discussed here and here). Wow. Even by the debased standards of reality television, the show couldn’t be any more trashy. We felt our IQ plummeting as the minutes passed. We won’t tune in next week, since we don’t have the points to […] -
Bad Ideas, Biglaw, David Otunga, Law Schools, Old People, Reality TV, Romance and Dating, Television
Sidley Hates on Old People, Reality TV Stars
Law firms love free publicity. Especially law firms that have been in the news for having to pay $27.5 million to settle age discrimination claims by former partners. Or maybe not: David Otunga, a 2006 graduate of Harvard Law School and former associate at Sidley Austin, appeared in the first episode of I Love New […] -
Bad Ideas, Biglaw, Fashion, Gay, Patton Boggs, Racism, Summer Associates
Patton Boggs: Confederate Flags and Disparaging F*gs Gays
Despite the unseasonably warm temperatures we’ll be seeing here in D.C. later this week, summer is over. But that doesn’t mean our inbox is closed to stories of summer associate scandal. Check out this great pair of controversies, from the summer program of Washington powerhouse Patton Boggs: There have been rumors flying around Patton Boggs […] -
Bad Ideas, Biglaw, Job Searches, Media and Journalism, New York Times, Videos
Law Firm Videos: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
This morning’s New York Times has a painfully earnest article about law firm recruiting videos. It’s not a particularly juicy piece; they should have called us for comment (’cause we “give good quote”). But it’s still neat to see Biglaw getting a shout-out in the NYT. Here’s the lede: Law firms have discovered YouTube. Well, […]
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Bad Ideas, Benchslaps, Federal Judges, Gay, Jack Thompson, Pornography, Practice Pointers, Videos
ATL Practice Pointers: Do Not File Gay Porn With Judge Jordan
When it comes to knowing how to make proper court filings, don’t bother with the FRCP, or even the local rules. Just read ATL. We tell you everything you need to know. E.g., don’t file an egg with Judge James Muirhead (D.N.H.). And don’t file gay pornography with Judge Adalberto Jordan (S.D. Fla.). From GamePolitics.com: […] -
Bad Ideas, Boutique Law Firms, Email Scandals, Law Firm Names, Plaintiffs Firms, Sex, Sex Scandals, Vicious Infighting
An Update on the Managhan Law Firm (aka 'My Wife Is Sleeping Around and That's Why We're No Longer Law Partners')
In case you missed this story from last week, here’s a recap. Earlier this month, a plaintiffs’ lawyer in Montana by the name of William Managhan sent out the following email, to the entire Montana Trial Lawyers Association: From: William L. ManaghanTo: Montana Trial LawyersSent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 6:32 PMSubject: [mtla_members_all] Firm Name Change […] -
Bad Ideas, Celebrities, Crime, O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson: If I Did It...
I was just trying to get back my own stuff. From Fox 5 (Las Vegas): Authorities are still investigating whether a gun was used when O.J. Simpson and others entered a Las Vegas hotel room and, after a heated argument, walked off with sports memorabilia. The incident was reported to police during a 9-1-1 call […] -
Bad Ideas, Boutique Law Firms, Email Scandals, Law Firm Names, Plaintiffs Firms, Sex, Sex Scandals, Vicious Infighting
Best Reason for a Law Firm Name Change Ever
A fantastic and hilarious email, announcing a name change for a Montana law firm, has been making the rounds. We’d like to reprint it here, but we’ll refrain for now. Instead, read the email and commentary on it here and here. We have no reason to question the authenticity of the email (which apparently went […] -
Bad Ideas, Craigslist, Crime, Lesbians, Romance and Dating, Technology
If It Sounds Too Good To Be True, It Probably Is
Several readers drew our attention to this fascinating article from our local free weekly, the Washington City Paper: Wanted: Gullible LawyersBy Arin Greenwood I was hired over e-mail. A boss I never met promised me $14,000 a month. How could I fall for that? Two tipsters have done an especially good job teeing it up, […] -
Attorney Misconduct, Bad Ideas, Bankruptcy, Lawyer of the Day, Legal Ethics, Rank Stupidity
Lawyer of the Day: Peter Cannon
Just like Justice Anthony Kennedy, Bankruptcy Judge Paul J. Kilburg (S.D. Iowa) does his own internet research. This is a lesson that Peter Cannon, Esq., learned the hard way. From TaxProf Blog: Mr. Peter Cannon, a West Des Moines, Iowa attorney, represented Defendant John Petit in an adversary proceeding initiated by Trustee to uncover assets […] -
Antitrust, Bad Ideas, Biglaw, Cheapness, Dubious Conferences, Money, Skaddenfreude
A Primer for Partners: How To Screw Associates Out of Pay Raises
Greedy law firm associates view ATL as a helpful resource. But what about Biglaw partners? They’re greedy too, y’know. Well, here’s something for all you partners out there. A tipster alerted us to this audio conference, taking place later this month: *************************************************IOMA AUDIO CONFERENCES! ASSOCIATE COMPENSATION: STRATEGIES TO ATTACK PAY PLANS THAT DRAIN PARTNER PROFITS […]