Books

When reading this book, lawyers that are tired of their soul-sucking firm jobs will be able to fondly reminisce about the days of yore when they were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 1Ls.

A lawyer falls in love with her famous client and slips him drugs in prison. But that's not the end of her story.

That trusted friend in the suit is far more likely to rape you than anyone hiding in the shrubbery, as sex-crimes prosecutor turned novelist Allison Leotta explains.

How can we improve the American criminal justice system by strengthening the community's role in the process?

Thoughts from columnist Renwei Chung on Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld's controversial, bestselling book.

A federal judge offers a spirited defense of using legislative history in statutory interpretation.

There is a good story somewhere in The Children Act, but Ian McEwan does not flesh it out very well.

Biglaw is changing rapidly, and this is how one firm bet big to prevent itself from becoming obsolete.

Overall, Gray Mountain is a fairly mediocre addition to Grisham’s body of work. You'd probably be better off re-reading one of his classics.

Why should someone who will have a hard time relating to the duties of a federal law clerk read Supreme Ambitions?

Successful lawyers don’t make it to the top through social media and search engine optimization. They get there by working hard. So says Brian Tannebaum in his recent book, The Practice...

According to the New York Times, "for an elite niche," Supreme Ambitions "has become the most buzzed-about novel of the year."

Twenty leading litigators talk about some of their most celebrated cases.

The fate of the billable hour, how small firms can compete with large ones, the evil of profits per partner, and more.

How long will it be before other law schools copy this great idea for a class (if they don't have such a course already)?

* As mentioned earlier, the Sixth Circuit upheld same-sex marriage bans in four states. Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey’s dissent is a very fun read because it’s dripping with sarcasm. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Sentencing has been delayed for Dzhokar Tsarnaev’s friends during the pendency of the Yates case at SCOTUS. Like a grouper, a backpack may not be a “tangible object.” [National Law Journal]

* Bingham McCutchen and Edwards Wildman Palmer are planning to shed lawyers and staff members in anticipation of their proposed mergers with Morgan Lewis and Locke Lord. Ouch. [Am Law Daily]

* Weekend reading? ATL’s managing editor, David Lat, reviews Blindfolds Off (affiliate link), an interesting collection of interviews with judges about how they decide their toughest cases. [Wall Street Journal]

* Everyone, please stop what you’re doing. Jeffrey Toobin has discovered that law schools are in trouble, and he’s on the case. You can read more information about this new phenomenon here. [The New Yorker]

* Adam Tang, the man who drove a 26-mile loop around Manhattan in 24 minutes, was convicted of reckless driving without being present. Check out the video of his crazy drive, after the jump. [ABA Journal]

In-house columnist Mark Herrmann reviews Above the Law founder and managing editor David Lat's forthcoming novel, Supreme Ambitions.

* Thanks to Wonkette for pointing out that we were on this whole Ruth Baby Ginsburg thing last year. [Wonkette] * Speaking of our legally themed Halloween costume contest, please send us your nominations. [Above the Law] * Salacious allegations about a high-flying investment banker invite comparisons to The Wolf of Wall Street. [Dealbreaker] * The Second Circuit puts a stop to a legal challenge to the stop-and-frisk settlement. [How Appealing] * You’d expect a former lawmaker to have a better understanding of… the law. [Lexington Herald-Leader] * The Wall Street Journal reviews Paul Barrett’s new book (affiliate link) about the never-ending Chevron/Ecuador litigation. [Wall Street Journal] * Speaking of the Chevron/Ecuador matter, here’s more about the Canadian Bar Association’s controversial involvement, which Canada columnist Steve Dykstra covered earlier. [rabble.ca] * Some thoughts from Jonathan Mermin on something lawyers see every day: bad arguments. [Green Bag] * Here’s a great new resource for our fellow aficionados of appellate arguments. [Free Law Project]

We believe investors are made, not born. And for even the most advanced financial whizzes, ongoing education remains a key part of managing money well.

* Using children’s books to describe the legal academy. It also works for law firms. Like The Monster at the End of This Book (affiliate link), about an associate who fears and reviles an overbearing partner and then learns (about 8 years in) that they’ve had the monster within them all along. [lawprofblawg] * In advance of its showdown before the Supreme Court, UPS changes its policy, but denies wrongdoing. [Redline] * I’ve never been called a Greek Chorus before. I like it. [Law and More] * Reproductive & Sexual Health and Justice senior legal analysts Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo discuss both voting rights and abortion access in Texas with political reporter Andrea Grimes. [RH Reality Check] * Op-ed notes that Obamacare opponents are cherry-picking their history. Are there actually Obamacare opponents left? [Washington Post] * A week or so ago I made a joke about OSU Coach Mike “I’m a Man! I’m 40!” Gundy. Apparently he tried to trademark it. [Campus Insiders] * LFC360 chats with Bentham IMF’s Ralph Sutton about making Biglaw more affordable with third-party litigation funding. [LFC360] * A list of the top 100 Wild Men and Wild Women in history. Justice Scalia, Racehorse Haynes and David Boies all make the list. I get why he went with Haynes, but when it comes to a Texas litigation “wild man,” I think Joe Jamail. [What About Clients?]