In an ATL / Lateral Link survey posted on New Year's Eve, we announced your nominees for the 2008 ATL Commenter of the Year.

Almost 1,800 of you have voted since, and several of the nominees posted their thoughts in comments to the survey post.

Nominee Jack Bauer wrote in:

It's good to know that I still have some friends. My track record with friends isn't exactly stellar, seeing how I shot Curtis in the throat and I'm pretty sure Tony has become a terrorist. For those of you who had to work over Christmas, don't feel too bad, I got a weekend assignment dealing with breach of contract in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, the terrorists appear to have taken out Jack's friends' communication network. Only 81 of them were able to vote for him.

Hang in there, Jack. You may not have made it to Day 2 in our poll, but we're still looking forward to a strong season from you in 2009.

Read on after the jump to see more of our nominees' comments and learn the results.

As we savor the final hours of 2008, it's time to look back at some of our favorite people this year: the commenters.

In today's ATL / Lateral Link survey, it's time for you to pick the 2008 ATL Commenter of the Year.

Your nominees for Commenter of the Year, and select comments explaining why, are as follows:

1. Count Layoffula

One! One Reason!

six. six times he has made me laugh aloud

Turns the frightening inevitability of layoffs into a moment for comedy; not easy to do. Very clever idea, keeps character, funny as hell. Wildly popular on this board. Hands down the Commenter of the Year.

2. Douche Patrol

He's the only commenter that gives a sense of order to the otherwise chaotic commentary. His commentary is also always dead-on.

3. FRAT STUD

Because guys in my high school used to vote for FRAT STUD all the time. It was no big deal.

4. Fraternity Lothario

Hilarious, dry, terrific writer. Captures both the essence of ridiculous, in-joke ATL commenting while bringing genuine criticism to the issue of every post. As long as you give the award to the guy who burned up the comments all spring, then left (on a sailing trip? to become a pirate?) this summer with a formal farewell, you would be giving the award to a commenter whose work is Oscar-worthy.

Although his posts have been less frequent, no one is more eloquent (e.g. ATL EIC) while comically germane.

5. Glass Cock

avatar is amusing, and attitude rocks

6. Guest

The most insightful and informed comments are consistently made by Guest. Everything else is trash.

Most comments, most firsts, most everything. Guest rocks.

7. Jack Bauer

He's funny without being offensive or annoying. In the words of the ATL editor "consistently brilliant." Finally, do you think that it's a coincidence that when the legal industry is facing it's darkest hour, Jack is back?

I don't know any other person who would take the LSATs, apply and go to law school, purely to infiltrate BIGLAW to get information leading to the takedown of a suspected traitor to this nation.

8. Nervous T-10 1L

Personifies the economic doom and fear among law students. Also kinda funny.

he's the post-modern Loyola 2L of the apocolypse

9. Commenter 83 in the interview horror stories thread.

"Where I remain to this day." Priceless!

Technically, commenter 83 was actually "Guest," but it wouldn't be an official ATL reader poll if we didn't give Guest an opportunity to comment about the unfairness of the poll. Also, that comment really was . . . something.

Having a hard time deciding? It's no big deal. We've selected some of the choicer comments from our candidates to help you decide.

Unfortunately, we really couldn't put some of them above the fold. Some are pretty crude, and Glass Cock's is far too long. [Ed Note: That's what she said.]

So, keep reading after the jump to see some of the nominees' exemplary comments, and then cast your vote.

Now that we're nearing the end of the year, it's a good time to put things in perspective.

While recent posts have focused on what Elie calls "the four hoursemen of the economic crisis" (layoffs, salary freezes, low bonuses, and dissolution), we should always remember that there's crushing debt, too. ATL can also be a place for hope.

Just last year, a "skinny kid with a funny name" was nominated for ATL Lawyer of the Year . . . and lost to an ATL commenter-prophet with a not-so-funny view of his career prospects.

In honor of that improbable victory by Loyola 2L, today's ATL / Lateral Link survey calls for nominations for this year's Lawyer of the Year.

Last year, your nominees included luminaries like Barack Obama (because "I mean, did you see the Obama Girl videos?"), Hillary Clinton ("She's fabulous."), Alberto Gonzales, ("Exemplifies why lawyers are so mistrusted in this country."), Aaron Charney, ("For both the attention focused, success of action, and for the visibility [he] brought to the secondary issue of partner/associate relations (but not those kinds of relations)."), and, of course, the winner, Loyola 2L ("He's generated the most thoughtful discussion of law school. That, and perhaps the publicity will help him get a job.").

Submit your nominations for this year's Lawyer of the Year below.

Also, in honor of Loyola 2L's victory, we're adding a bonus question (which may be the only bonus some of you get this year): we're accepting nominations for the ATL Commenter of the Year, so you can tell us who's "First!" in your heart.

Of course, even though there's a spot for you to nominate a Commenter of the Year, you can also still feel free to nominate a commenter for Lawyer of the Year, too. Or, as one commenter in particular might put it, there are . . .

TWO! TWO PLACES TO NOMINATE COUNT LAYOFFULA!!! AH AH AH!!!!!

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Justin Bernold is a Director at Lateral Link, the sponsor of this survey.