What do the incoming partner classes at ten leading law firms reveal about the state of Biglaw?

It’s hard to believe that another year has passed, but here we are. That said, let’s check out the ten biggest stories of the past year as decided by our readers.

A promising young partner just left Cravath. Who is he, and where is he heading?

If you’re smart enough to get a job at Cravath, you should be smart enough to keep client confidences, right?

Will everyone else fall in line behind Cravath this year? Not necessarily….

* Chief Justice John Roberts gave a Solicitor General’s Office attorney a vicious tongue-lashing for failure to be upfront about policy changes between presidents. Now that’s what we’d call a verbal benchslap! [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]

* When asked if they’d be following Cravath’s bonuses, a dozen Am Law 100 firms didn’t even care to respond or discuss the matter. It seems the partners would rather keep their associates squirming with suspense a while longer. [Am Law Daily]

* Watch out, world, because Catholic University of America just hired a Biglaw senior partner to lead its law school. Say hello to Dean Daniel Attridge, formerly managing partner at the D.C. office of Kirkland & Ellis. [National Law Journal]

* A federal judge ordered tobacco companies to disclose in product warnings that they chemically induce smoking addictions to turn a profit, but those fools will keep puffing their cancer sticks anyway. [WSJ Law Blog]

* This just in from Flori-duh: you know you’re probably going to have a bad day in court when the judge won’t declare a mistrial even though the prosecutor technically wasn’t a member of the state Bar. [Miami Herald]

Cravath just announced its 2012 year-end bonuses. How much will CSM – and, of course, the many firms that follow CSM – be paying out this year?

How many new partners did Cravath name this year — and what might this suggest about bonuses? Perhaps you know some of these fine folks?

How is the entry-level legal job market looking? And what do law firms and law schools think of the current approach to on-campus interviewing?

An associate who moonlights as a comedian thinks it’s possible to achieve work/life balance in Biglaw. Talk about a great punchline!