* If you look closely, you'll notice that now you can share your favorite ATL posts on Facebook, or Digg It.

* Boston College Law School graduate, Caplan & Ross attorney, and "blook" writer Nicole Mondschein has lots of interesting imaginary friends. [The Star Islanders]

* Great orginal research exposes Elena Kagan: the law student. It turns out I got better grades than she did first semester 1L year. After that ... not so much. [The BLT: Blog of the Legal TImes]

* As future poet laureate Beyonce might say "I'm a survivor, I'm not gonna give up, I'm not gonna stop, I'm gonna work harder. I'm a survivor, I'm gonna make it, I will survive, Keep on survivin'" [Law and More]

* Soldiers and Veterans: know the law, know your rights. The Reserve Officers Association of the United States has completely revamped it's law library and the information there sounds fantastic. [ROA]

* Kid Rock wants his judge to either A) send him to jail or B) go to Iraq to prove a point to the Kid. Hmmm ... which one do you think is more likely to happen? [Popsquire]

* Thanks to all the readers who chose Above the Law as their favorite law blawg for news & politics for the second year in a row! [ABA Journal]

* Let's keep the good times rolling. It's time to vote in the 2008 Weblog Awards. [Weblog Awards]

* It was only a matter of time before firms took freezing to the next level. [Litination]

* Career opportunities in media law and legal journalism. Trust me, it's great work if you can get it. [Law & Journalism]

* Just to be clear, it is possible to be an attorney, a congressperson, and an African-American, all at the same time, without being appointed by Governor Helmet Hair. [On Being A Black Lawyer]

* At least one person got this right, Obama's Kagan hire helps Yale. A bunch. [Holy Hullabaloos]

* Paul Michel, Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit, actually explains the law. He wants it to be better. [Intellectual Property Colloquium]

* The smell of marijuana is the smell of freedom from tyranny. Or it's the smell of involuntary incarceration. It really depends on where you live. [Underdog]

* God, does anybody else remember when Wesley Snipes was kind of cool? "We should have gotten a live chicken." "Jeffrey Dahmer? I love that guy!" "This thing is bigger than Nino Brown. This is big business. This is the American way." [TaxProf Blog]

* I remember 3L year. I went to Foxwoods on my way from NYC back to Boston and won a ton of money at craps. I was in the Parody. And then my parents came to watch me graduate. I'm told other things happened as well. What a great year. [Ridiculum]

* HLS graduate, public defender, and video game designer Melissa Brooks Batten was shot to death by her estranged spouse just days after obtaining a restraining order against him. David Giacalone writes "We certainly don't often think about domestic violence reaching our profession, but when it does it should motivate all of us to work harder to help prevent domestic violence throughout our society, and to protect its potential and actual victims, through better procedures and education." [f/k/a]

* AirTran removed passengers from a flight because they were talking about which seats were "safest." Oh, did I mention that the passengers were Muslim? They were Muslim. What country do we live in again? [WebCPA]

* The IRS really needs to get one of them "take a penny, leave a penny" jars. [TaxProf Blog]

* Here are nine reasons not to attend law school. Shockingly "because business school is easier and shorter" didn't make the list. [Legal Geekery]

* Apparently, Christmas used to be more fun before the church got involved. This week's Blawg Review pays homage to that finest of pagan traditions. [Charon QC via Blawg Review]

* Joe the Plumber finally makes it all the way to the top ... tax story of 2008 at least. [TaxProf Blog]

* Apparently there's a law firm out there that goes by the name of "Real Lawyers at Affordable Prices, Fresno." [Legal Pad]

* If there was one place you should talk like a lawyer, I thought it would be while you were in police custody. If there were two places you should talk like a lawyer, I thought the second place would be "in court." But maybe I'm wrong. [ABA Journal]

* Not all cigarettes have to be "light" cigarettes. This is great news for teenage smokers who still wish to distinguish themselves from far less cool adult smokers. [The Volokh Conspiracy]

* Many people are pointing out that if you read through Vicky Iseman's complaint against the New York Times (authored by Washington & Lee Law Dean Rodney Smolla) it is pretty interesting. [Ideoblog]

* Holiday fun with Mike Huckabee. [What About Clients?]

* Celebrity drug use law. They're still hiring! [Popsquire]

* A group of Atheists' want the presidential oath of office changed. If they succeed, let's hope the new oath includes a reference to a golden calf, just to drive the point home. [The BLT: The Blog of the Legal Times]

* Cocktails and bowling and hitting on women and more bowling. [Sweet Hot Justice]

* Happy New Year. My liver and I always approach New Year's Eve like Rocky before the first Apollo fight. Have a happy and "survivable" New Year.

* Is in vitro fertilization a tax-deductible medical expense? For some people, yes; for Dr. William Magdalin, it's just fun in a cup. [Suits & Sentences]

* Is the Wendy Savage phenomenon bad for professional women? [f/k/a]

* Funny exam questions remind us that professors would rather be doing almost anything other than grading finals. [PrawfsBlawg]

* The Millennial generation is learning a hard lesson about reality, and how much it bites. [Law and More]

* Blago taps former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to fill Obama's shoes. Will Harry Reid really refuse "this nice, experienced, elderly black gentleman a legally valid seat in the Senate"? [Wonkette]

* Wow, lawyers really can suck the fun out of anything. It's ... kind of hilarious. [TaxProf Blog]

* A new video game lets you throw snowballs at Sarah Palin. It's run by PETA, so let's just be happy that we're talking about snowballs and not vats of baby cow blood. [Animal Law Blog]

* Top Ten celebrity lawsuits of 2008. [Popsquire]

* It's the best Blawg Reviews of 2008. [Blawg Review]

* "Does Your Law Firm Face-block? Take this Survey!" [Stem Legal]

* News you can use: how to drink in a work-related context. Hey ladies: "some male attorneys will probably try to get you drunk in order to hook up with you." [Concurring Opinions]

* Written without irony by Eliot Spitzer: "As Justice Brandeis observed, sunlight is the best disinfectant." [Slate]

* Marc Dreier got by with a little help from his friend: former stockbroker Kosta Kovachev, another alleged impersonator. [City Room / NYT]

* Sorry, Hillary -- the $13.2 million you lent your presidential campaign is not tax-deductible. [TaxProf Blog]

* Credit Crunch: The Board Game. If only emerging from bankruptcy were as easy as playing a "get out of Chapter 11" card. [The Economist]

* If you'd like to give Team ATL a holiday gift, please vote for us in the Blawg 100. Thanks! [ABA Journal]

* "I'm not an alcoholic. Alcoholics go to meetings." [Forbes]

* Maybe Yale trustees think they are on that "Biggest Loser" reality television show? [Concurring Opinions]

* The Thacher Proffitt endgame. [Ideoblog]

* This year, I went with an American Flag themed Christmas tree. Red, white and blue bands (with white blinking lights punctuating the blue bits). It looks cool, but the tree keeps falling over. My family thinks this is because I insisted on positioning the tree myself, despite my ongoing vertigo, but I think the tree hates me for my freedom. In any event, last year I went with a Chanukah themed Christmas tree, and everything worked out beautifully. Based on this anecdotal evidence, I think this week's Blawg Review will be outstanding. [Likelihood of Confusion via Blawg Review]

* This celebrity lawsuit round-up has Billie Jean suing Michael Jackson. She says she was his lover, and that his kid is her son. [Popsquire Beat]

* Looking to apply for the federal bail-out? This application is "so simple and easy to use that even Skadden Arps should bill no more than $2.7 million to review it." [Vanity Fair]

* Law school selling naming rights to everything but the bathroom. [TaxProf Blog]

* U.N.says don't hate on other people's religions. [Reuters]

* Laid off? Look at the upside. This associate is celebrating: "Unemployment is awesome. I read books all day, lay out in the sun, watch TV, visit friends (you know, all the stuff you can never do when working for a NY law firm)." [Greedy Associates]

* We love those Alaskan family values. The grandmother of Bristol Palin's unborn child has been arrested on drug charges. [Politico]

* Biglaw bonuses may be less, but at least they're in cash. How would you like a ""partner asset facility" in your stocking? (Ed. note: We're pleased to see the term "half-Skadden" adopted by the WSJ.) [WSJ Law Blog]

* I wonder what Jack Bauer would say about pardoning John Walker Lindh. If only we had a commenter that could channel Bauer and share his thoughts with us ... [Legal Pad]

* If you are thinking about going down to D.C. for the inauguration, you should listen to Kash's sage guidance. [WYNC]

* At that inauguration, Rick Warren will be giving the invocation. What a savvy bi-partisan move to reach out to potentially disgruntled evangelicals! (Mr. Kennedy, Obama's the guy right? We're still absolutely sure about this right? Because ... oh why yes, I'd love some more Kool-Aid). [Althouse]

* Here's the Miley Cyrus/Lanier Law Firm party wrap. [Tex Parte Blog]

* With all the unemployed lawyers out there it seems appropriate to point out some legal research tools that you don't need a westlaw account to access. [E-Justice Blog]

* What's the reason for U.S. AG Michael Mukasey recusing himself from the Bernard Madoff investigation? It may be his synagogue. [Cityfile]

* K&L Gates grand poobah Peter Kalis gripes about U.S. News & World Reports, gets all mushy about Pitt Law, and praises affirmative action. For minorities and kids from West Virginia. [TaxProf Blog]

* Ohio lawyer David Mills has started a daily legal cartoon blog. We ATL folk are painfully aware of how hard it can be to make the law funny. [Courtoons]

* ATL's own Elie Mystal in a free-ranging interview on race, the law, blogging, and comments. [On Being a Black Lawyer]

* Two-thirds of law firms expect lower 2009 revenues. Sigh. But 8.2% expect higher revenues. Those must be the boutique bankruptcy firms. [National Law Journal]

* Eliot Spitzer is now a columnist for the Slate. Who'd he have to **** to get that job? [GapperBlog]

* There's nothing here that regular ATL readers don't already know about, but here's NPR's take on our legal community, with a little help from me. [NPR]

* I've got an innovative solution to layoffs: stop hoarding all the money in the partnership ranks. [Connecticut Employment Law Blog]

* Mark Herrmann does a much better job of writing his own non-sequitur lead-in than I could. "Your appeal was denied. U will B executed Saturday. Thx. :)" [Drug and Device Law]

* Goldman Sachs. 1% tax rate. If Obama doesn't fix this, I'm writing in Khrushchev in 2012. [TaxProf Blog]

* It's been a banner year for celebrities in trouble with the law. [Popsquire]

* The Austin Powers "Random Task" joke is too easy here. Instead, I'll assume that this case will only provide further evidence for TSA officials demanding that we walk through nasty airports barefoot and broken. [What About Clients?]

* If you are going to comment on commenters, then ATL's commentariat has to be part of that discussion. [Volokh Conspiracy]

* Black-on-black criticism is a sign of progress. It's good to remember that "the black community" is not a monolithic group. [On Being a Black Lawyer]

* Is Pass/Fail like an undercover police officer for prestige whores? [Legal Blog Watch]

* Blawg Review celebrates Bill of Rights Day. But do they celebrate all rights? I offer a cheers to the rights-happy Ninth Amendment ... there are so many more rights just waiting to be discovered! [The Legal Satyricon via Blawg Review]

* I was a little confused as to how Bernard Madoff's giant ponzi scheme could have gone unnoticed for so long by authorities or investors. Then I heard that New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon was invested in Madoff. Now ... everything makes sense. (This n-e-v-e-r happens to the Yankees. Ever. I'm going to short-sell K-Rod's rotator cuff right now.) [Dealbreaker]

* Here are 11 things that Blagojevich was about to try. It's pretty funny, but there's no need to dog Rick Lazio (idea #3). "Strong" Island 4 Life! [Culture 11]

* There's an etiquette for "thank you" notes? Maybe junior associates should start writing little thank you notes to their firms' major clients. "Dear Sir/Madame: Thanks for utilizing only sound and legal business practices. I appreciate your ability to remain in business and resist the impulse to ruin my career. You're the best!" [What About Clients?]

* A Tulsa 3L thinks that his colleagues have lost their "manliness" and as started a blog to help them find it again. Thing is, he's married. Which means his advice -- on things like carving a turkey and picking out a Christmas tree -- can be summarized as "things real non-married men never, ever have to do." I mean come on, carve a turkey? Real men don't use "utensils." [Legal Blog Watch]

* God Alyssa Milano is hot. No, I'm not a stalker or anything, but man. Umm ... that Andy Samberg sure is funny. [Popsquire]

* The fertile octogenarian: could legal fiction become reality? [Concurring Opinions]

* The twenty most popular law reviews to submit to via ExpressO. A quirky list, to say the least. [The Conglomerate]

* Has Kentucky engaged in "celestial outsourcing" of its homeland security needs? [Supreme Dicta]

* Want to teach case law to patent examiners? You might have the next Einstein in your class. [Securing Innovation]

* We're suckers for awards and recognition, so we're pleased as punch by this shout-out. Also, if you haven't done so already, please vote for ATL in the Blawg 100. [Law and More]

* A behind the scenes look at the love story of "sex blogger" Jessica Cutler and Milbank associate Charles Rubio. The story claims she "went from slut to housewife in eight months." The line on number of jokes from Rubio's male friends directed at Mr. Rubio has just been taken off the board in Vegas. [Daily Beast]

* This won't come as a galloping shock to any contract attorneys, but being a contract attorney blows. [Legal Blog Watch]

* What is a "Dreier?" How many packs of cigarettes is it worth on the inside? [Ideoblog]

* Republican SCOTUS hopefuls are very sad. In other news, Democratic SCOTUS hopefuls are battling for control of the conch. [Washingtonian]

* Remember attrition? Your firm does. They want it back. [Adam Smith Esq.]

* Tomorrow is scheduled to be a "Day Without A Gay." In solidarity, tomorrow I will refuse to be spirited, happy, or carefree in any way. [Day Without A Gay]

* "Prawfsfest 4 is being hosted at the University of Miami from December 8th - December 10th. Law professors in Miami? Break out the Bengay and I think we'll have a real party on our hands! [PrawfsBlawg]

* The New York Law Journal's Top 100 report that we mentioned today also contained some interesting charts about the New York's law schools. It'll be fun to read how NYU students still claim superiority over Columbia students. But the real question is whether or not Touro can be stopped. [TaxProf Blog]

* Larry Craig lost his appeal. The lesson from Mr. Craig: Don't plead guilty unless you mean to plead guilty ... and something about proper toilet etiquette that I can't quite remember. [Wonkette]

* The 3L market is dead. Some people see this as an opportunity. I see this as a reason to start ridiculing the class of '12 before they even start. [Law and More]

* Mead and hookers. That's what I remember from Lincoln's Inn. [What About Clients?]

* Florida's professional teams generally play in worse facilities than their college teams. Aside from the fact that I'd take the Gators (-3) over the Dolphins, Marc Edelman reports that new stadium construction is not always a good thing. [Rutgers School of Law-Camden]

* More people are going to law school (and B-School). Less people are going into Ph.D programs. No matter what Biglaw does to an associate, five more will rise to take his place. [TaxProf Blog]

* Sure, even if you have been laid off, you're still a lawyer: a professional. But ... even professionals need to pay "rent." [Simple Justice]

* Profits per partner everywhere, but the bonuses still stink. Blawg Review tries to shoot down the albatross.
[Infamy or Praise via Blawg Review]