Above the Law

Feminism, Gender, Money, Women's Issues

Women Getting Screwed When It Comes To Pay

By Elie Mystal

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that women in legal occupations earn 51% of what men earn. That is not a typo. Some people will no doubt say something like “women are secretaries and men are attorneys,” before clubbing their mates into submission. But according to the report: [T]he salary gap was the largest among judges, […]

In-House Counsel, Job Searches

In-House Counsel: The Prodigal Son Or The Red-Headed Step-Child?

By Elie Mystal

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that women in legal occupations earn 51% of what men earn. That is not a typo. Some people will no doubt say something like “women are secretaries and men are attorneys,” before clubbing their mates into submission. But according to the report: [T]he salary gap was the largest among judges, […]

Eliot Spitzer, Wall Street

Crusading Attorneys General Beware

By Elie Mystal

There is so much blame to go around over the AIG debacle that even “Governor John” Eliot Spitzer is getting knocked around. Remember Attorney General Spitzer orchestrated AIG founder Maurice “Hank” Greenberg’s resignation, back in 2005. But since then some of the charges against Greenberg have been dropped, while Greenberg continues to fight other allegations. […]

Heller Ehrman

Heller Is Stuck In A Moment

By Elie Mystal

You’ve got to, get yourself together You’ve got stuck in a moment, And now you can’t get out of it Don’t say that later will be better, now you’re stuck in a moment And you can’t get out of it — U2 Heller Ehrman is in trouble. They’ve been spurned again and again by merger […]

Wall Street

Davis Polk: Making Bank

By David Lat

We’ve been providing extensive coverage of the unfolding financial crisis (as have our colleagues at our sister site, Dealbreaker). In several recent posts — see, e.g., here and here — we’ve discussed the Biglaw winners and losers with respect to the Wall Street meltdown. One evident winner: Davis Polk & Wardwell. Several DPW sources forwarded […]

Morning Docket

Morning Docket 09.18.08

By Kashmir Hill

* The fiscal crisis continues to escalate. The Fed and Treasury Department are making historic, rapid-fire decisions every hour. But in Congress, lawmakers are just sitting around, twiddling their thumbs. [Washington Post] * John Grisham is deemed “the innocent man.” Judge dismisses libel suit against him. [Associated Press] * It’s not just Biglaw sharing office […]

Hotties, Law Schools, Politics

Former Assemblywoman Loses Bid for Barbiedom

By Elie Mystal

Rebecca Cohn was a California assemblywoman representing Buena Vista, Burbank, Cambrian Park, Campbell, Fruitdale, and parts of San Jose and Santa Clara. After losing to Jim Beall, she decided to matriculate at UC Davis School of Law (King Hall). Cohn said that her lifelong dream was to attend law school. But she apparently couldn’t shake […]

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 09.17.08

By Elie Mystal

* Yeah. Justices are “impartial” all the time. You’ll never ever see a respected SCOTUS Justice openly campaigning against a particular political candidate. [WSJ Law Blog] * Projected 2009 tax brackets are out. Plan your charitable giving accordingly. [TaxProf Blog] * Female paralegals don’t get paid as much as male paralegals. There is not even […]

Wall Street

Wait … I Own AIG Now? Is That Legal?

By Elie Mystal

Another day, another market massacre. Right now the SEC is meeting about “improper short selling” of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs stock. The Dow is down nearly 450 points. We have definitely entered the “dogs and cats, living together, mass hysteria” phase of this meltdown. But while everybody is running around trying to CYA, the […]

BAR/BRI, Deaths, Law Professors, Law Schools

In Memoriam: Charles Whitebread

By Kashmir Hill

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that women in legal occupations earn 51% of what men earn. That is not a typo. Some people will no doubt say something like “women are secretaries and men are attorneys,” before clubbing their mates into submission. But according to the report: [T]he salary gap was the largest among judges, […]

Barack Obama, Clerkships, John McCain, Politics

Obvious Important News For New Clerks

By Elie Mystal

More law firms are benefiting — at least in the short term — from Wall Street jumping the shark. The WSJ Law Blog has a roundup of the newest firms to come away with a piece of the bankrupt pie. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton advised Barclays on their scavenging Lehman’s North American business, while […]

Law Schools

Is The Market For Toilets Drying Up?

By Elie Mystal

Kids running for office say the craziest things. Even when that office is for student government at the S.J. Quinney School of Law at the University of Utah. This election isn’t going to come down to which student candidate will do the best job at providing low-cost outline alternatives to disadvantaged 1Ls. Instead, membership on […]

Bear Stearns, Job Survey, Wall Street

Associate Life Survey: Life After Lehman Brothers?

By David Lat

As the Fed steps in to save the financial world with a bridge to nowhere AIG, we pause to reflect on the results from Monday’s ATL / Lateral Link survey, which asked whether the woes of Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch would hurt your career. We received 830 responses, and quite a few of them […]

Law Schools, Tax Law

The IRS Is Still Hiring

By Elie Mystal

We have to at least entertain the possibility that the tanking economy could fundamentally change the Biglaw lifestyle that we have come to know and bilk. We could see flat salaries, tepid bonuses, and decreased job security over the next few years. Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to break out of the “top school-top […]

Morning Docket

Morning Docket 09.17.08

By Laurie Lin

* The Fed reverses course and agrees to bail out insurance giant American International Group. [Forbes] * Alaskan lawmakers file suit to stop the “Troopergate” investigation of Sarah Palin. [New York Times] * Eight lawyers are on the American Lawyer’s 2008 Lifetime Achievers list for “history-making accomplishments.” [American Lawyer] * The law against baggy pants […]

Heller Ehrman, Musical Chairs

Musical Chairs: Covington & Burling Snaps Up Heller’s IP Department

By Kashmir Hill

It turns out that the mystery meeting at Covington & Burling involved some great news for Covington, and some bad news for Heller Ehrman. Fifteen IP partners will be leaving Heller to join Covington, as Covington expands into Silicon Valley. The Daily Journal reports that in the wake of the latest defections and yesterday’s failed […]