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Judge of the Day: LaLeshia Walker Alford

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LaLeshia Walker Alford Judge Laleshia Walker-Alford Louisiana Above the Law blog.jpgGotta love an elected judiciary. From the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

A Shreveport judge’s excessive use of prescription drugs led her to disgrace the judiciary by missing work, falling asleep on the bench, and at times talking gibberish to convicts, the Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled in a 7-0 decision that permanently removed her from office.

LaLeshia Walker Alford, first elected to the Shreveport City Court in 1997, was removed from the Caddo Parish bench and ordered to reimburse the state $5,000 for the cost of the investigation that began six years ago.

We especially appreciated the article’s deadpan subhead: “Absences, gibberish on bench recounted.”

So how did this all get started?

Alford, a Tulane Law School graduate who was re-elected in 2002, fell under state investigation after an anonymous complaint May 27, 2002, accused her of missing work regularly, canceling court without any notice, and presiding on the bench impaired, inarticulate, and at times nodding off. At one point, Alford threw a 15-year-old boy into an adult lock-up after fuming over his poor report card….

Dozing off on the bench? No big deal. One well-regarded federal judge has his clerks bring him a pitcher of ice cubes and a glass while he’s on the bench, so he can chew on ice to stay awake.

But napping on the bench is just the tip of the iceberg for Judge Walker Alford. Check out some excerpts of her judicial gibberish, after the jump.

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Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: The Latest on Seyfarth Shaw

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Seyfarth Shaw LLP logo AboveTheLaw Above the Law legal blog.jpgWe’ve confirmed the news, which surfaced previously in the comments, about the pay raise announcement by Seyfarth Shaw. Here’s what one source told us:

The Chicago office had an all-associate meeting [yesterday]. First- and second-year associates will stay lockstep — $145K for first years, $155K for second years — while third- through eighth-years will get “market” base salary ranges. Not clear where anyone will fall in the ranges yet, since we don’t find out until the week of March 3.

The bonus pool remains the same as last year, which means no “extraordinary” bonuses. (But there seems to be room to reward top performers one way or another.)

The managing partner of the office made a crack about sending him anonymous questions by posting them “on Wikipedia,” so perhaps it’s time for a higher profile for you.

Additional information, including ranges for selected classes, after the jump.

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Morning Docket: 02.21.08

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Vicki Iseman John McCain sexy lobbyist Above the Law blog.jpg* Supreme Court, in nearly unanimous decision (RBG dissent), protects medical device makers from lawsuits, finding suits preempted by FDA approval. [New York Times; Drug and Device Law; Riegel v. Medtronic (PDF)]
* NYT report links John McCain to a comely female lobbyist, Vicki Iseman (who bears a resemblance to his wife Cindy; see picture). [New York Times]
* Is this her Alamo? Clinton debates Obama in Texas tonight. [Houston Chronicle]
* Will Mel Weiss of Milberg Weiss cut a plea deal? [WSJ Law Blog]
* An update on the William & Mary firestorm that we covered earlier: prominent D.C. lawyer Robert Blair resigns from the W&M governing board. [Washington Post]
* Nicolas Cage in Face / Off with IRS. [TaxProf Blog]
* Former AIG CEO wins court victory over key document discovery. [DealBook / NYT]
* Online writer sues NYC over press passes. [New York Sun via Drudge]

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  • 21 Feb 2008 at 9:05 AM
  • Uncategorized

A Team Charney Reunion Tour? The S&C Microsoft – Yahoo Team

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Eric Krautheimer Eric M Krautheimer Alexandra Korry Alexandra D Korry Above the Law blog.jpgFrom a blast email we received yesterday from Sullivan & Cromwell (yes, we’re on the S&C distribution list):

Please note Sullivan & Cromwell LLP’s representation of Microsoft (U.S.) in its proposed US$ 44.6 billion acquisition of Yahoo! (U.S.), announced February 1, 2008. The S&C team on the transaction includes corporate/M&A partners James Morphy, Duncan McCurrach and Alexandra Korry in New York and Eric Krautheimer in Los Angeles.

If you followed the Aaron Charney saga as obsessively as we did, you’ll recall that Krautheimer and Korry were the tale’s two main villains — partners who, even if not harboring antigay bias, weren’t exactly the most fun people to work for. From an associate’s perspective, working on a high-profile deal for this dynamic duo must be super-exciting, but not without its challenges.

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Non-Sequiturs: 02.20.08

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Michael Clayton George Clooney Above the Law blog.jpgProgramming note: For those of you in Chicago, we’ll be having a little ATL “happy hour,” starting in about half an hour. We’ll be hanging out in the Loop, at Miller’s Pub (134 S. Wabash btw. E. Adams and E. Monroe), from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Swing by and say hi if you’re in the neighborhood.
* Keen observations and provocative reflections about Michael Clayton, which Yale Law grad Patrick Radden Keefe describes as “an indictment of the mercenary universe of white-shoe law firms and a devastating—and unusually accurate—look at the demoralized lives of the lawyers who work for them.” [Slate via WSJ Law Blog]
* We usually dislike law firm ads with animal themes. But this one, for Womble Carlyle, is pretty darn cute. [copyranter]
* A sex-ed license? So what’s the equivalent of parallel parking on the licensing test? [PrawfsBlawg]
* Judge sentences molester to hell. Commenter: “That will teach him. My wife is the cook there.” [Syracuse.com]

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Featured Job Survey: Updated Leave and Flexible Schedules

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calendar Above the Law blog.jpgResults are still flowing in from last week’s ATL / Lateral Link survey on leave and part-time arrangements. So far, we’re up to almost 700 responses, and we have received quite a few tips about maternity leave.
The running table of firms’ paid maternity leave policies that we posted yesterday has now been updated to include new information on Heller Ehrman, Nixon Peabody, Kaye Scholer, Cahill Gordon, Kirkland & Ellis, Freshfields, Kramer Levin, Thelen Reid, Goodwin Procter, and to correct information on Winston & Strawn and Mayer Brown.
Today, let’s talk about how associates view their firms’ policies, and also explore the availability of part-time, flex-time, and other alternative work/life-styles.
Overall, it looks like firms have room to improve:

  • Roughly 30% of respondents of either gender felt that their employer’s part-time and leave options were adequate, but 42% of female respondents and 28% of male respondents disagreed.
  • Fourteen percent of female respondents said that they felt uncomfortable asking for leave or part-time status, a discomfort shared by eighteen percent of male respondents.
  • Most other respondents weren’t sure, but only twelve percent of male respondents and five percent of female respondents didn’t care.

    • Discussion continues, after the jump.

    double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Featured Job Survey: Updated Leave and Flexible Schedules”

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    Lawyer of the Day: Kirk Watson

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    We sometimes find the Obama campaign to be maddeningly perfect. So Texas attorney Kirk Watson wins our Lawyer of the Day prize, for managing to humanize — through his screw-up, on national television — this picture-perfect, messianic movement.
    A good summary, from a tipster:

    Last night, at around 11 p.m., Chris Matthews really humiliated Texas state senator Kirk Watson. Watson was unable to name any of Obama’s legislative accomplishments, even though Watson has endorsed Obama. The video is awkwardly amusing and available over at Wonkette.

    The legal link? Turns out, Watson graduated first in his class from Baylor Law School.

    Another source from the Lone Star State adds: “Watson is very ambitious — much like Queen Hillary. He’s a partner with K&L Gates in Austin, although no one knows if he does any real legal work.”
    Here’s one well-edited version of the video (see below; for a more complete clip, go here). Kirk Watson tries to dodge the question, but Chris Matthews, like a tough appellate judge grilling a hapless advocate, won’t let go:

    Chris Matthews Angrily Harasses Obama Supporter To Death [Wonkette]
    Video: Another Obama supporter can’t name anything Obama has actually done [Hot Air]
    Chris Matthews Interviews Sen. Kirk Watson [YouTube]
    Kirk Watson [official website]
    Kirk P. Watson bio [K&L Gates]

    141 Comments

    Following in Obama’s Footsteps? Professor Lessig Considers Running for Congress

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    Draft Lessig Change Congress Professor Lawrence Lessig Larry Lessig Above the Law blog.jpgThe stereotypical law professor might be viewed as too disengaged from the “real world” to be a good politician. But as Barack Obama shows, it’s quite possible to move from legal academia into political life.
    Now another prominent young law prof — who, by the way, is an outspoken Obama supporter — is contemplating Congress. From a Stanford Law School source:

    Larry Lessig is considering a congressional run to replace Tom Lantos. Seems to have sparked a lot of energy and attention here on campus and in the Silicon Valley the last day or two.

    No discussion yet about what happens to his Con Law class if he decides to run.

    As Professor Lessig recently told the WSJ Law Blog, he wants to change the political process, primarily by reducing the influence of money and lobbyists on policy decisions. And what better way to reform the system than from within?
    If you’re interested in expressing support for Professor Lessig, check out the links collected below. The Draft Lessig Facebook group already has over 3,000 members — but surely they’d welcome more.
    Lessig ’08 [official website]
    Draft Lessig – Change Congress
    Draft Lessig for Congress [Facebook]
    Law Blog Q&A With Lawrence Lessig [WSJ Law Blog]

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    Warning: Welding and Metal Cutting May Cause Diarrhea

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    Time for lunch. We leave you with this appetizing email, which went out yesterday to the students and faculty of UC Hastings College of the Law.
    From: [redacted]
    Subject: Installation of green bike enclosure
    Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:21:33 -0800
    To: [U.C. Hastings students and faculty]
    Please be advised.
    The new green bike enclosure for 200 McAllister is scheduled for installation on Wednesday, February 20, 2008. Due to nature of work involved (metal cutting, welding and lifting of heavy panels), the site will be off limits to all students, staff and faculty till Friday, February 22, 2008.
    We apologize for the incontinence and the short notice. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

    23 Comments

    An Email Oopsie, By A Legendary Litigatrix

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    It’s not just Pepper Hamilton. Email screw-ups are committed by even the most renowned lawyers — like longtime Skadden Arps partner Sheila Birnbaum, a living legend of the product liability defense bar. As we previously wrote, “Birnbaum, who heads Skadden’s Complex Mass Tort and Insurance Group, has a nickname reflecting her expertise: ‘The Queen of Toxic Torts.’”

    From the Insurance Coverage Blog:

    Some of [Mississippi Attorney General] Jim Hood’s proneness to gaffes must have rubbed off on Sheila Birnbaum of Skadden, Arps, a lead counsel for State Farm, when she was down in Mississippi to hear Hood testify February 6….

    Birnbaum accidentally replied to all the people on the distribution list for an e-mail Hood’s press spokeswoman sent out this morning to a number of people, including reporters. Birnbaum thought she was responding to other State Farm lawyers.

    Ah, the perils of “reply all.” Perhaps a CLE course should be given on how to use it properly?

    (Part of the class could be devoted to client confidentiality issues. I Can Haz Ethics Credits?)

    P.S. Birnbaum, by the way, does very nicely for herself. Back in May 2001, Forbes published an interesting list of some of the country’s highest-paid corporate lawyers. Birnbaum reportedly earned $3.8 million a year — and that was back in 2000-2001, before the latest Biglaw boom.

    State Farm attorney mistakenly sends query about having Hood held in contempt to reporters, Hood’s press spokesperson [Insurance Coverage Blog]
    Email May Hurt State Farm, Miss. Truce [AP via Forbes]
    Highest Paid Corporate Lawyers – 2001 [Forbes]
    Sheila L. Birnbaum [Skadden]

    Earlier: ATL Practice Pointer: When Emailing Super-Sensitive Settlement Information, Double Check the Recipient List
    Separated at Birth: Sheila Birnbaum and Harold Koh?

    21 Comments

    Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: Locke ‘n Loaded

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    Jerry Clements Jerry K Clements Locke Liddell Sapp Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgHere is an update / correction to last week’s post about associate compensation at Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell. From Tex Parte Blog (via Sophistic Miltonian Serbonian Blog):

    Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell wants to make it clear that the firm has a single associate pay system, says Jerry Clements [pictured], chairwoman of the 721-lawyer firm that formed with the October 2007 merger of Texas’ Locke Liddell & Sapp and Chicago-based Lord, Bissell & Brook. Clements says she did send a 2008 compensation memo to former Locke Liddell associates on Feb. 5, but she also had sent one in late December 2007 to former Lord, Bissell associates.

    “There is clearly one structure that applies to everybody,” she says, noting that the firm’s management is in the process of integrating the two associate compensation systems. “The thought that folks would think that we would have two different compensation structures within one firm would be a little bit amazing to me,” says Clements, a partner in Austin.

    Clements says the firm sent two memos because Lord, Bissell associates were accustomed to receiving a salary memo in December, and Locke Liddell associates usually received one by early February. Clements says the February memo addressed to “Legacy LLS associates” was more detailed, however, because management had settled on a new deferred-compensation component by then. “What’s causing the blog upset is that the Lord memo did not include the deferred compensation piece because we had not decided on it yet,” says Clements, referring to a Feb. 12 posting on the Above the Law blog. Since Feb. 5, management has been tweaking the associate compensation system, Clements says. The firm sent an updated compensation memo to all 285 associates on Feb. 14, spokeswoman Julie Gilbert says. She declines to provide a copy, saying it’s confidential.

    If you have a copy, send it our way, and we’ll post it. Thanks.
    Locke Lord clarifies it is indeed a big tent [Sophistic Miltonian Serbonian Blog]
    One for all [Tex Parte Blog]

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    Here’s an article about the semicolon; please discuss.

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    Many ATL readers have a weakness for obscure debates about punctuation, grammar, usage, and style. See, e.g., here, here, and here. It makes sense; after all, lawyers are paid to worry about such things as proper comma placement.
    So we weren’t surprised when several of you drew our attention to this interesting New York Times article, all about the semicolon. The piece, currently at the top of the Most Emailed Articles list, has a legal angle:

    People have lost fortunes and even been put to death because of imprecise punctuation involving semicolons in legal papers. In 2004, a court in San Francisco rejected a conservative group’s challenge to a statute allowing gay marriage because the operative phrases were separated incorrectly by a semicolon instead of by the proper conjunction.

    According to the Times, “whatever one’s personal feelings about semicolons, some people don’t use them because they never learned how.” Are you a member of that group?


    Celebrating the Semicolon in a Most Unlikely Location [New York Times]

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