[Ed. note: This is the farewell post of MARIN, who was recently eliminated from ATL Idol, the "reality blogging" competition that will determine ATL's next editor. It is marked with Marin's avatar (at right).]
Marinheads:
Bad news. Our plot to take over ATL and transform it into a site about celebrities and my Jewish dog has failed. Mission aborted. Repeat, mission aborted. Return to the mother ship.
- Original Marinhead, a/k/a Mongoloid Marin, d.b.a Clay Aiken
Tremayne Durham has some serious food issues. In 2006, he decided he wanted to enter the ice cream business, so he ordered an $18,000 ice cream truck from a company in Oregon.
When he changed his mind about selling popsicles, the company refused to give him a refund. Durham traveled from New York to Oregon to confront the company. Apparently, he has anger issues as well — he shot and killed an employee.
Now he’s making headlines for his unusual plea bargain. From the Guardian:
His craving for a decent bit of nosh was so intense that he agreed to pay a high price – a life sentence.
Durham, 33, struck a plea bargain last month in which he was guaranteed a meal of KFC chicken, Popeye’s chicken, mashed potato, coleslaw, carrot cake and ice cream – in return for pleading guilty to murder.
As part of the deal, and after receiving a life sentence this week in court in Portland, Oregon, Durham will also get a second feast, this time on an Italian theme, with calzone, lasagne, pizza and ice cream.
The judge, Eric Bergstrom, is understood to have accepted the bargain because it would save the state of Oregon thousands of dollars in hosting a trial and possible subsequent appeals.
One of the tipsters who sent this story our way was inspired:
The next plea deal I negotiate will contain a heart wrenching narrative about my client’s woeful circumstances, a § 3553 analysis, and a demand for a footlong sub, a sack of White Castle, and a Fudgie the Whale cake. I can’t wait for Durham’s habeas petition, based on the Government’s impermissible substitution of pizza bagels and chicken fingers, in violation of the plea agreement.
New Yorker agrees to life sentence in exchange for fast food feast [The Guardian]
Thanks to everyone who voted in Round 2 of ATL Idol, the “reality blogging” contest that will determine the next editor of Above the Law. The polls closed at noon. Once again, voter turnout was excellent, with over 2,200 votes cast (an increase from the 1,800 ballots cast in Round 1).
The results were interesting. In Round 1, the order of finish was (1) Marin, (2) Sophist, (3) Alex, and (4) Frolic & Detour. This time around, everyone traded places:
You never can tell what will happen each week in ATL Idol. That’s what makes the contest so exciting and fun.
Anyway, congratulations to SOPHIST and FROLIC AND DETOUR, your two finalists. One of them will be the ATL Idol, the next editor of Above the Law. We bid goodbye to MARIN and ALEX (who have been invited to pen farewell posts if they like, a la EXLEY).
Here’s what to expect from your ATL Idols this week:
In today’s ATL / Lateral Link survey, we explore the tangled web of social networking.
Back in May, Allen & Overy made news for attempting — unsuccessfully — to block the use of Facebook in the London office.
The firm claimed that it was just worried about staff downloading too many videos from the site, but is that really why employers are banning (or trying to ban) Facebook use?
Odds are, at least some attorneys at any large firm will post some potentially embarassing content online. ATL commenters unearthed the youtube videos of Divljan Shatterhand Steele just eight minutes after he was named a Summer Associate of the Day.
And other associates may use their peers’ profiles in unwelcome ways, like the guys at Skadden Insider who trolled myspace and facebook for pictures of their female colleagues for an online beauty contest — without the women’s permission.
And, of course, you never know what kind of dangers you might expose yourself to in cyberspace. Even David Lat once poked an alleged kidnapper on facebook, and received a painful spanking for his efforts.
So, how are you surfing the social web, and are you sharing it with your firms?
Update: This survey is now closed. Click here for the results.
–
Justin Bernold is a Director at Lateral Link, the sponsor of this survey.
We know, from email correspondence and comments, that a fair number of aspiring law school students read this blog. To them we pose this question: How badly do you want to get into law school?
From Inside Higher Ed:
Arthur H. Miller (pictured), professor of political science at the University of Iowa [Ed. note: not that Arthur Miller], was arrested Friday on bribery charges related to accusations that he told female students he would give them higher grades if they let him fondle their breasts….
In one case, a student who said she was not doing well in class went to meet him and says that he told her she “would have to do something” and then grabbed and sucked on her breast. The student said that the professor sent her an e-mail congratulating her on earning an A+ and offered to meet to help her get into law school.
What would Professor Miller have written in this student’s recommendation? That she has “an impressive body of work”? That her breasts “are succulent and delicious”? Not sure any of that would be germane to performance in law school (although some say the same about the LSAT).
UI prof faces bribery charges [Iowa City Press-Citizen via Inside Higher Ed]
That’s the subject of this video contest, with a $10,000 scholarship for the winner.
Alas, it’s too late to enter for this year; the ten finalists have already been picked. From a tipster:
If you’re looking for something a little lighter, there’s a contest right now run by Access Group Inc. among law students for the best short YouTube movie about what they worry about in law school. The contest is here, and my friend’s video is one of the finalists.
I think his is easily the best, but some of the others are okay too. The winner is determined by popular vote, so if you guys linked to the movie, he (and I’m sure the other contestants) would appreciate it!
We’re happy to do so (especially since Monday mornings can be slow around here). Good luck to the ten finalists!
“One Less Worry” Video Scholarship Contest [Access Group]
* Obama is getting lots of funding love from lawyers, with Kirkland & Ellis in the lead. Law folks have given $21 million to Obama, and just $7 million to McCain. [Forbes]
* Deposed Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra skipped out on bail and is relocating to England, because he says he can’t get a fair trial in Thailand. [Associated Press]
* The story behind the Edwards sex scandal story. [New York Times]
* Congress to tackle legislation dealing with online privacy. [New York Times]
* MoFo is the law firm behind the Olympic Games. [The Recorder]
* Former New Jersey first couple is officially divorced, and “in the end, the whole gay thing didn’t matter.” [The Star-Ledger]
This just in, from a West Coast tipster who has been following L’Affaire Halverson obsessively:
Halverson passes out at hearing; adjourned due to medical reasons. Based on live observations…
Update: More details from the AP:
A disciplinary hearing for a suspended Nevada state judge has been postponed, after she reported she felt ill.
The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline suspended the hearing in its fifth day after Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Halverson’s lawyer said the diabetic judge experienced a hypoglycemic, or low blood sugar, episode.
The hearing is due to resume next Thursday and Friday in Las Vegas.
Further Update: More from our Halverson-obsessed tipster, after the jump.
Continue reading “Breaking: Judge Halverson Passes Out; Hearing Postponed”
Last month we named John Edwards, the legendary trial lawyer and former presidential candidate, an honorary Lawyer of the Day — “honorary,” because we didn’t view the reports of his alleged conduct to be sufficiently substantiated (even by our admittedly loose standards).
But now that Edwards has admitted to cheating on his cancer-stricken wife — he points out, in his defense, that her cancer was in remission when he started the affair — we’re making it official. Congratulations, Mr. Edwards.
P.S. Edwards denies, however, that he is Rielle Hunter’s baby-daddy. He claims the affair ended too early for him to be the father of Hunter’s baby girl, Frances Quinn.
Edwards Admits Sexual Affair; Lied as Presidential Candidate [ABC News via Drudge (of course)]
Earlier: Lawyer of the Day: John Edwards?
This morning we brought you a special sneak preview of the 2009 Vault law firm rankings (to be released in full on Tuesday, August 12, over at the Vault website). We passed along two compilations: (1) firms ranked 26-50 by prestige, and (2) firms 11-20 on the “best to work for” list.
Now, as promised, we bring you the balance of the rankings: firms 1-50 by prestige, and all 20 of the “best to work for” firms.
Check out the lists, plus comment from Vault law editor Brian Dalton, after the jump.
Continue reading “ATL Exclusive: A Sneak Peek at the 2009 Vault Rankings!
(Part 2 of 2)”
Tax attorneys are all the rage, with in-house and law firm opportunities for 2008 JDs and up. The Job(s) of the Week highlight some of the best of these opportunities. These are in New York, but Lateral Link has similar positions in other cities as well. Lateral Link’s $10,000 signing bonus applies to the positions below. If you are not already a Lateral Link Member, you can apply at www.laterallink.com.
Junior tax attorney – The New York office of this top 25 law firm, well-known for its quality of life, is seeking junior tax associates. They will consider 2008 law school graduates to start immediately (including those who may have had their start dates pushed back at other firms). For more information, please see Position 6074 on Lateral Link.
Continue reading “Job(s) of the Week: Tax Law Never Goes Out of Style”
See below. You know what to do.
Voting for round 2 will end on MONDAY, AUGUST 11, at noon (Eastern time). The two contestants with the fewest votes will be eliminated, and the remaining two will duke it out in the final round.
GOOD LUCK!!!
Earlier: Prior ATL Idol coverage (scroll down)
Ed. note: The Asia Chronicles column is authored by Kinney Recruiting. Kinney has made more placements of U.S. associates, counsels and partners in Asia than any other recruiting firm in each of the past seven years. You can reach them by email: asia@kinneyrecruiting.com.
It’s that time of year again when JDs are starting to apply for 2L summer jobs and 2L summers are deciding which practice area to focus on.
For those JDs with an interest in potentially lateraling to or transferring to Asia in the future, please feel free to reach out to Kinney for advice on firm choices, interviewing and practice choices, relating to future marketability in Asia, or for a general discussion on your particular Asia markets of interest. This is of course a free of cost service for those who some years in the future may be our future industry contacts or perhaps even clients.
For some years now Kinney’s Asia head, Evan Jowers, has been formally advising Harvard Law students with such questions, as the Asia expert in Harvard Law’s “Ask The Experts Market Program” each summer and fall, with podcasts and scheduled phone calls. This has been an enjoyable and productive experience for all involved.
Evan and the rest of our Asia team – Robert Kinney, Yuliya Vinokurova, Andrew Lin, Jack Hopper and Danielle Cyr - are of course happy to advise law students from other JD programs as well.
To set up a phone call with Evan or one of our other Asia team members, please email Evan Jowers at evan@kinneyrecruiting.com or asia@kinneyrecruiting.com.
The choices a JD makes during their IL and 2L summers and 2L falls can have an enormous affect on their future marketability in Asia, should they be interested in such a move.
Keep reading »Whether you’re fresh off the bar exam or hitting your stride after hanging a shingle a few years ago, one thing’s for certain: independent attorneys who start a solo or small-law practice live with a certain amount of stress.
Non-attorneys would think the stress comes from preparing for a big trial, deposing a hostile witness, or crafting the perfect contract for a picky client.
But that’s nothing compared to the constant, nagging, real-life kind, the kind you get from the day-to-day grind of being a law-abiding attorney.
Specifically, stress from:
Keep reading »
184 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CT 06901
Connecticut plaintiffs-side boutique litigation firm (12 lawyers) seeks full-time associate with 2-4 years litigation experience, top tier undergraduate and law school education. Journal or clerkship experience a plus; highest ethical standards and strong work ethic required. Familiarity with Connecticut state court legal practice is preferred, but not required.
The firm handles sophisticated, high-end cases for plaintiffs, including individuals and businesses with significant claims in a wide array of matters. Our cases often have important public policy implications, and are litigated in state and federal courts throughout Connecticut. Representative areas of practice include medical malpractice, catastrophic personal injury, business torts, deceptive trade practices and other complex commercial litigation, and products liability.
Additional information can be located on our website, at www.sgtlaw.com.
To apply, send cover letter, resume, and law school transcript to recruiting@sgtlaw.com.
Keep reading »
