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What’s Up With That Deer Valley Trip? Quinn Emanuel Partners Speak

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Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver Hedges associate salary Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgWe’ve devoted an insane amount of coverage to Quinn Emanuel’s plan to take recruits to a resort in Deer Valley, Utah (in lieu of callbacks). Now The Recorder has this interesting article:

Instead of bringing students met during on-campus interviews back to the office for a series of sit-downs, the firm will take them on the road. Quinn Emanuel is arranging an all-expenses-paid October weekend of dining and drinks in Deer Valley, Utah, for about 40 students. They’ll stay at the Stein Eriksen Lodge, a Scandinavian-inspired chalet where a suite runs more than $2,000 a night in peak season.

“We stole the idea from an investment bank — I don’t think any law firm has tried it,” said firm leader William Urquhart.

Reporter Kellie Schmitt confronted Quinn Emanuel partners with some choice comments from ATL readers. Learn about their reactions, after the jump.

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Year-End Bonus Watch: Chicago (and a Reminder About L.A.)

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Chicago Sears Tower Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgSo you can’t get a decent horse meat sandwich in the Windy City. How about a decent year-end bonus?
In the comments, please discuss the subject of year-end bonuses for law firm associates in CHICAGO. Topics might include hours cutoffs for hours-based policies, historical patterns in bonus size (e.g. what happened last year), and gossip about what might happen this year.
And how about those legendary Kirkland & Ellis bonuses? Pretty sweet, aren’t they?
P.S. In case you missed it, since we posted it at an odd hour, our L.A. bonus thread appears here.
Earlier: Year-end bonus open threads for Los Angeles and New York.

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They Eat Horses, Don’t They?

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Well, not in Illinois. In Cavel International v. Madigan (PDF; via How Appealing), the Seventh Circuit upheld an Illinois law making it unlawful to “slaughter a horse if that person knows or should know that any of the horse meat will be used for human consumption.”
It’s a quirky and interesting case. Howard Bashman provides a concise summary and more discussion over here.
Don’t miss page 11 of Judge Richard Posner’s slip opinion, which features a photograph of a “birthday cake” made of horse meat. YUM!!
horse meat horsemeat Cavel International Lisa Madigan Richard Posner Above the Law blog.jpg
Cavel Int’l v. Madigan (PDF) [U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit]
Horse meat was until recently an accepted part of the American diet [How Appealing]

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ATL Practice Pointers: Do Not File An Egg with Judge Muirhead

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egg hardboiled egg hard boiled egg vs man Above the Law blog.jpgIs this litigation kosher? You bet. From Vos Iz Neias (Yiddish: “What’s News”):

A New Hampshire prison inmate’s file drove a federal judge to rhyme to express himself.

A prison inmate protesting his [non-Kosher] diet attached a hard-boiled egg to documents sent by mail to U.S. District Court Judge James Muirhead.

“I do not like eggs in the file. I do not like them in any style. I will not take them fried or boiled. I will not take them poached or broiled. I will not take them soft or scrambled Despite an argument well-rambled,” Muirhead wrote in his response to inmate Charles Wolffe.

Wolffe, 61, says he is an Orthodox Jew and has accused prison officials of refusing to feed him a kosher diet. He is seeking… proper foods and $10 million from the state. His case has been scheduled for a trial.

More discussion, plus the full text of Judge Muirhead’s order, after the jump.

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Lawyerly Lairs: Star Litigator Bails Hedge-Funder Out of $8 Million Mansion

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Eugene Stearns Eugene E Stearns 250 Cape Florida Drive D John Devaney Above the Law blog.jpgHere’s a sign of changing times: lawyers are picking up luxury real estate holdings that hedge fund guys can’t afford to keep.
From the Daily Business Review:

A high profile Miami litigator is expanding his real estate holdings on Key Biscayne.

Attorney Eugene E. Stearns and his wife, Diana, purchased a two-story home at 250 Cape Florida Drive for $8 million Aug. 31 from United Real Estate Ventures owned by trader D. John Devaney.

The 7,852-square-foot house has eight bathrooms, six bedrooms and a first-floor master suite. The house built in 1985 features cathedral ceilings.

Who says the Miami real estate market is dead? A thousand bucks a square foot, for a single-family house not on the island of Manhattan, doesn’t sound half-bad.
Discussion continues after the jump.

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Are You There God? Yes, I Am

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Ernie Chambers Omaha Nebraska senator suing God Above the Law blog.jpgTime for a quick update on a recent Lawsuit of the Day — the case filed by Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers, against God. Yes, God.
From the AP (via TaxProf Blog):

A legislator who filed a lawsuit against God has gotten something he might not have expected: a response.

One of two court filings from “God” came Wednesday under otherworldly circumstances, according to John Friend, clerk of the Douglas County District Court in Omaha.

“This one miraculously appeared on the counter. It just all of a sudden was here — poof!” Friend said.

Or maybe the court clerks didn’t notice when it was dropped off, since they were too busy gabbing about why Tyra picked a chick with Asperger’s for America’s Next Top Model.
More after the jump.

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Job of the Week

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Here’s the latest Job of the Week from Lateral Link, ATL’s career partner:

Title: Attorney In Charge Of Firmwide Private Equity Knowledge Management

Location: Chicago

Description: This position is a combination business and legal position at a top international law firm, with no billable hours and no client development expectations. The position is full-time, affording the attorney holding the position the ability to remain deeply involved in private equity law with a more regular and predictable schedule than most private equity attorneys experience.

The attorney would have responsibilities in a number of areas related to the firm’s highly regarded private equity practice — precedent, training, publications and knowledge development, among other things. This firm offers a highly competitive salary and bonus eligibility, which is expected to be comparable to the salary and bonus eligibility of an attorney at a similar level of experience. This position is ideal for a private equity attorney seeking to scale back their practice and increase their role in business development, marketing and management.

More details, after the jump.

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A Colbert Report for Legal Geeks

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Jeffrey Toobin Colbert Report Jeff Toobin Stephen Colbert Above the Law blog.jpgLast night’s Colbert Report was a bonanza for law nerds. The featured guest was Jeffrey Toobin, who spoke about his new book, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. Toobin and Colbert had a relaxed and easy rapport, and their conversation was highly entertaining — perhaps the best CR appearance since Neal Katyal. You can check out Stephen Colbert’s interview of Jeff Toobin by clicking here.
Before turning to the SCOTUS, they discussed the most recent legal troubles of O.J. Simpson. As you may recall, Toobin was one of the lead correspondents on the original O.J. trial, as well as the author of a bestselling book about it, The Run of His Life. Toobin summarized the defense strategy in the armed robbery case against Simpson as follows: “If it’s his s***, you must acquit.”
But that’s not all! There was a special shout-out to Bingham McCutchen, during the ThreatDown.
More details, plus a video clip, after the jump.

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The Eyes of the Law: At the Kennedy Center

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Kennedy Center Performing Arts Washington DC Above the Law blog.jpgIf you enjoy spotting legal celebrities, then the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, here in Washington, DC, is where it’s at. Check out these latest Eyes of the Law sightings:

“On Sunday, it was the symphony opening at the Kennedy Center. I walked in with Justice Alito, and Justice Ginsburg came a bit later. And Vernon Jordan.”

“There were also non-legal celebrities in attendance: Steven Schwarzman, Alphonso Jackson, Tom Friedman, and Nancy Brinker, the former head of the Komen Foundation and the new U.S. Chief of Protocol.”

Non-lawyers — who cares about them? Unless, say, they are legal media celebrities:

“On Monday, at the opera, I spotted Nina Totenberg. She wore a nice blue suit and had full metal makeup and hair.”

“She stood in line for her drink in the lobby along with everyone else and did not push to the front or demand that others get her drink for her. Apparently this is very out of character for her.”

If you spot a legal celeb out and about, please let us know, by email. Cell phone pictures and even TMZ-style video are always welcome. Thanks.

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Morning Docket: 09.21.07

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* A criminal action. [AP via How Appealing]
* Another criminal action: as expected, Mel Weiss indicted. [DealBook]
* 3 years of probationizzle. [BBC]
* Can’t go to Yale? No worries if Yale’s your name and O.J.’s your client. [CNN]
* Been duped into seeking asylum? Blame Canada. [New York Times]
* Ten Commandents display in Kentucky courthouse OK. [Jurist]

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Year-End Bonus Watch: Los Angeles

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Hollywood sign Los Angeles LA City of Angels Above the Law blog.jpgAs we announced earlier today, we’re doing a series of open threads on year-end bonuses. We’re organizing them by city, since bonuses tend to vary by legal market.
This post — which some of you have been eagerly anticipating, judging from the attempts to hijack the New York thread — is about LOS ANGELES. Please discuss bonus policies at L.A. law firms in the comments. Thanks.
Earlier: Year-bonus open thread for New York.

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Non-Sequiturs: 09.20.07

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* A synopsis of the Jena 6 controversy, and Glenn Reynolds’s thoughts on it. [Instapundit; Instapundit]
* We’re relieved to learn we’re alone in finding the “Don’t Tase Me” guy “slightly annoying.” [Wonkette]
* Should law professors impose mandatory attendance policies? [Concurring Opinions]
* Humorless lawyer who can’t handle being parodied in video game = Lawsuit of the Day. [PrawfsBlawg]
* White Judge With Asian Guy = Judge of the Day. Especially when she berates him for crying in court as he describes why he fled from China. [New York Times]

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