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Breaking (Down Completely): Lindsay Lohan!

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Lindsay Lohan Help Me Drudge Report Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgOh goodness. And you thought Paris Hilton was troubled. From the AP:

Lindsay Lohan, who just finished a second stint in rehab for substance abuse treatment, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving early Tuesday, authorities said.

Lohan, who is already facing a drunken driving charge in Beverly Hills, was pulled over near the Santa Monica Police Department after authorities spotted her car chasing another vehicle…..

Authorities conducted a field sobriety test and then transported Lohan to the police department. The 21-year-old actress was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on a suspended license and possession of cocaine, among other charges, [Sgt. Shane] Talbot said.

Police found cocaine in one of her pants pockets during a pre-booking search, Talbot said.

Summer associates can get pretty wild, especially after they’ve had a few drinks. But Lolita ain’t got nothing on LiLo.
Law-and-economics types will appreciate this analysis, from Perez Hilton:

This could ruin Lindsay’s career! NO ONE is going to want to work with her now. And IF they do hire her, Lohan will most likely be forced to pay for her own insurance on films, which will be VERY COSTLY.

See, the market IS efficient! Even the market in alcoholic, coke-addicted young strumpets.
Lohan in Car Chase [TMZ.com]
It Was Cocaine!!!!!! [PerezHilton.com]
Lohan Booked on Suspicion of DUI [Associated Press]
Lindsay Lohan Arrested for DUI, Again [ABC7.com via Drudge Report]

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Morning Docket 07.24.07

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Michael Vick middle finger Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpg* Vick hires Billy Martin (I’ll forego all the jokes about whether he’s gonna fire him and rehire him twice). [AOL Sports NFL Fanhouse]
* And the NFL tells him to stay away from training camp. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
* And apparently he’s taking a “leave of absence”. [WAGA FOX 5 (Atlanta FOX affiliate)]
* The person taking your order tomorrow morning at McDonald’s will be slightly happier to be there. [CNN]
* I hold myself in contempt, your honor! [Jurist]

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Good Luck to All Bar Exam Takers

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Bar Exam Lolcats Facebook Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgTo everyone sitting for the bar exam today (or later this week): Good luck!
Relax; you’ll be just fine. We’re sure that you’ll pass, with flying colors.
Even if you don’t, no worries. You can take the bar again. Lots of famous and successful people didn’t pass the first time around. (Or even, say, the thirteenth time around.)
And if you don’t pass, that could be a blessing in disguise. It could constitute your million-dollar payday!
(Or maybe your $9.75 payday. That’s good for at least two beverages at Starbucks, even after they hike prices later this summer.)
Bar Exam Lolcats [Facebook]
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of bar exams (scroll down)

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Non-Sequiturs: 07.23.07

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Janice Rogers Brown 3 Supreme Court Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpg* Here is Tom Goldstein’s (not so) short list of possible Supreme Court nominees in a Republican administration. We’ll probably write more about it later, but for now, we’ll ask: Why not more love for Judge Janice? [SCOTUSblog]
* You know your presidential popularity is in the toilet when… [Keeping Up With Jonas]
* Internet pop-up ads: If they’re okay for porn producers, why not lawyers? [Sui Generis]
* Do you like to watch Entourage? If you share our interest in the entertainment industry, especially talent agencies, you’ll find this article very interesting. [LA Weekly]

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Happy Birthday, Justice Kennedy!

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Anthony Kennedy Justice Anthony M Kennedy Above the Law blog.jpgSome helpful tipsters reminded us: today is the birthday of [swing] Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. Happy Birthday, Justice Kennedy!
We asked one reader, aspiring lawyer Andrew Cohen,* for thoughts on writing up a short post. His response:

“You don’t. You write a ridiculously long post that both praises and denigrates him, pretending to come out clearly one way or another, but writing so murkily that no one can tell how you actually feel.”

And let’s throw in some flowery rhetoric, too. Considering that it’s AMK’s birthday, a shout-out to the “mystery of life” would be quite apropos.
Update: Thanks for the reminder. Birthday wishes also go out to Justice Kennedy’s most famous former clerk: Judge Alex Kozinski!
Justice Kennedy Turns 71 [How Appealing]
* We include Mr. Cohen’s name with his permission (and wish him good luck on the bar exam tomorrow). But our default rule at ATL is anonymity for all correspondents.

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Biglaw Perk Watch: Home Is Where the Art Is

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Mona Lisa Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgWorking in the legal profession, and especially at a large law firm, generally comes with a lot of fringe benefits. So our series of posts on Biglaw perks is by no means complete.
Here’s the perk that we’ll discuss today: office art (or a decorating budget). If you’re going to spend thousands of billable hours a year in that space, shouldn’t it be beautiful?
When we were at a firm, if you asked the office manager, you’d be taken to a special art closet. It was full of random items that were deemed unsuitable for other spaces within the firm — e.g., hallways, conference rooms, partner offices — but were there for the taking by associates. We selected this weird orange-brown-white composition, a painting that looked a lot like a collage. It had a certain “so bad it’s good” quality to it.
Other firms will give you a budget for decorating your digs. We hear, for example, that Kirkland & Ellis gives associates something like $300 $350 for art and office decor. A source tells us: “People use it to frame their diplomas and bar admission certificates. It’s nice.”
So, what does your employer do for you on this front? Please discuss, in the comments. Thanks.
Update: To read about law firm art collections (as opposed to art in associate offices), see here.
“A Robe Called Paul Weiss” [WSJ Law Blog]

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Don’t Sue Facebook, We Like It

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Facebook logo MySpace Friendster Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgAre you addicted to Facebook? You’re not alone.
Hopefully the site’s legal troubles will not interfere with its continuing viability. Facebook withdrawal could be almost as severe as Blackberry withdrawal (which loomed until the RIM litigation was settled).
If you’re an ATL reader and Facebook user, check out a top ten list of recommended Facebook groups, after the jump.

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A Summer Associate Etiquette Manual: Special Katten Edition

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Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP Abovethelaw Above the Law legal tabloid blog.jpgLast week we told you about a fellow at Katten Muchin Rosenman in Chicago, who managed to achieve the impossible feat: he got fired from a summer associate gig. This is even more impressive than merely getting “no-offered” at the end of the summer. We wrote:

1. A summer associate in the Chicago office of Katten was fired earlier this month (believed to be the week of July 9, 2007).

2. His employment was terminated because (a) he allegedly engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with female summer associates, variously described as “repeatedly smack[ing] the asses of female summers” or “playing grab ass with female summers,” and (b) he allegedly made racially insensitive jokes, in front of multiple attorneys.

In the wake of this story, a reader sent us this message:

Apparently, the WSJ Law Blog “Rules of Etiquette” for summer associates need minor revision. Here are my suggested changes.

You can check out the new and improved etiquette handbook, after the jump.

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Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: Thompson & Knight

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Thompson Knight LLP Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgWe can confirm the rumor that Thompson & Knight has raised first- and second-year associate salaries. Management recently circulated a press release to associates, along with this brief intro:

“This press release will go out shortly. We will elicit your thoughts on the more senior associate structure.”

The press release — which isn’t on the firm website yet, but should be soon — appears after the jump.
Update: The Texas Lawyer has an article about the raises available here.

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Nina Totenberg: The Diva That Keeps On Delivering

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Nina Totenberg small NPR Georgetown Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.JPGEver since our original request for colorful stories about the delicious Nina Totenberg, the doyenne (or maybe the dean?) of the Supreme Court press corps, we’ve experienced an avalanche of anecdotes about this larger-than-life legal journalist.
We still have a few reports in the queue. Here’s the latest contribution:

Any discussion of Totenberg must include John Hockenberry’s recountings of her diva-like attitude around the NPR newsroom. He writes about her in his well-known memoir, Moving Violations. Note that Hockenberry implies Totenberg will ruin the career of anyone who crosses her. [Ed. note: YIKES.]

Go to Amazon and search for “Totenberg” in the book, John Hockenberry, Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of Independence. Starting around page 174, you’ll read this…

If you haven’t tired of reading about Ms. Nina — we know we haven’t, but everyone’s different — check out the rest of this post, after the jump.

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X-Summers: The Swiss Mister

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Swiss Miss Swiss Mister Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgThanks to everyone who has responded thus far to our call for summer associate stories. We’ve received a number of colorful anecdotes, which we’ll be publishing over the next few days (or weeks, if the supply holds up). If you have a story you’d like to share, please check out the submission guidelines.
We like this one ’cause it’s weird — not just your typical tale of SA inebriation, followed by a drunken hookup and/or fistfight. Check it out:
1. Superhero name: The Swiss Mister
2. Special power: The ability to consume massive quantities of hot chocolate.
3. Summered: Lord, Bissell & Brook, Chicago, “a few years ago”
4. Claim to fame: From a source at the firm:

at the firm, there are kitchens on every floor. the kitchens have various drinks for the people to have while working: coffee, tea, and hot cocoa.

there is a protocol — it’s not that hard. if you are thirsty, or cold, or just want something nice and caffeinated, you go there and get a drink. common sense, right?

well, on this guy’s floor, meeting services noticed that every night, the hot cocoa drawer was empty. they would refill it, and the next night it would be gone again. it was very bizarre… since the coffee and tea are more popular anyway, especially during the summer. the drawer is big. it holds a lot of packets of hot cocoa. but, every night… it was all gone.

it turns out this summer associate was stealing all of the hot cocoa. every day.

Read more — including how he was apprehended, and whether he got an offer — after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “X-Summers: The Swiss Mister”

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Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: Susman Godfrey Raises (Yawn)

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Susman Godfrey LLP Above the Law blog.JPGThe folks over at litigation powerhouse Susman Godfrey like to toot their own horn. But that’s okay, because they have a lot to boast about. The firm has been tremendously successful, and it pays its people very well (especially in terms of bonuses).
So this news should come as no surprise to anyone. From the Texas Lawyer:

Over the weekend, Houston-based Susman Godfrey joined the growing list of Texas-based firms opting to compensate Texas associates at rates comparable to their New York counterparts.

According to firm spokesman Shawn Raymond, the partners at Susman decided on July 21 to raise associate salaries effective Aug. 1 to $160,000 for first-years, $170,000 for second-years, $175,000 for third-years, $180,000 for fourth-years, and $190,000 for fifth years — after which lawyers at the firm are considered candidates for partnership.

“We want to attract the best and brightest at this firm,” Raymond says when asked about the changes.

That’s one short partnership track — which makes up for the relatively small salary increases after the second year. (And considering that pay levels for Texas associates beyond the second year are still up in the air, it’s not clear that Susman is even below market.)
Susman Godfrey Raises Associate Salaries, Effective Aug. 1 [Texas Lawyer]

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