Above the Law

LSAT, Public Interest

What Should A Prospective Public Defender With A Middling LSAT Score Do?

By Sam Wright

Law school can be expensive, and sometimes mid-tier law schools may be a worse investment than one lower down the food chain.

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/ Feb 24, 2015 at 11:35 AM
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Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Screw-Ups, Small Law Firms

Beyond Biglaw: The Dean’s 4-Step Formula For Dealing With Mistakes

By Gaston Kroub

Every lawyer, no matter how talented, makes mistakes. Here’s advice on how to deal with them, from columnist Gaston Kroub.

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/ Feb 24, 2015 at 10:24 AM

Mary Jo White

* Mary Jo White’s sizable net worth is causing sizable headaches over at the SEC. [DealBook / New York Times]

* If you work at a law firm and take way too long to perform simple tasks in Microsoft Word or Excel, shape up: a new test, developed by former in-house lawyer Casey Flaherty, could expose your weaknesses — and lead to your work being discounted. [Capital Business / Washington Post]

* More from Howard Bashman about the misadventures of Howard Shipley, the Foley & Lardner partner who might get spanked by SCOTUS for a bizarre filing. [How Appealing]

(more…)

13 Comments / / Feb 24, 2015 at 9:22 AM

Accounting / Accountants, Job Searches

What’s Worse: Being A Lawyer Or An Accountant?

By Zach Abramowitz

Which field will disappear sooner? Who’s more boring?

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 6:27 PM

Non-Sequiturs, Social Media

Non-Sequiturs: 02.23.15

By Joe Patrice

Jodi Arias

* Two jurors excused in the Jodi Arias sentencing retrial. Those were the lucky ones who were able to never have to hear about this case again. [KFYI]

* After handing down their latest law school rankings, NLJ also talked with hiring partners about getting hired. [National Law Journal]

* Louisiana. Never stop being you. Longest sitting judge in the state temporarily removed from post pending investigation. [Times-Picayune]

(more…)

5 Comments / / Feb 23, 2015 at 5:36 PM

State Judges Are Clowns, Videos

John Oliver Thrashes Elected Judges

By Joe Patrice

It takes John Oliver only a few minutes to obliterate the idea that we should be electing judges.

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 5:25 PM

Litigators, Quote of the Day

On The Dangerously Viral Nature Of Lurid Lawsuits

By David Lat

Thanks to e-filing and the internet, salacious allegations spread quickly — whether they’re true or not.

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 4:59 PM
Banking Law, Marijuana

Marijuana Banking: Big Problems With Stashing The Cash

By Hilary Bricken

Another significant hurdle to running a marijuana business — even if it’s legal in your state.

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 4:20 PM
Pro Se Litigants, Richard Posner

Judge Posner Lights Into Pro Se ‘Sovereign Citizen’

By Joe Patrice

Watch Judge Posner have to deal with a pro se crazy — in person.

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 4:05 PM

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California, Pornography

The Problem With California’s Child Porn Laws

By Elie Mystal

How do you write a child porn law that people can’t get behind?

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 3:04 PM
Crime

Criminally Yours: A Dirty Little Secret

By Toni Messina

Here’s a criminal defense attorney’s view from the trenches, never as a prosecutor, judge, or jury, but always as an advocate for the guy who got arrested.

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 2:08 PM
Job Searches, Law Schools, Rankings

What Are ‘The Top 50 Go-To Law Schools’?

By Joe Patrice

Check out the top 10 “go-to” law schools. What does it mean to be a “go-to” law school? Find out.

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 1:02 PM
Email Scandals, Gay, Law Schools

3L At Top Law School Writes ‘Derogatory’ Anti-Gay Email, Hits ‘Reply All’

By David Lat

Bigotry on open display thanks to a “reply all” mishap.

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 12:05 PM
Blogging, In-House Counsel, Media and Journalism

The Perils Of Publishing

By Mark Herrmann

In-house columnist Mark Herrmann uses Hitler jokes to demonstrate the perils of writing for a mass audience.

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 11:05 AM

China

Selling Your Product Into China Via A Distributor Agreement

By Dan Harris

There are a lot of ways to sell your product in China. Whichever you choose, make sure you’ve protected yourself.

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/ Feb 23, 2015 at 10:06 AM

Morning Docket

Morning Docket 02.23.15

By Joe Patrice

Alexandra Marchuk and Juan Monteverde

* Welcome back my friends, to the case that never ends: attorneys for Alexandra Marchuk lodged a request for $1.4 million in attorneys fees after her Pyrrhic victory in the Faruqi & Faruqi case. [Law360]

* In the wake of the Oscars, it’s worth remembering that David Boies is a movie producer. Next up for his shop, Boies/Schiller Film Group, a movie starring Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor. Because their last movies together were so frigging fantastic. [The Am Law Daily]

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48 Comments / / Feb 23, 2015 at 9:01 AM

5th Circuit, Death Penalty, Federal Judges, Legal Ethics

Speaking Truth To Power Is Only Noble When You Are Actually Speaking The Truth: The Failed Complaint Against Judge Edith Jones

By Tamara Tabo

For Judge Jones, the victory must be bittersweet.

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/ Feb 20, 2015 at 5:38 PM

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.20.15

By Joe Patrice

unc_logo * A special committee of the Board of Governors at UNC Law is trying to shut down its Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity because its butthurt that the center spends it time talking about “poverty.” UNC Dean Boger thinks this is some bulls**t and says so. [UNC School of Law]

* Becoming a patent lawyer has been one of the safest bets in an otherwise atrocious market. That may change. Study predicts a huge drop off in job openings. [The Faculty Lounge]

(more…)

31 Comments / / Feb 20, 2015 at 5:02 PM