Practice Pointers
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Old People, Practice Pointers, Screw-Ups
Inside Straight: The Ghosts Of Incompetents Past
There’s a reason why people get crotchety when they get old. People forget about things that went right in their professional lives; that’s like water off a duck. But people remember things that got screwed up; that’s what sticks in their craws. You personally are not necessarily incompetent. But you’re tarred by the ghosts of […] -
Billable Hours, Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Pricing Legal Services in Eight Easy(ish) Steps
So Lat calls me up all excited about some Biglaw Midsummer Bonus or something, which I totally ignore, and also about some hysterical dicta that Judge Kozinski wrote, which I also ignore (although it probably was pretty funny), and then he starts asking me about my law career. Which, you know, ended. And he points […] - Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
Media and Journalism, Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Six Steps to Becoming an Expert
Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Small Firms, Big Lawyers, one of Above the Law’s new columns for small-firm lawyers. So you’re at a small firm and you want to be successful. Good. Why you wouldn’t want that is beyond me. But if you want to be a successful lawyer, you need to […]
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Practice Pointers
ATL Practice Pointer: Don't Discuss Private Matters in Public Places (Or: A Thelen partner's reaction to ATL layoff coverage)
Confidentiality. Lawyers get lectured about it all the time. Despite all the warnings, attorneys young and old routinely get themselves in trouble through indiscretion (not just Eliot Spitzer). Sometimes Supreme Court clerks are overheard talking about their cases. Sometimes law firm partners are overheard talking about firm business. An in-house tipster provides this account of […] -
Bad Ideas, Benchslaps, Federal Judges, Gay, Jack Thompson, Pornography, Practice Pointers, Videos
ATL Practice Pointers: Do Not File Gay Porn With Judge Jordan
When it comes to knowing how to make proper court filings, don’t bother with the FRCP, or even the local rules. Just read ATL. We tell you everything you need to know. E.g., don’t file an egg with Judge James Muirhead (D.N.H.). And don’t file gay pornography with Judge Adalberto Jordan (S.D. Fla.). From GamePolitics.com: […] -
Food, Jews, Practice Pointers, Prisons, Pro Se Litigants
ATL Practice Pointers: Do Not File An Egg with Judge Muirhead
Is 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 […] -
Attorney Misconduct, Bad Ideas, Crime, Legal Ethics, Practice Pointers, Taser, Violence
ATL Practice Pointers: Don't Taser the Client
Even if you have a possible justification for doing so — ’cause it might be illegal. From the ABA Journal: Proceedings have been delayed in a California misdemeanor case in which the defense is claiming that police brutalized their client with a stun gun during his arrest at a shopping mall last year. That’s because […] -
Biglaw, Lunacy, Paralegals, Practice Pointers, Rudeness
An Update on Litigation Support Guy
In case you’re wondering what happened to the litigation support guy at Quinn Emanuel, who sent around an office-wide email reprimanding an associate for allegedly rude treatment, here’s an update: The lit support guy got his walking papers almost immediately. The litigation associate to whom he directed the email was baffled by the entire event. […] - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Biglaw, Paralegals, Practice Pointers, Rudeness
ATL Practice Pointers: Be Nice to the Support Staff
First, it’s the right thing to do. Second, if you’re mean or rude to support staff members, they might start talking trash about you behind your back — not good for your reputation at the firm. They might also handle your projects with less care or speed in the future. If you REALLY piss them […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches, Practice Pointers
A Heartfelt F.U. Farewell to Greenberg Traurig LLP (and Biglaw)
This resignation letter has been making the rounds by email. Whaddya think? The conventional wisdom about farewell emails and resignation letters is to keep them short and sweet. Say as little as possible, and only say positive things, even if untrue (“I greatly enjoyed my time at [Biglaw X]”). Above all, don’t burn any bridges. […] -
Practice Pointers, Ridiculousness
Ahoy, Mateys! Avast, Ye Swabs!
Every now and then, we offer you some ATL Practice Pointers. Today we bring you a legal writing lesson. This is how you write a preliminary statement: Our tipster wonders: “Frustrated writer, or just a d-bag? Unfortunately, he did not continue the pirate theme throughout the brief, or even bring it back in the conclusion.” […] -
Bad Ideas, Bankruptcy, Benchslaps, Fast Food, Practice Pointers, Rudeness
HappyMealGate Wrap-up: You Want Florida CLE With That?
We have a ruling in the HappyMealGate case (prior coverage here, here, and here of Wiliam P. Smith, the McDermott Will & Emery partner who told Judge Laurel Myerson Isicoff that she was “a few French Fries short of a Happy Meal”). And it’s surprisingly lenient. Judge Isicoff basically gave Smith a stern talking to: […] -
Bad Ideas, Bankruptcy, Benchslaps, Fast Food, Practice Pointers, Rudeness
HappyMealGate: Let's Just Have a Public Flogging, and Get This Over With
Surely you all recall William P. Smith — a partner at McDermott Will & Emery (Chicago), and head of its bankruptcy department — who recently told a Miami bankruptcy judge, in open court, that she was “a few French Fries short of a Happy Meal.” We broke the story here (with follow-up here). The “Happy […]
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
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Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get…
Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so…
Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm.
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Bad Ideas, Bankruptcy, Benchslaps, Biglaw, Fast Food, Practice Pointers, Rudeness
HappyMealGate: An Update on the Fry Guy
Earlier this month, we wrote about how William P. Smith — a partner at McDermott Will & Emery (Chicago), and head of its bankruptcy department — landed himself in the deep-fat fryer. Smith unwisely told a bankruptcy judge, in open court, that she was “a few French Fries short of a Happy Meal.” Well, Judge […] -
Bad Ideas, Bankruptcy, Benchslaps, Biglaw, Practice Pointers, Rudeness
ATL Practice Pointers: Don't Insult the Judge in Open Court
Or even in chambers, for that matter. But open court is worse. From a tipster: In a bankruptcy case here in the Southern District of Florida, William P. Smith — a partner at McDermott Will & Emery (Chicago), and the head of its bankruptcy department — actually told a judge she was “a few French […] -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Nauseating Things, Practice Pointers, Shameless Plugs
Associate Bonus Watch: Wachtell Lipton Windfalls
Ah yes, the legendary bonuses of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Tout le monde wants to know: So, just how big were they? Very big (and bigger than yours). We can’t give up specific numbers for specific classes, because that might get our sources in trouble (and WLRK is a pretty small firm). But we’ll […] -
Advice for the Lawlame, Biglaw, Practice Pointers
Advice for the Lawlame: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
It has been forever since the last edition of Advice for the Lawlame. In this feature, we take a question submitted to one of NYLawyer.com’s popular advice columns, such as “Advice for the Lawlorn,” and offer our own unique take. Here’s the condensed version of today’s question: I am a mentor in my firm to […] -
Practice Pointers
ATL Practice Pointers: The Lowtalking Litigator
The stereotypical lawyer is a real bigmouth, too loud for his or her own good. But not all attorneys conform to type. This leads us to our next lesson. Practice Pointer: Don’t mumble your closing argument. This news story comes from Ireland rather than America, but it’s still instructive: A murder trial jury has been […] -
Bad Ideas, Jack Thompson, Lunacy, Practice Pointers, State Judges, Violence
ATL Practice Pointers: How to Deal With Defeat
Here at Above the Law, we’re not all about silliness. We have a serious and more practical side, too. Last month, in honor of fall recruiting season, we shared with you our Top Ten Interview Tips. This is what’s known in the trade as “service journalism,” or what U.S. News and World Report calls “news […]