Rudeness
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Associate Advice, Rudeness, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: The Problem with Lawyer Letters
Have you ever noticed that some lawyers become different people when they get in front of a keyboard? It’s like a Jekyll-and-Hyde kind of thing. They might be perfectly pleasant individuals in real life, capable of warmth or at least civility to their fellow human beings. But get them in front of a computer with […] -
Alan Dershowitz, Associate Advice, Rudeness, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Five Tips for Dealing With Obnoxious Opponents
I have a temper. That might surprise people who know me casually, like my professional acquaintances. I work hard to keep it in check. Over the past 17 years as an employment litigator (representing companies), I’ve gotten better at controlling my anger. But it hasn’t always been easy. Because lawyers can be pretty adept at […] - 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… -
Depositions, Divorce Train Wrecks, Family Law, Lawyer of the Day, Rudeness
Shortest Deposition Ever
If you already know what I’m talking about, I’m sorry — I don’t have very much to add. The deposition is so damn short, the transcript doesn’t contain case-identifying information, and the pdf has been stripped of its metadata. Really, I only know what you know: a hilarious deposition took place earlier this month. For […]
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Benchslaps, Federal Judges, Kids, Litigators, Pregnancy / Paternity, Rudeness, Trials
Federal Judge Benchslaps Plaintiffs' Counsel: Stop Being Tools
A trial was scheduled to start in Kansas federal court on June 14, 2011. Defendants moved for a short continuance because one of their lawyers is expecting his first child on July 3. (The lawyer in question, Bryan Erman, is quite cute — check out that chin dimple.) Plaintiffs’ counsel objected to the continuance — […] -
7th Circuit, Attorney Misconduct, Benchslaps, Federal Judges, Legal Ethics, Litigators, Quote of the Day, Richard Posner, Rudeness, Vicious Infighting
Quote of the Day: Judge Posner Is Not a Kindergarten Teacher
There must be no more of this childish abuse…. No more or there will be sanctions. In more than 29 years as a judge, I have never encountered such bickering, quarrelsome lawyers. You are wasting my time and your clients’ money. — Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit, sitting by designation as a district […] -
Canada, Lawyer of the Day, Rudeness
Do Canadian Lawyers Have Potty Mouths?
The Law Society of Upper Canada has its panties in a twist. Apparently there are a few lawyers up there who have been exhibiting “uncivil behavior,” and the society wants it to stop. I know what you are thinking: Isn’t everybody in Canada nice (except for Scott; he’s a dick)? Well, it would seem that […] -
Biglaw, Email Scandals, listserv, Partner Issues, Rudeness, Screw-Ups
More Proof That Lawyers Will Fight Over Anything
Sometimes you just have to whip it out and wait for somebody to bring over a ruler. That’s just a part of life. But some lawyers seem to sit around all day just waiting for an opportunity to drop drawers and call for the chains. Don’t believe me? Take a look at this guy from […] -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues, Rudeness
Inside Straight: 'How To Be A Crappy Partner'
Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Inside Straight, Above the Law’s column for in-house counsel, written by Mark Herrmann. I need your help here. I occasionally give “book talks” about my silly little ditty, The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law. During those talks, I explain that my book is written in the voice […] - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
California, Cars, Drinking, DUI / DWI, Rudeness
Law License Plates: Don't Drink and Drive (With This License Plate)
Based on the overwhelming number of submissions we’ve received — please don’t be offended if yours doesn’t make the cut — it seems you’re enjoying our recent series on legally-themed license plates. You can send in your photos via email (subject line: “Vanity License Plate”). Here’s one license plate we received that’s not explicitly law-related. […] -
California, Cars, Law Schools, Rudeness
Law License Plates: Legalese (and More School Spirit)
We continue our series on law-related license plates that are interesting or amusing. We’re still taking submissions, for a contest we will eventually hold; please submit your pictures via email (subject line: “Vanity License Plate”). One way of communicating your status as an attorney to your fellow motorists is by dropping some mad legal knowledge […] -
Cars, Law Schools, Rudeness
Law License Plates: School Spirit?
On Friday we posted a photo of a law-related license plate that struck some of you as rather obnoxious. We asked you to send in pictures of additional legally-themed vanity plates, by email (subject line: “Vanity License Plate”). We received a number of interesting submissions. Check out the first one…. -
Cars, Rudeness
A Funny Friday License Plate
Check out the amusing license plate below, sent to us by a reader in Los Angeles (of course)…. UPDATE (5:45 PM): Our original tipster adds, “Not sure if you can see the ‘Harvard Law Graduate’ brackets….” -
Facebook, Law Professors, Law Schools, LLMs, Rudeness
Here in the United States, if the professor ends class early, we do not complain.
And maybe that’s why we’re falling behind the rest of the world educationally. But at least we’re having fun, right? This story comes to us from Boston University Law School (a top 10 law school by alumni median income, by the way). A professor accidentally ended class 15 minutes early, and it looked like class […]
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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…
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ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
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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…
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Litigators, Rudeness, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Don't Be an Extension Douche
Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Small Firms, Big Lawyers, one of Above the Law’s new columns for small-firm lawyers. About ten years ago, my former law partner and I were involved in a noncompete case against the fourteenth-largest firm in the country. (It’s since slipped about forty spots. As you’ll see, payback’s […] -
Federal Judges, Free Speech, Rudeness, Samuel Alito, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Unless You Are a Corporation, Sam Alito Wants You to STFU
The Supreme Court just handed down its decision in the Westboro Baptist Church case, Snyder v. Phelps. The court ruled, 8-1, that the father of a slain Marine could not successfully sue the Westboro church in tort for protesting during his son’s funeral. Call it Free Speech 101. The hard part about the First Amendment […] -
Drinking, Law Schools, Parties, Pictures, Rudeness, Violence
Law School Party Follow Up -- Now With Art
Last week, we wrote about the crazy party at the “Over the Hump” law prom of UC Davis Law. Many Davis commenters chimed in to say that the party really wasn’t all that crazy. That’s not surprising. If you go to a party that’s off the hook, only you didn’t witness or experience anything particularly […] -
Harvard, Minority Issues, Racism, Rudeness
Club Accused of Discriminating Against Blacks During the Harvard-Yale Game Is Fined, Apologizes
Let justice be done! Back in November, we told you about what went down during the most recent Harvard-Yale Game. A Boston Club, Cure Lounge, shut down a Game-related gathering, essentially because the black Harvard and Yale students were attracting too many other black people. At the time, I was appalled, but not particularly hopeful […] -
Drinking, Law Schools, Parties, Rudeness, Violence
Drunk and Disorderly Conduct at a Law School Prom?
The volume of applications to law schools nationwide is down by about 13 percent for the fall 2011 class, as noted recently by the Daily Journal (subscription). This is positive news. Maybe it means that people who are thinking prudently about their futures are finally getting the message that law school is no longer a […] -
Biglaw, Canada, Harvard, Labor / Employment, Pepper Hamilton, Rudeness, Sex Scandals, Sexism, Sexual Harassment
Aggrieved Women Potpourri: Sexual Harassment Canada-Style, and the Return of Charlene Morisseau
I’m not trying to compare the claims of Jaime Laskis, a former associate at the prominent Canadian law firm of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, with those of Charlene Morisseau (a legendary Lawyer of the Day honoree, from 2007). But we’ve got two stories vaguely related to alleged employee harassment and discrimination in the legal profession, […] -
Nauseating Things, Ridiculousness, Rudeness
What's More Embarrassing Than Farting? Being the Country That Criminalizes Farting.
I don’t know much about Malawi. I know they had a fuel shortage recently. So when I heard they were banning gas, I thought, “Well, that’s an elegant solution.” But Malawi isn’t banning gas, it’s going to criminalize passing gas. Yeah, because of all the things going on in Malawi, I’m sure farting is a […]