Screw-Ups
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Fashion, In-House Counsel, Lawyer of the Day, Screw-Ups
In-House (and Inactive) Lawyer of the Day: Jonathan Moss
Gucci wants g’s for the use of its big G. Gucci sued Guess Inc. in 2009 for trademark infringement, for allegedly selling knock-offs of its designs and for using the interlocking “GG” pattern. Guess may be the company making knock-offs, but Gucci’s the company with fake lawyers. Gucci recently fired in-house lawyer Jonathan Moss because […] -
Environment / Environmental Law, Screw-Ups
Gibson Dunn Discovers a Typo
Steven Donzinger has been working on behalf of Ecuadorian natives for seventeen years, representing them in a lawsuit against Chevron alleging the oil company has destroyed their rainforest. It’s a much-covered case, and Harvard Law grad Donzinger has usually been cast as the hero fighting the big bad oil company. But it looks like Donzinger’s […] - Sponsored
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Email Scandals, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, Screw-Ups, Tax Law
Here's One Way To Reveal Your Firm's Non-Equity Partners
It’s one of the few things still shrouded in secrecy at most firms: which partners have equity in the firm and which don’t. Actual partners, of course, get a share in the firm’s profits, and are part of the PPP calculations reported by Am Law. Non-equity partners get the partner honorific, but in actuality they’re […]
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Law Schools, Screw-Ups
Cooley Law Dropout Learns a Lesson in Res Judicata
Whenever we write about Thomas M. Cooley Law School, commenters cannot resist reminding us of Cooley’s business model. The school admits a large number of 1Ls. If they can’t hack it, they are dismissed. So what happens to the kids who couldn’t hack it at Cooley? Well, sometimes they sue the school for discrimination. But, […] -
Email Scandals, Money, Screw-Ups, Student Loans
Wake Forest Gives Law Students Money, Takes it Back Immediately
For one glorious moment, prospective law students thinking of going to Wake Forest Law School learned that they had received the Melanie Nutt Scholarship from the school. Then, in an instant, the scholarship was recalled. Apparently the offer of free money was a technical error: About ten minutes ago I received an e-mail from them […] -
Law Professors, Law Schools, Screw-Ups, William and Mary School of Law
Hey, Teacher ... Give Those Kids Their Grades!Grades delayed at W&M, UT - Austin... anywhere else?
How long should students have to wait for fall semester grades? Two weeks? A month? Some students at William and Mary School of Law are still waiting for fall semester grades — and they might not be alone. I understand that law professors would rather drink wine straight from the box than grade a paper. […] -
Prostitution, Ridiculousness, Screw-Ups
Unclassy Action Lawsuit?
Filed this month in the Southern District of New York: Given the defendants in the lawsuit, we’re unsure if that’s a spelling or homophone mistake. -
Email Scandals, Screw-Ups
Total Recall? Not at Winston & Strawn.Email gaffe sends 'all partners' memo to 'all attorneys.'
Received last Friday from a tipster at Winston & Strawn (who was unhappy with the firm’s double salary freeze): To add major insult to injury — especially after Sidley Austin’s announcement [of a raise] this afternoon — the Managing Partner of Winston just accidentally emailed a memo to ALL ATTORNEYS (including all associates) which he […] - Sponsored
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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… -
Email Scandals, Job Searches, Law Schools, Screw-Ups
3L Achieves Networking Failure: Disaster Preserved via Email
Times are difficult for 3Ls. The legal economy is in shambles. Their debts are about to come due, and they have no reasonable opportunities for legal employment. Many third years have resorted to cold, unsolicited résumé dumps, hoping against hope that they’ll get lucky. There is a lot of pressure on 3Ls. But handling enormous […] -
Federal Government, Screw-Ups
F.B.I. Lawyer FAIL
Last year, government lawyers were crucified for their prosecution of former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. The DOJ prosecutors’ questionable handling of the case led to its dismissal and some problems for the DOJ’s public integrity unit. This week marks another big f***-up by government lawyers. But in a different building. The Washington Post reports that […] -
Cardozo Law School, Email Scandals, Law Schools, Screw-Ups
Dodo 'Dozo Student Makes Some Laugh, Others Cry
If you attend or graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, you most likely knew this post was coming. For the rest of you, let me bring you up to speed. Cardozo Law is trying to connect students who want extra tutoring with students who are willing to help. Cardozo’s office of student services […] -
Law Professors, Reader Polls, Screw-Ups
Visiting Professor at NYU Makes a Mess of 1L Contracts Exam
Sometimes I find myself recycling my own material. I’ll make a joke in front of one group of friends, they’ll laugh, and I’ll use the same joke in front of a different group of friends. The second audience can’t know that I’ve already used the joke with a different audience, lest I be exposed as […] -
Law Professors, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Screw-Ups
Leaked Exam a 'Teachable Moment' on Ethical Consequences for Oregon Law Students
It is exam time, and everybody is hunkered down. Law students at the University of Oregon are undoubtedly excited about the upcoming Rose Bowl, but they’ll have to get through finals first. One group of Oregon Law students received an unexpected surprise during study period last week. They checked their list-serve for Professor John Bonine’s […]
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How Generative AI Will Improve Legal Service Delivery
Learn how emerging tools will likely change and enhance the work of lawyers for years to come in this new report.
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…
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11th Circuit, Death Penalty, Pro Bono, Screw-Ups
Sullivan & Cromwell's Life-or-Death Mistake?Leading law firm blows deadline in death penalty case.
More than a decade ago, Cory Maples of Alabama murdered two people. After an evening of heavy drinking, playing pool, and riding around in a friend’s car, Maples killed two friends, shooting them execution-style. According to court documents, he signed a confession, “stating that he: (1) shot both victims around midnight; (2) had drunk six […] -
9/11, Crime, Screw-Ups
Sidley Austin Rescinds Brian Schroeder's Job Offer
We wrote earlier today about Brian Schroeder’s Halloween misadventures. On the morning of October 31, the Harvard Law ’09 grad set fire to a chapel housing the remains of unidentified 9/11 victims. He turned himself in that evening. Sidley Austin has responded to our inquiry regarding Schroeder, who had summered with the firm in 2008. […] -
In-House Counsel, Ridiculousness, Screw-Ups, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants
Legal Secretary of the Day: Pepsi's $1.26 Billion Mistake
Faithful Coca-Cola drinkers can laugh about this one. PepsiCo is having a rough month, reports the National Law Journal. PepsiCo’s purified water brand, Aquafina, has cost it a pretty penny. Charles Joyce and James Voigt of Wisconsin sued PepsiCo earlier this year for stealing their idea of bottling and selling purified water. They claim that […] -
Email Scandals, Law Schools, Rudeness, Screw-Ups
JD / MBA of the Day: This Guy Gives A Big FU to SMU
SMU Dedman School of Law in Texas has turned out at least one charmer. We now have evidence that it can produce the not-so-charming type as well. Multiple readers alerted us to this thread on Reddit.com: How to Get Kicked Out of Grad School Before You Even Start. It’s an email conversation between an SMU […] -
Blackberry-Crackberry, Email Scandals, Reader Polls, Screw-Ups
Quinn Emanuel Believes in 'C.B.A.' (Check BlackBerry Always)
Ed. note: This post has been updated from the original version. Please see below. The only thing worse than being tied to your BlackBerry at all hours is missing something important because you were not tied to your BlackBerry the hour you were needed. Wait, this just in. There is something worse than missing a […] -
Job Searches, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, New York Times, Screw-Ups
The New York Times: They Stand Corrected
We thought something was off about the discussion of the recruiting situation at Yale Law School in last week’s big New York Times article about the tough legal job market. It turns out we were right. Check out this correction, which appeared in yesterday’s paper: An article on Wednesday about a cutback in hiring by […] -
Attorney Misconduct, Bankruptcy, Benchslaps, Biglaw, Harvey Miller, Intellectual Property, Legal Ethics, Litigators, Partner Issues, Screw-Ups
$40 Million Benchslap for Weil Gotshal
Don’t get too comfortable with that shiny new #6 Vault ranking, Weil Gotshal. The firm just got served, Texas-style. The ABA Journal reports: The Texas judge who ordered Microsoft to pay $290 million for infringing a patent included a $40 million enhancement that he said was partly justified because of alleged trial misconduct by a […]