Billable hour rates

You will not believe the markup on the billable rates for contract attorneys these days.

In this day and age, even Biglaw bills can be discounted.

* Amanda Knox is free, but could be retried. Can’t wait to see her Craigslist roommate ad. [New York Times] * The budget deal still screws over the courts. [National Law Journal] * You know, in 20 years, Republicans are going to be telling us that the federal government’s pot taxes are too high. [Washington […]

The Anonymous Partner speaks with an In-House Insider about the value of junior associates, work-life balance, and other issues.

Here's some encouraging news for large law firms and the lawyers who work in them. In-house readers, however, may be less enthused.

* Joe Patrice reposted this on his site and I’m linking to it because it’s a great look at the rhetorical weaknesses of the pro-gun argument. It’s old, so you can’t say that he’s being reactionary to the current tragedy. [Recess Appointment] * Here’s a very good takedown of the self-serving law school rankings from Loyola Law School (LA) Professor Theodore Seto, who magically finds that Loyola Law is the 25th best law school for becoming a Biglaw partner. [Witnesseth] * Is the procedural posture of same-sex marriage sexy? [Opinionator / New York Times] * The jury system is dumb. [The Republican] * Here’s some kind of ridiculous, anti-transparency argument for why posting rate-increase memos would be counterproductive. Lat gets a shout out for not acting like this. [Legal Rebels / ABA Journal]