Billable Hours
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Biglaw, Billable Hours, In-House Counsel
Moonlighting: Who Wouldn’t Want to Go Back to Biglaw?
Columnist Susan Moon explores some of the differences between law firm and in-house life. -
Associate Bonus Watch 2012, Associate Salaries, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Vinson & Elkins Ditches Deferred Compensation (In Part)
Vinson & Elkins is simplifying its associate compensation system in Texas. Yee-haw! - Sponsored
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Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Deaths, Federal Judges, Food, FTC, Google / Search Engines, Money, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Privacy, Venable
Morning Docket: 11.19.12
* Billable hours in Biglaw are down 1.5 percent, and 15 percent of U.S. firms are planning to reduce their partnership ranks in early 2013. Thanks to Wells Fargo for bringing us the news of all this holiday cheer! [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Hostess may be winding down its business and liquidating its assets, but Biglaw will always be there to clean up the crumbs. Jones Day, Venable, and Stinson Morrison Hecker obviously think money tastes better than Twinkies. [Am Law Daily]
* How’s that “don’t be evil” thing working out for you? Google’s $22.5M proposed privacy settlement with the FTC over tracking cookies planted on Safari browsers was accepted by a federal judge. [Bloomberg]
* Greenberg Traurig and Hunton & Williams face a $7.2B suit from Allen Stanford’s receiver over a former attorney of both firms’ alleged involvement in the ex-knight’s Ponzi scheme. [Houston Business Journal]
* Perhaps the third time will be the charm: ex-Mayer Brown partner Joseph Collins was convicted, again, for helping Refco steal more than $2B from investors by concealing the company’s fraud. [New York Law Journal]
* H. Warren Knight, founder of alternative dispute resolution company JAMS, RIP. [National Law Journal]
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Associate Bonus Watch 2012, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Are Hours Requirements Getting Blown Back?
One firm is adjusting associate expectations because of the storms... -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, In-House Counsel, Money
Inside Straight: What Really Is Billable?
Which tasks are properly billable to the client, and which tasks are not? In-house columnist Mark Herrmann, who has been on both the law firm and in-house sides, spots some issues. -
Billable Hours, Boutique Law Firms, Partner Issues, Small Law Firms
From Biglaw to Boutique: Artificial Deadlines
My friend Pablo told me that when Monica, a partner, called his home at 9:00 p.m., he knew it couldn’t be good. Why not email? For an instant, he considered letting the call go to voicemail. Taking a deep breath, he answered. Monica wanted to know “where he was” with the brief Pablo had been […] -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, California, Department of Justice, Federal Judges, Football, In-House Counsel, Law Schools, LSAT, Money, Morning Docket, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 10.22.12
* “You’re paying a partner $800 to $1,000 an hour and they’re charging you because they ordered sushi.” In-house counsel are paying more attention to their bills, and they’re refusing to pay for things like photocopies and food. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* According to litigators, who are the ten most notable federal district court judges to watch? Three come from S.D.N.Y., but one from N.D. Cal. captured our hearts this summer when she asked counsel for Apple if he was “smoking crack.” [American Lawyer]
* A guide for law students with disabilities says: “If you are thinking that you’re a shoe-in for LSAT accommodations since you had accommodations in undergrad, think again.” But thanks to these suits, LSAC’s policies may soon be changing. [National Law Journal]
* Seeing as there are only nine law schools in Illinois, and given the abysmal job market for new law grads, it’s clear the state needs a tenth school. Say hello to Bradley University College of Law. [Peoria Journal Star]
* Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow trademarked “Tebowing.” Yes, seriously. But don’t worry, he didn’t do it to make money, he just wants to “control how it’s used, make sure it’s used in the right way.” [Washington Post]
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Billable Hours, Drugs, Sports
Sports, Spaw, Lorts: Lance Armstrong Exposed!!!
What is the latest in terms of Lance Armstrong's legal woes? Plus a round-up of other athletes in legal hot water. - Sponsored
Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar on April 10th, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Boutique Law Firms, Small Law Firms, Technology
From Biglaw to Boutique: Face Time
Small-firm columnist Tom Wallerstein opines on the expectations of putting in “face time” at law firms big and small. -
Airplanes / Aviation, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Harvey Miller, Legal Fee Voyeurism, Money, Partner Issues
Legal Fee Voyeurism: American Airlines's Big-Time Bankruptcy Bills
How much are American Airlines's advisors seeking to be paid for their work in the mega-bankruptcy case? Enough to buy a Gulfstream jet, or two.... -
2nd Circuit, Abortion, Attorney Misconduct, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Election 2012, Gay, Job Searches, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Lesbians, Morning Docket, Religion, Southern New England School of Law/Umass, Suicide
Morning Docket: 10.08.12
* Should Biglaw firms bill by the result instead of by the hour? When some of the results-oriented strategies involve reading less and writing faster to improve work efficiency, we’re not sure how well this would work in a law firm setting. [New York Times]
* Roller coaster of employment: after losing 1,400 jobs in August, the legal sector added 1,000 jobs in September. Alas, there are way more than 1,000 new bar admittees gunning for all of those paralegal and secretarial positions. [Am Law Daily]
* “They were throwing furniture at both of us.” Both sides on the Jacoby & Myers non-lawyer firm ownership case took a beating before the Second Circuit during oral arguments, but who won? [New York Law Journal]
* Come November, Floridians will vote on constitutional amendments that deal with abortion and separation of church and state. Meanwhile, half the voters won’t even read the entire ballot, so there’s that. [New York Times]
* A love triangle + an Arkansas Wal-Mart = a judicial suspension for Circuit Judge Sam Pope after an all-out brawl with… Bill Murray? Hey, at least this guy’s estranged wife got three punches in. [National Law Journal]
* Tyler Clementi’s family won’t file suit against Rutgers University and Dharun Ravi — instead, they’ll use the publicity from their son Tyler’s suicide for “positive purposes,” like supporting gay and lesbian youths. [CNN]
* “This guy is a bully, and he uses the court system to do it.” Robert V. Ward Jr., the former dean of UMass Law, had to deal with Gregory Langadinos, a serial law school litigant, and it wasn’t exactly pretty. [Boston Globe]
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Biglaw, Billable Hours, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues
Inside Straight: How To Drive Outside Counsel Nuts!
In-house lawyers: do you engage in any of these annoying behaviors, which are guaranteed to drive outside counsel crazy? -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues
Buying In: On the Inside
The Anonymous Partner discusses such topics as the billable hour and cross-selling -- with a former senior partner of a Biglaw firm and former general counsel of a major corporation.
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Bankruptcy, Benchslaps, Billable Hours, California, Drugs, Morning Docket, Ridiculousness, Sam Sparks, Sexism, Sports, Women's Issues
Morning Docket: 07.11.12
* Following yesterday’s hearing, Kleiner Perkins may be able to get a second bite at the proverbial apple after a judge tentatively denied the firm’s bid to arbitrate Ellen Pao’s gender discrimination suit. [The Recorder; Bits / New York Times]
* Ogletree Deakins has allegedly got 99 299 problems, and a b*tch ain’t one billing errors are all of ‘em. Arizona’s Maricopa County wants a refund, and it plans to debar the firm from additional work for the next three years. [ABA Journal]
* Not everything’s bigger in Texas: attorneys for Lance Armstrong have refiled a shorter version of his lawsuit against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after suffering a brutal benchslap at the hands of Judge Sam Sparks. [Los Angeles Times]
* Screw your ban on non-lawyer investors, we’ll expand anyway! Jacoby & Meyers merged with Chicago’s Macey Bankruptcy Law to create a 300-attorney adventure in awful lawyer advertising. [National Law Journal]
* The bell has not yet tolled for Florida lawyer Frank Louderback, who will now be able to attend the 32nd Annual Ernest Hemingway Look-alike Contest thanks to his client’s last minute guilty plea. [Tampa Bay Times]
* “I don’t care what the law says, you’re getting a summons.” Sorry, officer, but you don’t mess with a Brooklyn Law student’s booze, because he’ll challenge New York’s open-container law. [City Room / New York Times]
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Bankruptcy, Benchslaps, Biglaw, Billable Hours, California, Celebrities, Defamation, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Drugs, FDA, Money, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Pro Se Litigants, Sam Sparks, Sports
Morning Docket: 07.10.12
* Dewey know how many professional firms have been allowed to stay on as advisers for the largest law firm bankruptcy in U.S. history? Six out of nine firms were permitted to continue services, but Proskauer wasn’t one of them. [Am Law Daily (sub. req.)]
* In other defunct firm news, Al Togut will be presenting Dewey & LeBoeuf’s former partners with a proposed settlement on Wednesday. You’ve been warned: prepare yourselves for some Biglaw-style bitching. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Despite reports of the billable hour going the way of the dodo bird, it looks like they’re here to stay. Right now, corporate law departments are still much more excited about alternative billing arrangements than law firms. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Judge Sam Sparks, the King of Benchslaps, dismissed Lance Armstrong’s lawsuit against the USADA in record time. That ruling came too quickly — guess it’s time to investigate judicial doping. [New York Times]
* Marc Dreier’s son, Spencer Dreier, is representing himself pro se in a defamation suit against his former college roommate. Looks like Daddy couldn’t spring for his kid’s lawyer while he was in the clink. [Bloomberg]
* A California woman claims that the Food and Drug Administration’s methods regarding sperm donations are unconstitutional. Why should she have to go to an intermediary to get sperminated? [Huffington Post]
* Do you smell what The Rock is cooking? It’s not exactly something to be proud of. Actor Dwayne Johnson is listed as a “co-conspirator” in a $1.8M fraud lawsuit that’s been filed by a South Florida family. [NBC Miami]
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Billable Hours, Eric Holder, Google / Search Engines, Health Care / Medicine, Non-Sequiturs, Politics, YouTube
Non-Sequiturs: 06.20.12
* Hyper-competitive weekend warrior kills himself racing down a mountain path and his family is suing the internet start-up that makes an app that allows you to track your time against other users. Is anybody making an app to track really stupid lawsuits filed by bereaved family members who receive terrible legal advice during times of crisis? [Not-So Private Parts / Forbes] * The Fast and the Furious Legal Edition: Executive of Privilege. [WSJ Law Blog] * Bringing the billable hour to social media seems likely to make me cry. [Legal Cheek] * Former SCOTUS clerks think the individual mandate is done for. [Wonkblog / Washington Post] * Google threatens to bring the hammer down on YouTube to mp3 converter. [Torrent Freak] * Maybe this is the kind of alcohol you can buy with prestige points. [Urban Daddy] * The companies who will own the president if Romney wins. [USAToday] -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Lexis-Nexis, LexisNexis / Lexis-Nexis, Small Law Firms, Wall Street Journal
Size Matters: Billing Sucks, But Small-Firm Lawyers Need To Do It Better
While billing is an awful experience, small-firm attorneys need to do it better, according to columnist Valerie Katz. -
Associate Advice, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Boutique Law Firms, Small Law Firms
From Biglaw to Boutique: You Are Not Your Hours
You are a unique individual, with special attributes. You are not your billable hours. -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Money, Partner Issues, Reader Polls
The Hours Results: A Return To Normalcy
How are associates' billable hours looking for 2012 up to this point? Partners may be pleased by these results. -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Money, Reader Polls
Associate Hours Open Thread: Did Your Puny Bonuses Result In A Work Slowdown?
How many hours are you on track to bill in 2012? Let us know -- and see where your peers are.