Internships
-
American Bar Association / ABA, Contempt, In-House Counsel, Job Searches, Jury Duty, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Sports, State Judges
Morning Docket: 04.07.14
* According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector added 2,300 jobs in 2014. Our sincere condolences go out to all those who are still “too overqualified but too under-experienced,” all at the same time, to get hired. [Am Law Daily]
* This lawyer protested jury duty by emailing the judge to say she’d “blame the plaintiff” for making her work nights and weekends for her client, but she can only blame herself for having to spend the night in jail. Oopsie! [Daily Report (reg. req.)]
* “Would it be great if all unpaid internships paid really well? Sure. It would also be great if my dog made breakfast for me every morning, but I am not going to file a lawsuit over it.” Yep. [Los Angeles Times]
* The law school transparency movement has come quite far since its inception, but there’s a lot of room for improvement. Encourage your school to hurry up and “publish what it has at its fingertips.” [Law.com]
* UVA Law held its Softball Invitational this weekend. A Duke Law dude emailed us to say his school sucks at basketball, but it’s awesome at law school softball. Sweet accomplishment, brah. [Newsplex]
-
Labor / Employment, Lawsuit of the Day, Sex, Sex Scandals, Sexism, Sexual Harassment
'Tits Or GTFO' Now A Legitimate Requirement For Unpaid Interns
Unpaid interns cannot sue for sexual harassment, because men rule the world. - Sponsored
AI’s Impact On Law Firms Of Every Size
How solo lawyers, midsize firms, and global large law firms have an opportunity to adjust the way they work. -
Labor / Employment, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito, Supreme Court
If Unpaid Interns Don't Like Their Bosses, They'll Hate Justice Alito
Let's fast forward to Justice Alito rolling his eyes.
-
Biglaw, Department of Justice, Free Speech, Law Schools, Media and Journalism, Money, Morning Docket, NALP, National Association for Law Placement (NALP), SCOTUS, Social Media, Social Networking Websites, Supreme Court, Technology
Morning Docket: 06.24.13
* With a sharp focus on the Supreme Court and the legal definition of equality, only one thing’s for sure with respect to this week’s anticipated rulings: at least one group of people is probably going to get screwed. [New York Times]
* And lest we forget, thanks to our society’s near slavish obsession with social media and knowledge on demand, we’ll salivate uncontrollably as we wait for those opinions while the justices blissfully ignore new technology. [New York Times]
* The Justice Department charged NSA leaker Edward Snowden with espionage, and now he’s pursuing political asylum in Ecuador with the assistance of legal counsel representing WikiLeaks. [NBC News]
* Biglaw firms are trying to strengthen their pricing power in a post-recession world, with average rate increases of 4.8% in 2012, and hourly rates soaring in New York City. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* There were some bright spots in the otherwise dismal NALP job numbers for the class of 2012. Biglaw hiring is up, and so are median starting salaries. Sallie Mae is pleased as punch. [National Law Journal]
* If you’re considering law school, ask yourself these questions before applying. You should also ask yourself if you’re cool with unemployment. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]
* Richard Trenk, author of the “ham-fisted” cease-and-desist letter that’s been read around the world, has been honored as the New Jersey Star-Ledger’s “Knucklehead of the Week.” Congrats! [Star-Ledger]
* There’s no solace for people who have had to pay to have their mug shot “depublished” from the internet. Sorry, the First Amendment allows people to turn a profit off your misery. [Washington Post]
* This lawsuit over unpaid internships filed against Gawker will sting any gossip girl’s heart to the core. But really, isn’t the privilege of working for Gawker enough? This fangirl thinks so. [New York Post]
-
Harold Baer, Labor / Employment, S.D.N.Y.
Uh-Oh! Federal Judge Says We Might Have to Start Paying Interns
Two big rulings strike a blow for the rights of interns. -
American Bar Association / ABA, Job Searches, Labor / Employment, Money, Pro Bono, Quote of the Day
By All Means, Allow Law Students and Grads to Work for Free
Should private law firms be able to use unpaid interns to staff their pro bono cases? The ABA thinks so. -
Defamation, Guns / Firearms, Harold Baer, International Law, Non-Sequiturs, O.J. Simpson, Technology, Television, Texas
Non-Sequiturs: 05.10.13
* Texas law student/international small-arms dealer Cody Wilson got shot down (pun!) days after revealing a fully security-proof 3D printable gun. The State Department pointed out that Wilson seems to be violating all manner of international arms agreements, which was pretty obvious when he went on video boasting about how his weapons were being used in hotbeds of civil strife. [Foreign Policy: Passport] * The Juice may soon be loose! But probably not. O.J. Simpson has a hearing seeking a new trial in Vegas and blaming his former lawyer, Yale Galanter. Best part? Simpson claims Galanter approved the whole “armed, threatening confrontation” plan beforehand. Oops. [FOX News] * Michael Arrington, a lawyer and "one of the most powerful people on the Internet," is suing his ex-girlfriend for defamation. The complaint compiles some pretty salacious claims that she made via social media. [Valleywag] * Just when you thought being an unpaid intern couldn’t be sadder, Judge Baer makes it sadder. [Fashionista] * The “Thug’s Lawyer” got a reprieve when a judge tossed his indictment for conspiracy, obstruction of justice, theft, and perjury. [The Advocate] * The EEOC filed suit against a Miami company that required its employees to become Scientologists. In other news, someone actually thought they could get away with making all their employees join the Church of Scientology. [Lowering the Bar] * The history of the Madison Avenue IPOs alluded to in last week’s Mad Men. [DealBook] -
Biglaw, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Job Searches, Law Professors, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, Paralegals, Women's Issues
Non-Sequiturs: 05.01.13
* We know you’re all excited about the new RANKINGS, but tonight is also the LAST NIGHT to vote for Law Revue finalists. [Above the Law] * “It’s totally reasonable to spend $75 just for a shot at an unpaid internship,” said no one ever. [Craigslist] * Kirkland & Ellis (or any Biglaw firm) handing out advice on women and “work/life balance” should elicit exactly this response. [UChiLawGo] * Reading Above the Law can make you money. Sure, it’s only by boosting your severance package, but… [A Paralegal's Life] * Several law school professors were recruited from prison. So if you’re hoping to get tenure… [Dallas Blog] * Pirate Bay is still out there hopping around the Caribbean to avoid prosecution. Just like real-life, well, you know. [IBTimes] * Running over a bicyclist? Accomplishment unlocked for some real-life GTA players. [Legal Juice] - Sponsored
Generative AI In Legal Work — What’s Fact And What’s Fiction?
Zach Warren from the Thomson Reuters Institute discusses the potential and the pitfalls. -
Defamation, Law Schools, Police, Weirdness
Recent Law Graduate Returns To Campus, Causes A Scene, Is Reportedly Taken Away In Handcuffs
So a guy allegedly gets dragged away in cuffs and he's not even the craziest person to invade campus. -
Art, Barack Obama, Biglaw, California, Department of Justice, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Disability Law, Gay, Gay Marriage, Law Schools, Lesbians, LSAT, Lunacy, Morning Docket, SCOTUS, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 02.05.13
* As President Barack Obama’s position on gay marriage continues to “evolve,” we’re left wondering what exactly Solicitor General Donald Verrilli will say come Supreme Court oral arguments showtime in late March. [New York Times]
* “This is a chilling document.” The moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived: the DOJ memo about the Obama administration’s most secretive and controversial policy, the legal justification of drone strikes against American citizens, was leaked. [NBC News]
* In the litigation blame game, the Department of Justice has a lawsuit cooking against Standard & Poor’s, the supposed “key enablers of the financial meltdown,” over the agency’s mortgage bond ratings. [Reuters]
* Many pieces from Dewey & LeBoeuf’s massive art collection were auctioned off on Friday for $528,120. The failed firm’s creditors must be chomping at the bit as they wait to receive the proceeds. [Blog of Legal Times]
* You must remember Cynthia Brim, the Chicago judge who was declared “legally insane.” She’s too insane to be found guilty of a battery charge, but not quite insane enough to lose her reelection bid. [Chicago Tribune]
* Apologies to those with disabilities in California, but this ruling has given the Law School Admissions Council free reign to continue to flag your applications if you got extra time on the LSAT. [National Law Journal]
* GW Law School is adding a new question to its application to gauge the LGBT status its applicants. Not sure how this will affect cratering applications, but drink more of the Kool Aid if it makes you feel better. [GW Hatchet]
* Here’s some sage advice from our managing editor: “If you’re not okay with working for free, don’t take the internship.” Or, in the alternative, you can sue, and win a fat settlement check. [International Business Times]
-
Job Searches, Law Schools, Wall Street
An Awesome, Self-Deprecating Cover Letter That's Going Viral
When you're underqualified for a job, sending this kind of brutally honest cover letter may be of some assistance to you. -
Admin, Announcements, Blogging, Job Searches, Media and Journalism, Shameless Plugs
Above The Law Seeks An Additional Writer And An Intern
If you might be interested in working with us, either full-time or as a paid intern, keep reading. -
Gay, Law Schools, Lesbians, Romance and Dating, Sex, Summer Associates
Lesbian Law Student's Explicit Law Firm Sex Diary Goes Public
Hot lesbian action between a summer associate and her co-worker at the law firm? Yes, please!
Sponsored
Why Do AI And Legal Professionals Make The Perfect Partnership?
Generative AI In Legal Work — What’s Fact And What’s Fiction?
How Transactional Lawyers Can Better Serve (And Maintain) Their Clients
Sponsored
Law Firms Now Have A Choice In Their Document Comparison Software
AI’s Impact On Law Firms Of Every Size
-
Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Cars, Contract Attorneys, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Football, Law Professors, Law Schools, Lesbians, Money, Morning Docket, Murder, Romance and Dating, Sports
Morning Docket: 07.24.12
* Dewey know how much Stephen Horvath has made since D&L went belly up at the end of May? Thus far, he’s raked in $190K, and that just covers his pay through the end of June. That’s only $1.97M a year, no big deal. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* You might not be able to get a full-time job in this economy, but if you’re a contract attorney with foreign-language skills, you’ll probably be able to land some pretty sweet Biglaw firm gigs, even if you’re just doing doc review. [Wall Street Journal]
* Did the NCAA overstep its legal boundaries when sanctioning Penn State? At least one sports law professor thinks so, and he actually wishes that the school had challenged the scope of the sports organization’s authority. [CNN]
* Wait, female Senate aides in Minnesota can have affairs with their superiors and get away with it, while male aides get fired for doing the same exact thing? That’s blatant sexism, and you should totally sue. [ABC News]
* Rather than be “super boring,” this would-be Senator has dubbed herself “the diva of the district.” We know all about the Touro Law student who’s running for New York Senate. We’ll have more on this later. [POLITICO]
* Law school debtor Jason Bohn was arraigned on first-degree murder charges, and entered a not-guilty plea. According to his attorney, Bohn apparently suffers from “extreme emotional disturbance.” [New York Post]
* Know your rights? If you’re accused of hit-and-run and vehicular assault charges, it’s always a great idea to cry, repeatedly ask if you’re under arrest, and tell everyone that you’re a law student. [Spokesman-Review]
* Well, this is graphic: the trials and tribulations of a law student interning at a law firm and blogging about all of the hot lesbian action she’s getting, including encounters with a co-worker. [Daily Intel / New York Magazine]
-
California, Craigslist, Job Searches, Summer Associates
Is This Person Looking for a Summer Intern or a Summer Fling?
Beware the employer who doesn't want you to post on Above the Law. -
Education / Schools, Job Searches, Law Schools, New Jersey, New York Times, Unemployment
Quote of the Day: Hey, At Least He's at a 'T14' Law School
You shouldn't go to law school, right? Well, here's a counterargument: what else are you going to do with yourself? Class of 2011 college graduates are suffering massive unemployment. -
Job Searches, Law Schools
We Don't Care About Your Credentials, But That's Probably Because We Can't Pay You
With all of the hubbub about unpaid internships, you’d think that legal employers would start showing law students the money — but you’d be wrong. Let’s check out a “unique posting” straight out of a law school in Flori-duh…. -
9th Circuit, Document Review, Drinking, Gay Marriage, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 02.07.12
* The fact that this guy got so drunk off of beer pong means he’s probably the best pong competitor who has ever lived. [New York Post] * This is the best document review job ever. I’m not joking. Does $85/hour sound like a joke? You might need to learn Japanese, though. [Constitutional Daily] * […] -
Admin, Announcements, Job Searches, Labor / Employment, Media and Journalism, New York Times
On the Legality of Unpaid Internships(And: ATL seeks a paid intern.)
I recently participated in a Room for Debate forum for the New York Times on the controversial subject of unpaid internships. Critics of these positions argue that such exploitative arrangements contribute to “constricted social and professional mobility, growing inequality, and an economy whose top tier is becoming less and less diverse” (in the words of […] -
Adoption, Biglaw, Books, California, Cars, Facebook, Fashion, Fenwick & West, Law Schools, Morning Docket, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Morning Docket: 02.02.12
* How many friend requests did these firms just get? Fenwick & West and Simpson Thacher are the Biglaw stars of Facebook’s S-1 filing for its $5B initial public offering. Like. [Am Law Daily] * The prosecution is expected to make its arguments today in Julian Assange’s appeal of his extradition from the U.K. to […]