Weirdness
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Job Searches, Layoffs, Sonnenschein, Summer Associates, Weirdness
Update: What's Going on at Sonnenschein - CLT?(And a discussion of the Charlotte market in general.)
Here’s a bit of follow-up on last week’s post about Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal. We heard from a number of tipsters, and their reports are consistent with the rumors previously reported: 1. Sonnenschein is rescinding offers of summer employment to incoming summer associates in the Charlotte office. 2. Sonnenschein is rescinding offers to full-time associates […] -
Weirdness
Hurling A Hedgehog: Assault With A Weapon?
Bizarre crime stories, when they give rise to legal charges, still fall within our jurisdiction as a legal tabloid. You may recall our recent story about a New Zealand man who claimed he was raped by a wombat (which allegedly left him speaking with an Australian accent). And it’s not just wombats — hedgehogs are […] - Sponsored
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Biglaw, Job Searches, Layoffs, Sonnenschein, Weirdness
What's Going On At Sonnenschein?
Over at Greedy South, various rumors are circulating about Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal. One poster claimed that the firm rescinded offers of summer employment to several incoming summer associates in the Charlotte office. Later on in the thread, others chimed in to claim that the firm is rescinding offers to full-time associates who were set […]
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Biglaw, Bonuses, Money, Musical Chairs, Skaddenfreude, Weirdness
What's Up at Sullivan & Cromwell?
The Brokeback Lawfirm scandal folded its pup tent months ago. But there’s still stuff to cover at one of ATL’s favorite firms, the venerable Sullivan & Cromwell. Here are two items. First, from a tipster: If I recall correctly, Sullivan & Cromwell sent out a memo in December or January saying that even though they […] -
Celebrities, Church of Scientology / Scientologists, Free Speech, Religion, Social Networking Websites, Weirdness, YouTube
The Church of Scientology: A Latham & Watkins Client?
The law firm of Latham & Watkins has lots of things going for it: eye-popping profits, ample prestige, and a promise of no layoffs. What more could you ask for? How about…. a powerful and glamorous client, with deep connections in Hollywood? Reported over at Radar Online: Recently, Radar reported on Scientology’s short-lived attempt to […] -
Animal Law, Crime, Rape, Weirdness
A PSA from ATL: Watch Out for Wombats!
Unless you’ve always wanted an Australian accent. From the Telegraph: A New Zealand man who claimed he was raped by a wombat and that the experience left him speaking with an Australian accent has been found guilty of wasting police time. Arthur Cradock, 48, from the South Island town of Motueka, called police last month […] -
Weirdness
Disorder in the Court: Memphis Defendant Spittin' Mad and Issuing Death Threats
We don’t know if there are many public defenders regularly reading ATL. For those who do, we salute you for putting up with clients like this one: Earlier this year, burglary and rape suspect Joshua Beadle got himself into deeper trouble by spitting at the judge. This week, while shackled and outfitted in a special […] -
SCOTUS, Weirdness
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished(If you file a cert petition for a fellow prison inmate and do not have a law degree.)
There’s an interesting behind-the-scenes story in an appeal heard by the Supreme Court this week. The appeal concerns a South Carolina drug dealer and the definition of a felony. For details, see this AP story. What we find interesting is the former paralegal serving jail time who got SCOTUS to accept the case. We previously […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Jeffrey Toobin, Junk Email / Spam, New Yorker, Technology, Weirdness
Spam Email of the Day
If you’re a judiciary junkie who used to read Underneath Their Robes, the judicial news and gossip site that was our first foray into blogging, you may be mildly amused by this strange piece of spam. Jeffrey Toobin — legal affairs writer for the New Yorker and author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World […] -
Department of Justice, Fabulosity, Musical Chairs, Office of Legal Policy, Politics, Rachel Brand, Seth Waxman, Weirdness
Musical Chairs: WilmerHale's New Hires
We bring you news of a career move by one of America’s most fabulous young lawyers. From a press release issued by WilmerHale: WilmerHale is pleased to announce that Rachel L. Brand and Mark D. Nelson will join the firm’s Washington, DC public policy and strategy practice focusing on congressional investigations, regulatory affairs and crisis […] -
Weirdness
No More Toilet Humor: Sheriff Recommending Charges
Thanks to a Kansan sheriff, this great story now has the legal twist we hoped for. A 35-year-old woman sat on her boyfriend’s toilet long enough to become stuck to it. Criminal charges against her boyfriend are now in the works, according to the Kansas City Star: Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said Thursday he […] -
Crime, Nauseating Things, Romance and Dating, Weirdness
S**t or Get Off the Pot? She Would Prefer Not To
The legal connection to this story is tenuous, but not non-existent. Criminal charges could be filed. And maybe there’s a products liability case against the toilet manufacturer. Anyway, it’s such a great story — and no, it’s not from The Onion — that we’re going to link to it. From the AP: A 35-year-old woman […] -
Advertising, Blogging, Law Firm Names, Midsize Firms / Regional Firms, Weirdness, YouTube
Adventures in Law Firm Marketing: Lawyers in Lederhosen?
Most law firm name changes are pretty silly. The general approach: lop off all names after the first two. If you like, squish the surviving names together into one word, to make yourselves seem contemporary and cool. E.g., “WilmerHale.” (A law firm marketing firm would charge you five figures for that advice.) Okay, so how […]
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
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Crime, Dubious Defenses, Rape, Sex, Weirdness
From the Department of Dubious Defenses: If the Trojan Mangum Don't Fit, You Must Acquit
Check out this rather odd appeal from Florida, arising out of a prosecution for sexual assault charges. The defendant was originally charged with three counts of sexual battery, but was convicted on lesser included charges of misdemeanor battery. One of the issues was whether the trial court should have granted a continuance based on the […] -
English Grammar and Usage, Law Professors, Weirdness
Frivolous Friday Pronunciation Dispute
Is it SUBstantive or subSTANtive? Our dictionary tells us to emphasize the first syllable. A lovely Canadian professor at our law school emphasizes the second syllable, and although our affection for him is great, every time he says “subSTANtive” we take away ten points on our completely subjective professor-grading scale. How about THAT, professor? Students […] -
Biglaw, Weirdness
Update: Do the Cadwalader Shuffle
Here’s the most comprehensive bit we’ve heard from a tipster: [N]o longer at CWT anymore (thankfully), but I did hear that Chris White (the Partner who deposed Link) is attempting a major realignment of practice groups. Apparently he wants to move the Corporate department into the Real Estate and somehow make it a sub group. […] -
Biglaw, Layoffs, Weirdness
What's Going Down at Dechert?
We’ve been hearing vague rumblings of something about to go down over at Dechert LLP. Said rumblings are reminiscent of what we heard in the days and hours leading up to Cadwalader’s Thursday Morning Massacre. Also note this comment on today’s Morning Docket: Not all Dechert associates have three days to enter their time. Some […] -
Bar Exams, BARBRI, Weirdness
Good Luck to February Bar Exam Takers!(And an open thread for bar prep stories.)
We didn’t notice this, until a tipster just mentioned it to us: today is the February MBE day. So, to everyone taking the multistate bar examination right now, good luck! From the same source: I thought an open thread about the weirdest bar preparation might be entertaining. I immediately thought of you when I was […] -
Clarence Thomas, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Weirdness
Clearly He Is Trying To Set An Unbreakable Record
For his yearbook page, one of our most quiet high school classmates selected this quotation, by Martin Fraquhar Tupper: “Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” Justice Clarence Thomas concurs. As reported by the AP, “[t]wo years and 142 cases have passed since Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas last spoke up at oral arguments.” So […] -
Contests, Food, Weirdness
Everyone's A Winner Cooker at Nixon Peabody?
According to the non-theme-song song (mp3) of Nixon Peabody, the firm is “the best to work with” and “the best to work for.” At NP, “it’s all about the team, it’s all about respect, it all revolves around integrity.” And top of the line ingredients. From the Washington Post: Big-time lawyers are pros at waiting […]