December 2011

It's hard to believe that another year has passed, but here we are. The weather is turning cold, the Republican presidential contest is heating up, and it's time to review this year's biggest stories on Above the Law. We'll refrain from offering our subjective judgments on the most important stories of the year. Instead, we'll identify the ten biggest stories of the past year as decided by you, our readers....

* I really do think Roberts is eager to lead the Court that strikes down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. I don’t know why you want to go down in history as the Chief Justice who trusted South Carolina, but we’ll soon find out. [Slate] * Listening to Republican candidates compete about who […]

In our recent post on the top 10 most generous large law firms, the firm of Hogan Lovells placed second. Under the rankings, this meant that Hogan partners are taking the second-biggest hit to their own bottom lines in order to keep their associates happy and well-compensated. But is this still the case today? Based on what we're hearing about the most recent Hogan bonuses, one wonders whether the Ho-Love partners have turned from Santas into Scrooges....

This is the time of year when everyone pulls out a Top Ten list of one thing or another. Tom Wallerstein don’t mind; a Top Ten list is a convenient format for reflection and New Year’s Eve has always been a time of reflection for him, whether that involves setting goals or just thinking about the ups and downs of the past year. He thought he would use the opportunity to offer my perspective of the Top Ten Differences Between Biglaw and Boutique. So without further ado, let’s push in the button and let the top ten play...

* Rick Perry’s motion for a temporary restraining order over the printing of Virginia’s primary ballots without his name on them has been denied. Damn all of those unelected, activist judges! [Bloomberg] * Jed Rakoff isn’t the only one with cojones big enough to challenge the SEC. Wisconsin Judge Rudolph Randa fell right in line, […]

* Palsgraf yo, the 2011 version. [The Daily What] * There was a dispute about who owns the rights to Ghost Rider? Ghost Rider? Even dung beetles don’t fight each other over poo. [WSJ Law Blog] * Meanwhile, both Marvel and D.C. Comics support SOPA. That’s cool, definitely the lesson kids are supposed to take […]

If you were close to a computer on Wednesday, you probably noticed the article on Gawker about the Yeshiva University student who was "homeless by choice" while going to school. If you read the article quickly, you might have missed the part where we found out this student is a 2L at Cardozo Law School. You might have missed the part where this 2L at Cardozo decided to go through a semester of law school while living on the streets....

In this Quote of the Day, a law dean explains why Yale would be able to adopt the controversial tuition reimbursement policy suggested by two of the school's professors....

* Here’s a nice round-up of some of the most controversial laws that will be enacted in 2012. Looks like California is going to have some fabulously multicultural litigation. [Associated Press] * What do you get when you cross an artist with a penchant for Rastafarians with the son of a Boies Schiller name partner? […]

* Wait, Viacom couldn’t make money off of Rock Band? That’s ridiculous. I’ve got Skyrim and Star Wars and really every form of entertainment imaginable; but when the family comes over or the boys come over with their girlfriends, out come the drums, the four different guitars, the keyboard, and the mics. How do you […]

In-house columnist David Mowry mentioned in a past column that the year-end press can lead to some very interesting requests: field reps asking for things that they (should) know to be questionable ethically, absurd customer demands (funny thing how the customers know it’s year-end and try to use that leverage), and the like. It is times such as these, when the pressure is on to assist the Field achieve their targets, that in-house attorneys must be most vigilant in their duty to the corporation....

After reading this Quote of the Day, you could say that Scott Rothstein, convicted Ponzi schemer and disbarred attorney, is a man who knows how to prioritize....

* How many of these suggested New Year’s resolutions should the members of the Supreme Court consider following? Eight out of ten resolutions wouldn’t be too shabby. [Huffington Post] * Like a virgin, detained for the very first time: thanks to this court order, Egypt will be forced to come out of the dark ages […]

* Newt, you know we keep records about who said what in divorce proceedings, don’t you? [CNN] * Did you know that airlines have to compensate you if they lose your luggage? Funny, when they molest you, they don’t even have to buy you dinner. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight] * High achieving women need […]

Need some more holiday cheer? Take a look at this irreverent poem from the Career Center, and then take a poll about your 2011 bonuses....

The year is quickly drawing to a close, but we have unfinished business to conduct here at Above the Law. We still have to crown our Lawyer of the Year for 2011. The polls will remain open until January 3 at 11:59 PM. And the nominees are....

Just in case you weren’t able to get your fill of legal news in your Christmas stocking this year, here’s a news round-up from the long, holiday weekend….

Does Duncan Law stand a chance in its antitrust suit against the American Bar Association? This law professor thinks that the school's lawsuit is doomed to be a failure....

* Honestly, once I started having to spend massive amounts of disposable income on consumer goods to fulfill my holiday obligations as dictated by corporate America, I kind of forgot about Occupy wherever. #Santaworksforwallstreet [Empty Wheel] * I guess I’m not getting so worked up about SOPA because I’m already resigned to living in a […]

Elie's lived in some wild houses with some wild boys in his days, but it's random gunfire into the bro wall that exposes a much more disgusting scandal that makes him take notice. One roommate was trying to shoot at a mouse, and in the process might have sprung a child from an awful trap....