February 2012

California

Courtship Connection: Moving West

Happy Valentine’s Day to you if you have a date lined up tonight! For the rest of you, Happy Staying-In-To-Watch-A-Movie-And-Drink-With-Your-Single-Friends Day. Last year, two Washington lawyers actually let me set them up on a V-Day date. This year, with my pool of Chicago candidates, I didn’t bother. I wouldn’t wish the boring Chicago dating scene […]

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.14.12

* A father who shot his daughter’s laptop stands by his actions. I think I’d stand with him… it’s safer than standing opposite. [Huffington Post] * Scott Greenfield is saying goodbye to blogging. Five years is a long time in blog years. [Simple Justice] * There’s a grassroots movement to save Judge Andrew Napolitano’s Fox […]

Advertising

Career Center: Finding Your Work-Life Balance

Maintaining a good work-life balance can, in some cases, determine your longevity at your current job. Whether you’re a second year or a partner, the fact is everyone needs to balance work and life. This also means both parents and non-parents can take note of some of the tips we have in mind for you. […]

Career Alternatives

Maryland Law’s Tuition Is Down, But So Is the Quality of Its Job Listings

Back in December 2010, we reported that tuition at the University of Maryland School of Law would not be subject to the four percent hike for the 2011-2012 academic year that was thrust upon the rest of the programs doing business at the university's Baltimore campus. At the time, we gave Maryland Law major kudos for protecting its students from tuition increases. Now, we wonder if a just little more tuition money would have prevented this career services nightmare....

Biglaw

ATL Survey Update: We Heart Our Firms, Money isn’t Everything, and CSO Seriously Unpopular

Last Thursday, Above the Law opened its ATL Firm & School Insiders Survey and so far, so good. Students at nearly 100 law schools and lawyers at about 200 firms have responded. As previously noted, this survey is one of the first data-gathering tools we’ll be using to create a new, expanded ATL Career Center. As our data accumulates, we look forward to slicing and dicing it in myriad ways, in order to find patterns of interest to our readership, but more importantly, for useful insights for anyone researching legal education and careers.

Blog Wars

Ranking Law School Websites: Cooley Ranks Near the Top!

The people over a Thomas M. Cooley Law School have a long and illustrious history of inventing ridiculous law school rankings that magically show Cooley Law at or near the top. It's pretty pathetic to make up your own ranking and rank yourself. But now a third party has put together a ranking where Cooley has risen to the top. A Georgetown professor has ranked all the websites from ABA-accredited law schools. The top of the list isn't only about law schools that are trying dazzle students into making a ruinous financial decision. The rankings mainly seem to reflect whether or not law schools care about their website at all....

Drinking

Letter from London: Shearman Lawyer in ‘Spit-Roast’ Email Shame

It was just another day at Shearman & Sterling. Daniel England, a British trainee lawyer based at the firm's Singapore office, took a break from whatever thrilling piece of work he was doing to email his friends about their forthcoming vacation in Dubai. Being a rules-obsessed lawyer, he included a list of "do’s and don’ts" for the group -- two of whom work in London's financial district, the City -- to follow on the trip. A few days later, the poor fellow found the email plastered across the British press....

Holidays and Seasons

Be My Contractually Obligated Valentine

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. That means different things to different people. For a married man, it's a day when you can only get in trouble for underperformance. For a single woman over 30, it's a day to make you feel like you are going to die alone. For a single man with money, it's a day to shoot fish in a barrel. For a young woman, it's a day of presents. For Hallmark, florists, and chocolatiers, it's a day of straight cash, homey. For lawyers? Well, it's a day to enter into a non-binding contractual agreement for affection and fellatio, silly....

Constitutional Law

Morning Docket: 02.14.12

* A bill to legalize gay marriage in New Jersey has passed in the state Senate. If this passes in the state Assembly, will Chris Christie put the kibosh on it? Someone better make him a faaabulous offer he can’t refuse. [Wall Street Journal] * They might not be the most stylish bunch, but without […]

Biglaw

Is Baker & McKenzie Closing in San Diego?

The mega-firm of Baker & McKenzie has a global footprint, with 70 offices in 42 countries. It’s one of the world’s largest law firms, in terms of both headcount and revenue. But are Baker’s 70 offices about to become… 69? For weeks, reports have been circulating about the possible demise of the firm’s outpost in […]

Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 02.13.12

* Looks like Obama has reached a compromise position on birth control. It’s not right, but it’s okay. [WSJ Law Blog] * Apple gets so emotional baby, every time it thinks of Samsung. [eWeek] * Greece begrudgingly signed austerity legislation while lamenting, “Didn’t we almost have it all.” [What About Clients] * The Bearcat would […]

SCOTUS

Breaking: Justice Breyer Robbed By Knife Wielder

According to MSNBC, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was robbed at knife point while on vacation: The Supreme Court has confirmed that Justice Stephen Breyer, his wife and several family friends were the victims of a knife-wielding robber at the Breyer vacation home on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean. Jesus, was the criminal […]

Pornography

How to Destroy Your Career As a Court Employee: Watch Porn During a Rape Trial and/or Fall Asleep on the Bench

At any job, there are various levels of misconduct that an employee can usually get away with or at least occasionally pull off without repercussions. Then there are things you cannot do. Period. Things that any competent employee should simply know are unacceptable. Included in this category of utterly verboten workplace activities are watching porn during a rape trial when you're the on-duty court clerk. The list would also include falling asleep during a youth justice hearing -- when you're the judge running the proceeding....