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 2014.
Thank you to everyone who responded to our call for nominations, in the comments or via email. We’ve narrowed down the nominees to a field of six. As in past years, the contenders run the gamut from distinguished to despicable.
And the nominees are…
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Let’s get right to it. Without any further delay, here are the nominees for Above the Law’s 2014 Lawyer of the Year. We’ve listed them in alphabetical order, with a brief blurb about each:
Chris Christie: Once again, the Governor of New Jersey was in the news throughout 2014, but perhaps for reasons not as admirable as his media mentions in 2013, when he was named as one of the most influential lawyers in the world. This year, the former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey got caught up in the Bridgegate scandal. While he was ultimately cleared of all wrongdoing, his suspected involvement may have damaged his run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. At the very least, we can say Christie is looking nice and svelte after his weight loss surgery.
Amal Clooney: According to Barbara Walters, she’s Most Fascinating Person of 2014 for just one reason: she was the one who was able to tame George Clooney’s wild heart and marry him in an act that’s being called one of the “greatest achievements in human history.” Unfortunately, most people seem to have forgotten that Amal is an Oxford graduate with an LL.M. from NYU Law School who clerked for Sonia Sotomayor while she was still on the Second Circuit. Amal is a brilliant human rights attorney, and we here at Above the Law haven’t forgotten that very important fact about her.
Will Dougherty and Tom Reid: It’s time to thank the men who made it rain on associates this bonus season. Dougherty, as chairman of the Simpson Thacher executive committee, was the one who dared to announce bountiful bonuses before even Cravath, thereby starting the movement to bring big bonuses back to Biglaw. Reid, as managing partner of Davis Polk, then decided that his firm would no longer be a follower, but a leader, and his wound up being the firm to beat Simpson’s generous bonus scale, forcing all other firms to match DPW’s beautiful bonuses.
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Benjamin Edelman: He’s the Harvard Business School professor who made your blood boil earlier this year when you found out about his epic douchebaggery. Edelman is the lawyer with three Harvard degrees who lost his mind and threatened to file a lawsuit against a family-owned Chinese restaurant over a $4 overcharge. News of Edelman’s mockery of the legal system went viral. He was later forced into apologizing after being embarrassed on a global scale. As we mentioned previously, this miserly attorney gave the masses one more great reason to hate lawyers.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Our favorite Supreme Court justice has had quite the year. After offering up some diva-like dissents, the esteemed Notorious R.B.G. revealed that not only does love being called Notorious R.B.G., but she owns “quite a large supply” of Notorious R.B.G t-shirts to boot. This year, Above the Law learned firsthand that she takes the time to recognize her fans — after all, she personally responded to my wedding invitation. No matter when she retires, one thing is certain: there will never be another female justice like her. How can you not love this woman?
Alecia Schmuhl and Andrew Schmuhl: This dastardly husband-and-wife attorney duo made headlines this fall after tales of their alleged attack on a law firm’s managing partner hit the news. Alecia was once an employee at Bean Kinney & Korman, the firm in question, but was reportedly fired due to poor performance. She’s now accused of exacting her revenge by way of her husband Andrew’s alleged stabbing of her former boss. The attack — which is being referred to as a “torture session” — is said to have lasted several hours. Upon his arrest, Andrew was wearing only a diaper. Wow.
Who should be named Above the Law’s Lawyer of the Year for 2014? Please feel free to argue the merits in the comments, and then vote. We’ll leave polls open until SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2015 at 11:59 P.M. (Eastern time). Thanks a bunch!
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Earlier: Above The Law’s 2014 Lawyer Of The Year Contest: Nominations Needed