Billy Merck
Posts by Billy Merck
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Biglaw, Job Searches, Layoffs, Money, Skaddenfreude, Wall Street
Layoffs?
Last week we wondered whether conditions in the stock and credit markets might lead to layoffs or affect bonuses. The situation has continued to deteriorate, particularly in the credit market. Now others are starting to join us in the rampant speculation about layoffs. From the NYT’s DealBook: The current turmoil in the credit market has […] -
Music, Tort Reform
Weird Al Song Becomes Tort Reform Anthem
From the National Examiner: The American Tort Reform Association has posted Weird Al’s “I’ll Sue Ya” on its Web site, suggesting that the tune be “adopted as a theme song by America’s personal injury lawyers.” “It’s been awhile since I’ve personally kept up with Weird Al’s work, but it’s nice to know he hasn’t lost […] 
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Celebrities, Crime, Musical Chairs
Musical Chairs: Spector Trial Edition
The Phil Spector trial is almost at its end, but Spector has nevertheless just added a lawyer to his legal team: San Francisco attorney Dennis Riordan. Riordan comes on as Bruce Cutler departs, though presiding Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler took pains to clarify that Riordan is not replacing Cutler as lead counsel for […]
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Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans
Katrina + 2 Years = A Rebuilt Legal System In New Orleans?
This week marked the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The news has been full of reports about the status of the affected areas, particularly New Orleans, two years later. Most of them have not been good; here are a few examples: “Bitterness lingers 2 years after Katrina” [AP via Yahoo!] “Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast Struggling 2 […] -
Larry Craig
The Substitute Returns
It’s Billy Merck again, your favorite person to shoot spitballs at fill-in for Lat, who’s got a full day away from the blogosphere today. We start today with some stray Larry Craig news. First, we certainly don’t mean to imply anything about the deceased chief justice, but there is a creepy resemblance here. Next, Craig […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.24.07
* Atlanta seeks to ban droopy drawers. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] * Man, Paris got screwed; 1 day in jail for Lohan in plea deal. [CNN] * It does seem anecdotally that more lawyers are making juries. I was not chosen my only time summoned as an attorney; it probably didn’t help that I was working for […]
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Bad Ideas, Deaths, Environment / Environmental Law, Kids, Morning Docket, Television
Morning Docket: 08.23.07
* Morgue employee having too much fun costs Hamilton County $8 million. [CNN] * Nacchio gets appeal bond. [WSJ Law Blog] * Told ya. [Jurist] * Parents apparently signed their kids away to a New Mexico entertainment sweatshop. [New York Times] * It’ll be blowing up our mountains when it comes. [New York Times]
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Celebrities, Death Penalty, Football, Michael Vick, Morning Docket, Sports
Morning Docket: 08.22.07
* Nurse sues Pacman. [Reno-Gazette Journal] * Defense rests in Spector trial. [CNN] * Patent infringers in less treble. [WSJ Law Blog] * Yeah, I’m sure Texas is going to stop killing people because Europe wants them to. [Jurist] * State charges for Vick too? [AP via Yahoo!]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.21.07
* Biglaw gets all Facebook. [LexBlog] * The Bush Administration is just bound and determined to keep children from having health insurance. [New York Times] * Another arrest in Newark shootings. [CNN] * Competition for Westlaw and Lexis? [WSJ Law Blog] * Saddam aides to face trial. [BBC]
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Crime, Drugs, Eavesdropping / Wiretapping, Football, Jonathan Lee Riches, Michael Vick, Morning Docket, Perverts, Pro Se Litigants, Sports, War on Terror
Morning Docket: 08.20.07
* Who needs lawyers? [WSJ Law Blog] * Take the deal, Vick. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] * Buyer’s remorse on the surveillance law? [New York Times] * I want a new drug website. [BBC] * Being the creepiest guy on earth is apparently not a crime. [CNN]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 07.27.07
* Another ATL shoutout! [ABA Journal] * Jail for Ritchie too, but only the minimum. [CNN] * Sue ’em if they can’t take a joke. [AP via Yahoo!] * Stop calling me nip! [New York Times] * Who WON’T the ACLU represent? [Las Vegas Review Journal] -
Biglaw, Job Searches
Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Pacific Northwest
We haven’t forgot about you, West Coast. We continue our open thread series on fall recruiting with a look at the legal market in the PACIFIC NORTHWEST. Here are the previous threads, which we still encourage you to revisit: 1. CHICAGO 2. BOSTON 3. SAN FRANCISCO / SILICON VALLEY 4. NEW YORK 5. LOS ANGELES […] -
Celebrities, Crime, Jonathan Lee Riches, Lawsuit of the Day, Michael Vick, Pro Se Litigants, Sports
Lawsuit of the Day: Vick's A Defendant In A Federal Civil Suit, Too
Albeit a ridiculous pro se one filed by a prisoner in South Carolina. There’s nothing like the free time that prison provides and obviously severe mental problems a vivid imagination as a recipe for hilarious, hand-written, pro se complaints. Exhibit A: Where to begin? Well, first of all, as far as we know Vick is […]
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Contests
Are You Smarter Than a Michigan Law Grad?
Los Angeles attorney Victor King, who is University Counsel for California State University, Los Angeles, is a graduate of MIchigan Law School and until 2002 was a partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. But until recently, none of this had conclusively established that he was, in fact, smarter than a 5th grader. Now we […] -
Biglaw, Job Searches
Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Atlanta
The open thread series in celebration of fall recruiting season continues. Here are the previous threads, which we encourage you to revisit: 1. CHICAGO 2. BOSTON 3. SAN FRANCISCO / SILICON VALLEY 4. NEW YORK 5. LOS ANGELES This post is about ATLANTA. Please discuss what’s going on in the legal market in the Dirrrty […] -
Celebrities, Crime, Michael Vick, Sports
We've Got a Dog In This Fight: A Few Thoughts On Vick
As you will have noticed, this is Billy Merck, filling in once more for Lat so that he can attend the ACS National Convention. As you will have also noted if you’re a regular reader, we are from Georgia. As a native Georgian and an Atlanta Falcon fan, we therefore feel obligated to touch upon […] -
Bad Ideas
What Happened to Professional Courtesy?
Yeah, yeah; you know the old joke: Why won’t sharks attack lawyers? Professional courtesy. *Rimshot* Well, Harvey Miller, a Toledo, Ohio attorney, and a Hawaiian shark did their best to dispel that notion. Miller, a 36-year-old attorney, was snorkeling off of Bellows Field Beach Park Thursday afternoon when a shark chomped on his leg. “I […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket 07.27.07
* Drunks….in spaaaaace! [CNN] * GCs promoted, including the one for my namesake. [WSJ Law Blog] * Coke loses its Pepsi challenge. [Fulton County Daily Report] * Who wants to be a millionaire? About 40 years in jail for a murder you didn’t commit is one way. [CNN] * He’s so very sorry for any […]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket 07.26.07
* Dear Mama. [BBC] * Judiciary Committee votes for contempt for Bolten and Miers. [New York Times] * Georgia’s upset replacement Congressman is sworn in; now he can immediately begin to work on next year’s race. [AP via Online Athens] * No you’re not, Lindsay, you’re guilty…of stealing my heart! [CNN] * American law firms […]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 07.25.07
* D.C. Circuit wants truckers to get some rest. [New York Times] * Malpractice defendants 2, Weis 0. [Fulton County Daily Report] * This is one of those cases where the best punchline is so obvious that the headline already used it, so I’ll just quote it: “Levi’s sues the pants off of Polo.” [CNN] […]
