Holy Crap

In the wake of the east coast earthquake of 2011, the legal world seems to be back to its regularly scheduled programming. Courts are back in session, law firms have reopened, and government agencies are fully functioning. We received a lot of tips from our readers about their earthquake experiences, but more importantly, we have the final results from our reader poll. We now know who we can blame for moving the earth and disrupting our day. And no, it wasn't Obama's Fault....

Yesterday, a 5.9 earthquake hit Washington, D.C., and tremors were felt from the Carolinas all the way up to Maine. The White House was evacuated, courts closed, and law firms stopped operating. This thing literally rocked the legal world. Where were you when the east coast earthquake of 2011 hit?

A lot of my closest friends are male. It’s probably because we share the same sense of humor about most things. But sometimes broish pranks cross the line from being funny to freakin’ disgusting at warp speed. Guys, here’s a little tip: anything outside of the bedroom that has to do with giving a girl […]

Late one night in the summer of 2008, Susan Deprado had a craving for sushi. But after taking a bite, Deprado knew something was fishy. Read on to find out about the "special sauce" that made her sue....

Have you ever wondered why the Illinois bar website is called IBABY? Maybe it's because test-takers in that state go into active labor during the exam, and give birth less than two hours after leaving the test....

We’ve had to wait a long time for this announcement. Last year, Cravath kicked off bonus season on November 2nd. This year, bonus news took longer to arrive. Was it worth the wait? Cravath just announced its bonuses, this afternoon. So, what are the Cravath year-end bonuses looking like for 2010?

Today Chief Judge Vaughn Walker (N.D. Cal.) issued his ruling in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the constitutional challenge to Proposition 8, California’s ban on gay marriage. The case was famously brought by Ted Olson and David Boies, two of the nation’s top lawyers (who previously faced off in Bush v. Gore, on opposite sides of the […]

Last night, NYU had two “firestorms”: the announcement that Dr. Thio would not be coming to campus, and a more literal fire at NYU’s Bobst library. From a tipster around 5 p.m. yesterday: Just got out of NYU’s Bobst library. There was a small fire and they evacuated everybody inside. I had to run down […]

History repeats itself. We quote from our post of January 10: Just half an hour ago, based on information we gleaned from various sources, we asked: “Is today Layoff Day at Cadwalader?” The answer would appear to be: YES. Earlier this morning, we once again posed the question: “Is today Layoff Day at Cadwalader?” And […]

And proof of Paul Hastings layoffs.

Guess we picked our Lawyer of the Day too soon. Update (2:30 PM): Press conference scheduled for 2:15 p.m., but Governor Spitzer is running 15 minutes late. “I don’t blame him,” said Ben Smith of the Politico, interviewed just now on CNN. Update (2:35 PM): Jeffrey Toobin, who was an HLS classmate of Eliot Spitzer, […]

It’s very early, but it’s true: Cravath, Swaine & Moore announced bonuses today!!! Here are the numbers: Class of 2007 — Year end bonus $35,000 (prorated), no special bonus Class of 2006 — Year end $35,000, special $10,000 Class of 2005 — Year end $40,000, special $15,000 Class of 2004 — Year end $45,000, special […]

Yes, the Brokeback Lawfirm litigation has come to an end. No, this is not an April Fools’ joke. Sullivan & Cromwell and Aaron Charney ride off into the sunset, with Charney a little sore in the saddle — from all the money he’s sitting on. No more “bending over” for this cowboy. The scoop, from […]

Sources in the New York office of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft have informed us that a bed bug has been found on the 20th floor. It is believed that said bedbug infiltrated the premises through a delivery or box shipment. Perhaps it was hidden in a document production from opposing counsel? Attorneys were notified of […]

A first-year student at Yale Law School was found dead in his apartment last night. You read it here first; the story is developing. More details to appear in this space; refresh your browser for the latest updates. Update (12:40 PM): We just got off the phone with Bliss Bernarda in Yale’s Office of Public […]

In addition to a story on the Nixon Peabody song controversy — which we’ll do a full post on later, so save your comments until then — the New York Times has this big scoop: Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, has resigned. […]

A steam pipe exploded on Manhattan’s East Side, right in the middle of evening rush hour. One person is dead and more than twenty are injured. Eyewitnesses describe it as “the scariest thing I’ve seen since 9/11” — a scene of mass hysteria, with “thousands running fearfully” through city streets. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is giving […]

Here’s a development that has Colorado prosecutors saying “oh crap” — quite literally. From the Rocky Mountain News: A former Democratic Party activist who left dog feces on the doorstep of U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave’s Greeley office during last year’s 4th Congressional District campaign was found not guilty Wednesday of criminal use of a noxious […]

It’s Good Friday — the Friday before a big holiday weekend. And we all know what that means: a high-profile resignation, timed in an attempt to avoid the news cycle. Today we bid a fond farewell to the fabulous Monica M. Goodling. As de to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Monica Goodling helped coordinate the controversial […]

No really, it does! The National Law Journal tells us so: Now where’s our Drudge siren gif? Largest law firms hire from elite schools [National Law Journal]