Partner Issues

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.02.15

* McDermott Will & Emery poached six partners from K&L Gates as part of its Dallas office "re-launch." Their poor paralegals: Right now, the lawyers are working in temporary offices, and don't have access to land lines. [WSJ Law Blog] * Dean Paul Mahoney of UVA Law announced he'll be stepping down from his position on June 30, 2016, after eight years of dedicated service to the school. Law students, please lower your collars to a half-pop in light of this news. [UVA Today] * Dewey think these defendants are full of themselves? The former leaders of this failed firm had insane and enviable compensation packages, but that doesn't mean their multimillion-dollar guarantees weren't justified -- or even deserved. [Am Law Daily] * Experts speculate that the Justice Department's case against FIFA could strengthen its global power, but of course, that will hinge on whether Loretta Lynch can get RICO charges to stick for conduct that took place overseas. [DealBook / New York Times] * After months of going back and forth on their urge to merge, Hiscock & Barclay completed its combination with Damon Morey. The new 275-lawyer firm will be known as Barclay Damon, and could possibly become a member of the Am Law 200. [Syracuse.com] * Legal marijuana business need lawyers and bankers, but those willing to advise them are few and far between. If you want to join the green rush and learn how to help these people comply with the law, come to our marijuana law reception later this month. [Forbes]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.18.15

* Jose Baez of Casey Anthony trial fame gave the commencement address at Valparaiso Law this weekend and let graduates know that they, too, can be attorneys, even if they've been financially irresponsible. They're letting this man teach at Harvard Law now. [The Times] * Suffolk Law and Cardozo Law will have new deans this summer, and both are planning for smaller classes. Considering Suffolk's plummeting LSAT scores (and standards?), its new dean may have bigger problems to deal with than filling seats. [National Law Journal] * He "Pressure Drop[ped]" the ball: If you could take the LSAT or open for the Rolling Stones with Toots and the Maytals, which would you pick? This Paul Hastings partner took the test, and says it's his only regret about choosing law over music. [Am Law Daily] * Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev may have been sentenced to death last week, but it's highly unlikely that his punishment will be carried out any time soon, if at all. Instead, he'll be putting his lawyers to work for time ad infinitum. [WSJ Law Blog] * "[D]on’t let anyone say that Charleston School of Law was already in trouble." A local attorney says that this soon-to-fail law school only started circling the drain after its proposed sale to InfiLaw was announced. That's quite the indictment. [Post and Courier]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.13.15

* According to a recent survey conducted by Altman Weil, Biglaw managing partners and chairs say that overcapacity and a lack of work for their partners is putting a dent in their overall profitability. Please don't take the easy way out here -- the weather is way too nice for layoffs. [Am Law Daily] * Beverly Cochran, the wife of Judge Edward Najam of the Indiana Court of Appeals, was charged with obstruction and false reporting after allegedly carving "die judge" on their front door in the hope that her son-in-law would be arrested. [WBIW via ABA Journal] * When Harvard Law alums say their business education "was a joke," you know you've got a problem. Law schools are finally coming around to the fact that their graduates don't have a clue about business, and some of them are trying to fix that. [Bloomberg Business] * Nicole Eramo, UVA's associate dean of students, has filed a $7.5 million defamation suit against Rolling Stone for tarring and feathering her in the magazine's now discredited campus rape story. She's also upset this "unflattering" photo was published. [CNNMoney] * Say aloha to admission to the University of Hawaii School of Law without an LSAT score. We figure that a few more schools will decide to try this program out since the ABA recently indicated its regrets about introducing the initiative in the first place. [KHON2]

By Staci Zaretsky