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One would be hard-pressed to argue that pro bono is not a good idea; it’s one of the most noble things an attorney can do, and is a service to society. New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman has long been a proponent of attorneys volunteering for pro bono work, going so far as to make it a requirement that aspiring attorneys in New York perform 50 hours of pro bono work before they can be admitted to the New York State Bar Association....

Public interest lawyers’ salaries seem to be rising slowly, but they continue to lag far behind the pay of BigLaw associates, a new report finds. Lawyers looking to land jobs in public-interest fields – for example, legal aid organizations and groups that focus on a legal mission like civil rights or social justice – can expect starting salaries in the low- to mid-$40,000 range, according to the National Association for Law Placement....

Yesterday, Florida State University College of Law held a memorial service for the late Professor Dan Markel. In addition to teaching, Markel was a well-known legal blogger who founded the widely read PrawfsBlawg. Legal Eagle Dan Markel was truly a legal eagle, graduating from Cambridge University with a master’s degree and earning a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He clerked for Judge Michael Daly Hawkins on the Ninth Circuit before moving on to white collar criminal defense at a prestigious Washington, D....

Should Sarah Palin’s accused stalkers be forced to pay her lawyer’s firm for lost billable hours? You betcha! That’s what the firm that represents former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is requesting, after two men pleaded guilty to placing hundreds of harassing phone calls to the firm. The total cost in lost billables: More than $15,000, the Associated Press reports. An attorney for one of the men calls the law firm’s restitution claim excessive....

An Arizona man who was the victim of statutory rape in his teens is now being ordered to pay child support for the daughter conceived during the illicit encounter. Nick Olivas claims he never knew about the daughter he fathered when he was 14 with an adult woman until he was served with child support papers two years ago, reports The Arizona Republic. How can Olivas be liable for child support for a child he fathered when he was legally raped?...

Judges across the country are throwing out collection suits against students, wiping out their debt because private lenders lost critical paperwork. Other students are suing the government for reneging on the promise to forgive student loans, while some are suing their law schools for leading them into debt without delivering on education. The litigation reflects a trend as an unprecedented number of graduates are taking action to deal with a problem almost every law student must face: how to get away from crushing student debt?...

Michael Anthony Randall Jr. literally shot himself in the foot. According to the Augusta Chronicle, Randall, a teen robbery suspect, shot himself in the foot while preparing to rob a convenience store on the west side of Athens, Georgia. Randall limped over to a woman and asked for a ride to the hospital because he accidentally shot himself. But, when officers arrived Randall claimed someone else did it but that he didn’t know who....

If you thought becoming a lawyer was easy, think again. Gaining admission to the bar is more than just law school and the infamous bar exam – you also need to pass the MPRE. The what? The MPRE – it stands for Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, and you need a passing score. Well, almost (there are always exceptions, right?). If you plan to practice in Maryland, Wisconsin, and/or Puerto Rico, the MPRE is not required for admission to the bar....

At this point in history, the number of people who have lost jobs for being bad at email is likely to be uncountably large. Sadly, we lawyers have quite a bit of exposure to bad-email liability as our emails go to clients, courts, opposing counsel, and co-workers, and each is scrutinizing your words for different reasons. Fortunately, when it comes to email, you can take a little comfort in the fact that you can proofread to make sure you are being clear....

You’ve probably heard of FinTech, the application of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and data analytics to the financial services industry. We’re sure you’re familiar with #legaltech too, the infusion (albeit a slow one) of cutting edge technology into the legal industry. But do you know about RegTech? This new, tech-heavy approach to regulatory compliance is increasingly showing up on some in-house counsels’ radar. Simply put, RegTech is the application of technology to regulatory compliance....

Marin County Superior Court Judge Faye D’Opal might give the death penalty the axe. Judge D’Opal issued a tentative opinion on Thursday, finding that the state prison officials did not follow proper procedure when developing the California’s new lethal injection protocol, reports the American Bar Association. D’Opal is holding a hearing today to let prison officials make their case for why the new lethal injection procedure should remain in place....

A judge heard arguments this week in a lawsuit filed by the Paterno family. Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno’s family is attempting to reverse NCAA sanctions against the school resulting from the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse case, The Associated Press reports. An agreement struck between the NCAA and Penn State last year included a $60 million fine, a temporary reduction in scholarships, and a four-year ban on post-season play....

A courtside employee at the United Center, where the Chicago Bulls play, is suing the beloved and fuzzy Benny the Bull mascot due to an injury she suffered literally at the costumed hand of Benny the Bull. The lawsuit seeks over $50,000 in damages stemming from an incident that occurred in May 2015. The employee, Rosa Garcia, was working as a courtside server/waiter when, during a break in the game, Benny the Bull was running down the side of the court when he hurt his ankle....

As a Trump administration gets ready to take over the federal government, there are plenty of questions about what existing laws and regulations will remain intact and which will be jettisoned. For example, Dodd-Frank and the Affordable Care Act are likely to be trimmed back, if not fully eliminated. The future of the Paris climate agreement is in doubt. Even Broadway musicals are facing a more contentious future. President-elect Trump has vowed to repeal many of President Obama’s signature laws and has committed his administration to a regulatory reform agenda based on “canceling overarching executive orders and a thorough review to identify and eliminate unnecessary regulations....

Family dinners can have awkward silences, especially when someone brings up politics or college rivalries. In case you find yourself in such a pickle on Thanksgiving Day, here are five food laws you might discuss to break the ice or quickly change topics. A well kept culinary secret, deep-fried gravy is an excellent sandwich topping. Some like to bread a disc of cold gravy and deep fry it. Others like to coat it in flour and pan fry it....

Law students know the refrain all too well: you can’t discharge your law school loans. But a recent ruling out of New York Bankruptcy court suggests that at least some bar related debts might be discharged successfully in a Chapter 7. Is that a ray of light on on the horizon? Actually, now that we mention law school loans, this would be an excellent time to refer readers to our earlier piece on student debt forgiveness....

A South Carolina woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing her infant daughter by an overdose of morphine that was transmitted through breast milk. Stephanie Greene, 39, a former nurse, was found guilty of homicide by child abuse. Greene apparently had a history of using painkillers to combat chronic pain caused by a car accident and other health issues, reports The Associated Press. Greene’s lawyer says she plans to appeal her conviction, but on what grounds?...

In a political atmosphere that is feeding off of mistrust of the federal government, one might think that the public would turn to local government. However, that might not be a solution, as stories of local officials run amok seem to be increasing every day. Of course the bellwether for mayors and city fathers behaving badly is Bell, California with its massive corruption investigation still continuing. Here, however, is one more mayor many citizens of So....

Sing it with me: What would you do-ooo-ooo for a Klon-dike bar? Khadijah Baseer, 31, was recently arrested on suspicion of prostitution outside a Burbank, Calif. McDonald’s. She’s been accused of offering sex for McNuggets. Hopefully she asked for fries, too. To be fair, Baseer is homeless and hungry. She’s known for staking out the fast food joint and soliciting money from customers, according to the Los Angeles Times. With food banks and shelters running short, she may have had no other choice but to turn to prostitution....

Devin Bailey had a long battle with mental illness before his death. He dropped out of college due to recurrent depression, was kicked out of the Navy due to psychosis, and was admitted to mental facilities for treatment of bipolar disorder with “[p]sychotic [f]eatures.” He was also taking anti-psychotic medications and had a pending case for kicking a police officer and possessing an eight inch knife during a domestic disturbance....