Calling someone a greedy associate is redundant, right? After all, while some of us were drawn to the law by our unflagging sense of justice and dreams of becoming a modern Atticus Finch, most of us enter the law for a very different reason: our desire for cold, hard cash and lots of it. If you want to get rich as a lawyer, we don’t blame you. Here are our top tips, from the FindLaw archives....
While jurisdictions may vary in regards to the ethical rules about romantic relationships with clients, lawyers should have all learned the harsh lesson Bill Clinton did: You don’t lie about it under oath. For one Ohio lawyer, that little piece of advice, if he’d followed it, probably would have meant that the two-year suspension he got likely would’ve only been a slap on the wrist, or maybe just one or a few months....
If nothing else, Edward Thomas Kennedy has the fight of a lawyer in him. Duke Law School rejected his student application because he refused to take a law school admission test. So what did the lawyer wanna-be do? He sued the law school. A judge dismissed his complaint because, well, there was no way the plaintiff could make a legal claim. If only that were the end of it… “Birtherism” After the judge dismissed the case, Kennedy filed a motion to recuse the judge for “birtherism....
A federal court has reinstated a lawsuit by a former Michigan inmate who claimed he could not afford to buy toothpaste while he serving time in prison. Jerry Flanory, 58, claims he that he was denied toothpaste for nearly a year and could not afford to buy it own his own. A federal appeals court however, said that Flanory may proceed with his lawsuit alleging that his constitutional rights against cruel and unusual punishment were violated, the Associated Press reports....
Earlier this month, Raymond Chen was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Nominated by the Obama administration in February, Chen, in a unanimous 97-0 confirmation, is also the first Asian American to serve on the Federal Circuit in more than 25 years. Born and raised in Orange County, California, Chen graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.S. in electrical engineering. He then went on to attend New York University School of Law....
Hah! Again folks, you really can do anything with a J.D. Granted, Quin Snyder’s law degree (and his M.B.A.) probably have very little to do with his recent hire as the coach of the National Basketball Association’s Utah Jazz. It probably didn’t help him land his last gig as a head coach either, for the Missouri University Tigers. But hey, if you have a law degree, and some other talent, and connection, know this: it won’t prevent you from chasing a far more exciting dream....
When people hear the word “beneficiary,” they immediately think Last Will and Testament. Though wills certainly are a popular way to designate beneficiaries, there are two others to keep in mind, and they are free. So if you are one of those people with annual checklists, keep these in mind when considering designating beneficiaries. Though the name is morbid, the idea is clear. There are many retirement accounts you may have that will pay out to beneficiaries at the time of your death....
Oral Advocacy Rule No. 1: “If you are winning an argument, it’s time to stop talking.” That’s one of those unwritten laws that lawyers often forget, so there it is. It applies in hearings in general, but in ethics proceedings in particular. David Evan Schorr apparently didn’t get that memo. Disciplinary authorities were going to censure him privately, but then he opened his mouth. Private Reprimand Schorr, a New York City attorney, refused to accept a private reprimand for secretly recording a court hearing....
New Yorker Todd Remis is using our legal system the way it was intended: he’s suing to recreate his wedding. Remis claims that the photographer at his 2003 wedding skipped out about fifteen minutes early. He says they failed to take photos during the last dance and the bouquet toss. Have we mentioned that Remis is now divorced from his wife? Oh yes, the marriage is over – he’s not even sure where his former bride is....
There are two new nominees for the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Last week, President Obama announced his latest picks for the IP-focused court: Raymond T. Chen and Todd M. Hughes. Let’s get to know these gentlemen, shall we? According to a White House press release, Chen has served as the Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since 2008....
A Pennsylvania man, bugged by the sounds of his estranged wife’s lovemaking, bugged her bed with an electronic transmitter to let him know when “the coast was clear,” police say. Wayne Comet Cripe, 66, of Raccoon Twp., Pa., lived in the same house – but in different bedrooms – with his estranged wife Suzanne, 49, the local Beaver County Times reports. Suzanne and her new boyfriend shared some intimate moments in her boudoir – with Wayne Cripe apparently listening in without their knowledge, police said....
Discounted designer shoes bring out the crazy – and the crazy fashionistas. Hundreds of shoe lovers took out their after-Christmas aggression at New York City’s Saks Fifth Avenue Monday morning in a scene that could only be described as “utter chaos.” The high-end retailer was having a 4-hour, 60% off shoe sale. The rare year-end sale predictably ended in a year-end Saks shoe riot. Women were fighting over red-soled Louboutins and studded Brian Atwood flats....
Andrew Parnas, who dreamed of going to law school at age 10, is now, at age 18, going to be starting law school this fall at George Washington University. And if you think the young man is full of idealism and passion for fighting the good fight, guess again. The tenacious teen foresees a future in corporate law departments doing M&A, or working in ADR. Not only does he have political aspirations, but he only sees law school as a “stepping stone” to achieve his broader goals....
A not-so-amorous threesome ended in a stabbing and the arrest of Ashley Hunter, one of two men involved in the sex tryst. The other man, Orlando DeWitt, was taken to the hospital. Hunter and DeWitt apparently met in prison and had been out partying with several women, reports The Smoking Gun. They left a South Dakota bar with a woman named Leticia last Friday. During the night, DeWitt and Leticia began having sex on the living room couch....
To hear the law school dean say it, there’s nothing wrong with legal education at Ole Miss. And bless their hearts, Mississippi deans don’t seem to know why the bar pass rates there have dropped 27 percent in the past four years. A lowly 53 percent passed the July exam this year, and an embarrassing 36 percent survived the February test. It can’t be that Mississippi law schools have lowered their admissions standards, could it?...
At what amount would you value 589 days of your life? What if it was for a good cause, like civil rights? But what if those days also spanned 46 years and included countless encounters with local politicians and the Department of Justice? Can’t come up with a dollar amount? Well attorney Marion Overton White has an estimate for you–$10 million. In 1965, Marion Overton White filed a desegregation lawsuit against the St....
If you’re lucky, then you’ll soon be going somewhere for spring break (and if you live basically anywhere except out west, you’re long overdue for a sunny beach somewhere). It’s an opportunity to unwind, but it’s also an opportunity to read something that’s not a deposition transcript or case law. Hopefully you’ve already gone through our suggestions for books to read in the new year, meaning you’re ready for some more guidance....
As BigLaw firm Dewey & LeBoeuf goes belly-up, attorneys at other law firms may be looking for signs of trouble where they work. One former Dewey employee claims the firm failed to provide proper notice before issuing mass layoffs, according to a class action lawsuit. But you may not need formal notice to realize your firm is about to collapse. Another 10 or so BigLaw firms could fold like Dewey between now and the end of 2013, a columnist for ABA Journal recently opined....
Although Old McDonald had a farm, he probably didn’t think anyone was going to sexually assault his cows. The same can be said for a farmer in upstate New York, who was wondering why his heffers seemed anxious and “were not producing as usual,” the Utica Observer-Dispatch reports. Surveillance video in a barn revealed the answer, showing a man named Michael Jones filming another man, Reid Fontaine, allegedly trying to have sex with the farmer’s cows....
We’re in a recession. Legal hiring is stagnant, and the traditional methods of finding a job are hardly worth the work. Unsolicited – and solicited – resumes get lost in a pile of hundreds, and partners are probably about ready to strangle the next young lawyer who drops a “hire me” hint. So, what’s a new grad or unemployed lawyer to do? Turn to Facebook, of course. And no, not to wallow or jealously stalk former classmates....
