http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en abajournal@americanbar.org Copyright 2012 2012-05-27T09:23:26-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_grad_seeks_spot_on_u.s._olympic_team/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_grad_seeks_spot_on_u.s._olympic_team/#:2012-05-25T19:13:47+00:00 Lauren Fendrick, a graduate of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, and her partner, Brooke Hanson, who graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and majored in law, are competing for a spot to play for Olympic gold in London this summer. Fendrick and Hanson, who are the 10th-ranked women’s beach volleyball duo in the world, will demonstrate their prowess on a sand court this weekend against other elite teams at the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Volleyball Series in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the Miami Herald reports. Although they face tough competition from Olympic gold medal winners Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, currently ranked… Careers, Law Schools, Law Students Fri, 25 May 2012 14:13:47 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/departing_u.s._attorney_regrets_lincoln_remark_after_blagojevich_arrest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/departing_u.s._attorney_regrets_lincoln_remark_after_blagojevich_arrest/#:2012-05-25T11:59:42+00:00 The departing U.S. Attorney in Chicago who oversaw the prosecutions of two Illinois governors told reporters of one regret at a news conference on Thursday. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who is stepping down on June 30 after nearly 11 years in office, apologized for a remark he made in a 2008 press conference announcing the arrest of then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, report the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. Fitzgerald said then that the governor’s conduct would make Abraham Lincoln “roll over in his grave.” “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Fitzgerald told reporters on… Careers, Criminal Justice, Prosecutors Fri, 25 May 2012 06:59:42 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer-turned-teacher_says_desire_for_family_time_explains_why_more_men_go_/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer-turned-teacher_says_desire_for_family_time_explains_why_more_men_go_/#:2012-05-24T10:30:10+00:00 Adrian Ortiz made more money in Mexico than in the United States, but he’s not complaining. Ortiz, 42, was a lawyer in Mexico. Now he’s a kindergarten teacher in a bilingual classroom in Houston, a job that gives him more time for family, the New York Times reports. Another man who opted for a teaching job is Charles Reed, who decided against law school and now teaches math to sixth graders. Ortiz and Reed are among an increasing number of men who are taking jobs once dominated by women. In a 10-year period ending in 2010, almost a third of all job growth for men occurred… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Careers, Work/Life Balance Thu, 24 May 2012 05:30:10 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/chicago_us_attorney_fitzgerald_announces_departure/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/chicago_us_attorney_fitzgerald_announces_departure/#:2012-05-23T19:22:35+00:00 Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who oversaw the prosecutions of former Illinois Govs. George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, announced Wednesday that he is stepping down June 30. Fitzgerald is the longest-serving U.S. attorney in Chicago history, the Chicago Tribune reports, having served in the post for more than 10½ years. The U.S. attorney's office said Fitzgerald notified the White House, Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk of his decision Wednesday morning. The office gave no reason for Fitzgerald's departure, but said he has no immediate employment plans and intends to take the summer off before considering his next career move. "When… Attorney General, Careers, Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, White Collar Crime Wed, 23 May 2012 14:22:35 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former_dewey_partners_hire_lawyers_for_possible_clawback_claims/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former_dewey_partners_hire_lawyers_for_possible_clawback_claims/#:2012-05-23T14:56:41+00:00 A lawyer experienced in defending clawback claims is expected to be tapped to represent a group of more than 50 former partners at Dewey & LeBoeuf, according to a published report. The lawyer, Mark Zauderer, previously represented a senior partner fighting clawback claims in the 1988 bankruptcy of Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Heine, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey, the New York Law Journal reports. He told the publication he expects to represent the partners along with Blank Rome restructuring partner Andrew Eckstein. Another group of partners has hired bankruptcy lawyer Tracy Klestadt to represent them, the story says. Meanwhile, another large group of lawyers has left… Bankruptcy Law, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, Trials & Litigation Wed, 23 May 2012 09:56:41 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/even_single_people_give_up_pay_for_work-life_balance_ex-biglaw_lawyer_is_an/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/even_single_people_give_up_pay_for_work-life_balance_ex-biglaw_lawyer_is_an/#:2012-05-23T11:23:47+00:00 Anne Marie Bowler gave up the big paycheck at a large law firm six years ago because she wanted more control over her time. Bowler, now 36, started her own firm with another colleague who had just returned from maternity leave, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. Today she is able to go for long evening bike rides and duck out of work for special events. When she and her law partner are able to leave the office before dinner, they tell each other, “It's five o'clock. That used to be snack time" at their former law firm. Bowler tells the newspaper she worked at… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Careers, Lawyer Pay, Women in the Law, Work/Life Balance, Law Firms, Large Firm Wed, 23 May 2012 06:23:47 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/nonprofit_analyzes_lawmakers_speech_levels_lawyers_come_out_on_top_and_bott/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/nonprofit_analyzes_lawmakers_speech_levels_lawyers_come_out_on_top_and_bott/#:2012-05-23T10:29:48+00:00 Lawmakers with law degrees come out at the very top and bottom of a ranking of U.S representatives and senators based on the sophistication of their congressional discourse. At the top of the ranking by the Sunlight Foundation is U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., a Georgetown University Law Center graduate and former California attorney general. His grade level on the Flesch-Kincaid scale for this session of Congress is 20, NPR reports. The scale gives higher grade levels to those who speak with longer sentences and use words with more syllables. The story gives an example of Lungren’s long sentences: "This Justice… Careers, Law in Popular Culture, Law Schools Wed, 23 May 2012 05:29:48 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/four_labor_lawyers_at_kl_gates_jump_to_schuyler_roche/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/four_labor_lawyers_at_kl_gates_jump_to_schuyler_roche/#:2012-05-22T18:37:59+00:00 A group of four labor lawyers led by shareholder James Daley is jumping from K&L Gates to Schuyler, Roche & Crisham. The group also includes partners David Novak and Edward Graham, and associate James Thomas, according to a press release. Daley says in the release that midsize firm Schuyler Roche “affords us the opportunity to provide our clients with an in-depth full-service legal environment in a more cost-effective manner.” He was chief labor negotiator for Cook County, Ill., according to a cached version of his bio on the K&L Gates website. Careers, Law Firms, Partners Tue, 22 May 2012 13:37:59 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/rutgers_at_camden_law_dean_defends_marketing_pitch_touting_salaries_of_130k/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/rutgers_at_camden_law_dean_defends_marketing_pitch_touting_salaries_of_130k/#:2012-05-22T17:13:34+00:00 A marketing pitch sent to prospective students by Rutgers University School of Law at Camden touted a 90 percent employment rate in the legal field for its employed graduates and top private-practice salaries in excess of $130,000 for “many top students.” Now law dean Rayman Solomon is defending those claims after critics charged that the statistics are misleading, Inside Higher Ed reports. According an analysis by Law School Transparency, no more than five recent graduates reported a salary of $130,000. And the 90 percent employment statistics include jobs where having a J.D. is an advantage, the group says. Solomon said he didn't… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Careers, Law Schools, Law Students Tue, 22 May 2012 12:13:34 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/mass._bar_task_force_legal_education_could_take_a_page_from_medical_educati/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/mass._bar_task_force_legal_education_could_take_a_page_from_medical_educati/#:2012-05-21T21:30:31+00:00 The Massachusetts Bar Association's Task Force on the Law, the Economy and Underemployment released a report last week exploring the causes of and solutions for underemployment of law school graduates. The task force, made up of 12 licensed lawyers, one law student and one university pre-law adviser devoted six months to the report, titled "Beginning the Conversation" (PDF) and focused to a certain extent on how law schools contribute to the problem. The first section of the report compared how law school admissions rates and total numbers of graduates compare with those of medical schools and dental schools. The report found that in the 2010-11 academic… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Bar Associations, Careers, Bar Exam, Law Schools, States, Massachusetts Mon, 21 May 2012 16:30:31 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/meet_andrew_ness_who_lost_his_capital_contributions_at_three_failed_law_fir/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/meet_andrew_ness_who_lost_his_capital_contributions_at_three_failed_law_fir/#:2012-05-21T12:19:14+00:00 Lawyers who work at multiple failed law firms face a big financial hit. These lawyers may lose their capital contributions at the failed firm at the same time they have to pony up capital at their new firm, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req. ) reports. Andrew Ness is all too familiar with the problem. Ness, who currently works at Jones Day, has lost his equity stakes at three failed law firms: a boutique, Thelen and Howrey. "I did not see a dime of capital returned and don't expect to see a dime," Ness told the newspaper. According to the story, capital requirements can range from… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Law Firms, Partners Mon, 21 May 2012 07:19:14 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/california_supreme_court_considers_whether_to_grant_law_license_to_illegal_/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/california_supreme_court_considers_whether_to_grant_law_license_to_illegal_/#:2012-05-17T11:42:41+00:00 The California Supreme Court is considering whether to grant a law license to an illegal immigrant, a paralegal who came to the United States as a young child. The immigrant, Sergio Garcia, came to the United States from Mexico with his parents when he was 17 months old, the Los Angeles Times reports, citing information from the Daily Journal (sub. req.). He has applied for legal status. The supreme court asked the State Bar of California to show cause why Garcia should be admitted to practice after the bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners revealed his immigration status in a routine request for license… Bar Associations, Careers, Bar Exam, Immigration Law, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, States, California Thu, 17 May 2012 06:42:41 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/how_to_slay_your_meeting_killers_one_executive_battled_hot_air_with_cold_ai/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/how_to_slay_your_meeting_killers_one_executive_battled_hot_air_with_cold_ai/#:2012-05-17T10:30:36+00:00 Everyone knows the meeting killers. There is “the dominator,” the Wall Street Journal notes in an interactive graphic. This person greatly overestimates the value of his or her personal views, disrupts discussion and “induces information overkill.” Then there is the “naysayer,” who waits to make major objections until after consensus is almost reached. Or the “rambler” who “inflicts death by boredom” with off-topic discussions. “When it comes time for a meeting, co-workers can be deadly,” the Wall Street Journal says. “Discussions get hijacked. Bad ideas fall like blunt objects. Long-winded colleagues consume all available oxygen, killing good ideas by asphyxiation.” The… Careers Thu, 17 May 2012 05:30:36 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/given_choice_between_law_school_and_clevelands_browns_ohio_state_grad_bids_/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/given_choice_between_law_school_and_clevelands_browns_ohio_state_grad_bids_/#:2012-05-16T19:52:08+00:00 Given the choice between a football career and the law, an Ohio State University graduate has nixed a chance to try out for the Cleveland Browns. Former linebacker Andrew Sweat tweeted that he didn't want to take a chance of suffering a severe concussion in the National Football League, the New York Daily News reports. He had already had several in college play. Above the Law urged him to give football a try, but as a CNN article notes, he might make more, in the long run, as a lawyer. And, as Sweat points out, he's more… Careers Wed, 16 May 2012 14:52:08 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ex-skadden_lawyer_loses_bias_suit_appeal_court_cites_misuse_of_car_service/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ex-skadden_lawyer_loses_bias_suit_appeal_court_cites_misuse_of_car_service/#:2012-05-16T15:18:37+00:00 Updated: A former litigation counsel accused of misusing the car service at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has lost a bid to reinstate her age and sex discrimination suit against the law firm. Rita Gordon’s suit had claimed the firm cited her liberal use of the car service as a pretext when it fired her in 2005. In reality, her suit claimed, the firm wanted to replace her with “a younger man whose demeanor and conduct was more consistent with the 'macho' image of Skadden's Litigation Department." A trial judge granted the law firm’s motion for summary judgment last year, and the New York Appellate Division… Careers, Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, States, New York Wed, 16 May 2012 10:18:37 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/final_member_of_deweys_four-lawyer_management_team_heads_to_a_new_firm/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/final_member_of_deweys_four-lawyer_management_team_heads_to_a_new_firm/#:2012-05-16T14:35:00+00:00 The fourth and final lawyer who was managing Dewey & LeBoeuf has left the law firm. Charles Landgraf joined Arnold & Porter on Wednesday, where he will be a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, the Hill reports. An insurance lobbyist, Landgraf told the publication that Arnold & Porter is “the perfect platform” for his practice. Another Dewey partner leaving today is Christopher Clark, who led Dewey’s white-collar defense practice, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports. He is heading to Latham & Watkins. Yesterday, Schulte Roth & Zabel announced it is… Business of Law, Careers, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners Wed, 16 May 2012 09:35:00 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/biglaw_associate_wrote_novel_in_early_mornings_before_law_practice/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/biglaw_associate_wrote_novel_in_early_mornings_before_law_practice/#:2012-05-16T13:24:35+00:00 A lawyer’s BigLaw workload can be daunting, but it didn’t stop Cristina Alger from tackling a second project. When she was an associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Alger worked on a novel at the same time, the Careerist reports. She tells the blog she woke up early to write for fun, and then went to work. “I didn't know I had a novel until I had written 150 pages,” she says. (A bankruptcy lawyer, she did have to put her writing on hold after the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy.) The result of her efforts is The Darlings, the story of a rich family coping with a… Careers, Law Firms, Associates, Large Firm Wed, 16 May 2012 08:24:35 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/deweys_demise_is_bad_news_for_job-hunting_lawyers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/deweys_demise_is_bad_news_for_job-hunting_lawyers/#:2012-05-15T11:59:45+00:00 As lawyers from Dewey & LeBoeuf flood the job market, there are fewer positions available for others in the job hunt. The New York Law Journal interviewed recruiters about the impact. One spoke of a “massive disruption” in the lawyer job market in New York. Firms sorting through Dewey lawyers are putting off hiring decisions for other applicants, they said. Meanwhile, some Dewey lawyers will have a harder time finding jobs than others. Service partners without large books of business will encounter difficulties, as will senior associates, according to Joel Berger, president of Meridian Legal Search. Firms are more interested in junior Dewey associates who… Business of Law, Careers, Law Firms, Associates, Partners Tue, 15 May 2012 06:59:45 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/give_me_the_moon_texas_lawyer_pursues_ordinary_folks_and_world_leaders_for_/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/give_me_the_moon_texas_lawyer_pursues_ordinary_folks_and_world_leaders_for_/#:2012-05-14T18:29:23+00:00 Joe Gutheinz retired more than a decade ago from his job as a senior agent for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's office of inspector general. But the Houston attorney hasn't had any trouble keeping busy. In addition to teaching a college class on investigative techniques, he devotes his time to tracking down missing moon rocks, with the help of his students, the Christian Science Monitor reports. So far, they're recovered 79. But 160 of the 270 samples collected by American astronauts on the moon between 1969 and 1972 and given to other nations as gifts are lost, stolen or otherwise unaccounted for, Gutheinz says, not… Aviation & Space Law, Careers, States, Texas Mon, 14 May 2012 13:29:23 -0500 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/suit_by_jobless_harvard_law_grad_says_false_plagiarism_accusation_caused_bi/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=careers http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/suit_by_jobless_harvard_law_grad_says_false_plagiarism_accusation_caused_bi/#:2012-05-14T15:26:07+00:00 A lawyer who graduated from Harvard Law School in 2009 claims the school falsely accused her of plagiarism after she handed in a draft of a law review article that was incomplete because her laptop had been hit with a computer virus. The suit by Megon Walker says one law firm withdrew an employment offer and another fired her because of the false charge of plagiarism in 2009, report the National Law Journal and Courthouse News Service. Walker’s lawyer, John Markham II, told the NLJ the first firm was Goodwin Procter and the second was a “national firm.” Walker says she submitted… Careers, Law Firms, Large Firm, Law Schools, Law Students, Legal Ethics Mon, 14 May 2012 10:26:07 -0500