Associates

Law firms shouldn’t overlook value of soft skills

Soft skills do not get much attention in law firms. That was my experience when I was practicing in small, medium and larger firms, and it still is the case today.

Mar 7, 2019 6:30 AM CST

Firm uses minorities as ‘diversity props’ to impress clients, suit alleges

A black associate has filed a lawsuit claiming that her North Carolina law firm uses minorities as “diversity props” to impress clients and also misrepresents its inclusiveness to potential employees. Sharika Robinson claims in her March 4 lawsuit that Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson in North Carolina maintained in its advertising…

Mar 6, 2019 11:35 AM CST

Law firm sues associate for alleged breach of employment contract

Recruiters are questioning the wisdom of a Louisiana law firm’s decision to sue an associate for allegedly breaching an employment contract that requires three years of employment. The associate, Jane “Megan” Daily, left the Preis law firm Nov. 26 after spending a little more than a year there, according to…

Mar 6, 2019 7:00 AM CST

Former BigLaw attorney sentenced to prison for stealing $600K from church

A lawyer living in Wilmington, Delaware, has been sentenced to prison for stealing $600,000 from a historic Harlem church in a real estate transaction. John Shasanmi was sentenced Friday to 1½ to 4½ years in prison, the New York Daily News reports. He had pleaded guilty in January to two…

Mar 4, 2019 3:02 PM CST

Jackson Lewis quietly reverts to billable hours totals as a tool for evaluating associates

Labor and employment firm Jackson Lewis reversed a policy that had eliminated the billable hour as a metric for gauging associates’ performance and awarding bonuses. Clients wanted lean, economical lawyering, but needed a key performance indicator.

Mar 1, 2019 1:00 AM CST

Lawyer suspended for lying about case filings, creating fake brief to back up his account

A New York appeals court has suspended a real estate lawyer for three months for lying to a partner after failing to follow his instructions regarding the filing of two appellate briefs.

Feb 14, 2019 1:24 PM CST

BigLaw associate was duped into transferring over $2.5M to fraudster’s account, decision reveals

An associate at Dentons Canada was duped into transferring more than $2.5 million into a fraudster’s account, according to an opinion by an Ontario judge in an insurance coverage dispute. The Dec. 11 decision by Judge Carole J. Brown said the Vancouver-based associate sent the money from a property sale…

Jan 23, 2019 7:30 AM CST

Former BigLaw lawyer inflated hours because of perceived billing expectations, ethics complaint says

A lawyer concerned about meeting perceived billing expectations inflated work hours while working at two Chicago law firms, according to an Illinois ethics complaint. The lawyer, Christopher Craig Anderson, had worked as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis before joining Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, where he was promoted to nonequity…

Jan 22, 2019 7:30 AM CST

Law firms are having the best financial-growth year in about a decade, two reports conclude

Law firms increased revenues this year, posting gains during the first three quarters that are the best in about a decade, according to two new reports.

Dec 12, 2018 7:00 AM CST

Kirkland drops mandatory arbitration of associate workplace disputes after call for boycott

Kirkland & Ellis will no longer require associates and summer associates to agree to mandatory arbitration of workplace disputes.

Nov 27, 2018 10:05 AM CST

Cravath announces associate bonuses of up to $100K; Paul Weiss quickly announces a match

Cravath, Swaine & Moore has once again announced year-end bonuses for associates that range from $15,000 to $100,000.

Nov 20, 2018 10:45 AM CST

Overwhelmed with personal tasks? Kirkland & Ellis provides a solution

Kirkland & Ellis is providing concierge services to help lawyers and senior staff who are too busy to handle personal tasks and run errands. The service, called Kirkland Concierge, includes a full-time, on-site concierge staff along with off-site concierge services that can be reached with a phone call or email,…

Nov 15, 2018 7:30 AM CST

Michelle Obama got this advice after confiding to her mother that she hated being a lawyer

Careers

Nov 14, 2018 7:30 AM CST

As some employers offer ‘pawternity leave,’ Susman Godfrey joins the pack

Susman Godfrey sees no reason to keep its lawyers on a short leash. The law firm offers unlimited paid parental leave and unlimited vacation to associates. And the vacation time can be used for “pawternity leave,” managing partner Neal Manne told the Texas Lawyer. Manne contacted the Texas Lawyer after…

Oct 18, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Susman Godfrey offers associates unlimited gender-neutral paid parental leave

Susman Godfrey’s parental leave for associates—regardless of gender—is now limitless. The policy allows for some time to be applied towards year-end bonuses, including “up to 12 weeks for any associate and up to 18 weeks for delivering mothers.” “The firm’s expanded and gender-neutral parental leave policy is part of our…

Oct 4, 2018 8:00 AM CDT