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Billing rates lag for female lawyers; are ‘backroom assessments’ to blame?

Billing rates for female lawyers lag those of male lawyers, according to a study of $3.4 billion in legal work from more than 3,000 law firms. Among partners, billing rates for female lawyers were about 10 percent lower on average than those of their male counterparts, the Wall Street Journal…

May 5, 2014 12:27 PM CDT

Work-life balance is no longer a top concern of state and local bar members, surveys show

State and local bar members aren’t focused on tangible association benefits such as product discounts and social occasions, according to surveys conducted by the ABA’s Division for Bar Services. More important, the respondents said, were networking opportunities and association efforts to boost the image of the legal profession. Meanwhile, work-life…

May 5, 2014 11:15 AM CDT

Civility oath requires new California lawyers to pledge to behave with dignity

New California lawyers must pledge that they will behave with “dignity, courtesy and integrity” as a result of a new oath approved by the state supreme court. The oath will take effect May 23, the supreme court announced on Law Day in a press release. The Los Angeles Times and…

May 2, 2014 11:53 AM CDT

Can this Foley & Lardner lawyer keep the Buffalo Bills from relocating?

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has hired Foley & Lardner to try and keep the Buffalo Bills from leaving the state. The Buffalo News reported on Wednesday that Cuomo has turned to Foley partner Irwin Raij of Manhattan. The paper states that the firm’s contract will run for three years…

May 1, 2014 6:40 PM CDT

Republican Governors Association doubles down on negative ad campaign against lawyer

Unbowed by persistent criticism over its negative ad campaign focusing on a gubernatorial candidate’s past as a trial attorney—which has generated outrage from many political commentators, lawyers, and bar associations, including the ABA—the Republican Governors Association doubled down on Tuesday. According to an article in The State, the RGA has…

May 1, 2014 3:55 PM CDT

Winston & Strawn cuts about 30 staffers

Winston & Strawn has eliminated nearly 30 administrative positions. Managing partner Tom Fitzgerald confirmed the layoffs in a statement provided to the ABA Journal. “It comes as no surprise that all law firms have adjusted their administrative support function in response to both improvements in technology and economic conditions that…

May 1, 2014 3:46 PM CDT

Law firms add coaches to their staffs

Lawyers, get ready to add a new buzzword to your lexicon: talent management. Law firms are now adding coaching positions to their permanent ranks. And while career coaches for attorneys aren’t new, firms are now keeping them on staff to advise lawyers about everything from work-life balance to troubleshooting intrafirm…

May 1, 2014 9:50 AM CDT

Former DEA agent switches over to the legal marijuana industry

Much of Patrick Moen’s life has been devoted to law enforcement. He spent five years as a police officer and went to law school during a decadelong career at the U.S. Department of Justice. At the DOJ, he rose to the rank of supervisory special agent at the Drug Enforcement…

May 1, 2014 9:39 AM CDT

MoFo starts Twitter feed to promote its female lawyers

What do you do when you want to highlight your firm’s “deep roster” of talented female lawyers? Tweet it, of course. This spring San Francisco-based Morrison & Foerster launched @MoFoWomen to show how much effort the firm is devoting to women in the legal field, says Mika Mayer, a Palo…

May 1, 2014 9:20 AM CDT

Firms raise partners’ contributions, delay payback

Buffeted by a weak economy and a shaky market for legal services, law firms are increasing their demands for contributions from partners—on terms, some partners complain, not always favorable to the contributor. The gist of partner complaints is that more is demanded on the front end of the contribution agreement,…

May 1, 2014 8:30 AM CDT

What will you do with your life post-retirement?

Retiring is refocusing priorities. For Kathy Bussing, retirement meant championing a passionate cause. “I’m practicing law, just in a different way,” says Bussing, who retired from Husch Blackwell’s insolvency and commercial bankruptcy group. “I’m a court-appointed special advocate for children in Jackson County, Mo.,” she says. “For years, I fit…

May 1, 2014 7:50 AM CDT

Paulette Brown will be the first woman of color to serve as ABA president

In a speech to the ABA House of Delegates in February during the association’s 2014 midyear meeting, Paulette Brown acknowledged the significance of her nomination to become the first woman of color to serve as ABA president. “I know I have a unique responsibility,” said Brown, a partner at Edwards…

May 1, 2014 7:30 AM CDT

Covington & Burling adds another top DOJ official to its swelling ranks

The revolving door continues to spin at Covington & Burling, which added yet another high-profile government official to its ranks. On Wednesday, the powerhouse Washington, D.C.-based firm announced the hiring of Mythili Raman, acting chief of the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Raman, who became head of…

Apr 30, 2014 8:15 PM CDT

Meet the lawyer working on a plea deal for NSA leaker Edward Snowden

National Security Agency-leaker Edward Snowden called on one of the best-known Espionage Act lawyers last year when he entered into plea negotiations with the United States government. According to a Tuesday article in the New York Times, Plato Cacheris, a prominent Washington, D.C. lawyer and name-partner at Trout Cacheris, has…

Apr 29, 2014 5:23 PM CDT

Anti-fracking lawyer wins international prize and $175,000

A former commercial real estate lawyer-turned environmental activist who came up with a novel legal theory to slow and stymie the advancement of fracking in New York has won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, which includes a grant of $175,000. Helen Slottje won the North America category for the international…

Apr 28, 2014 10:58 PM CDT