Careers

How to Narrow Class Divide? Author Suggests Suit Challenging Employer B.A. Requirements

A successful lawsuit could help weaken privileges for kids of the new upper class, according to the author of a book on the divide between professional and working classes. Charles Murray, author of Coming Apart, outlines his idea in an op-ed for the New York Times. In his words, “We…

Mar 8, 2012 1:13 PM CST

Authors of Lab Coat Study Wonder Whether Judicial Robes Spur Changes in Behavior

Do clothes make the person? A study looking at an aspect of that question has found that test subjects wearing white lab coats performed better on tests requiring close attention. The study by Northwestern University researchers Adam Galinsky and Hajo Adam concluded that clothing can have power over ourselves as…

Mar 8, 2012 11:30 AM CST

Husch Blackwell De-Equitized 25 Partners

The chairman of Husch Blackwell confirmed this week that the law firm has de-equitized 25 partners. After a 2008 merger that created a 600-attorney law firm with dual headquarters in Kansas City and St. Louis, the partnership took a look at its structure, resulting in the eventual reclassification of 25…

Mar 7, 2012 9:51 PM CST

How to Destroy Employee Morale in Four Easy Steps

Two researchers who have studied what makes employees happy and engaged at work have also learned what destroys their morale. Harvard business professor Teresa Amabile and psychologist Steven Kramer learned the triggers by studying work diaries from 238 professionals. Writing for the Washington Post blog On Leadership, they list four…

Mar 7, 2012 7:30 PM CST

Judge Tosses Suit Claiming Covington Failed to Promote from Staff Attorney Ghetto

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has tossed a lawsuit claiming Covington & Burling created a staff attorney ghetto filled with minorities and failed to consider them for promotions. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton granted summary judgment to the law firm in an opinion (PDF) released Tuesday. The African-American plaintiff,…

Mar 7, 2012 5:22 PM CST

On-Campus Recruiting Increased Slightly Again in 2011, But Summer Associate Classes Stay Small

Corrected: For two years in a row, on-campus recruiting at law schools has increased slightly, according to a new report by the legal career professionals group NALP. Thirty-nine percent of law schools reported an increase of at least 5 percent in the number of employers on campus in the fall…

Mar 7, 2012 2:27 PM CST

Amid Lateral Hiring Frenzy of the New Year, These Firms Had the Biggest Gains

The new year has brought increased lateral movement among BigLaw lawyers, swelling the ranks of some law firms and bringing decreasing counts at others. The three firms that come out on top for the first two months of the year are DLA Piper, Littler Mendelson and Bracewell & Giuliani, according…

Mar 6, 2012 1:25 PM CST

Wiley Rein Co-Founder Takes on Two Cases Pushed by Foundation Opposing Preferences

Antitrust litigator Bert Rein will be arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court for the first time when he represents Abigail Fisher in a case challenging race-conscious admissions at the University of Texas. Rein, the co-founder of Wiley Rein, took the case after he was approached by Edward Blum, who runs…

Mar 5, 2012 4:28 PM CST

How to Craft a Resume That Recruiters Will Love

Never include your head shot or hobbies in a resume, but do mention your GPA, providing it's a good one. What else should you include? Hear veteran legal recruiters discuss their likes and dislikes with ABA Journal podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward in this month's podcast.

Mar 5, 2012 2:40 PM CST

Dewey & LeBoeuf to Lay Off Lawyers and Staffers

Dewey & LeBoeuf is planning layoffs of both lawyers and staffers, according to a memo dispatched by chairman Steven Davis on Friday. The firm is planning to cut about 5 percent of its lawyers and 6 percent of its administrative staff throughout its offices, according to the memo obtained by…

Mar 5, 2012 2:36 PM CST

Law Student Helps Develop Crime Reporting App that Could Be Adapted for Schools

A University of New Hampshire law student has helped develop a new app to help people send crime tips directly to police. Eman Pahlevani began work on the app after his brother was robbed in Washington, D.C., the Concord Monitor reports. He worked with his brother and friends to develop…

Mar 5, 2012 1:38 PM CST

Law Firms are Part of ‘Labor Lottery,’ Given Low Likelihood of Winning BigLaw Partnership

It might come as a shock, but a number of newly minted lawyers are little different than street-corner drug dealers and mailroom clerks in the entertainment industry. That’s because, like low-level employees in many fields today that offer either big bucks to those who grab the brass ring or the…

Mar 2, 2012 9:20 PM CST

White & Case Reportedly Plans Crackdown on Underproductive Partners

White & Case is asking its partners to step up their contributions to the firm. According to Legal Week, the law firm told partners at a meeting in Washington, D.C., last month that average billable hours are down and some partners would be asked to leave as a result. Gross…

Mar 2, 2012 2:05 PM CST

Unfunded Pensions Are BigLaw ‘Elephant in the Room’; Future Annual Payout Is $65M at One Firm

Unfunded pension plans at large law firms are spurring concerns of a generational divide as younger partners are forced to pay benefits topping $1 million a year to some retirees. The American Lawyer analyzed pension plans at 21 of the nation’s largest law firms, including 13 unfunded plans at the…

Mar 1, 2012 2:07 PM CST

No Jerks: Some Firms Argue that Collegiality Pays

Some law firms have an official policy: No jerks allowed. Even if it means dismissing a lucrative partner or cutting ties with a client. After all, to those who take it seriously, the “no jerks rule” is more than a feel-good argument for the power of nice or an attempt…

Mar 1, 2012 8:50 AM CST