Careers

Federal Prosecutors Rarely Lose Their Jobs, Despite Misconduct Findings

Justice Department investigations of prosecutor misconduct rarely result in serious sanctions for wrongdoing, according to a newspaper investigation. “Prosecutors have little reason to fear losing their jobs, even if they violate laws or constitutional safeguards designed to ensure the justice system is fair,” USA Today reports. Most violations result in…

Dec 9, 2010 2:58 PM CST

Texas Man Credited as World’s Youngest Judge Still on the Bench 20 Years Later

A Texas high school student who won election as a justice of the peace 20 years ago has won some respect over the years. John Payton was only 18 when he won the election and landed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world’s youngest judge, a…

Dec 9, 2010 2:05 PM CST

Crossword Champ, Able to Solve NYT Saturday Puzzle in 5 Minutes, Has Legal Lineage

The winner of this year’s American Crossword Puzzle Tournament didn’t follow in his parents’ legal footsteps, but he has their intellectual abilities. Dan Feyer is a pianist and a director in musical theater, and he has an amazing talent to quickly solve crosswords. He demonstrated for the New York Times,…

Dec 9, 2010 12:00 PM CST

Seyfarth Shaw to Open ‘Hub’ Office in London Led by Norton Rose Employment Chair

Seyfarth Shaw will open a London office next year led by the one-time chair of Norton Rose’s employment law practice. The lawyer, Peter Talibart, is widely regarded as one of the leading lawyers in international employment law, according to a Seyfarth Shaw press release. Seyfarth chairman Stephen Poor says in…

Dec 8, 2010 3:28 PM CST

Philly City Lawyer Draws on Difficult Childhood in Advising Homeless

A hardworking lawyer for the city of Philadelphia enjoys a comfortable middle-class existence, but it wasn’t always that way for her. Nikki Johnson-Huston recalls her mother’s struggle with alcoholism and being homeless at the age of 9 after a move to San Diego, the Philadelphia News reports. “The family began…

Dec 8, 2010 12:00 PM CST

Paralegal Job Can Make Career Sense, But Document Review Is Dubious, Experts Advise

Looking to get a foot in the door for an entry-level attorney job in a rough economy? It can make sense, from a career-advancement standpoint, to seek work as a paralegal. But a contract attorney gig focused on document review likely won’t do more than pay the bills, experts say.…

Dec 8, 2010 1:16 AM CST

Nine Lawyers From Dissolving Indianapolis Law Firm Jump to Bose McKinney

An Indianapolis law firm that once included former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh is dissolving, but many of its lawyers and staffers will be joining a bigger rival. Tabbert Hahn Earnest and Weddle will close at the end of the year, according to the Indianapolis Star, the Indianapolis Business Journal and…

Dec 7, 2010 1:44 PM CST

Suit Claims Reed Smith Managers Doled Out Work Based on Sexual Liaisons

Updated: A nonequity partner at Reed Smith’s Pittsburgh office claims in a lawsuit that women lawyers there are paid less than men and given work based on actual or hoped-for sexual liaisons. The suit by JoEllen Lyons Dillon says she never participated in sexual shenanigans at the firm, which paid…

Dec 7, 2010 1:22 PM CST

Lawyers Under Stress Are Critical, Cautious and Distant, Personality Test Shows

When big-firm lawyers are under stress, they tend to shy away from others, while managers and highly educated professionals in other fields are more likely to become confrontational. Lawyers under stress also generally become tense and overly critical, reluctant to take risks and make decisions, and emotionally distant, according to…

Dec 7, 2010 12:00 PM CST

Legal Sector Loses Jobs Two Months in a Row

The legal sector lost 1,100 jobs in November, the second month of declines. The loss was reported Friday in a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Am Law Daily reports. Revised numbers show the legal sector lost 400 jobs in October after a gain of 1,400 jobs in…

Dec 6, 2010 1:04 PM CST

Fired Associate Sues Akin Gump, Alleging Bias and NALP Lie

An African-American associate laid off from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld claims the law “showcased” her at minority events to create a false image of diversity, even as it was transferring her assignments to white lawyers. The racial discrimination suit by Tameka Simmons claims the firm cited pretextual economic…

Dec 6, 2010 12:00 PM CST

Morrison & Foerster Matches Cravath Bonuses, with Caveats

Morrison & Foerster might pay bonuses to its associates, and in New York the amounts might match the Cravath scale with a top payout of $35,000. Associates received word about the possible bonuses Thursday in two vague memos full of “caveats and out-outs,” Above the Law reports. According to the…

Dec 3, 2010 7:30 PM CST

Lawyer with Tics Gives Book Character Same Symptoms, Gets Advice from Mom on Sex Scenes

When attorney Joel Goldman developed tics, a neurological disorder similar to Tourette’s syndrome, and was eventually forced to give up his trial law practice, he made lemonade. An author of several acclaimed legal thrillers, he focuses on a central character whose involuntary movements are like his own, according to Gatehouse…

Dec 3, 2010 4:20 PM CST

Barrier-Breaking US District Court Judge Is Nominated for Seat on 6th Circuit Court of Appeals

An award-winning, barrier-breaking federal district court judge has been nominated by President Barack Obama for a seat on the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Bernice Bouie Donald, who became the first female African-American bankruptcy judge in the country in 1988, and has been a federal district court judge…

Dec 2, 2010 1:16 AM CST

Law Prof Links Lawyer Regs and ‘Gaping Hole’ in Legal Services for Middle Class

A University of Illinois law professor thinks a change in lawyer regulations could help middle-class defendants who are being targeted in mass foreclosures and debt-collection suits. The answer, says corporate law professor Larry Ribstein, lies in a change in the “stranglehold” of lawyer regulations that prevent innovation and a focus…

Dec 1, 2010 11:30 AM CST