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After Perhaps $100K in Legal Fees, Becker & Ex-Associate Settle $2K Pay Dispute

A hard-fought litigation battle between a South Florida law firm and an ex-associate over a $2,000 pay dispute has settled confidentially. The case between Becker & Poliakoff and Richard Valuntas had been scheduled to go to trial shortly in small claims court in Palm Beach, reports the Daily Business Review…

Apr 13, 2010 6:05 PM CDT

Law Student Refocuses on NBA, Says Chance of Being Drafted Better Than Legal Job

Last year, Ryan McAteer says, he had a paid internship and a credit score over 600. But this year, given the scarcity of legal jobs, the per diem and the paid shoe contract for professional players persuaded second-year University of Kansas law student to declare himself as a candidate for…

Apr 12, 2010 9:10 PM CDT

Law Grad’s Part-Time, Low-Paid Job Is More Than Many Have, Consultant Says

Make lemonade and count your blessings, a consultant tells a recent graduate of a low-ranked California law school who seeks advice about the low-paid part-time job she has finally found in a small corporate boutique in Chicago. “Breaking-In” should simultaneously make every effort to wow her part-time employer into offering…

Apr 12, 2010 7:19 PM CDT

Socially Awkward Judge Was ‘a Little Creepy,’ Asst. DA Tells Ethics Panel

An assistant Erie County district attorney says a Pennsylvania judge accused of harassing nine women was “a little creepy” and made her feel uncomfortable with his repeated invitations to lunch in 2006 and request to call him “Jerry.” However, Erin Connelly also told a three-judge state Court of Judicial Discipline…

Apr 12, 2010 6:24 PM CDT

Clifford Chance Drops Billable-Hours Requirement for Associate Bonuses

Updated: Clifford Chance in London will no longer condition associate bonuses on a minimum billable-hours threshold. The law firm’s bonus system is undergoing a “radical overhaul,” the Lawyer reports. Clifford Chance has already announced that is unfreezing associate salaries, and now it is revealing a “balanced and flexible bonus scheme.”…

Apr 12, 2010 4:08 PM CDT

Man of Moderation: Last Justice of ‘Greatest Generation,’ Says Farewell

John Paul Stevens got one of his earliest lectures on politics, business and corruption long before he went to law school. Born to Chicago gentry in 1920, Stevens grew up in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood, known for its diversity, intellectual achievement and wealth. His family made its money in…

Apr 9, 2010 2:57 PM CDT

Practical Meaning: As the Court Shifted Right, Stevens Kept His Place

The more things changed, the more John Paul Stevens stayed the same. Appointed by the moderate Republican President Gerald Ford—another Midwesterner and World War II vet—Stevens resolutely insisted that his middle-of-the-road, practical legal values were as visible at his retirement as they were at his 1975 appointment. “You see some…

Apr 9, 2010 2:53 PM CDT

Justice Stevens Announces His Retirement

• Man of Moderation: Last justice of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ the gentlemanly John Paul Stevens says farewell
• Practical Meaning: As the Court Shifted Right, Stevens Kept His Place
• Gallery of Stevens’ Top Cases
• Podcast: David Lat, Eugene Volokh & Joseph Thai on Front-runners & Dark Horses to Replace Stevens
• Who Will Replace Stevens? Three Likely Picks Emerge, as Others Engage in ‘Bizarro’ Speculation

Apr 9, 2010 2:49 PM CDT

Law Firm Employee Charged with Stealing Clients’ Identities

An employee of a San Jose, Calif., law firm has been accused of operating an identity theft ring that used identities stolen from the firm’s clients. The press release announcing the arraignment of the employee, Chev Chan, and five other defendants does not name the law firm where he worked.…

Apr 9, 2010 12:38 PM CDT

DLA Piper Hires Former Business School Dean as Consultant

DLA Piper has hired the former dean of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management as a consultant. Dipak Jain left his position at Northwestern last summer, the Chicago Tribune reports. He joins two other business experts who are working as consultants at the law firm: former LaSalle Bank chairman Norman…

Apr 9, 2010 12:00 PM CDT

Manhattan DA Works Misdemeanor Call in Effort to Reduce Case Backlog

The top prosecutor in Manhattan scrambled to handle a busy misdemeanor call this morning, making plea deals in minor check forgery cases and reporting grand jury action in petty larcenies in an effort to make a dent in a backlog of cases. Rookie Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has…

Apr 8, 2010 10:44 PM CDT

Watch the Video: Would-Be AG Says She’s Qualified Despite Zero Trial Experience

A deposition that has made headlines in Connecticut–especially after counsel for the deponent, secretary of state and would-be Democratic attorney general candidate Susan Bysiewicz, briefly sought a protective order to prevent disclosure of the transcript and video of the three-day session–has now been made public. As her testimony on March…

Apr 8, 2010 8:40 PM CDT

Mayer Brown to Lay Off 28 Lawyers & 47 Staff in US, But Says Legal Market is Improving

In an internal e-mail today, Mayer Brown axed 28 associates and counsel and 47 staff in its United States offices, expressing regret at the layoffs” but saying that reduced demand for legal services and reduced attrition made it necessary. Nonetheless, there are “encouraging signs for 2010,” states the e-mail, which…

Apr 8, 2010 5:42 PM CDT

Ex-Associate Set for Trial in Small-Claims Suit Against Becker & Poliakoff in $2K Pay Dispute

Many an associate has complained about the sudden pay cuts imposed by a number of law firms in recent years as they struggled with a dismal economy. But Richard Valuntas didn’t just talk the talk. In a lawsuit that has already cost both sides far more in legal fees than…

Apr 7, 2010 6:32 PM CDT

Goodbye Rosebud: Job of Manatt Phelps Counsel Is Product Placement

Lawyer Jordan Yospe lives by the motto “the early bird gets the worm”—only in his business, the worm may well be associated with a certain brand of Tequila or maybe a company that makes fishing lures. Yospe is “a brand integration” expert and counsel at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, according…

Apr 7, 2010 2:49 PM CDT