Careers

The Born Prophecy

More than a decade ago, Brooksley Born warned that unregulated financial markets were getting out of hand. Now many in Washington wish they’d listened.

May 2, 2009 4:30 AM CDT

Kudos for 7 over 70—and Other Considerations

Mesmerizing—that is the first word that came to mind after reading “Lions of the Trial Bar: 7 Over 70,” in the March edition of the ABA Journal. The layout of each individual attorney’s story made it so effortless to read that I enjoyed the entire piece in one sitting. The…

May 2, 2009 4:10 AM CDT

Indelicate Balance

Before lawyers feared they’d be laid off, they worried about the time demands of law practice.

May 2, 2009 3:00 AM CDT

Moving to the Middle

Smaller firms get crack at bigger fish

May 2, 2009 1:50 AM CDT

Mom & Dad, Esquire

More households managing dual law careers

May 2, 2009 1:20 AM CDT

Stroock Deferral Options for New Grads: $50K to Delay, $75K to Go Away

In an innovative approach to the problem of too many lawyers and too little work, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan is offering multiple deferral options to its incoming class of fall associates. A letter sent on Tuesday by the firm to graduating law students previously offered jobs as Stroock associates…

May 1, 2009 9:14 PM CDT

Fired Associate Allowed to Sue Firm on Claim of Porn Ethics Dustup

Updated: A Massachusetts appeals court is allowing an associate to sue a Boston law firm based on a claim he was illegally fired for refusing to destroy child pornography inadvertently found on a client’s computer. The law firm—Hinckley, Allen & Snyder—had maintained the suit by lawyer Kevin Plante should be…

May 1, 2009 4:01 PM CDT

Cahill Gordon Nudged from List of 100 Top-Grossing Law Firms

In 1985, New York’s Cahill Gordon & Reindel was No. 35 on American Lawyer’s first list of the nation’s top-grossing law firms. In 2008, an 11.8 percent drop in gross revenues nudged the firm out of the top 100. The co-administrative partner of the 265-lawyer firm, Jonathan Schaffzin, told the…

May 1, 2009 1:13 PM CDT

Lawyer Who Survived Hudson River Plane Landing Changes Careers

A South Carolina lawyer says his decision to change careers had nothing to do with the Hudson River landing of US Airways Flight 1549. Mike Nunn tells SCNow.com that surviving the water landing was a life-changing experience. But it didn’t spur his decision to give up private law practice to…

May 1, 2009 12:43 PM CDT

Justice Souter’s Friends Aren’t Surprised by His Retirement Plans

Justice David H. Souter’s distaste for life in Washington, D.C., has friends expressing little surprise at his reported plans to retire. News of Souter’s plans broke yesterday evening. The liberal justice has “a well-known disdain for the ways of Washington” and travels home to his modest farmhouse in Weare, N.H.,…

May 1, 2009 12:25 PM CDT

Ex-Associate Hit with ‘Wave of Negativity’ at Session for Jobless

Legal recruiters in Los Angeles told a standing-room only crowd of jobless lawyers at a panel discussion on Wednesday that they might have to look outside the law for jobs. The dismal news had lawyers dressed in interview suits heading for the exits rather than staying to chat with the…

May 1, 2009 11:51 AM CDT

Who Will Replace Justice Souter?

In the wake of reports Thursday night that Justice David Souter has told the White House he plans to retire from the Supreme Court, attention will turn immediately to possible picks to replace him. In fact, informed speculation began during the presidential campaign. In the ABA Journal’s November issue, sources…

May 1, 2009 3:23 AM CDT

It’s Official: A&O Axes 450 Today

Implementing a restructuring plan announced earlier this year to deal with the dismal economy, Allen & Overy laid off about 250 lawyers and 200 staff today. Among the lawyers being let go are 47 partners, reports Legal Week. Another 35 partners at the London-based “magic circle” international firm are either…

Apr 30, 2009 9:54 PM CDT

Lawyer Personalities May Contribute to Increased Suicide Risk

Personality characteristics often associated with lawyers, such as perfectionism and competitiveness, when combined with depression may be contributing to a higher suicide rate in the legal profession, an expert says. Lanny Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology, a group devoted to suicide prevention, says risk factors for…

Apr 30, 2009 6:43 PM CDT

Another Layoffs Downside: Loss of Personal Info on Work Computer

Lawyers, in particular, should know better. But like everybody else, many hardworking attorneys who spend a lot of time at the office probably have personal material on their work computers. And, in a time of stunning layoffs, both in the legal industry and elsewhere, that can result in the loss…

Apr 30, 2009 6:30 PM CDT