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Littler Mendelson Boosts Partner Profits, Topping Other San Francisco Firms

The employment law firm Littler Mendelson managed to boost profits per equity partner by 3 percent and revenue per lawyer by 5 percent, the highest increases out of seven San Francisco-based firms surveyed. Average profits per partner at Littler Mendelson increased to $435,000 while the firm’s head count increased by…

Jan 12, 2009 5:42 PM CST

Economy Hits Contract Lawyers and the Companies that Find Jobs for Them

Contract lawyers hired to do document review for law firms are feeling the pinch of a bad economy. Fewer contract jobs are available, and law firms are pressuring placement agencies to hold pay below the going rate of $35 an hour in Washington, D.C., and New York, the National Law…

Jan 12, 2009 2:41 PM CST

NC’s Parker Poe Lays Off 13 Lawyers

One of the oldest law firms in Charlotte, N.C., announced yesterday that it is laying off 13 attorneys and another 15 staff members to cope with a difficult economy. The cuts by Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein were made across the 480-attorney firm’s six offices in the Carolinas, reports the…

Jan 9, 2009 9:59 PM CST

Still Looking for Work in Bad Economy: Former AG Alberto Gonzales

More than 16 months after he announced his resignation after scathing criticism over alleged politicization of Justice Department hiring practices and policies related to the war on terror, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is still looking for another job. But the 53-year-old is upbeat about his search for work,…

Jan 9, 2009 9:33 PM CST

Wildman Harrold Axes 10 Attorneys

Wildman Harrold Allen & Dixon has confirmed that the Chicago-based law firm has laid off “approximately” 10 attorneys. About half are non-equity partners and the rest are associates. In a written statement provided to the Above the Law, Wildman says the laid-off lawyers “will be transitioning out of the firm…

Jan 9, 2009 7:36 PM CST

Legal Services Industry Lost 7,000 Jobs Last Year

The legal services industry lost around 7,000 jobs in the year ending in December, according to new statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor. The numbers reflect several law firm layoffs and include paralegals and other legal staffers, the Am Law Daily reports. The numbers were part of a report…

Jan 9, 2009 6:48 PM CST

Legal Recruiters Say Kirkland & Ellis May Lay Off 15 or More Attorneys

Legal recruiters in Chicago who have been hearing from Kirkland attorneys looking for work say the big-name firm is planning layoffs in its Chicago headquarters. “Kirkland & Ellis is edging some senior associates and income partners toward the door as part of its regular annual evaluation process, perhaps being carried…

Jan 9, 2009 5:59 PM CST

Ex-Associate (a Harvard Law Grad) Dishes on Skadden in Calif. Lawsuit

For seven years, Gary H. Green II handled labor and employment matters as an associate in the Los Angeles office of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. Now he is apparently putting some of his knowledge of the practice area to personal use, in a pro se lawsuit (PDF) he…

Jan 9, 2009 1:44 AM CST

Baker & McKenzie Axes 6 in NY; Is Kirkland Laying Off Income Partners?

In another sign of the turbulent economic times, megafirm Baker & McKenzie, which historically has had its biggest roots in Chicago, is tightening its belt. Although in “strong financial health,” the firm says in a written statement reported by Above the Law, it is proactively taking measures to ensure that…

Jan 9, 2009 12:10 AM CST

How 1st-Year Volunteer Stint Made Harvard Grad a Nonprofit Powerhouse

A first-year volunteer stint, working to found an after-school tutoring program for students at a nearby public school, nearly resulted in Earl Martin Phalen’s quitting Harvard Law School. But, despite being engrossed in Building Educated Leaders for Life, which he co-founded with a classmate in 1992, Phalen decided to stay…

Jan 8, 2009 8:09 PM CST

Women Shun UK Judgeships Because of Fusty Image

Women solicitors in the United Kingdom are reluctant to apply for High Court judgeships because of concerns about an unattractive lifestyle. A judge’s job is considered to be “fusty, old-fashioned and underpaid,” Times Online reports. The conclusions were from a study done over concerns that many top lawyers don’t want…

Jan 8, 2009 6:18 PM CST

Paralegals Outrank Lawyers on Best Jobs List

Much is made of the fact that federal judges must make substantial financial sacrifices when they leave private law practice. But the editors of a new best jobs list believe it’s better to be a federal judge, and better still to be a paralegal assistant. Lawyers were ranked 82nd on…

Jan 8, 2009 4:01 PM CST

More Lawyers May Delay Retirement Due to Stock Drop, Crowding their Firms

The drop in the stock market is likely to make many lawyers think twice about taking retirement. At the same time, firms squeezed by the economic downturn can’t afford the incentives to entice older partners to leave. Many firms are opting to do away with mandatory retirement at a time…

Jan 8, 2009 3:15 PM CST

Clifford Chance Plans to Ax Up to 80 Associates, Asks Partners to Ante Up

Updated: Partners and several associates at Clifford Chance will be feeling the pain of the economic downturn. Clifford Chance is beginning a review that could lead to layoffs of up to 80 London associates at the same time it is asking partners to make increased capital contributions. The law firm…

Jan 8, 2009 1:18 PM CST

Specter Wants to Know if Holder Can Just Say No

Attorney General nominee Eric Holder is likely to face tough questions from Republicans when his confirmation hearings begin next Thursday. The GOP may be emboldened by the pay-to-play charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, CNN reports, and may use the hearings to prove their credibility as a minority party, according…

Jan 8, 2009 12:52 PM CST