Careers

What Women Lawyers Want: Flex-Time and Part-Time Options

Flexible work arrangements are key to retaining women lawyers, but the culture of the legal profession doesn’t appear to value part-time work, according to a new study of Georgia law firms. The study by the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers found that only 30 percent of the surveyed law firms…

Mar 6, 2008 4:11 PM CST

Amidst Layoffs, Some Law Firms Prosper

Updated: Although some law firms are suffering as a result of the current turmoil in the U.S. economy, others are doing fine. One secret to their success: avoiding hot practice areas that now are not. Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney’s bankruptcy practice, for instance, wasn’t cut when the economy boomed and…

Mar 5, 2008 7:35 PM CST

Stories in Need of Revision: O’Connor’s First Job Offer, Women Triumphing Over Bias

Legal journalist Jan Crawford Greenburg of ABC News recalls a conversation with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in a blog column about how far women have come—and the biases they still face. Today many women have an abundance of choices. They can have children, and they can decide to work or…

Mar 5, 2008 7:18 PM CST

Bankruptcy Lawyers Become a Hot Commodity

When business is bad, business is good for bankruptcy lawyers. As more big businesses seek bankruptcy protection this year, more law firms are gearing up to handle the work. In the first two months of this year, 18 big U.S. companies with liabilities over $12.4 billion filed for bankruptcy, double…

Mar 5, 2008 12:48 PM CST

New Spin on Dechert Layoffs

Today is the deadline for 13 unlucky associates in Dechert’s finance and real estate group to decide whether to accept a severance package or shift to a busier practice area. But even if they opt to stay, the Philadelphia-based international firm is only guaranteeing another two months of employment, according…

Mar 4, 2008 7:09 PM CST

Law Firms Embrace Leadership Training, Even if Leadership Isn’t the Goal

Law firms nationwide are paying millions of dollars to send partners to leadership training programs, but experts say the goal may be to get lawyers to agree on firm strategy, the National Law Journal reports. Leadership programs may range from free bar association presentations to personalized coaching sessions, the legal…

Mar 4, 2008 4:29 PM CST

Are Associate Bonuses Counterproductive?

Law firm bonuses are the rule rather than the exception, but one law firm manager tells the Legal Intelligencer he thinks bonuses are counterproductive. Alexander Henderson III, managing partner of Hartman Underhill & Brubaker in Lancaster, Pa., said he doesn’t think its right to reward associates based on the health…

Mar 4, 2008 3:59 PM CST

More FTC Officials Jump to New Jobs

Two more staffers at the Federal Trade Commission are planning to leap to new jobs, according to The Deal. Deputy general counsel John Graubert has confirmed that he will become a partner at Covington & Burling, according to the publication. He will join the firm’s antitrust and consumer law practice…

Mar 4, 2008 3:15 PM CST

Lawyer Awarded at Least $10M for Secret Videotaping

Lawyer Mark Geragos was awarded at least $10 million—and possibly as much as $18 million—in his invasion of privacy suit against an air charter company for secretly videotaping him while traveling with pop star Michael Jackson. Geragos’ colleague, Pat Harris, will receive between $1.25 million and $2.25 million, the Associated…

Mar 4, 2008 1:43 PM CST

Senate Confirms Filip as No. 2 Justice Official

The Senate has confirmed Mark Filip, a federal judge in Chicago, to become the Justice Department’s second in command. The confirmation was part of a broader agreement by Democrats to confirm more White House appointments, report the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.). In exchange, the administration…

Mar 4, 2008 11:49 AM CST

Dechert to 13 Associates: You’re Fired ... No, You’re Not

Updated: After notifying 13 real estate and finance associates last week that they were being laid off, apparently because of a slowing economy, Dechert has reportedly changed its mind. The 13, who were originally told to depart the Philadelphia-based international firm by the close of business tomorrow, as discussed in…

Mar 3, 2008 7:41 PM CST

The Wall Street Journal’s General Counsel Is Fired

The Wall Street Journal has axed Stuart Karle, the paper’s longtime general counsel who achieved some important First Amendment victories. Karle did not disclose why he was fired in a conversation with Legal Times, but he did say he “had a spectacularly good time” helping the newspaper defend its stories.…

Mar 3, 2008 2:32 PM CST

Heller’s Associate Bonanza: Bonuses Restored, Training Added at No Charge to Clients

Heller Ehrman has concluded it was wrong to cut some 2007 bonuses to pay for associate salary hikes, and it’s doing something about it. The law firm has announced it will restore 2007 bonuses of $15,000 to $25,000 for 2,000 hours billed, the Recorder reports. The firm had eliminated the…

Mar 3, 2008 12:11 PM CST

Practicing on Faith

In an unassuming office park in a quiet Chicago suburb, six lawyers are planning a revolution. The six are American women of the Muslim faith, and they have started what they believe is a first-of-its-kind law firm. They hope to change the way others think about their religion and culture,…

Mar 1, 2008 9:14 AM CST

A Novel Heroine

A wealthy socialite’s philandering husband is murdered. When the socialite becomes a suspect in his killing, only Los Angeles trial lawyer Vernetta Henderson can uncover the truth. Or can she?

Mar 1, 2008 8:26 AM CST