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From the editors of Texas Lawyer
Ditching the Billable Hour: 'Everyone Wants to Do It'
Corporate Counsel
Friday, November 20, 2009
More companies are paying their outside counsel off the clock, according to the Hildebrandt 2009 Law Department Survey.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
Lawyers Recall the Fun of Working on Sesame Street
The American Lawyer
Thursday, November 19, 2009
To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Sesame Street, The Am Law Daily -- whose first Halloween costume was Count Von Count -- reached out to two lawyers who have been around for much of the show's success: Roger Zissu, a founding partner of Fross, Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu who has done IP work for Jim Henson entities for decades, and Daniel Victor, who just a month ago left Sesame Workshop after 15 years as general counsel and executive vice president. Here are some of their memories of America's happiest street.
How to Shift Law Firms to a Performance-Based Compensation System
The American Lawyer
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The legal industry loves its traditions, and one of the most entrenched -- embraced by virtually every Am Law 100 firm -- is lockstep associate compensation. But over time, even the best traditions can become anachronisms, and that is the case with lockstep.
The Benefits of Sabbaticals for Lawyers
The Recorder
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
It's hard to believe that even a successful lawyer can get bogged down in the stress and anxiety of a flourishing career and want to run away. I know, I know -- you're thinking, "Is she joking? That's almost every day." OK, then; do something about it.
Complicated web of power
Fulton County Daily Report
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Big Law is governed by many unspoken social rules. The line between acceptable and unacceptable behavior often depends on where you fall in the Big Law Hierarchy.
How Lawyers Can Address the Challenge of Too Much Information
Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report newsletter
Monday, November 16, 2009
In the midst of a legal recession, one might assume that lawyers' greatest challenge is to attract and retain clients, increase revenues, control costs and operate more efficiently. This newsletter's readers who are practicing lawyers and those involved in law firm administration (or both) face numerous challenges to operating efficiently.
Are You Being Foolishly Loyal to Your Law Firm?
The Legal Intelligencer
Friday, November 13, 2009
I never could have imagined that I would ever link the words "foolish" and "loyal." I started playing organized sports at age 7, which coincided with being taught by nuns who drilled certain points into our consciousness seemingly without end. One of those precepts, which my coaches and the sisters drove home, was that one should be loyal. This was an absolute -- no conditions precedent, no caveats and no qualifiers.
10 Tips for Beginning a Successful Legal Career
The Legal Intelligencer
Thursday, November 12, 2009
As another class of law school graduates begins their careers as practicing attorneys, we started to reflect upon our early days as lawyers. Looking back, we realized just how much we didn't know then, and we commented that we wish someone had given us better advice prior to starting our new positions.
Justice O'Connor's Husband Dead at 79
The National Law Journal
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
John O'Connor III, the husband of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, died Wednesday in Phoenix of complications from Alzheimer's disease, according to an announcement from the Court. He was 79.
When the going gets tough ...
Fulton County Daily Report
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
One of the side effects of lean economic times at Big Law is an increase in internal competition for work and hours. In the boom times, there was more than enough work for all of Big Law's worker bees.
Litigation Practices Showing Signs of Life, Says Hildebrandt Study
The National Law Journal
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Is the long anticipated litigation boom finally here, more than a year after the financial crisis hit?
2009 Worst Year for Lawyer Headcount in 3 Decades, Says 'NLJ 250' Survey
The National Law Journal
Monday, November 9, 2009
The United States' largest law firms this year suffered the deepest cuts in their attorney numbers since The National Law Journal began tracking their census figures more than 30 years ago.
The Issues in Moving From Law Firm Lockstep to 'Levels' Compensation
New York Law Journal
Friday, November 6, 2009
Law firms are changing the way they hire, evaluate, develop, promote and pay their associates. Case in point: the accelerating interest among law firms in moving from "lockstep" to "levels."
Experts: Lower Associate Pay Is Here to Stay
Fulton County Daily Report
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Fifty-five percent of participants in an online seminar on associate compensation last week believe associate salary cuts are temporary.
Solo and Small Firm Attorneys Branch Out to Make Ends Meet
The Connecticut Law Tribune
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
You might find them in line at the court clerk's office, asking questions that you would expect from a rookie attorney. Or maybe wandering courthouse hallways not entirely sure where to go.
Deferred Associates 'Hit the Ground Running' at Temporary Positions
New York Law Journal
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Had the economy not gone into a tail spin, Christopher Reid would likely be elbow-deep in research for discovery in a patent lawsuit at Ropes & Gray.
Don't Look Back
The American Lawyer
Monday, November 2, 2009
Believe it: The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression has hit law firms hard.
The Challenge for Women IP Lawyers
The Recorder
Friday, October 30, 2009
Much has been written about how difficult it is for women who practice in the field of intellectual property and, in particular, why the growth trend for women attorneys in this area has not evolved as quickly as in other industries.
Seductive Nurse or 'Illegal Alien' Costume ... Actually, Please Don't
The National Law Journal
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Companies might want to put out a "do's" and "don'ts" list for Halloween costumes this year, employment lawyers advise. And it's not just the naughty nurse or street pimp that employers should ban, the lawyers say, but politically and socially offensive characters as well.
Survey Shows Large Firms Have Few Women Among Top Rainmakers
The Legal Intelligencer
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Women as top rainmakers can now be added to a list of rarities in large law firms, joining the small group of women on governing committees and an even greater rarity -- the female managing partner.
Task-Code Billing for life
Fulton County Daily Report
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Cost-conscious Big Law clients want more bang for their buck, and who can blame them? Don't we all expect a steep discount on anything we buy these days?houses, TVs, cars?because no one is buying much of anything? Sure we do.
Deferred Associates Stay Busy Before Starting at Their Firms
Texas Lawyer
Thursday, October 22, 2009
It's often valuable to make lemonade out of lemons, to turn a negative into a positive, to find the silver lining in a dark sky.
Professor Wants Law Students to Think Before They Tweet
The National Law Journal
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Drake University Law School professor Melissa Weresh is on a mission to get law students and young attorneys to think twice before they hit send on an e-mail, post a photo to their Facebook pages or update their Twitter accounts.
Progress Proves Elusive for Diversity in the Legal Profession
The National Law Journal
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Five years ago this month, Roderick Palmore wrote "A Call to Action" -- a pledge signed by the general counsel of some of the country's largest corporations vowing to make diversity a major consideration in their selection of outside counsel.
