A Most Appealing Announcement

If you’re like me, you’ve been reading Howard Bashman’s excellent appellate litigation blog, How Appealing, for years. When I started to write online more than a decade ago, Howard, a pioneer of legal blogging, was a role model and inspiration. (I pay homage to Howard Bashman and How Appealing with shout-outs in my forthcoming novel.) […]

AbovetheLaw Story of the Week – Dewey Know What’s Going To Happen Next? Lawyers and Staff Face Uncertain Future

“Our catering service requires a credit card; client matter numbers no longer accepted. Seamless food ordering requires a credit card or a corporate card.” “It’s not clear that we still have health insurance.” “Dewey has cut off subscriptions, and expenses are no longer being reimbursed.” “Everyone is pretty much packing up. Bankers boxes are on […]

AbovetheLaw Story of the Week – The U.S. News Law School Rankings Are Out!

The newest U.S. News law school rankings are out. The timing is not ideal for us here at Above the Law, since we just launched our latest Law School March Madness contest with seeding based on last year’s now superseded rankings. But as law school deans well know, you don’t control U.S News; U.S. News […]

AbovetheLaw Story of the Week – Dewey Have Comment on Recent Developments? Yes — Firm Is Cutting 5 to 6 Percent of Personnel

The rumor mill has been churning nonstop over the past week about Dewey & LeBoeuf. In our recent stories about the firm, we’ve discussed reports of financial difficulties, partner departures, and possible layoffs of lawyers and staff. During this time, firm management has remained fairly tight-lipped. But earlier this evening — a Friday evening, of […]

AbovetheLaw Story of the Week – Associate Killed in Dramatic Drunken Car Crash

Last night, a dramatic scene unfolded in the parking lot of a movie theater. A suspected drunk driver allegedly took off without his headlights on, hit two police cruisers, terrified several witnesses, and then slammed his car into a tree. The driver was killed. “It was coming straight towards us and I didn’t know if […]

AbovetheLaw Story of the Week – A Law School Love Story: Prominent Professor Marries Columbia 3L

In 2008, we profiled celebrity law professor Philip Bobbitt. Professor Bobbitt has a breathtaking résumé, featuring degrees from Princeton (A.B.), Yale (J.D.), and Oxford (Ph.D.); distinguished government service, for both Democratic and Republican administrations; and numerous acclaimed books, including Constitutional Fate: Theory of the Constitution (1982), The Shield of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course […]

AbovetheLaw Story of the Week: On the Real Differences Between Law Schools

In a few weeks, we’ll start hearing from prospective law students — i.e., 0Ls — who are already reading Above the Law (smart kids!), and who consult us for advice when choosing between law schools (not such smart kids). Last year, for example, we advised students choosing between such fine law schools as Illinois, Vanderbilt, […]

AbovetheLaw Story of the Week: A Farewell to Remember – One Partner’s Dramatic Departure Memo

If you look back at the great law firm departure memos of years past, you’ll see that almost all of them were written by associates. When partners leave Biglaw, they tend to do so in rather staid fashion, presumably because they have less to complain about (although query whether that’s always the case; see, e.g., […]

AbovetheLaw Story of the Week – An Inside Look at Sullivan & Cromwell’s Recruiting Process

Be careful about what you say in the airport, or on a crowded train, or on the subway. Above the Law’s spies are everywhere. And be careful about what you place in the trash. Law firms have paper shredders for a reason; use them. Consider this your practice pointer for the day. Earlier this month, […]

AbovetheLaw Story of the Week – Confessions of an Aspiring Yale Transfer Student

This afternoon we wrote about a blog entitled Confessions of an (Aspiring) Yalie. In this blog, Tammy Hsu, a 1L at Wake Forest University School of Law, chronicles her journey through the first year of law school — a journey she hopes will culminate with a successful transfer application to Yale Law School. As we […]