Careers

Clinton’s Corporate Lawyer Past Shapes Her Persona Today

Hillary Clinton spent most of her career in a corporate law firm, a fact that could account for the difficulties some people have warming up to her, according to a column in the American Lawyer. “The female corporate lawyer is a special breed,” all buttoned-up and trained to do business,…

Mar 13, 2008 3:00 PM CDT

Emphasis on Money Can Be Source of Depression in Law School

Stress during law school can cause anxiety and depression, especially if students focus on the need to make money and land a big-firm job, according to an article published online as part of an ABA group’s effort to tackle the problem. Law schools need to acknowledge the problem of student…

Mar 13, 2008 1:47 PM CDT

Retire at 50? Many Firms Offer Early Option, But Few Match O’Melveny’s

Corrected: Many law firms offer early retirements to boost profits per partner, but few are setting the floor at age 50, as O’Melveny & Myers recently did. The law firm made a temporary buyout offer to partners over age 50, and Masood Sohaili is taking advantage of it to jump…

Mar 13, 2008 11:10 AM CDT

L.A. Times Legal Reporter Weinstein Said to Take Buyout

Reports are emerging that a second longtime legal reporter has taken a buyout. Legal affairs reporter Henry Weinstein of the Los Angeles Times reportedly took a buyout after writing for the newspaper for more than 30 years, the Pasadena Star-News reports. Many of the newpaper’s top reporters and editors are…

Mar 13, 2008 10:46 AM CDT

‘Radioactive’ Resume: What’s Next for Eliot Spitzer?

Less than a week ago, bringing in New York’s high-profile governor as a high-profile partner would have been a major coup for any major law firm, if Eliot Spitzer had been willing to consider such a position. Now, following his sex-scandal-sparked announcement today that he will resign from office on…

Mar 13, 2008 2:51 AM CDT

More Law Firms Focus on Pipeline Projects

More law firms are funding pipeline projects in an effort to find promising minority students at an earlier stage. The goal is to reach high school and college students, spurring an interest in the law, the National Law Journal reports. But at least one observer says law firms could do…

Mar 12, 2008 3:26 PM CDT

Do Women Pursue Law Degrees for Different Reasons Than Men?

Women who attend Harvard Law School have a different agenda—and a different law school experience—than men, according to a study by a working group of students. Dean Elena Kagan commented on the findings during a panel discussion for journalists on Saturday in Philadelphia, the Bulletin reports. “Many women think of…

Mar 12, 2008 1:45 PM CDT

Under Unusual Montana Marriage Law, Some Couples Say ‘I Do’ a Lot

Montana may be the only state in the country that allows couples to get married without actually being present. As a result, the thrill is gone for the proxies who get married again and again, on behalf of others. Nonetheless, these absentee marriages serve an important purpose for some faraway…

Mar 11, 2008 11:17 PM CDT

Sonnenschein Defends Ex-Partner’s Pay in Trial Beginning This Week

A former partner’s $8.5 million lawsuit against Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal gets under way this week. Douglas Rosenthal claims Sonnenschein forced him to retire and underpaid him for work on two cases. Superior Court Judge Melvin Wright threw out the retirement claim but allowed trial on the pay dispute, reports…

Mar 11, 2008 3:57 PM CDT

Boston Bar Prez Decries Law’s Focus on Money

Too many lawyers judge their success on the basis of money, to the detriment of the profession and their own happiness. That’s the conclusion of Boston Bar Association President Anthony Doniger, who sees contentment as a better measure of success. The focus on money is causing law firms to make…

Mar 11, 2008 3:32 PM CDT

Spitzer’s Wife Gave Up Lawyer Job for Family

Eliot Spitzer’s wife gave up a career as a corporate lawyer at a big law firm for her family. Silda Wall Spitzer met her ambitious husband at Harvard Law School, and the couple married in 1987, the New York Post reports. The couple seemed like the perfect pair, Eliot Spitzer’s…

Mar 11, 2008 2:39 PM CDT

Top Ga. Judge: ‘Obvious Deficiencies’ in Judicial Pay Study

A consultant’s study of the compensation paid to Georgia judges had “obvious deficiencies,” the president of the Council of Superior Court Judges told legislators at a state senate subcommittee hearing today. At issue is a proposed judicial pay increase. For example, the study, by New York-based employee-benefits consultant Mercer LLC,…

Mar 10, 2008 10:52 PM CDT

New Law Firm Perk: Lactation Room

An Indiana law firm has converted a conference room into a lactation room for nursing mothers, providing them with a private and comfortable place to pump breast milk and a refrigerator in which to keep it. Although a new state law now requires employers of more than 25 to offcer…

Mar 10, 2008 5:09 PM CDT

How to Tell When It’s Time to Look

Faint praise. Not enough work to do, or a lack of opportunity for advancement. A feeling of sheer misery. All are signs that it’s probably time to look for another position, experts say. “When you’re jumping for joy when the weekend arrives and when you can’t bear the thought of…

Mar 10, 2008 3:51 PM CDT

No Associates at This Law Firm, Just Consultants

A Canadian law firm says it has never has a problem with associates over billable hours requirements. That’s because it has no associates. Instead, Thackray Burgess has “consultants” who hire desk space from the 34-attorney business firm at a cost of $800 per month, and do as much or as…

Mar 10, 2008 3:14 PM CDT