Law Students

Ex-Weatherman Decries ‘Demonization’ in Georgetown Law Talk

The founder of the Weather Underground decried his “demonization” in speeches yesterday at Georgetown University Law Center and a Washington D.C. church. Bill Ayers complained that he had become a “cartoon and a caricature” after accusations surfaced during the presidential campaign that he was a terrorist who palled around with…

Nov 19, 2008 6:12 PM CST

Law Prof Drops Defamation Suit against Students over Racism Claims

A law professor who sued two former students for defamation has dropped his suit after the school’s interim dean said there is no evidence he is a racist. Law professor Richard Peltz of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock told Inside Higher Ed that he sued to get his…

Nov 17, 2008 12:32 PM CST

Got an Offer? Grab It, Recruiter Tells Would-Be Summer Associates

Applying for work as a law firm summer associate is a faster-paced musical chairs game than ever before this year, as the list of law firms making layoffs seemingly increases on an almost-daily basis. If you are lucky enough to have multiple offers, don’t hoard them. Now is the time…

Nov 14, 2008 7:55 PM CST

Law Firms Should Disclose Attrition Data, Student Leader Says

Stanford University law students who are promoting work-life balance and law firm diversity aren’t being deterred by the bad economy. The Stanford group called Law Students Building a Better Legal Profession keeps a scorecard of law firm diversity, pro bono and billable hours. But its leader says even more data…

Nov 14, 2008 1:59 PM CST

Threatened With Loss of Class Notes, Ariz. Law Student Overpowers Intruder

Surprised to find an intruder with a softball bat demanding his wallet when he awakened one night earlier this month at his Tempe, Ariz., apartment, 23-year-old Alex Botsios reportedly did his best to find his money. But when the intruder tried to take the laptop computer containing all of Botsios’…

Nov 13, 2008 11:49 PM CST

Service Dog Gets ‘JD’ Along With Owner; First Nonhuman Degree at Baylor Law

After years of loyally accompanying the disabled law student for whom he acts as a service dog to classes at Baylor University, Skeeter Jones also deserved a degree, officials felt. So they awarded the canine a “Juris Dog” degree at the same time his owner, Amy Jones, received her Juris…

Nov 10, 2008 11:35 PM CST

UK Law Firm Recalls Swag After Student’s Shocking Experience

A U.K. law firm is recalling hundreds of branded travel adapters it was giving out as freebies to potential legal eagles after a Cambridge University student who plugged one in was shocked by protruding pins. And CMS Cameron McKenna isn’t the only law firm based in the United Kingdom that…

Nov 7, 2008 4:19 PM CST

Law Dean Pushes National Study of LSAT Alternatives

Researchers at UC-Berkeley School of Law have identified tests to measure characteristics that contribute to lawyer success, such as negotiating skills, problem-solving and stress management. Now the school’s dean is seeking support for national research on the issue. Berkeley law dean Christopher Edley has posted a message to a law…

Nov 7, 2008 3:06 PM CST

‘Barack Effect’ May Spur Law Students to Seek Government Jobs

The head of a nonprofit group that promotes public interest law sees parallels between John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama. David Stern, executive director of Equal Justice Works, told the National Law Journal that Kennedy was a charismatic lawyer who encouraged public service, and Obama is of the same mold.…

Nov 6, 2008 3:27 PM CST

Obama is the Second US President with a Harvard Law Degree

Barack Obama is the second U.S. president who is a Harvard law graduate. The Wall Street Journal Law Blog says 24 presidents have been lawyers, while an ABA book, published before Obama’s election, counted 25. The only other president who had a Harvard law degree was Rutherford Hayes. The Wall…

Nov 5, 2008 5:11 PM CST

Harvard to Waive 3rd Year Tuition for Students Pursuing Public Interest Careers

A new program at Harvard Law School that will waive third-year tuition for students who commit to five-year public interest careers is attracting more interest than expected. More than 100 first-year students have signed up for the program, although they can still change their minds about participating, reports the Harvard…

Oct 28, 2008 4:38 PM CDT

Advice to Law Students Getting Job Offers: Accept Quickly

Law students weighing summer associate offers are getting this advice from the career services office at the University of Michigan: Accept. Now. Above the Law posted the letter carrying the ominous advice. Students are given 45 days to consider offers, the letter says, but “we think it prudent for you…

Oct 24, 2008 10:54 AM CDT

Troubled Kentucky Law School to Close

A troubled Kentucky law school will file for bankruptcy and close its doors at the end of the year. The Barkley School of Law in Paducah, with 10 full- and part-time students, is “just not viable,” its dean, Larry Putt, told the National Law Journal. A statement by the school’s…

Oct 23, 2008 1:39 PM CDT

Judge Cuts Attorney Fees by $1M in NY BAR/BRI Settlement

Lawyers who sued BAR/BRI for alleged antitrust violations in New York saw their requested attorney fees slashed by about $1 million in a settlement of the case. U.S. District Judge William Pauley denied a request for a 24 percent contingent fee, which would have amounted to $3.1 million, the New…

Oct 23, 2008 12:41 PM CDT

Law School Free for UC Irvine’s Entering 2009 Class

Students who enroll at the University of California’s new law school in Irvine next fall will get their legal education for free. The law school is giving full tuition scholarships worth about $100,000 to its first 2009 class of about 60 students, the National Law Journal reports. Charles Cannon, assistant…

Oct 22, 2008 2:34 PM CDT