Wagging Tails and Wet Noses Lift Law Students’ Spirits at Pre-Exam ‘Puppy Day’

As exams loom, there’s nothing like a tail-wagging bundle of love to lift a law student’s sagging spirits. So, in a repeat of a successful event, George Mason University School of Law yesterday partnered with a local shelter to bring in 15 homeless and adoptable young canines for a “Puppy…

Dec 2, 2011 2:35 PM CST

The 5th Annual ABA Journal Blawg 100

On our 5th birthday, you’ll see some familiar faces at the party: bloggers who’ve been on our list in years past. But 2011 also brought along a lot of newcomers, and we’re delighted that so many RSVP’d our invitation to nominate their favorites. We received more than 1,300 Blawg Amici…

Dec 1, 2011 11:20 AM CST

BigLaw Firm’s Innovative Buddy Program Helps Lawyers Stay Connected During Maternity Leave

A major law firm in Canada has developed an innovative buddy program to help women lawyers stay connected to their careers while they are on maternity leave. Partner Tara Piurko of McCarthy Tétrault, for example, regularly met with her buddy attorney, along with her baby, for lunch, reports the Globe…

Nov 19, 2011 1:47 AM CST

Lawyer Who Left BigLaw Partnership for Motherhood Returns as Pro Bono Director

A lawyer who left a BigLaw partnership to stay home with her two young daughters returned to the same law firm and helped create her new position there. Jennifer Kroman left Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton in 2006, and says she was “crazy happy” to stay home, the Careerist reports.…

Oct 20, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

DOJ Plan to Close Offices Likely to Result in De Facto Layoffs of Career Antitrust Lawyers

A plan by the Department of Justice to close regional antitrust offices in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas and Philadelphia likely will result in de facto layoffs of veteran antitrust attorneys. Although the DOJ has offered to transfer antitrust lawyers to offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and…

Oct 19, 2011 2:01 AM CDT

Lawyer Who Fought Foreclosure Fraud Takes Federal Plea in Straw-Buyer Money-Laundering Conspiracy

A Florida title attorney who is playing a prominent role in the fight against mortgage foreclosure fraud by lenders has taken a plea in a federal case over an alleged mortgage fraud conspiracy. Carol Asbury, 59, could get as much as 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when…

Oct 12, 2011 12:34 AM CDT

Longtime Administrative Lawyer, 88, Once a Pilot Shot Down in World War II, Now Looks to the Stars

A former U.S. Air Force pilot who lost a leg after being shot down over Germany in World War II, Bill Kraham survived, although he lost part of a leg as a result of the crash, and went on to become a lawyer. He worked for the Federal Aviation Administration…

Oct 5, 2011 6:28 PM CDT

Lawyers Who Practice Stress-Reduction Techniques Want Discounts from Malpractice Insurers

Oct 1, 2011 8:10 AM CDT

Lawyer in Training Is Already a Pro at Delivering a Knockout Punch

A solicitor in training at a Leeds law firm in Great Britain is already a pro at delivering a knockout punch. China Clarke, 32, whose day job at Metis Law focuses on commercial matters, says there are definite parallels between legal work and the boxing ring, where he is undefeated…

Sep 22, 2011 12:45 AM CDT

Around the Blawgosphere: Thank God I’m a Country Lawyer; Rebuffing Firms’ Family-Friendly Advances

Podunk Practices In July, Minnesota solo Bruce Cameron did a Rural Lawyer post listing eight misconceptions about rural law practice. This week, Cameron used email excerpts from his correspondence with “Thomas,” a 27-year-old lawyer who lives 40 miles from Dallas (“I still need to move farther out,” he writes), to…

Sep 16, 2011 1:36 PM CDT

At 50 Best Law Firms for Women, Policies Allowing Reduced Hours and Telecommuting Are the Norm

The 50 law firms that made this year’s list of the Best Law Firms for Women generally have several policies in common. All of the law firms on the list have reduced hour policies, and all give lawyers who opt for the lighter schedules the same consideration for bonuses as…

Sep 13, 2011 2:26 PM CDT

Now Retired (Sort Of), Corporate Lawyer and Farmer, 74, Reflects on a Busy Life Well-Lived

As a former corporate lawyer and bank chairman who still serves on the board of three other companies, A. Michael “Mike” Perry certainly knows how to wear a business suit and handle a boardroom situation. But the 74-year-old is not only just as comfortable but more comfortable wearing jeans and…

Sep 13, 2011 1:17 AM CDT

Survey Reveals Profile of Unhappy Worker: She’s Unmarried, 42, and a Lawyer or Doctor

A survey of white-collar workers has produced a profile of an unhappy person at work—and she’s likely a female lawyer or doctor. According to the profile, the unhappy worker is a 42-year-old unmarried woman with a household income under $100,000 working in a professional position. In other words, she’s a…

Sep 7, 2011 2:20 PM CDT

Billable Hours Rise and Midlevel Associate Satisfaction Drops

Midlevel law firm associates billed an average of 2,037 hours last year, a finding that likely explains a drop in their satisfaction levels. According to an American Lawyer survey, midlevel associate satisfaction has dropped to its lowest level since 2004. One DLA Piper associate responding to the survey of third-,…

Sep 1, 2011 1:38 PM CDT

Companies Can Reward Workers Who Give Up Work-Life Balance, Judge Says

U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska doesn’t have much sympathy, legally at least, for a group of Bloomberg employees who complained about work-life balance and discrimination. Preska is at the middle of a debate for her opinion last week dismissing a lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Bloomberg.…

Aug 23, 2011 10:30 AM CDT