Paralegals

Hiring Disbarred Lawyer Was a Mistake, Ex-Judge Says

Hiring—and trusting—a disbarred lawyer known for his 1980s involvement in a bizarre condoms-for-chickens scam was a mistake, a retired Michigan judge says. “Former Clinton Township district court judge William Cannon blamed his criminal woes on his legal researcher Timothy Mucciante today at an adjourned preliminary exam,” reports the Detroit Free…

Feb 11, 2009 7:35 PM CST

Nixon Peabody Cuts 20 Lawyers, 36 Staff Positions

Nixon Peabody is eliminating the jobs of 20 lawyers and 36 support staffers. The law firm provided a statement announcing the layoffs to Above the Law. “Prudent management of our business requires that we downsize our associate, legal support, and administrative ranks, with the result that 20 attorneys will be…

Feb 10, 2009 5:35 PM CST

Lawyers at UK Firm Reduce Work Hours to Save Jobs

Several lawyers and legal staffers at Mills & Reeve have agreed to work fewer hours or take sabbaticals to avoid layoffs at the British law firm. About 25 jobs were saved as a result of the agreements, the Lawyer reports. The story tells of a group of six staffers who…

Feb 10, 2009 5:14 PM CST

Experts Advise on Key Custody Issue: The Family Dog

A divorcing spouse may think his or her dog will be bereft without a favorite human at hand. But actually the most stressful part of a divorce for some canines is the lack of routine that results, reports the Asheville, N.C., Citizen-Times. “We’ve had cases where, just like the parents…

Feb 9, 2009 7:35 PM CST

Luce Forward Lays Off 12 Lawyers, 15 Support Staffers

Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps has announced the layoffs of 12 lawyers and 15 support staffers. The layoffs primarily affect transactional practice areas—in business, corporate and real estate practices—and are because of economic conditions, according to a press release and Ramona Cyr, director of business development and marketing at the…

Feb 9, 2009 5:45 PM CST

Former Fla. Lawyer and Her Paralegal Charged with Stealing Client Funds

Last year, Jessica Miller blamed her paralegal, office manager and best friend, Kristen Collins, for the disarray in her law firm’s financial records that led Miller to give up her license to practice law in Florida. Collins, on her side, said she paid firm and personal bills with client trust…

Feb 7, 2009 2:04 AM CST

Blog Notes ‘Extraordinarily High Rate of Staff-Alone Layoffs’

Law firms laying off associates often ax two to three times more support staffers, and in some cases it’s the staffers alone who are being fired. Law21 notes the trend and comments on the “extraordinarily high rate of staff-alone layoffs.” The blog speculates on the reasons. Law firms may fear…

Feb 2, 2009 1:07 PM CST

Fish & Richardson Confirms Lawyer Layoffs; 49 Have Left Since November

The intellectual property law firm Fish & Richardson says it has fired 49 lawyers since November, and some of the dismissals were for financial reasons. A statement released on Friday also confirmed the layoffs of 30 support staffers, according to Above the Law and the Daily Journal. Last week, Above…

Feb 2, 2009 11:49 AM CST

Ropes & Gray Lays Off 106 Staff

A Boston-based international law firm is laying off 10 percent of its staff because of the economic situation. In an internal memo, Ropes & Gray’s chairman, R. Bradford Malt, announces the 106 staff layoffs, reports Above the Law. No attorney layoffs were made, and no further layoffs of either lawyers…

Jan 29, 2009 10:39 PM CST

January’s Carnage: 1,487 Law Layoffs

So far, it hasn’t been a happy new year for many lawyers working at well-known law firms throughout the country. As 2009 began, so did news of a growing tsunami of attorney layoffs being made at many BigLaw firms—not to mention London’s magic circle, in-house legal departments and midsize law…

Jan 29, 2009 8:15 PM CST

Morrison & Foerster Lays Off 53 Lawyers and 148 Staff Members

In response to economic conditions, Morrison & Foerster has announced that it is is laying off more than 200 people. The firm confirmed today that the layoffs include 53 attorneys and 148 staff members, reports Above the Law. According to the law firm’s website, MoFo has more than 1,000 attorneys…

Jan 29, 2009 12:59 AM CST

Wilson Sonsini Lays Off 45 Lawyers, 68 Staff, Freezes Associate Pay

Last week it was Cooley Godward Kronish. And now Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is announcing more than 100 attorney and staff layoffs. Despite other efforts to reduce costs, the worsening economy is now making it necessary for the famed Silicon Valley-based firm to cut 45 attorneys and 68 staff…

Jan 26, 2009 10:19 PM CST

Squire Sanders and Ice Miller Lay Off Staffers

Squire Sanders & Dempsey has laid off additional staffers, possibly in a move to become a more attractive potential merger partner. Squire Sanders’ Miami office laid off “a couple runners, some staffers and a few people in accounting,” according to the office’s managing partner, Alvin Davis. He told the National…

Jan 21, 2009 2:58 PM CST

Layoffs at Philly-Based Law Firms

Well-known Philadelphia-based national law firms are now laying off staff and/or attorneys, although, at least so far, they aren’t saying how many. In a written statement, Blank Rome has confirmed an unspecified number of attorney layoffs for “purely economic” reasons, reports Above the Law. “We have not taken these decisions…

Jan 16, 2009 8:47 PM CST

Less Work for Staff After Lawyer Layoffs, So Seyfarth Adds to Staff Layoff List

After laying off about 30 attorneys and paralegals in December, Seyfarth Shaw is now laying off another 25 or so staff members. In an internal memo reported by Above the Law, the Chicago-based firm announces the new layoffs and says 14 of those affected this time around work in its…

Jan 15, 2009 12:20 AM CST