Personal Lives

Disbarred Lawyer Outbid Madonna on $35M Home

Last month, Keith G. Rubenstein was disbarred by a Brooklyn, N.Y., appeals court. But the former real estate attorney’s situation could be worse. “Last year, he outbid Madonna on a $35 million Upper East Side townhouse that he is planning to occupy only after a two-year gut renovation,” reports the…

Feb 26, 2008 8:08 PM CST

Lawyer Dies in Miami After Shark Attack

A lawyer from Austria died Sunday in Miami after being attacked by a shark in waters off of the Bahamas and flown to a local hospital by the U.S. Coast Guard. Markus Groh, 49, was on a diving trip to see sharks, traveling on a 70-foot boat registered to Jim…

Feb 26, 2008 2:48 AM CST

Law Prof Lists Home for $30 Million

Hans Smit’s areas of academic expertise are international law, conflict of laws and civil procedure. But the Columbia Law School prof also apparently knows a thing or two about real estate. He currently has his Riverside Drive mansion on the market for $30 million, and has turned down a $20…

Feb 22, 2008 4:26 PM CST

Legal Gossip Maven David Lat Dishes on Above the Law

Updated: Harvard. Yale. Wachtell. Federal prosecutor. Federal appeals court clerkship. All are part of David Lat’s impressive resume. Yet the 32-year-old is now prominent not in a traditional legal job but as the editor of one of the nation’s most-talked-about legal blogs, Above the Law. A self-described legal tabloid, it…

Feb 21, 2008 6:45 PM CST

That Eminem Song Blaring From the Opposing Lawyer’s Car Could be a Talisman

Texas lawyers confided to the Houston Chronicle that they wear lucky shoes, watches and ties; use lucky briefcases; listen to lucky music; and make lucky charitable donations. The lawyers say carrying a lucky item may not make them win a case, but it can’t hurt. “As a criminal defense lawyer,…

Feb 20, 2008 1:49 PM CST

Chicago Legal Legend, at 100, Roasted in Mock Trial

Updated: Still going strong at age 100, a renowned Chicago lawyer and politician was roasted on Valentine’s Day in a mock trial at a local law firm. “I have had my share of notorious defendants. Leon Despres stood for principle and for justice,” argued former U.S. District Court Judge George…

Feb 16, 2008 12:07 AM CST

Lawyer’s Childhood Beatle Encounter Results in Oscar Nomination

Toronto lawyer Jerry Levitan may not have been a journalist when, at the young age of 14, he got an interview with John Lennon. But Levitan’s 40-minute audiotape is now getting more attention than many news stories. Levitan collaborated with a Toronto animator in 2005 to make a film using…

Feb 15, 2008 7:38 PM CST

Judge Joseph Sneed Dies at 87; Respected Conservative on Liberal 9th Circuit

Services will be held tomorrow in San Francisco for a longtime federal judge and former dean of Duke University School of Law who served for more than 20 years as a respected conservative voice on the liberal 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Joseph Sneed, who took senior status in…

Feb 15, 2008 12:17 AM CST

Lawyer2Love: Snark Offers Advice to Lonelyhearts Associates

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, an anonymous legal columnist has come up with a list of suggestions for lonely associates seeking that special someone. The obvious way to do so, of course, is to place an online personal ad, advises the Snark in a Daily Report article reprinted by…

Feb 13, 2008 8:49 PM CST

Lawyer-Sleuth May Solve 100-Year-Old Forensic Murder Mystery

Thanks to an Indiana attorney who decided to go back to school to study forensic anthropology, a 100-year-old murder mystery may be on the brink of resolution. With the help of an anthropology professor and University of Indianapolis students, attorney Andrea Simmons, 47, has exhumed what is supposed to be…

Feb 12, 2008 7:13 PM CST

‘Scrivener’ Closing Attorney Ruined By $19M Real Estate Fraud

Atlanta attorney R. Joseph Costanzo Jr. was a little fish in sea of bigtime mortgage fraud, according to his defense lawyer. But after two years of closing fraudulent real estate deals in the Atlanta area as part of a $19 million “flipping” scheme that reportedly involved at least 21 people,…

Feb 12, 2008 1:34 AM CST

Major BlackBerry Blackout Reported

News agencies are reporting a nationwide BlackBerry smartphone blackout this afternoon, the cause of which isn’t yet known. It also isn’t clear yet exactly how many are affected by the outage, reports the Associated Press. Some users say they have service, but wireless carriers say there is a nationwide problem.…

Feb 11, 2008 11:24 PM CST

Law Student Saves Sports Columnist

A sports columnist for the Washington Post who fell into the icy water of a canal while trying to save his dog credits a George Washington law student for saving his life. First-year student Jason Coates was jogging along the canal and went to the aid of the columnist, Mike…

Feb 8, 2008 3:21 PM CST

Fashion Week Find: Power Office Attire for Women

Although many of the new styles now debuting in New York City’s Fashion Week are too fussy, ruffled or feathery for professional women, there is also good news for female attorneys. A long-standing complaint of many professional women that they can’t find appropriate designer clothing that is suitable for work…

Feb 7, 2008 10:48 PM CST

Have a BlackBerry? An Outsourced Personal Assistant Awaits

Do you need the neighborhood dry cleaner to pick up or deliver a few business suits? A quick text message to India can get results fast. In yet another outsourcing trend, harried professionals—as well as blue-collar workers—are hiring low-paid workers half a world away to handle everyday tasks that can…

Feb 5, 2008 6:53 PM CST