Practice Management

Many Attorneys Struggle Financially, as Paychecks Fatten for a Few

Jeanne Wrenn loves her job as an assistant Cook County prosecutor in Chicago. But she isn’t as thrilled about her $59,000 salary. A single mother seven years out of law school, which she borrowed $100,000 to attend, the 36-year-old Wrenn has a part-time job as a bartender to help make…

Apr 8, 2008 7:23 PM CDT

Law Firm’s Office Hours: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Clients seeking to meet with their counsel at one downtown Boston law firm are encouraged to try to do so during its regular office hours—between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., Monday to Friday—although special arrangements can be made to meet at other times. But for many individual and small business…

Apr 8, 2008 5:47 PM CDT

Wedding Ring Coffin a ‘Must Have’ Gift, Divorce Lawyer Says

Looking for the perfect gift for a divorce attorney or a divorcing client? An Atlanta newspaper offers a possible suggestion: a wedding ring coffin. “When I heard about it, I went to the website and thought to myself, ‘Must have. Must have’,” divorce attorney Melody Richardson tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.…

Apr 8, 2008 5:17 PM CDT

Top Associate Pay Skyrockets 50% at Law Firms in India

Associate attorneys at major law firms in India are still paid far less than their American and British counterparts. But competition among international firms for top talent has sent their salaries shooting up by more than 50 percent in the past year. “Indian law school graduates can now earn around…

Apr 8, 2008 3:36 PM CDT

Law Firm Bankruptcy Bill for Coudert Bros.: Partners Asked to Pay $11.8M

A bankruptcy examiner has proposed in a report issued late last month that the former partners of Coudert Brothers pay $11.8 million to liquidate the failed New York City-based law firm. The former international law leader is facing some $14 million in actual claims, but the examiner, Harrison Goldin, discounted…

Apr 7, 2008 7:42 PM CDT

Some Law Firms Eager to Recruit Laid-Off or Job-Hopping Lawyers

Some law firms that had decided to beef up their structured finance practices before the credit market crunch are following through with their plans. That’s good news for laid-off or job-hopping lawyers, the New York Law Journal reports. One of the early casualties was Paul Roberts, who was laid off…

Apr 7, 2008 5:57 PM CDT

N.Y. Law Firm Bans BlackBerrys at Major Meetings

A law firm in suburban New York City has banned electronic devices from major meetings to prevent distractions caused by cell phones and BlackBerrys. The six-month-old “no-device policy” at the Long Island law firm of Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone is intended to prevent even vibrations from incoming calls and…

Apr 7, 2008 3:56 PM CDT

New Pacific Law Center is Dealing With Old Problems

A lawsuit filed by an attorney earlier this year claims Pacific Law Center participated in unethical practices. Another onetime firm lawyer reportedly admitted in court that his client was guilty in a gang-related shooting case, allegedly forcing the client into a plea deal. Meanwhile, another former firm lawyer reportedly denies…

Apr 7, 2008 3:12 PM CDT

Jenner’s New Managing Partner to Pave a Path for Other Women

Jenner & Block had 12 female partners when Susan Levy joined the Chicago law firm in 1982, a number that was considered high at the time. Now Levy will become the managing partner, one of only 8 percent of females in such posts at the nation’s top law firms. Levy…

Apr 7, 2008 1:52 PM CDT

Fishnets at the Office? U.K. Firm’s Reported Ban Sets Off Great Debate

An unidentified law firm, thought to be in London, has reportedly banned fishnet stockings. A law firm employee posted news of the ban on legal.week.com, the Daily Mail reports. The employee said the firm banned the attire because it was too much of a distraction and projected an unprofessional image.…

Apr 7, 2008 11:36 AM CDT

Law Blogging Shifts from Novelty to Community-Builder in Ohio

Lawyer-run blogs haven’t completely taken off in the Columbus, Ohio, legal community, but they’re becoming increasingly common. While corporate America uses blogs to detail product development and further brand identity, the Dayton Business Journal notes that law blogs “are more likely to stick to communicating about a specific practice area…

Apr 4, 2008 5:13 PM CDT

Calif. Bar Prez Says Billable Hour System ‘Corrupting’ to the Profession

A common lawyer lament concerns the problem of billable hours. Lawyers at large law firms often complain of the toll exacted by heavy workloads driven by the pressure to bill more hours. Now the president of the State Bar of California is citing another reason to put an end to…

Apr 4, 2008 3:07 PM CDT

E-Discovery Rule Changes Boost Legal Outsourcing to India

Changes to federal rules governing the discovery of electronic documents have boosted legal outsourcing to India. E-discovery is producing thousands of pages of documents in lawsuits that require a careful—and potentially expensive—review, Time Magazine reports. The cost of document review by lawyers is only about $1 a page in India…

Apr 4, 2008 2:37 PM CDT

Akin Gump Wins Dismissal of Suit by Disappointed Recruiter

A New York judge has granted summary judgment to Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld in a suit by a recruiter who claimed he deserved to be paid for referring a Korea specialist to the law firm. Judge Jane Solomon of Manhattan cited evidence that the law firm hired Korea…

Apr 4, 2008 2:02 PM CDT

Proskauer to Open Office in Chicago With Three Mayer Brown Partners

Proskauer Rose is opening a Chicago office despite the economic downturn that is battering some law firms. Staffing the office will be three partners from Mayer Brown who specialize in representing corporate policyholders in coverage disputes with their insurance companies, the Chicago Tribune reports. Mayer Brown is now planning to…

Apr 4, 2008 10:53 AM CDT