Question of the Week

Is Talking Politics at the Office Taboo?

Ignoring politics these days, especially in the last heated days of the ‘08 presidential election, is next to impossible. But talking politics at the office can still create tension. The New York Times published a piece recently quoting commonsense tips from Jamie and Maren Showkeir, workplace experts and authors of…

Oct 29, 2008 5:30 PM CDT

Pro Bono Pros and Cons

Remarks made earlier this month by Dennis Jacobs, chief judge of the New York City-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, riled up both our readers and Erwin Chemerinsky, law school dean at the University of California at Irvine. Jacobs told a Federalist Society gathering in a speech that “much…

Oct 22, 2008 8:12 PM CDT

How is the Financial Crisis Touching Your Life?

The 24/7 financial crisis news stream, layoff reports and, yes, that nasty word, recession, has us scrambling, looking for all the ways these current events are having an impact on lawyers and the legal profession. We’ve seen law firms regroup to form rapid response teams and “new” practices sprout up.…

Oct 15, 2008 8:51 PM CDT

LSATs and Letter Grades: Telling, or Useless?

Last week Harvard Law School joined Yale and Stanford’s law schools in adopting a no-letter-grades policy. Georgetown University Law Center has not jumped on the bandwagon at this point, although FOX News commentator Greta Van Susteren admitted that during her time there as an adjunct law professor, she gave mostly…

Oct 8, 2008 7:51 AM CDT

Isn’t That Question Illegal?

An ABAJ Daily News blog post this week and initial comments about how women, especially working moms, face more bias than their male counterparts when it comes time for annual reviews got us talking around the water cooler about our own experiences. Anecdotes abound. This made us wonder about your…

Oct 1, 2008 8:21 PM CDT

What Are Some of Your Favorite Ballpark Memories?

Last Sunday, the New York Yankees played their last game in the old Yankee Stadium. This Sunday will be the last regular season game at Shea Stadium for the New York Mets. The closures of both ballparks is sure to stir some fond and not-so-fond memories for baseball fans across…

Sep 24, 2008 7:30 PM CDT

Who’s the TV Judge You Love to Hate or Hate to Love?

For us, Judge Wapner is far-and-away the king of daytime television jurisprudence. Who can forget the dun-un-dunt intro to the People’s Court? Judge Judy, Judge Mathis and the new People’s Court jurist, Judge Milian, while entertaining, have yet to reach his level of influence and pop-culture status. Yet we learned…

Sep 17, 2008 3:51 PM CDT

Feedback, Schmeedback. Do Would-Be Employers Ever Dish it Out?

Last week’s blog post about interview mistakes struck a chord with many of you and prompted a series of thoughtful comments about, in many cases, a stark lack of feedback from employers who reject job candidates. One commenter tossed in these words of wisdom: “You’ll find the signals when they’re…

Sep 10, 2008 7:53 PM CDT

If You Were the Legal Ed Czar, What Would You Do?

We hear loads of grumbling in the comments on this site about law schools failing their student population by not preparing them: to actually be lawyers; to manage the significant debt accumulated on the road to J.D.; and to fully understand their options. And we also hear from law schools…

Sep 3, 2008 9:15 PM CDT

Ever Had a Co-Worker with a Hero Complex?

This week, we blogged on a phenomenon one professor calls “Munchausen at work.” In this scenario, individuals seeking recognition create workplace problems in order to create opportunities to demonstrate their problem-solving skills. Other strains described in the underlying article include corporate turnaround specialists creating problems because they are bored and…

Aug 27, 2008 8:56 PM CDT

What Would You Do if Tapped as a Running Mate?

The Democratic National Convention starts Monday in Denver, and Republicans enter the spotlight after Labor Day when they convene in Minneapolis-St. Paul. But at the time of this post, both of the running mate slots are up for grabs. Many lawyers are in contention, and neither nomination is a foregone…

Aug 20, 2008 9:54 PM CDT

Do You Celebrate Victory With Fists Pumped Toward the Sky?

Now that we know from scientists that it’s human nature, indeed, animal nature to celebrate victory with fist bumps, chest-puffing, hands-thrust-in-the-air moves and silly dances, we wondered how you find yourself celebrating a particularly sweet or hard-fought victory … especially in the confines of a staid court environment. Do you…

Aug 13, 2008 9:56 PM CDT

What Will You Be Doing While Athletes Go For Olympic Gold?

The Olympic Summer Games set to begin in Beijing got us wondering about your dreams of competing for gold. Were you at one point in shape to go head-to-head with a Michael Phelps, or just imagining you were that year’s DeeDee Trotter? Will you be watching a favorite sport during…

Aug 7, 2008 11:17 AM CDT

What Are Your Tales From the Bar Exam?

Many law grads are breathing a sigh of relief this week after completing the bar exam. An earthquake in Southern California rattled test-takers there on Tuesday morning. One blawgger whose test location was shaken up said he dove under the table for about 20 seconds of the quake, but that…

Jul 31, 2008 1:40 PM CDT

What’s Your Favorite Legal Movie?

The August issue of the ABA Journal (online now!) presents a double feature, The 25 Greatest Legal Movies and How I Learned to Litigate at the Movies. To Kill a Mockingbird was the winner, according to the judges. But we wondered… What would be your top pick? After you’ve had…

Jul 24, 2008 2:13 PM CDT