Hay from a Hated Task: 2 Big-Firm Refugees Offer Online Help for Contract Signings

Nov 1, 2012 6:50 AM CDT

Attorney Found Guilty of Misdemeanor Law Firm Theft, Acquitted by Judge on Over 15 Felony Charges

An Ohio lawyer was found guilty after a bench trial Friday of a misdemeanor petty theft from his former law firm, because he had a client make out a $500 check to him personally and did not share the payment. However, Jesse Jackson Jr., 48, was acquitted by Butler County…

Oct 29, 2012 8:46 PM CDT

As Hurricane Sandy Sweeps In, Courts and Law Firms Close Down in DC, NJ and NY

Updated: As what is expected to be an epic storm sweeps into the East Coast from Florida to Canada and could hit the Northeast especially hard, courts and law firms both large and small joined numerous other establishments—including the U.S. Supreme Court—on Monday in announcing that their operations would be…

Oct 29, 2012 7:45 PM CDT

Law School Launches Program to House New Solo Lawyers

Five would-be solos and one two-person law firm hung their shingles this week on the sixth floor of their alma mater. Chicago-Kent College of Law’s “Solo and Small Firm Incubator” is a one-year program designed to provide real client experience under the guidance of clinical faculty and alumni mentors. The…

Oct 25, 2012 2:05 PM CDT

Ex-Client Awarded $867K Against Lawyer Who Stole $75K and Law Firm That Referred Her to Him

A woman whose lawyer misappropriated most of the $100,000 she was supposed to get in a probate case has had her day in court and was teary-eyed after a $867,000 jury verdict Monday in Bexar County, Texas. “I am very pleased. The jury believed in me,” Isabel Sloan told the…

Oct 16, 2012 6:30 PM CDT

Paralegal Is Arrested at NY Law Firm, Charged with Embezzling $250K

Add another case to the annals of trusted employees accused of stealing from law firms. Paralegal Joseph W. Abramski, 63, was arrested last week at his office at a Southampton Village, N.Y., law firm and charged with two felonies, after allegedly embezzling more than $250,000 over a three-year period, according…

Oct 15, 2012 3:30 PM CDT

Judge Appoints Lawyer to Represent Pit Bull Facing Euthanasia After Attack on Child

A Georgia judge has ordered a lawyer to represent a pit bull facing euthanasia after an attack on a 5-year-old boy that required two surgeries. Superior Court Judge William E, Woodrum Jr. said he appointed Springfield attorney Claude M. Kicklighter to represent the dog, who is named Kno, “in the…

Oct 12, 2012 4:20 PM CDT

Partner Uses Reality Show Approach to Small-Firm Hiring, Gets ‘Incredible’ Top Associates

Matthew Mellen loves reality television shows like Project Runway, Top Chef and Top Shot. So, when it came to hiring associates for his small foreclosure-defense law firm, the California attorney decided to take an unusual approach. Each time there’s a new attorney position to fill at the Mellen Law Firm,…

Oct 10, 2012 6:15 PM CDT

South Florida Law Firm Calls Bomb Squad to Office to Deal with Deceased Client’s Hand Grenades

The bomb and arson squad of the Palm Beach County sheriff’s department was called out Wednesday morning to a Florida attorney’s office, where it “rendered safe” two hand grenades brought there this morning. John M. McDivitt had been cleaning out the home of a deceased client who was a veteran…

Oct 10, 2012 5:30 PM CDT

Legal Assistants Sue Quadriplegic Ex-Boss, Claim Harassment Over Duties Related to His Disability

Four former employees have sued a California lawyer for alleged sex discrimination, contending that the lawyer, who has a disability practice and is himself quadriplegic, created a hostile work environment in part due to his requirement that they perform job duties related to his disability. Scott Johnson operates Disabled Access…

Oct 4, 2012 5:47 PM CDT

Three Regional Law Firms Announce Mergers; Like Most This Year, They Involve Small Law Firms

Three well-known regional law firms have announced mergers this week. And, like most other law firm mergers this year, they involved the acquisitions of smaller shops, according to Reuters. Adams and Reese will add Tallahassee, Fla.-based Igler & Dougherty to its existing roster of 260 attorneys working in offices throughout…

Oct 3, 2012 6:54 PM CDT

Top N.H. Court Says ‘Innocent Insured’ Includes Duped Law Firm Partner, Nixes Policy Recission

In the latest twist in an attorney misappropriation matter that has created trouble for a longtime law partner to the alleged wrongdoer, the New Hampshire Supreme Court says an insurance company that provided professional liability coverage to the duo’s law firm can’t rescind its policy based on incorrect information supplied…

Oct 1, 2012 4:00 PM CDT

Growing Justice: Law Schools Hop on the Incubator Trend

Oct 1, 2012 6:30 AM CDT

Paralegal Blows Whistle on Ex-Boss, Says Cash Went in Book on Shelf; Lawyer Suspended for One Month

A paralegal who once worked for Iowa attorney Sara Anna Kersenbrock blew the whistle on her former boss, filing a 2010 disciplinary complaint that resulted in a one-month license suspension. In a Friday opinion (PDF), the state supreme court imposed the sanction, rejecting a public reprimand proposed by the court’s…

Sep 24, 2012 6:00 PM CDT

Suspended SC Lawyer Indicted, Accused of Extorting $1.1M from Clients for Law Firm, Self

A prominent South Carolina lawyer recently suspended from practice has been federally indicted on extortion and mail fraud charges. Richard J. Breibart is accused of bilking clients of $1.1 million. He allegedly pressured them to give him the contents of their bank and retirement accounts by telling them they or…

Sep 20, 2012 7:06 PM CDT