Police Say DUI Lawyer Crashed Lexus, Took Off Running, Was Tackled by Bystander; Now Faces DUI Case

A Nebraska lawyer who specializes in defending driving-under-the-influence cases is now reportedly facing one of his own—following two prior convictions—after police say he rear-ended another vehicle with his speeding Lexus and crashed his car a block later in downtown Omaha near the courthouse on Tuesday night. Police said Robb Gage,…

Sep 14, 2012 10:27 PM CDT

Lawyer Pitches Zombie Law Casebook, Following Others Who Have Linked Lawyers to the Undead

As a viral YouTube video produced in response to a corporate dispute over cable television distribution and fees demonstrates, zombies can elicit quite a reaction from the general public, even among jaded New Yorkers. Now, as the living dead creatures gain an increasing foothold in pop culture (even the feds…

Sep 10, 2012 10:34 PM CDT

Ruth Carter: (Flash) Mob Lawyer

(Flash) Mob Lawyer

Sep 5, 2012 2:00 PM CDT

Eight Qualities of a New Normal Legal Entrepreneur

Rarely a week goes by that some lawyer doesn’t ask me what mindset it takes to leave the comfort of a successful firm and start a new firm. Invariably, I share my own journey and the beliefs and fears I had in 2008 when we launched Valorem. I know that…

Sep 4, 2012 7:49 PM CDT

Legal Rebels 2012: If the Shoe Fits…

This is our fourth iteration of the ABA Journal’s Legal Rebels, our annual nod to lawyers who are helping change the profession in ways both big and small. These are the innovators—the folks who’ve found a different path, some new way to blend the needs of their clients or their…

Sep 1, 2012 10:40 AM CDT

A Dope Niche: With State Law Changes, It’s Pot That’s Hot

Sep 1, 2012 7:29 AM CDT

Florida Lawyer Starts Residency Program for Recent Grads

Sep 1, 2012 7:20 AM CDT

Jury Says PI Firm Must Pay Ex-Client $2M for Pressuring Her to Settle Auto Case for Too Little

A jury in Denver this week awarded over $2 million, including $1.5 million in punitive damages, to a former client who said a Colorado personal injury law firm pressured her to settle her case for less than it was worth. Chad Hemmat of Anderson Hemmat & Levine has said he…

Aug 31, 2012 8:18 PM CDT

Attorney Who Reportedly Shot Homeless Man at Law Office Pleads Not Guilty

A New Mexico criminal defense attorney facing a criminal case after reportedly shooting a homeless man in the leg Tuesday morning at or near his Albuquerque law office pleaded not guilty at a Thursday court hearing and had his $25,000 bond continued. Details are disputed, but David “Chip” Venie contends…

Aug 31, 2012 6:13 PM CDT

Criminal Defense Attorney Charged in Law Office Shooting; His Wife Recorded Incident on Cellphone

A New Mexico criminal defense attorney has himself been criminally charged in a felony case after allegedly shooting a man in the leg Tuesday morning at or near his Albuquerque law office. David “Chip” Venie and the injured man, who was identified as Stephen Biddinger, got into an argument before…

Aug 29, 2012 4:41 PM CDT

Pepper Hamilton Acquires Law Firm of Former FBI Director Louis Freeh

Highlighting the importance of internal corporate investigations as a practice area for major law firms, Pepper Hamilton has announced plans to acquire the law firm of Louis Freeh, a former director of the FBI, as well as an investigative firm affiliated with the law firm. Freeh and his law firm,…

Aug 28, 2012 5:50 PM CDT

Washington State Legal Community Braces for Huge Turnover in Lawyer Population

Washington state’s legal community is bracing for a huge turnover in its lawyer population over the next five years. The expected turnover, driven largely by demographics and economics, poses big challenges for firms both large and small, though small firms and solo practices seem especially vulnerable, the Puget Sound Business…

Aug 24, 2012 8:46 PM CDT

Paul Bergrin, Accused Attorney in RICO Law Firm Case, Seeks Hearing Re Claimed Misconduct By Feds

A prominent New Jersey defense attorney who has spent the last several years jailed without bail, awaiting trial in a federal case that accuses him of running his Newark law firm as a criminal racketeering enterprise is now claiming it’s the feds whose conduct needs to be scrutinized. Before Paul…

Aug 24, 2012 1:16 PM CDT

Former Government Lawyers Increasingly Shun BigLaw for Boutiques

High-level government lawyers moving into private practice are increasingly going to boutique law firms rather than BigLaw. The switch is part of an emerging trend, legal analysts tell the Washington Post. The article cites two recent examples: • Rob Park, former assistant chief in the fraud section of the Justice…

Aug 20, 2012 11:23 AM CDT

PI Attorney Plans to Do SLU Law Dean’s Job for a Year, Plus His Own Law Practice

Thomas Q. “Tom” Keefe Jr. was already hard at work running his his Belleville, Ill., personal injury and criminal defense law firm. But amidst a week of turmoil at Saint Louis University School of Law, where the law dean suddenly announced her resignation in an angry letter, came further surprising…

Aug 13, 2012 5:14 PM CDT