V&E Raises Associate Salaries in Texas and D.C.
Vinson & Elkins this week became the first Texas-based firm to increase Texas associate salaries to match the raises doled out by New York-based firms. The firm also raised salaries in its Washington, D.C., office. Starting in their third year, however, V&E associates will be ineligible for a portion of the raises unless they work 2,000 hours. Managing partner Joe Dilg says the novel pay structure is the result of input by associates, who didn't necessarily want the pressure linked to the New York market.
Career Prosecutor Tapped as Justice Department's No. 2
A federal prosecutor best known for putting former Democratic Rep. James Traficant behind bars was named Wednesday as the Justice Department's No. 2 official. Craig S. Morford, the U.S. Attorney in Nashville, Tenn., is President Bush's choice for acting deputy attorney general. He will replace Paul McNulty, who announced his resignation in June. Morford is a career prosecutor who has pursued organized crime and public corruption in Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee for the past 20 years.
N.J. Republican Lawyer Nominated to Fill Alito Seat on 3rd Circuit
Shalom Stone, a Republican lawyer from New Jersey, is the White House choice to fill U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr.'s seat on the 3rd Circuit. The nomination was made without input from the state's two Democratic senators, Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. The senators were unhappy about being shut out of the selection process and about President Bush abandoning the presumptive nominee, U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman, who was the lead prosecutor in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.
Ex-Lawyer Emerges From the Wreckage
Once upon a time, Koteles Alexander was the charismatic leader of one of the nation's largest minority-owned and -operated law firms. In its heyday, the Silver Spring, Md.-based firm known as Alexander, Bearden, Hairston & Marks had 37 lawyers and a client roster that included NationsBank, the D.C. Housing Finance Agency and Black Entertainment Television. But the firm collapsed in 1997. Now without a law license, Alexander is hoping to rebuild his career in Florida, this time as a lobbyist.
Retention Is a Midsize Law Firm Priority
Attrition problems have prompted midsize law firms to hire development directors -- a trend megafirms have already invested in. But the smaller firms are bringing in career professionals for another reason: "Midsized firms don't want to lose associates who want the training they feel like they'd be getting" at large firms, says one legal recruiter. Lewis and Roca managing partner Kenneth Van Winkle says his firm is hiring a development director to help associates and nonequity partners become full partners.
Courting a Jury
Because patent trials are rare, the few lawyers who have actually tried patent cases in front of juries are in high demand. Special skills are required: While every trial lawyer has to be adept at building rapport with a jury, patent litigators also often face the difficult challenge of making complicated technology understandable to those six or eight ordinary folks.
A New Test for Workplace 'Horseplay'
The Delaware Supreme Court recently allowed an employee injured by horseplay on the job to bring a personal injury suit against co-workers. For the first time, the court has accepted the so-called "Larson test," ruling that a trial judge must look at whether the co-workers' conduct involved horseplay "outside the scope of employment" under the four-part Larson test. A pipefitter and welder had sued his co-workers after they detained him in a bathroom and wrapped him from ankles to shoulders in duct tape.
Lawyers Get Back on Board
Scandals in the early part of the decade prompted Congress to pass a new law expanding the liability exposure of public company board members. Attorney-directors feared that investigations could look at whether they could have prevented a company's failure, either as a legal adviser or a director. But five years after the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, an increasing number of corporate attorneys are deciding that the benefits of serving as directors of public companies outweigh the risks.
NFL Quarterback Turns to Longtime Lawyer After Dogfighting Charges
Just call Lawrence H. Woodward Jr. the Vick brothers' family lawyer. In the good times and, more recently, in a string of legal troubles that have entangled Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and his younger brother, former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Marcus Vick, Woodward has stepped in to represent them. So when a Virginia federal grand jury indicted Michael Vick on charges associated with the illegal operation of an interstate dogfighting ring, it's only natural that Vick would turn to Woodward.
'Gong Show' Host in Bizarre Legal Battle With Co-op Neighbor
"Gong Show" host Chuck Barris, who claimed to have moonlighted as a CIA assassin while emceeing the 1970s TV talent show, is locked into a heated, and mostly losing, legal battle with his 85-year-old co-op neighbor, Dorothea Weitzner, a Columbia Law School dropout with 25 patents to her name. Weitzner's alleged attacks include a range of angry obscenities and threats to slice one of Barris' body parts. The skirmish raises the question: How bad must a tenant's behavior be before a co-op moves to evict her?
Proskauer Opens Office in Brazil
Proskauer Rose has opened an office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to be led by partner Antonio N. Piccirillo. The Sao Paulo location is the second overseas office for 700-lawyer Proskauer, which has seven offices in the United States and one in Paris.
Father-and-Son Lawyers to Share Sentencing Date
Father-and-son attorneys Norton and Stephen Feinstein now both have their criminal misconduct to thank for the permanent loss of their law licenses. Stephen Feinstein, the son, tendered his resignation from the Bar last week and waived his right to reapply. His father resigned from the Bar in November 2004. The duo pleaded guilty to multiple counts of larceny after nearly $1.5 million in clients' funds turned up missing from their now-shuttered Norwalk, Conn., firm of Feinstein & Herman.
Pro Bono Attorneys Fight for Client Trapped in Immigration Black Hole
At first glance, the story of Thailand-born convicted drug pusher Yuttasak Simma fits the mold of an immigration lawyer's typical case. Simma has served his sentence and is now being detained by immigration officials. But what makes his case unique, according to one of his pro bono attorneys, is that he is a U.S. citizen being held illegally. In their attempts to get him out of jail, Simma's lawyers are using the same federal statute highlighted in a major enemy combatant case at the U.S. Supreme Court.
NLJ 2007 Defense Hot List
received scores of nominations for its third annual Defense Hot List, ranging from small shops doing personal injury and product liability torts to legal giants contesting the fates of industries. Read on to learn more about some law firms that have done exemplary, cutting-edge defense work during the past 12 months.
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Richardson Surging? Plus, Hankering For a County Fair
No presidential campaign sends out more press releases than that of Bill Richardson. For Mother's Day, he endorsed mothers. I didn't see what he put out on Arbor Day but I'm guessing it was a passionate defense of trees. Here's one that came in yesterday:
'MANCHESTER, NH -- Governor Bill Richardson has moved past John Edwards into the top tier of Democratic Presidential primary candidates in New Hampshire according to the latest CNN/WMUR-TV poll released today.
'"Voters are learning who Bill Richardson is and are hearing his message and we're very pleased with the position of the campaign," said Dave Contarino, Governor Richardson's campaign manager. "In February 2007, at the beginning of this campaign, Bill Richardson was tied for 6th place at 1% in this poll. To be in double digits in 3rd Place at this point demonstrates genuine momentum." '
'The latest poll results: July 2007 June 2007
Hillary Clinton 36% 39%
Barack Obama 27% 24%
Bill Richardson 11% 11%
John Edwards 9% 14%
Joe Biden 4% 5%
Dennis Kucinich 3% 2%
Chris Dodd * *
Gravel * *
Someone else 0% 3%
No opinion 9% 2%
'The poll was conducted July 9-17 by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center and has a margin of error of +5.5%.'
What a surge by Richardson! What "momentum"! But can I just point out that his numbers don't actually budge in these two recent polls. He was at 11 percent in June and is now at 11 percent in July. Sure, double figures are better than single figures, and Richardson is an interesting and formidable candidate, but maybe the campaign is a bit too effusive here. (There's a bizarre fascination in this election cycle with the concept of the "top tier." Can Richardson be in the top tier if he's only 2 percentage points ahead of no-longer-top-tier Edwards in a poll with a margin of error of 5.5 percent?? Or are both now in the bottom tier, looking way up at the stratospheric Clinton and Obama?) (Can I trade my tier in for an ordinary shelf?)
The only significant change over time is that Edwards, who has bet the ranch on doing well in Iowa (and paid little attention to New Hampshire so far as I know), has seen an erosion of his support. Also, "No Opinion" has mounted a rally. Perhaps all the frenetic campaigning in recent months has persuaded more and more voters that they have no opinion about the presidential race.
Face it: Campaign '08 has been going full tilt for almost 7 months and nothing has happened. This is because of the intrinsic problem of having a political campaign without actual voting.
--
I've a hankering to go to a county fair. My editor wants me to do some interviews for a story, some kind of pulse of America thing, and a county fair would be the perfect location on account of how everyone's in a good mood. Also, there's fried dough, and sno cones, and Bingo, and all kinds of crafts, and usually some kind of canning competition. Like, with vegetables and fruit. Ball jars. My canned beets can whip your canned beets. Plus there's bluegrass music, and all those animals. They're not precious, exotic, fussed-over, solipsistic zoo animals, but real, honest, hard-working livestock. Functional, and good eatin'!
In any case, I came across an excellent site, Breedersworld, where you can see a listing of county fairs. Turns out the Allegany County fair is going on right now. I went to it once and would happily go back. Here's what I'm missing today:
Wednesday, July 18
9:00am 4-H/FFA Swine Judging
10:30am Rabbit Judging
2:00pm Exhibit Buildings Open
5:00pm Rides Open ($2.00 Discount)
Support our School Night
6:00pm 6th Annual "Cruisin At The Fair"
Sponsored by Oldies 107 & WCBC
7:30pm Rick K and The Allnighters- FREE ADMISSION to Grandstand
8:00pm Antique Tractor Parade
10:00pm Exhibit Buildings Close
10:00pm Laser Light Show- Sponsored by Pepsi
Meanwhile, there's another county fair just down the road in Lexington, Va. Tonight is the Teen Battle of the Bands!!! "All teenage backyard and garage bands!" Limited to those between 12 and 17, and without discernible talent. MUST BE LOUD.
Looking over the schedule: What is "Cow Plop Bingo"? "Goat Showmanship"?
The big question: Will they have a press tent? A wireless connection? Is it possible to liveblog a county fair?
[Well, lookie here: Von Drehle has weighed in on the joys of county fairs:
'....What endures is the underlying vitality of the fair, the unapologetic streak of real life. The actual dirt. Genuine food grilled by volunteer firefighters or the high school booster club. Wailing babies. Odd juxtapositions, like the sign on the pig racetrack extolling the love of Jesus. The smell of animal dung. Girls in tight jeans and the boys who ogle them as their fathers visit booths touting dry basements and power tools.
'A day at the fair starts out rampant and eager and ends with balloons sagging and stomachs queasy--which is not a bad summary of life itself. This is why the fair survives, drawing an estimated 150 million visitors in counties and states across the country each summer, in spite of theme parks and arcades of infinitely greater sophistication, in spite of Orlando, in spite of Las Vegas.']
--
Linky bits:
Remember my story on Bill Gray and the global warming deniers? The subject was worthy of a book. Someone smarter and more energetic would have to write it, of course. Well, it happened: "Storm World," by Chris Mooney, takes a long look at Gray's apostasy. Here's a Gristmill blog item about Mooney's book (with a nice mention of my story).
A memo to Katie Couric, from HuffPo.
Anne Schroeder (former Style writer) has a fun gossip column for The Politico and has more dope on the Obama Girl micro-visit to DC and other doings around town.
More from The Reliable Source, The Examiner, and Jezebel.
Name: SyroBro