Slum Dog Millionaires: Paralegal Program Director Wins $16k

In the aftermath of today''s depressing news  (over 2,000 attorneys and paralegals have lost their jobs in the past few weeks and today Latham & Watkins announced it is laying off over 250 paralegals and staff and 190 attorneys), we sure could use some good news. Enter Mary Flaherty, Paralegal Program Studies Director for Suffolk University in Boston gave us all...

“Elevator Rides at Law Firms Call for Delicacy, Tact”

Good advice from The Snark, of Fulton County Daily Report fame...reprinted in Large Law Firm  :"The random assortment of people joined together in a small box moving at rapid speed puts you in the close personal space of your co-workers in ways that would otherwise be unacceptable. The unique nature of elevator interaction requires the observation of certain 'good elevator practices.'...

“Commentary: A Career Not Measured in Billable Hours”

Author Debra Bruno (Special Reports Editor at Legal Times), ponders some interesting questions in this Law.com article:"I grew up the child of teachers. Besides learning the obvious lack-of-privacy lessons ('Does your father know you left the house in that outfit?' my high school history teacher once muttered to me), I also internalized the idea that in the working world, people get home...

“‘Life’s Short. Get a Divorce’ Billboard Removed After Just a Week”

Very interesting article about a clever law firm marketing strategy from the Associated Press:"A racy billboard proclaiming, 'Life's short. Get a divorce,' caused such an uproar that city workers stripped it from its downtown Chicago perch after a week. "It wasn't so much about the partially clothed man and woman on the law firm's ad. It was the phrase that lawyers Corri Fetman and...

“A case of semantics”

I've got two complaints about this news article. One, the problem is with spelling, not semantics. Two, the reporter automatically assigned blame to a legal assistant for the typos: "Court documents can say the most amusing things. What's wrong with this sentence?"'We can only view AT&T's and Cingular's continued attempt to jeopardize NASCAR's relationship with NETEL as tortuous...

New book about the Supremes

Jeffrey Rosen, author of "The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America," made a funny appearance on The Daily Show tonight: His book also sounded very funny. Of course, that could have mostly been Jon Stewart.... "In this compelling work of character-driven history, Jeffrey Rosen recounts the history of the Court through the personal and philosophical...

Unique gifts: t-shirts, mugs, & more…

Custom gift designs, all with law-related themes, from CafePress.com: "Legal" Designs on T-Shirts and Gifts "Law" Designs on T-Shirts and Gifts "Paralegal" Designs on T-Shirts and Gifts "Lawyer" Designs on T-Shirts and Gifts My fav gifts are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, & here.

Gift that’s also a stress reliever!

OK, is it me? Or am I the only one who knows about 100 people who can use this new product? "It’s no secret that lawyers lead incredibly stressful lives: they operate under relentless time pressures in an adversarial environment that breeds hostility, conflict and cynicism. Now, you can relieve your stress with Slam-A-Gavel. "Slam-A-Gavel comes with a gavel, nine blocks with different...

Law firm ‘Talent Show’

Watch out, year-end holidays (& related events), are coming soon: "Christmas Party Committee. "Have three words ever struck more dread in the hearts of office workers? Especially when they’ve only just started working somewhere and, accordingly, get assigned whatever the more seasoned employees avoid like the plague (i.e., savings bond campaigns)? Especially when it’s only the...