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Have Supreme Court Opinions Become More Unreadable?
April 28, 2014
Professor Stephen Johnson says, yes. His article is “The Changing Discourse of the Supreme Court,” 12University of New Hampshire Law Review 29 (2013). I correlate this decline in readability with the increasing density of law review articles. The top law review officers go on to clerk for SCOTUS and bring their bad habits with them. Here is the abstract (excerpts): Academics, judges and other commentators complain that, for the past few decades, the Justices on the Supreme Court have been increasingly...
April 28, 2014
Professor Stephen Johnson says, yes. His article is “The Changing Discourse of the Supreme Court,” 12University of New Hampshire Law Review 29 (2013). I correlate this decline in readability with the increasing density of law review articles. The top law review officers go on to clerk for SCOTUS and bring their bad habits with them. Here is the abstract (excerpts): Academics, judges and other commentators complain that, for the past few decades, the Justices on the Supreme Court have been increasingly...
Ignoring Shakespeare’s Butcher, Law Firm Advises How To Cut Legal Bills
April 28, 2014
Companies are slashing legal costs left and right, with consultants lining up to show them how. Curiously, one of those consultants is a Chicago law firm: Seyfarth Shaw LLP. The concept understandably has been a tough sell to some Seyfarth partners, and some general counsels are skeptical of its cost-benefit. Seyfarth has landed only a handful of known consulting clients, including Chicago's CNA Financial Corp., Nike Inc. of Beaverton, Ore., and Rockwell Collins Inc., a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based...
April 28, 2014
Companies are slashing legal costs left and right, with consultants lining up to show them how. Curiously, one of those consultants is a Chicago law firm: Seyfarth Shaw LLP. The concept understandably has been a tough sell to some Seyfarth partners, and some general counsels are skeptical of its cost-benefit. Seyfarth has landed only a handful of known consulting clients, including Chicago's CNA Financial Corp., Nike Inc. of Beaverton, Ore., and Rockwell Collins Inc., a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based...
Samsung Not Entitled to Discover Settlement Offers to License Utility Patents
April 28, 2014
The court denied Samsung discovery into Apple’s offers to license its utility patents to Samsung, as the settlement negotiations were confidential. Apple, Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., No. 11-CV-01846-LHK (U.S.D.C. N.D. Cal., January 7, 2014)
April 28, 2014
The court denied Samsung discovery into Apple’s offers to license its utility patents to Samsung, as the settlement negotiations were confidential. Apple, Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., No. 11-CV-01846-LHK (U.S.D.C. N.D. Cal., January 7, 2014)
Advisory Committee Approves Proposed Amendments to Civil Rules, Next Stop Standing Committee!
April 28, 2014
As was reported on this blog just last week, the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules met on April 10th and 11th to review proposed amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure, including recommended changes to those proposed amendments as published for public comment. On the first day of meetings, the Advisory Committee unanimously approved proposed amendments to Rules 1, 4, 16, 26, and 34, including the Duke Subcommittee’s recommendations as outlined in the Advisory Committee’s Agenda Book (discussed...
April 28, 2014
As was reported on this blog just last week, the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules met on April 10th and 11th to review proposed amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure, including recommended changes to those proposed amendments as published for public comment. On the first day of meetings, the Advisory Committee unanimously approved proposed amendments to Rules 1, 4, 16, 26, and 34, including the Duke Subcommittee’s recommendations as outlined in the Advisory Committee’s Agenda Book (discussed...
The Art of Hiring
April 27, 2014
Law departments develop their own methods for hiring and preparing their lawyers. Google, IBM and Microsoft have adopted...
April 27, 2014
Law departments develop their own methods for hiring and preparing their lawyers. Google, IBM and Microsoft have adopted...
Bright Spots Amid Glum Jobs Outlook
April 27, 2014
Top law schools place their graduates, but elsewhere "the future remains grim." Top law schools are able to place most of their graduates in associate positions, but elsewhere the future remains grim according to employment stats released last week by the American Bar Association. Read more: http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202651684724/Bright-Spots-Amid-Glum-Jobs-Outlook#ixzz2zWPNt7dI
April 27, 2014
Top law schools place their graduates, but elsewhere "the future remains grim." Top law schools are able to place most of their graduates in associate positions, but elsewhere the future remains grim according to employment stats released last week by the American Bar Association. Read more: http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202651684724/Bright-Spots-Amid-Glum-Jobs-Outlook#ixzz2zWPNt7dI
Apple 2014 Fiscal Second Quarter — the iPhone and iPad Angle
April 27, 2014
Yesterday, Apple released the results for its 2014 fiscal second quarter (which ran from December 29, 2013 to March 29 2014) and held a call with analysts to discuss the results. Apple always sees a big decrease in revenue in its second fiscal quarter because it comes right after the holiday quarter. Nevertheless, Apple reported quarterly revenue of $45.6 billion and net profits of $10.2 billion, which is a record for Apple's second fiscal quarter and is Apple's best ever non-holiday quarter. ...
April 27, 2014
Yesterday, Apple released the results for its 2014 fiscal second quarter (which ran from December 29, 2013 to March 29 2014) and held a call with analysts to discuss the results. Apple always sees a big decrease in revenue in its second fiscal quarter because it comes right after the holiday quarter. Nevertheless, Apple reported quarterly revenue of $45.6 billion and net profits of $10.2 billion, which is a record for Apple's second fiscal quarter and is Apple's best ever non-holiday quarter. ...
Say It Ain’t So, Google!
April 27, 2014
Google is winding down Google Plus, says report. Does it make sense?. The departure of Google+ chief, Vic Gundotra, is rumored to have been the result of Google's move of the Plus team, and decision to put Plus on the back burner of Google priorities. Given the growth and success of the platform, I find this worrisome, and hope it stays in the rumor category. I learn from Plussers every day, and it is the real lawyer's water cooler in a virtual age. Think of it like a limitless coffee shop where...
April 27, 2014
Google is winding down Google Plus, says report. Does it make sense?. The departure of Google+ chief, Vic Gundotra, is rumored to have been the result of Google's move of the Plus team, and decision to put Plus on the back burner of Google priorities. Given the growth and success of the platform, I find this worrisome, and hope it stays in the rumor category. I learn from Plussers every day, and it is the real lawyer's water cooler in a virtual age. Think of it like a limitless coffee shop where...
What’s Next for Law Firm Leaders?
April 27, 2014
I met with Lee Pacchia on Mimesis Law‘s “Business of Law” web TV program to discuss, among other topics, my recent post in which I described how some law firms are stifling the growth of future rainmakers. I made a few bold comments, many of which are culled from the remarks and presentations I deliver at numerous law firm and law department retreats, and from previous articles. Yes, it’s easy to lob critiques. But it’s also easy to hide from the truth. There are answers for the major...
April 27, 2014
I met with Lee Pacchia on Mimesis Law‘s “Business of Law” web TV program to discuss, among other topics, my recent post in which I described how some law firms are stifling the growth of future rainmakers. I made a few bold comments, many of which are culled from the remarks and presentations I deliver at numerous law firm and law department retreats, and from previous articles. Yes, it’s easy to lob critiques. But it’s also easy to hide from the truth. There are answers for the major...
Alternative Litigation Financing Sparks Malpractice Claim
April 26, 2014
A modern-day offshoot of the contingency fee arrangement is “alternative litigation financing.” Also known as third-party litigation financing, A.L.F. is the practice of making cash advances, usually to a litigant, to be repaid from the proceeds from the litigation. There is plenty of room for debate the pros and cons of this developing trend. Supporters may argue that this practice allows an injured plaintiff to take an “advance” on an anticipated recovery to address financial hardship before...
April 26, 2014
A modern-day offshoot of the contingency fee arrangement is “alternative litigation financing.” Also known as third-party litigation financing, A.L.F. is the practice of making cash advances, usually to a litigant, to be repaid from the proceeds from the litigation. There is plenty of room for debate the pros and cons of this developing trend. Supporters may argue that this practice allows an injured plaintiff to take an “advance” on an anticipated recovery to address financial hardship before...
