The Law Governing Lawyers Supplemental Readings by Eric Goldman

Additional Readings about the Legal Industry and the Law Governing Lawyers
Eric Goldman
Last updated 5/30/2006

Advice on Law School

Letter to a Young Law Student by Dahlia Lithwick

Humanizing Law School

Balancing law school debt and public service careers

How to Pay for Your Law Degree (copies are available in the library)

Job Searching Advice

Advice on finding a job in a tight legal market

Interviewing tips (some of the snootiness probably doesn’t play well in Wisconsin)

Perspectives on working in small law firms

Directory of Wisconsin lawyers

Notes on seeking a job as a law professor

Coping with Life as a Lawyer

The Clifford Chance associates go off (a preview of gripes you might have as a big firm associate).  An update from March 2005

Patrick Schiltz, On Being a Happy, Healthy, and Ethical Member of an Unhappy, Unhealthy, and Unethical Profession

Suggestions on delegating and being delegated to.  More on giving feedback

Time management suggestions

Advice for the recent law graduate

“A pie-eating contest where the prize is more pie”

Good discussion about recording time.  The ABA report on billable hours from 2002.

An unsatisfying in-house insurance defense job, but an expensive lifestyle.  What to do?

Debunking the myths that life as an in-house lawyer is better

Your supervising partner talks a good game but doesn’t know what he’s talking about.  Should you speak up?  Yes!

30% of law school graduates don’t practice law

Milwaukee associate discusses why he/she pads hours

300+ Things I’m Glad I Knew – Or Wish I’d Known – My First Year as General Counsel

Attorney Work-Life Balance Calculator

Big-firm training may be oversold

Business lawyer-friendly article on attorney-client privilege

Interesting Events

An analysis of the lawyers’ roles in Enron

Law Partner Gets Five-Year Suspension for Neglecting Cases Over a Decade (discussing how a lawyer cracked under the pressure of billable hours and satisfying his mentor)

Zealous advocacy or stupid lawyer tricks?  You decide.  [NOTE—I am not as forgiving as this magistrate judge!]

Multidisciplinary Practice run amok (and other problems)

Costly typos

An example of delegation run amok

Demand letter for $40 leads to disbarment

Jenelle L Glasbrenner, a small town criminal defense attorney in Wisconsin, busted for overbilling.  The resolution of her criminal case.  Suspension of her license.  Her reinstatement.

Barking like a dog costs attorney $8,500

Holland & Knight partner wants face time

Backdating stock option exercises leads to bad legal problems for in-house general counsel of major multinational corporation

Judge shows little tolerance for an ill-advised motion to transfer venue

Judge feels like he is a kindergarten teacher

Be careful leaving nasty voicemails to opposing counsel

Gluttonous billing

35 day month = jail time.  Lawyers as gatekeepers

webreaklegs.com

3 month suspension for padding hours on contingent fee case

94 hours in a 24 hour day

Some Practice Resources

Sample conflict waivers and engagement letters prepared by the Milwaukee Bar Association (use with caution!)

SEC “Up the Ladder” Rules under Sarbanes-Oxley