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Suit Over 3,000-Hour Billable Quota; U of C Posts Jobs Data; Forged $285K Firm Check Funds Paralegal's Spending Spree, Police Say - ABA Journal Weekly
ABA Journal Weekly Newsletter
www.abajournal.com
The Top Stories of the Week
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Editor's note: We've launched our 5th Annual Blawg 100 [http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/the_5th_annual_aba_journal_blawg_100]. To vote for your favorites through Dec. 30, click here [http://www.abajournal.com/blawg100].
Law Firms
Suit by Fired Lawyer Claims Law Firm Encouraged Fraud with 3,000-Hour Billable Quota
Dec 12, 2011, 12:37 pm CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/suit_by_fired_lawyer_claims_law_firms_3000-hour_billable_quotas_encouraged_/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Plus: Paralegal Used Forged $285K Law Firm Check to Take Private Jet to NYC for Spending Spree, Police Say
Dec 13, 2011, 10:52 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/paralegal_allegedly_funded_nyc_spending_spree_with_285k_check_stolen_from/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
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Criminal Justice
Building Engineer's Response to Blocked Toilets Results in Criminal Conviction
Dec 12, 2011, 07:45 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/building_engineers_response_to_blocked_toilets_results_in_criminal_convicti/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Plus: Rescuing Deer Puts Wisconsin Man at Risk of Jail Time
Dec 15, 2011, 11:33 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/rescuing_deer_puts_wisconsin_man_at_risk_of_jail_time/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Outsourcing
Want to Outsource Legal Work? Ohio Can Be as Cheap as India, Report Says
Dec 12, 2011, 05:30 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/want_to_hire_an_outsourced_lawyer_ohio_can_be_as_cheap_as_india_report_says/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Trials & Litigation
Lawyer for Hedge Fund Manager Objects to 'Obnoxious, Deliberate Use' of Nickname in Depo
Dec 15, 2011, 09:22 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer_for_hedge_fund_manager_objects_to_obnoxious_deliberate_use_of_nickna/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
The New Normal
Getting Comfortable with Risk: The Agile Manifesto Revisited
Dec 14, 2011, 08:47 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/getting_comfortable_with_risk_the_agile_manifesto_revisited/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Lawyer Pay
Law Dean Considers Law School ROI, Says Grads Should Earn 6 Times Tuition for Good Financial Outlook
Dec 15, 2011, 05:30 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_dean_considers_law_school_roi_says_grads_should_earn_6_times_tuition_fo/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Law in Popular Culture
BigLaw Attorney Makes His Mark in Viral Metal Band Video Panned as Worst of 2011
Dec 12, 2011, 09:30 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/biglaw_attorney_makes_his_mark_in_viral_heavy_metal_video/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Wealth Management
Billionaire Lawyer Offers Investment Advice: Cocaine Is Less Dangerous than Hedge Funds
Dec 12, 2011, 06:39 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/billionaire_lawyer_offers_investment_advice_cocaine_is_less_dangerous_than_/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Law Schools
University of Chicago Law School Posts 'Treasure Trove' of Job Stats
Dec 14, 2011, 11:58 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/university_of_chicago_law_school_posts_treasure_trove_of_job_stats/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Plus: Upstart UC Irvine Law School Competes with the Big Boys in Clerkship Race
Dec 12, 2011, 10:50 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/upstart_uc_irvine_law_school_competes_with_the_big_boys_in_clerkship_race/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
Family Law
ABA Brief Supports Appointed Counsel for Indigent Parents in Abuse and Neglect Cases
Dec 14, 2011, 11:12 am CST
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/aba_brief_supports_appointed_counsel_for_indigent_parents_in_abuse_and_negl/?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_email
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Question of the Week
How Many Hours Will You Bill in 2011?
http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/article/how_many_hours_have_you_billed_in_2011?utm_source=maestro&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=default_email
Burning up the charts on ABAJournal.com this week is a post about an associate who sued his former law firm, which he claims required its lawyers to bill 3,000 hours per year. The associate alleges he was fired because he couldn't make that quota, which he says is unrealistic and forces lawyers to lie about their hours. There's been a lot of discussion in the comments of that post about how one could pull off 3,000 billables per year, if it can be done at all.
So this week, with the calendar year nearly at a close, we'd like to ask: How many hours have you billed in 2011? Is that number higher or lower than it was last year? Was that amount easy enough to pull off, or did it nearly kill you? We aren't trying to foster competition here--we're just curious about what readers' real numbers--and real tipping points--are.
Answer in the comments.
Read the answers to last week's question: Have You Ever Had to Deal with a Web Attack Against Yourself or a Client? If So, What Did You Do?
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/have_you_ever_had_to_fight_a_web_attack_against_yourself_or_your_client
Featured answer:
Posted by Gary Lane: "Yes, I have received several Web attacks. Virtually all of them from clients who did not want to pay to extend their limited retainers for litigation against banks for fraud. They argue that the small fee they paid for the initial stages of a lawsuit should be enough and claim they 'never were told' additional funds would be required if settlement had not been achieved during early stages of litigation. While their 'forgetfulness' after being told at least twice and signing a retainer clearly saying this is unbelievable, the problem is they then go on to post complaints that I ask for money and do not work for them. I hired a firm to help to no avail. I wish I know how to deal with these lying clients. I wish I could sue them, but do not find it justified, even though it hurts our business."
A reader's suggestion gave us last week's question. Do you have an idea for a future question of the week? If so, contact us.
http://www.abajournal.com/contact
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