Maryland Lawyer Blog

The Maryland Daily Record reports that the plaza-side entrance to the Baltimore County Circuit Court building in Towson is currently closed to the public because the security screening machines are not working. Only courthouse employees, jurors and lawyers with Maryland State Bar Association ID badges are being allowed through that entrance.

All other courthouse visitors must enter through the doors on Bosley Avenue (which is how I always enter that courthouse - climbing those steps to the main entrance is more fun anyway).

Am Law Litigation Daily has announced a winner to the "love anthem to your firm" competition. The winner was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meager & Flom who wrote the unforgettable diddy "Skadden, You Gladden My Heart." Moments after winning the award, Skadden fired the associate because she "should be able to find something else to do" with her time.

Okay, not really. But that would have been a good big firm story that would be believed if you told it straight faced in a bar filled with big firm lawyers.

The American Lawyer has an article on whether a "cheap" law school can help you land a big firm job.

I really don't think it matters where you go to law school. It is absolutely true better law schools statistically produce better lawyers. People at lower ranked law school argue this point all of the time, but it is silly to suggest that Timbuktu Law School graduates are as successful as those from Harvard. But if you take those same Harvard law students and put them at Timbuktu, eventually the difference in success with Harvard law students would be negligible. It will be, however, harder for those same students to get a job at the beginning of their careers.

One thing I'm sure of is that law school students are stressed these days about their job prospects. They are awful. The good news is that in the long run of history, everything is going to work out. I remember classmates of mine that were waiting on tables after they passed the bar because they could not find a job. Some of those same lawyer are among the most successful lawyers in my class. If you are lawyer that can't find a job, you have to get some solace from this.

The Associated Press reports that a domestic lawyer in Sacramento pled no contest to four counts of sexual battery and one count of attempted sexual contact.

The prosecutor's allegations were incredible. This divorce lawyer told clients that he had a pharmacy degree and would touch them under the auspices of performing medical procedures during consultations, which, of course, are always necessary to get for a divorce lawyer. In one instance, he allegedly offered to reduce a client's bill by $5,000 if she had sex with him.

Are you kidding me? $5,000? This guy gave up a viable insanity defense.

I would like to know whether that is $5,000 off a future bill he intended to pad or whether he was actually offering to reduce the bill.

The University of Baltimore begins its fall semester today. The Maryland Daily Record has a good article on the first day of classes.

I'm pretty excited about the start of my 12th year at the University of Baltimore Law School. My insurance law class begins on Thursday.

A Charles County, Maryland judge said Tuesday that he flattened the tire of someone who persisted in parking in reserved spaces near the courthouse.

The article on the story in Southern Maryland Newspapers Online leaves more questions than answers including the big question, how did the Judge get caught? But a Washington Post article, before the judge confessed, said that two Charles County sheriff's officers said they saw the judge letting the air out of the tires. Another sign of the times: one of the officers used his cellphone camera to photograph or videotape the judge who must have been taking his time in letting the air out of the tire.

Thanks to the Maryland Daily Record Blog which provide both of these links.

Congratulations to Justice Sonia Sotomayor! I think she will be great. But who knows?

Should you get disbarred for starving a horse to death and having no remorse for it? I vote yes.

In a related topic, the ABA Animal Law Section is putting out a very nice publication.

I think this guy is completely insane. I think you want associates that are completely dedicated to your firm. I just don't think the best associates are Patty Hearst brainwashed. But the article is full of great advice you could not think up on your own. "Associates should always strive to provide the partner with perfect work." Cutting edge stuff.

This blogger agrees with me. Yet I really don't agree with his post, either.

There's less risk involved in not sticking to the conventional MO at the firm. After all, it's unlikely you will last long there. It's even more unlikely you will become partner. What is likely if you are a shrewd player is that you will learn about practicing law and career strategy/tactics to make it just about anywhere in law. That could range from a solo practice to a top government position.

There has to be a middle ground between working 16 hours a week and assuming your big law job will fail so you should start angling for a "solo practice or a top government position." I'm certain I'm right about this.