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Above the Law BigLaw: When the Rules Don't Apply?
By Amelia Hernandez, Esq.
Amelia Hernandez is a former BigLaw associate with over eight years of experience at a top-tier New York firm. She now works as a legal consultant and commentator, specializing in the ethical and cultural aspects of the legal profession.
Published by: The Legal Intelligencer [A prestigious legal publication with a long history of insightful analysis of the legal industry.]
Edited by: Robert Davies, J.D. [Robert Davies has 15 years of experience editing legal publications and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School.]
Keywords: Above the Law BigLaw, BigLaw ethics, legal profession, corporate law, attorney misconduct, legal culture, law firm culture, power dynamics, legal accountability, professional responsibility.
Summary: This article explores the implications of a perceived "above the law" mentality within BigLaw, examining instances of ethical lapses and the systemic factors that contribute to them. It discusses the consequences of such behavior for the industry's reputation and the need for greater accountability.
H1: The Perception of "Above the Law BigLaw": Fact or Fiction?
The phrase "Above the Law BigLaw" often surfaces in discussions about the legal industry. It speaks to a perceived culture where some believe the power and prestige of elite law firms shield them from the full weight of ethical and legal consequences. While not every BigLaw firm operates this way, the perception itself is damaging, fueled by publicized instances of misconduct, aggressive billing practices, and a sometimes-insular culture resistant to external scrutiny. This isn't to suggest that all BigLaw attorneys are unethical; however, the systemic pressures within these firms can create environments where questionable behavior is normalized or even rewarded. This article delves into the reality behind this perception, examining the contributing factors and their ramifications.
H2: Systemic Factors Contributing to "Above the Law BigLaw" Culture
Several factors contribute to this perception:
Intense Pressure and Competition: The relentless pressure to secure high-profile clients, bill significant hours, and achieve rapid partner promotion creates an environment where ethical corners might be cut. Associates are often overworked and under-mentored, leaving them vulnerable to pressure from senior partners.
Client Influence: Powerful clients can exert significant influence over law firms, sometimes pushing them to prioritize winning at all costs, regardless of the ethical implications. The fear of losing lucrative clients can incentivize firms to overlook potential ethical breaches.
Lack of Internal Accountability: Many firms lack robust internal mechanisms for identifying and addressing ethical misconduct. Fear of retaliation or damage to firm reputation often prevents associates and even partners from reporting unethical behavior. Whistleblower protections are often insufficient.
High Financial Stakes: The immense profits generated by BigLaw firms can create a culture of entitlement and a belief that the rules don't apply in the same way to them as to smaller firms or solo practitioners.
Limited External Oversight: While regulatory bodies exist, their oversight can sometimes be insufficient to address the pervasive nature of the problem. The regulatory process is often slow and cumbersome, allowing problematic behavior to persist for extended periods.
H3: Consequences of the "Above the Law BigLaw" Perception
The consequences of this perception are far-reaching:
Erosion of Public Trust: When high-profile law firms are perceived as operating "above the law," it erodes public trust in the legal profession as a whole. This undermines the integrity of the justice system and creates cynicism towards lawyers.
Damage to Firm Reputation: Even accusations of ethical misconduct, even if ultimately unfounded, can severely damage a law firm's reputation, leading to lost clients and difficulties attracting top talent.
Legal Liability: Firms engaging in unethical practices face potential legal liability, including lawsuits, sanctions, and disbarment of individual attorneys.
Increased Regulatory Scrutiny: The perception of “Above the Law BigLaw” invites increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies, leading to stricter regulations and more frequent investigations.
H4: Moving Towards Greater Accountability in BigLaw
Addressing the "Above the Law BigLaw" perception requires a multi-pronged approach:
Strengthening Internal Ethical Cultures: Law firms must cultivate ethical cultures that prioritize compliance and accountability. This includes robust ethics training programs, clear ethical guidelines, and effective reporting mechanisms.
Improving Regulatory Oversight: Regulatory bodies need to enhance their oversight capabilities, making investigations more efficient and penalties more substantial. Increased transparency and accountability are crucial.
Promoting a Culture of Mentorship: Senior partners have a responsibility to mentor and support junior associates, fostering a culture of ethical decision-making.
Increased Transparency and Disclosure: Greater transparency in billing practices and firm operations can help improve accountability and reduce the perception of secrecy and manipulation.
Conclusion
The perception of "Above the Law BigLaw" is a serious challenge to the legal profession's integrity. While not all BigLaw firms operate unethically, systemic pressures and a lack of accountability can create an environment where such behavior thrives. Addressing this requires a collective effort from law firms, regulatory bodies, and the profession as a whole to foster greater ethical awareness, accountability, and a commitment to upholding the highest standards of professional conduct. Only through proactive measures can we move beyond this damaging perception and restore public trust in the legal profession.
FAQs
1. What specific instances have fueled the "Above the Law BigLaw" perception? Numerous instances of conflicts of interest, aggressive billing, and even outright fraud in high-profile cases have contributed. Public scandals involving major firms amplify this perception.
2. Are all BigLaw firms guilty of unethical behavior? No, this article isn't suggesting that all BigLaw firms are unethical. However, systemic pressures within the industry create an environment where ethical lapses can occur more readily.
3. What role does billable hours play in the problem? The relentless pressure to meet billable hour targets incentivizes cutting corners, potentially sacrificing ethical considerations for productivity.
4. How can associates protect themselves from unethical pressure? Associates should familiarize themselves with ethical guidelines, seek mentorship from ethical partners, and utilize internal reporting mechanisms.
5. What are the potential career consequences of reporting unethical behavior? While whistleblowing can have significant professional risks, there are legal protections in place and firms are increasingly recognizing the importance of a culture of ethical reporting.
6. What role does client pressure play? Powerful clients can influence firms to prioritize winning cases even if it means compromising ethical standards. This necessitates a firm's commitment to ethical decision-making regardless of client pressure.
7. What actions can regulatory bodies take to address this issue? Increased investigative powers, stiffer penalties, and more robust enforcement mechanisms are necessary.
8. How can law schools contribute to addressing this problem? Law schools should prioritize ethical education and encourage critical thinking about the ethical dilemmas faced in practice.
9. What is the long-term impact of this perception on the legal profession? If unaddressed, it will continue to erode public trust, reduce the profession's prestige, and potentially lead to further regulatory intervention.
Related Articles:
1. "The Ethics of Aggressive Billing in BigLaw": Examines the pressure to bill excessive hours and its impact on ethical conduct.
2. "Whistleblowing in BigLaw: Risks and Rewards": Explores the challenges and benefits of reporting unethical behavior within large law firms.
3. "The Role of Mentorship in Fostering Ethical Conduct in BigLaw": Discusses the importance of mentorship in shaping ethical behavior among junior associates.
4. "Regulatory Oversight of BigLaw: Is it Enough?": Critically assesses the effectiveness of current regulatory mechanisms in addressing ethical lapses.
5. "The Impact of Client Pressure on Ethical Decision-Making in BigLaw": Analyzes how client demands can influence ethical choices within law firms.
6. "The Culture of Competition and its Influence on Ethical Behavior in BigLaw": Investigates the role of intense competition in creating an environment conducive to ethical breaches.
7. "Case Studies of Ethical Lapses in BigLaw": Presents case studies of real-world examples of unethical conduct in BigLaw firms.
8. "Strategies for Building a Strong Ethical Culture within Law Firms": Offers practical advice for law firms seeking to improve their ethical culture.
9. "The Future of Ethical Practice in the Age of Big Data and AI": Explores emerging ethical challenges in the context of technological advancements.
| above the law biglaw: Biglaw Lindsay Cameron, 2017-08 Chosen one of the Best Books of 2015 by Good Housekeeping and Redbook**A Harper's Bazaar Must-Read**Film and TV Rights Optioned to Paramount**A 2015 USA Best Book Award Winner*As featured in:Huffington Post Books, Harper's Bazaar Magazine, Bloomberg BNA, Vault, Working Mother Magazine, Chicago Tribune, The New York times, Redbook Magazine, Good Housekeeping Magazine: 20 Best Books by Women in 2015, BuzzFeed: September Reads You Must Find Time For, San Francisco Book Review: Best Books for Sweater Weather, Sheknows.com: Most Anticipated Novels of Fall, Culturalist: Best Book Club Reads, YourTango: Incredible Books Every Smart Woman Should Read this Fall |
| above the law biglaw: Big Law Ron Liebman, 2017-01-10 “Big Law has it all. A locomotive drive, a fantastic, appealing, big-hearted narrative voice, and an inside and very entertaining look at the intersection of big law and big business. Smart and truly unputdownable.” —John Lescroart As a young partner at Dunn & Sullivan, one of New York's most prestigious law firms, Carney Blake has represented dozens of high-profile clients. But being a pawn of Big Law often means defending the corporate dirt bags of the world—the spillers, the drillers, and the killers. Morality aside, Carney is starting to make a name for himself, despite having a father who resents his success and an unpredictable big brother bent on self-destruction. So when Carney is suddenly asked by his firm's chairman to represent the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit—and not, as usual, the corporate bad guys—he warily accepts. Maybe they're turning a corner, he thinks. And even if they aren't, when else has a junior partner been assigned such a major case, with a possible billion dollar payout? But Carney can't fool himself for very long. As he digs deeper into the case, he uncovers corruption and maliciously orchestrated schemes that go straight to the top of Dunn & Sullivan—along with the true motives behind his placement on the case. Written by former top litigator Ron Liebman, Big Law is a thrilling, fast-paced roman à clef that exposes the secrecy, deception, and machinations underlining America’s most powerful mega-firms. |
| above the law biglaw: The Associate John Grisham, 2009 With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains and featuring all the twists and turns that have made Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, The Associate is vintage Grisham at his best. |
| above the law biglaw: Supreme Ambitions David Lat, 2015 Supreme Ambitions details the rise of Audrey Coyne, a recent Yale Law School graduate who dreams of clerking for the U.S. Supreme Court someday. Audrey moves to California to clerk for Judge Christina Wong Stinson, a highly regarded appeals-court judge who is Audrey's ticket to a Supreme Court clerkship. While working for the powerful and driven Judge Stinson, Audrey discovers that high ambitions come with a high price. Toss in some headline-making cases, a little romance, and a pesky judicial gossip blog, and you have a legal novel with the inside scoop you'd expect from the founder of Above the Law, one of the nation's most widely read and influential legal websites. |
| above the law biglaw: Biglaw Sarah Powell, 2013 Popular culture usually portrays the life of a junior associate in one of America's elite law firms--collectively Biglaw--either as a glamorous and lucrative (if morally dubious) adventure, or as a hellish immersion in mind-numbing servitude to psychotic senior partners, while the available advice books on being an associate usually give little insight into what Biglaw practice is really like, or why it is the way it is. In this book, Sarah Powell (herself a veteran of Biglaw associate life) gives a clear-eyed, intensely personal, and at the same time institutionally sophisticated account of what associates experience and why. Rather than being random and inexplicable, the unrelenting demands and intense hierarchy to which elite firms subject their junior lawyers are inextricably linked to the firms' chief claim to their prestige and their enormous incomes--the sometimes explicit boast that Biglaw can handle any legal issue, at any time, with superb competence and matchless speed. Powell provides the reader a unique window onto an associate's day-by-day life in an elite firm, while showing how the details make a harrowing kind of sense in the light of these firms' structure and modes of operation. Neither an expose nor a whitewash, her book employs telling anecdotes and savvy advice in crafting an informed and intensely practical guide to survival as an associate in Biglaw. But her insights into elite law practice will be of equal interest to anyone seeking to understand one of our society's most powerful institutions. |
| above the law biglaw: The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law Mark Herrmann, 2006 This collection of essays written by The Curmudgeon, offers practical, honest and you need to know this advice for surviving and thriving in a law firm. The book covers the basics of law practice and law firm etiquette, from doing effective research and writing to dressing for success, dealing with staff and clients and building a law practice. Concise, humorous and full of valuable (albeit curmudgeonly) insight, this is a must-read for every newly minted law school graduate or new lawyer. |
| above the law biglaw: Remaking Law Firms George Beaton, Imme Kaschner, 2016-06-07 This book provides examples of innovative and successful business models from remade law firms to inspire change that goes beyond thinking and planning, and leads straight to implementing change and better client service. |
| above the law biglaw: The Trust Revolution M.Todd Henderson, Salen Churi, 2019-08-15 Traces the history of innovation and trust, demonstrating how the Internet offers new ways to rehabilitate and strengthen trust. |
| above the law biglaw: Inside Straight Mark Herrmann, 2012 This hilarious new book from acclaimed author Mark Herrmann is a compilation of the best blog posts about life as an in-house counsel--dealing with the lawyers and law firms he throws business to, dealing with the management of his company, dealing with communications and writing issues and more. You'll be entertained and educated, and have your eyes opened to a few things in the legal arena. |
| above the law biglaw: The Code of Capital Katharina Pistor, 2020-11-03 Capital is the defining feature of modern economies, yet most people have no idea where it actually comes from. What is it, exactly, that transforms mere wealth into an asset that automatically creates more wealth? The Code of Capital explains how capital is created behind closed doors in the offices of private attorneys, and why this little-known fact is one of the biggest reasons for the widening wealth gap between the holders of capital and everybody else. In this revealing book, Katharina Pistor argues that the law selectively codes certain assets, endowing them with the capacity to protect and produce private wealth. With the right legal coding, any object, claim, or idea can be turned into capital - and lawyers are the keepers of the code. Pistor describes how they pick and choose among different legal systems and legal devices for the ones that best serve their clients' needs, and how techniques that were first perfected centuries ago to code landholdings as capital are being used today to code stocks, bonds, ideas, and even expectations--assets that exist only in law. A powerful new way of thinking about one of the most pernicious problems of our time, The Code of Capital explores the different ways that debt, complex financial products, and other assets are coded to give financial advantage to their holders. This provocative book paints a troubling portrait of the pervasive global nature of the code, the people who shape it, and the governments that enforce it.--Provided by publisher. |
| above the law biglaw: The Lawyer Bubble Steven J Harper, 2016-03-08 A noble profession is facing its defining moment. From law schools to the prestigious firms that represent the pinnacle of a legal career, a crisis is unfolding. News headlines tell part of the story—the growing oversupply of new lawyers, widespread career dissatisfaction, and spectacular implosions of pre-eminent law firms. Yet eager hordes of bright young people continue to step over each other as they seek jobs with high rates of depression, life-consuming hours, and little assurance of financial stability. The Great Recession has only worsened these trends, but correction is possible and, now, imperative. In The Lawyer Bubble, Steven J. Harper reveals how a culture of short-term thinking has blinded some of the nation’s finest minds to the long-run implications of their actions. Law school deans have ceded independent judgment to flawed U.S. News & World Report rankings criteria in the quest to maximize immediate results. Senior partners in the nation’s large law firms have focused on current profits to enhance American Lawyer rankings and individual wealth at great cost to their institutions. Yet, wiser decisions—being honest about the legal job market, revisiting the financial incentives currently driving bad behavior, eliminating the billable hour model, and more—can take the profession to a better place. A devastating indictment of the greed, shortsightedness, and dishonesty that now permeate the legal profession, this insider account is essential reading for anyone who wants to know how things went so wrong and how the profession can right itself once again. |
| above the law biglaw: Life After Law Liz Brown, 2016-10-14 Written by Harvard-trained ex-law firm partner Liz Brown, Life After Law: Finding Work You Love with the J.D. You Have provides specific, realistic, and honest advice on alternative careers for lawyers. Unlike generic career guides, Life After Law shows lawyers how to reframe their legal experience to their competitive advantage, no matter how long they have been in or out of practice, to find work they truly love. Brown herself moved from a high-powered partnership into an alternative career and draws from this experience, as well as that of dozens of former practicing attorneys, in the book. She acknowledges that changing careers is hard much harder than it was for most lawyers to get their first legal job after law school but it can ultimately be more fulfilling for many than a life in law. Life After Law offers an alternative framework and valuable analytic tools for potential careers to help launch lawyers into new fields and make them attractive hires for non-legal employers. |
| above the law biglaw: Lawyers at Work Clare Cosslett, 2012-12-03 With probing questions and articulate answers, Cosslett and her subjects shed light on the challenges of legal practice in the current legal market. BLS Law Notes, 11.16.12 Lawyers at Work reveals what it means and what it takes to be a satisfied, sane, and successful lawyer in today’s tough legal marketplace. Through incisive in-depth interviews, a top legal headhunter gives the 3rd degree to 15 successful lawyers who run the gamut of the legal profession. Practice areas represented in these profiles range from employment discrimination to corporate defense, from federal white collar prosecution to the legal structuring of complex derivative instruments, from antitrust in DC to trusts & estates in Florida, from divorce in New York to international mergers in Paris, from intellectual property in Silicon Valley to creeping expropriation in India, and from entertainment law in Hollywood to welfare rights in the Bronx. Law firm sizes range from one of the biggest in the world with over two thousand lawyers to a one-lawyer general practice. Career levels range from biglaw partners and courtroom superstars to mid-level associates and ex-lawyers. Though many of the interviewees in Lawyers at Work are generic adversaries, the interviewer brings out commonalities in their ways of working, methods of reasoning, and sources of personal motivation. Readers hear from the practitioner’s own unbuttoned lips about their career formation, daily work grind, victories and setbacks, guiding principles, professional rewards, and practical advice for aspiring lawyers. |
| above the law biglaw: Glass Half Full Benjamin H. Barton, 2015 A counterintuitive and optimistic reconsideration of the crisis in the American legal profession |
| above the law biglaw: Best Practices in Law Firm Business Development and Marketing Deborah Brightman Farone, 2019 Best Practices in Law Firm Business Development and Marketing is a unique resource for law firm leaders, practicing attorneys, legal marketers, consultants, and educators who want to uncover the best marketing practices in the legal profession. Find out how the most successful law firm leaders are creating and developing firm cultures to encourage business development, and how smaller firms and single practitioners are executing on marketing plans to make an impact.This book uncovers the best practices in the wide arena of legal marketing and covers topics including: the most successful ways to create long-term relationships with clientshow personalities, leadership, and collaboration contribute to a firm's culture and brandwhat characteristics management should look for when hiring a CMOhow compensation, firm culture, training, and coaching can support and incentivize business developmentsteps to take to build an individual reputation and brand, including the use of press, speaking engagements, and social mediathe essential approach to support women lawyers with business development -- including ideas on networking, mentorship versus sponsorship, and authenticity in marketing how new technologies are being applied to deliver better service, attract clients, and generate businessthe important role of legal operations, the procurement professional, and legal process outsourcingpractical methods for evaluating AI solutions to business needs such as billing, e-discovery, and technology-assisted reviewCulled from scores of interviews with law firm leaders, chief marketing officers, and legal innovation visionaries, Best Practices provides actionable advice and real-world thinking. Each chapter is filled with information that can be scaled to apply to a single-person law practice as well as a large international law firm. In addition, the book features special Think Pieces from some of the nation's leading experts in legal marketing. |
| above the law biglaw: Ending the Gauntlet Lauren Stiller Rikleen, 2006 |
| above the law biglaw: After the JD Ronit Dinovitzer, 2004 The After the JD project will track the professional lives of more than 5,000 lawyers during their first ten years after law school. Whilemost of the project will unfold in coming years, the data presented here provide a first snapshot of the stratified random national sample, based on questionnaires administered two to three years into the new lawyers' careers. The findings presented here will be elaborated and augmented through face-to-face interviews with a sub-sample of roughly 10% of the survey respondents. Building on this first wave, the future work of AJD will employ follow-up questionnaires and personal interviews six and ten years into the respondents' careers. When completed, it will be the first national study of the factors -- personal and professional -- that account for the wide spectrum of legal careers and experiences--Introduction |
| above the law biglaw: The Happier Attorney Brita Long, 2019-05-18 The greatest threat to the integrity of the legal system is a broke and unhappy attorney. Whether you are new to the practice or have been practicing law since the Ford Administration, you should be paid- in full- for the work you perform. You should be paid for your superior judgment, your skills, your ability to negotiate, and your knowledge-not how many hours you took to draft a pleading. The Happier Attorney: A comprehensive Guide to Charging Flat Fees for Legal Services is a step by step guide that will teach you: -What hourly billing is really costing you in money and more importantly time. -Why hourly billing is bad for clients and horrible for attorneys. -Why clients love flat fees. -How you can obtain a collection rate of 100%. -How flat fees improve your work product. -How flat fees will increase your income significantly. -How flat fees will save you so much time you won't know what to do with your time. -How flat fees will decrease staff time and costs. -How to manage one's time so that you can meet your responsibilities and have lots of time outside the office. -How to ethically and easily address any issues that arise from flat fee billing. In the nearly 19 years of owning her own practice, and well over a decade of using exclusively flat fees, even for family law litigation, Brita Long is in a unique position to share everything that you would want and need to know when you are considering moving from hourly billing to flat fees. The relief of only working as many hours as you want to work and still make the money you want to make, and have earned, is only a few hours away. |
| above the law biglaw: Way Worse Than Being a Dentist Jd Msw Will Meyerhofer, William P. Meyerhofer, 2011 THE COMPLETE, INFAMOUS IN-HOUSE COUNSELING COLUMNS (SO F AR) AS FEATURED ON ABOVETHELAW.COM AND THEPEOPLESTHERAPIST.COM. |
| above the law biglaw: Off-Ramps and On-Ramps Sylvia Ann Hewlett, 2007-05-15 With talent shortages looming over the next decade, what can companies do to attract and retain the large number of professional women who are forced off the career highway? By documenting the successful efforts of a group of cutting-edge global companies to retain talented women and reintegrate them if they’ve already left, Off-Ramps and On-Ramps answers this critical question. Working closely with companies such as Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, Time Warner, General Electric and others, author Sylvia Ann Hewlett identifies what works and why. Based on firsthand experience with these companies, along with extensive data that provides the most comprehensive and nuanced portrait of women's career paths, this book documents the actions forward-thinking companies must take to reverse the female brain drain and ensure their access to talent over the long term. |
| above the law biglaw: Swimming Lessons for Baby Sharks Grover E. Cleveland, 2010 This book contains hundreds of tips from attorneys throughout the country with the critical advice new lawyers need to ensure their success. The book provides useful, practical advice that law schools never teach. It starts with important steps graduates can take even before they begin work. With an easily readable style, Swimming Lessons for Baby Sharks continues to teach new lawyers the ropes from their first day on the job. Humorous, real-life examples illustrate the lessons along with bulleted tips that provide comprehensive advice quickly. |
| above the law biglaw: Life is a Brief Opportunity for Joy Will Meyerhofer, 2010 This book is a guide to discovering joy, the simple pleasure of living each day. I am a psychotherapist, with an office in New York City. As I work with patients and listen to their stories, I search for themes that define the human condition. These themes have melded into a philosophy centered upon living with joy. No book can substitute for the process of psychotherapy. But I hope these ideas will introduce you to the work of self-discovery at the heart of that experience. |
| above the law biglaw: Breakdown Norman Bacal, 2017-02-28 A history of Heenan Blaikie, a Canadian law firm which went from being a leading firm to its collapse in 2014.--Source inconnue. |
| above the law biglaw: The White Coat Investor James M. Dahle, 2014-01 Written by a practicing emergency physician, The White Coat Investor is a high-yield manual that specifically deals with the financial issues facing medical students, residents, physicians, dentists, and similar high-income professionals. Doctors are highly-educated and extensively trained at making difficult diagnoses and performing life saving procedures. However, they receive little to no training in business, personal finance, investing, insurance, taxes, estate planning, and asset protection. This book fills in the gaps and will teach you to use your high income to escape from your student loans, provide for your family, build wealth, and stop getting ripped off by unscrupulous financial professionals. Straight talk and clear explanations allow the book to be easily digested by a novice to the subject matter yet the book also contains advanced concepts specific to physicians you won't find in other financial books. This book will teach you how to: Graduate from medical school with as little debt as possible Escape from student loans within two to five years of residency graduation Purchase the right types and amounts of insurance Decide when to buy a house and how much to spend on it Learn to invest in a sensible, low-cost and effective manner with or without the assistance of an advisor Avoid investments which are designed to be sold, not bought Select advisors who give great service and advice at a fair price Become a millionaire within five to ten years of residency graduation Use a Backdoor Roth IRA and Stealth IRA to boost your retirement funds and decrease your taxes Protect your hard-won assets from professional and personal lawsuits Avoid estate taxes, avoid probate, and ensure your children and your money go where you want when you die Minimize your tax burden, keeping more of your hard-earned money Decide between an employee job and an independent contractor job Choose between sole proprietorship, Limited Liability Company, S Corporation, and C Corporation Take a look at the first pages of the book by clicking on the Look Inside feature Praise For The White Coat Investor Much of my financial planning practice is helping doctors to correct mistakes that reading this book would have avoided in the first place. - Allan S. Roth, MBA, CPA, CFP(R), Author of How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street Jim Dahle has done a lot of thinking about the peculiar financial problems facing physicians, and you, lucky reader, are about to reap the bounty of both his experience and his research. - William J. Bernstein, MD, Author of The Investor's Manifesto and seven other investing books This book should be in every career counselor's office and delivered with every medical degree. - Rick Van Ness, Author of Common Sense Investing The White Coat Investor provides an expert consult for your finances. I now feel confident I can be a millionaire at 40 without feeling like a jerk. - Joe Jones, DO Jim Dahle has done for physician financial illiteracy what penicillin did for neurosyphilis. - Dennis Bethel, MD An excellent practical personal finance guide for physicians in training and in practice from a non biased source we can actually trust. - Greg E Wilde, M.D Scroll up, click the buy button, and get started today! |
| above the law biglaw: Motivating Millennials Ryan Avery, James Goodnow, 2017-06-19 In Motivating Millennials, we will show how Millennials can be your greatest asset and we do this by focusing on three major areas: recognizing, recruiting, and retaining top talent. |
| above the law biglaw: Tomorrow's Lawyers Richard E. Susskind, 2017 Tomorrow's Lawyers predicts that we are at the beginning of a period of fundamental transformation in law: a time in which we will see greater change than we have seen in the past two centuries. Where the future of the legal service will be a world of internet-based global businesses, online document production, commoditized service, legal process outsourcing, and web based simulation practice. Legal markets will be liberalized, with new jobs for lawyers and new employers too. This book is a definitive guide to this future - for young and aspiring lawyers, and for all who want to modernize our legal and justice systems. It introduces the new legal landscape and offers practical guidance for those who intend to build careers and businesses in law. ... This new edition has been fully updated to include an introduction to online dispute resolution, Susskind's views on the debates surrounding artificial intelligence and its role in the legal world, a new analysis of new jobs available for lawyers, and a retrospective evaluation of The Future of Law, Susskind's prediction published in 1996 about the future of legal services. -- Publisher's website. |
| above the law biglaw: All the Beautiful People We Once Knew Edward Carlson, 2017-08-01 For fans of Don DeLillo and Joseph O’Neill, an enthralling debut about the one percent, what they’ll do to stay on top, and the callous gaze they turn on those below them. Burned-out and alienated, Kilgore associate attorney Stephen Harker spends his work days defending insurance companies against spurious litigation commenced by private soldiers who supported US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Harker’s charismatic, womanizing boss assigns him a case defending insurance behemoth WorldScore against a lawsuit filed by Major Mike Bud Thomas, a veteran, former contract soldier, and divorced father seeking compensation for PTSD and injuries suffered in Afghanistan. Just as Harker turns the firm’s full legal power on the wounded, unstable veteran, he commences an unhealthy relationship with his boss’s estranged bohemian wife, setting himself up for a downward existential spiral that almost destroys Harker, until a brutal act of violence presents him with a final shot at redemption. All the Beautiful People We Once Knew is a riveting insider's indictment of the world of the corporate elite and the savage determination with which they fight to maintain control. In a society where the very institutions that should support our returning veterans instead view them with suspicion, this stunning debut is a grim reflection on the ever-growing rift between the classes. |
| above the law biglaw: Surviving and Succeeding in Large Law Firms Paul McCoy, 2021-07-15 Practicing law in a law firm is challenging, to say the least. A law degree and the technical skills taught by law firms are only small parts of what you need to survive and succeed in a law firm. Most of what you need to know will take you decades of experience to learn through trial and error. As a result, new lawyers find themselves slogging through life as a firm associate unsure whether or not their efforts are really getting them anywhere in the long run. This state of perpetual uncertainty, pushing slowly forward into a black void, leaves many very unhappy with their work life and, as a consequence, their overall life suffers. There is an easier way. Imagine knowing that the steps you are taking are in fact leading to success. Imagine having a mentor who has already worked his way up the learning curve, already learned through trial and error what works and what doesn't work, who could share with you techniques and insights that could substantially increase your chances of surviving and succeeding at a law firm. Imagine if such mentor was always immediately available to you at your request. Well, this book was written precisely to be a virtual mentor for the multitudes of lawyers struggling to survive and succeed in law firms.This book is a must read for any law student considering a career at a law firm. This book is also an invaluable asset for any associate at a law firm struggling to survive and succeed. Give yourself an edge and learn from a lawyer who not only survived but succeeded in the world of prestigious, global law firms. |
| above the law biglaw: The LegalTech Book Sophia Adams Bhatti, Akber Datoo, Drago Indjic, 2020-08-31 Written by prominent thought leaders in the global fintech and legal space, The LegalTech Book aggregates diverse expertise into a single, informative volume. Key industry developments are explained in detail, and critical insights from cutting-edge practitioners offer first-hand information and lessons learned. Coverage includes: · The current status of LegalTech, why now is the time for it to boom, the drivers behind it, and how it relates to FinTech, RegTech, InsurTech, WealthTech and PayTech · Applications of AI, machine learning and deep learning in the practice of law; e-discovery and due diligence; AI as a legal predictor · LegalTech making the law accessible to all; online courts, online dispute resolution · The Uberization of the law; hiring and firing through apps · Lawbots; social media meets legal advice · To what extent does LegalTech make lawyers redundant or more efficient? · Cryptocurrencies, distributed ledger technology and the law · The Internet of Things, data privacy, automated contracts · Cybersecurity and data · Technology vs. the law; driverless cars and liability, legal rights of robots, ownership rights over works created by technology · Legislators as innovators · Practical LegalTech solutions helping Legal departments in corporations and legal firms alike to get better legal work done at lower cost |
| above the law biglaw: Tournament of Lawyers Marc Galanter, Thomas Palay, 1994-01-15 Tournament of Lawyers traces in detail the rise of one hundred of the nation's top firms in order to diagnose the health of the business of American law. Galanter and Palay demonstrate that much of the large firm's organizational success stems from its ability to blend the talents of experienced partners with those of energetic junior lawyers driven by a powerful incentive—the race to win the promotion-to-partner tournament. This calmly reasoned study reveals, however, that the very causes of the spiraling growth of the large law firm may lead to its undoing. Galanter and Palay pose questions and offer some answers which are certain to change the way big firm practice is regarded. To describe their work as challenging is something of an understatement: they at times delight, stimulate, frustrate and even depress the reader, but they never disappoint. Tournament of Lawyers is essential to the understanding of the business of the big law firms.—Jean and Colin Fergus, New York Law Journal |
| above the law biglaw: Behind the Biglaw Curtain Marissa Geannette, 2020-06-19 Guidebook for junior lawyers navigating their first few years as associates in Biglaw. Advice from a former Biglaw attorney on how to succeed in the challenging legal environment that is Biglaw. Tips on how to achieve success no matter your goal. An insider's real perspective. |
| above the law biglaw: Lawyers, Liars, and the Art of Storytelling Jonathan Shapiro, 2016 The practice of law is the business of persuasion, and storytelling is the most effective means of persuading. A credible lawyer capable of telling a well-reasoned story that moves the listener will always beat the lawyer who cannot. This entertaining book shows you how to convey legal information in a cogent, persuasive way to the client who needs the help, to opposing counsel, and to the decision-maker who has to make the final call. |
| above the law biglaw: Law is a Buyer's Market Jordan Furlong, 2017 Law has become a buyer's market, and it's never going back. Re-envisioning the purpose of law firms and the role of lawyers, Jordan Furlong has designed a transformative client-first law firm that rethinks the business model, culture, service, competitiveness, growth strategies, diversity, and leadership of modern legal enterprises. |
| above the law biglaw: The Anointed Jeremiah Lambert, Geoffrey S. Stewart, 2021-03-16 This is the story of how and why such powerhouse Wall Street law firms as Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Davis Polk & Wardwell, and Sullivan & Cromwell, grew from nineteenth-century entrepreneurial origins into icons of institutional law practice; how, as white-shoe bastions with the social standards of an exclusive gentlemen’s club, they promoted the values of an east coast elite; and how they adapted to a radically changed legal world, surviving snobbish insularity and ferocious competition to remain at the pinnacle of a transformed profession. It is no accident these firms are found in New York, the largest city in the world’s largest economy and also the nation’s largest port, principal banking center, and epicenter of industry. At the dawn of the twentieth century, linked by canals, railroads, telegraph and telephone lines, transatlantic steamships and undersea cables, New York became the economic nerve center of the United States. It also wielded formidable political power and supplied every President or Vice President of the United States between the Civil War and the Great War. |
| above the law biglaw: The Aspiring Millionaire Bill Bailey, 1988 Discusses financial planning and the basics of investing, real estate, taxes and tax-sheltered investments, and insurance |
| above the law biglaw: Legal Upheaval Michele DeStefano, 2018 This book is for anyone invested in the future of the legal profession, be it someone tasked with transforming their practice, someone looking to approach their work in a new way, someone looking for a fresh approach to client relations, or someone new to the field interested in a forecast of the world to come. |
| above the law biglaw: The Startup Visa Tahmina Watson, 2021-06 Job creation. Job Growth. Economic recovery. These urgent issues in America and Immigration law is a tool for recovery if only Congress would create a Startup Visa. |
| above the law biglaw: Teaching Law Robin L. West, 2013-11-18 Teaching Law re-imagines law school teaching and scholarship by going beyond crises now besetting the legal academy and examining deeper and longer-lasting challenges. The book argues that the legal academy has long neglected the need to focus teaching and scholarship on the ideals of justice that law fitfully serves, the political origins of law, and the development of a respectful but critical relationship with the legal profession. It suggests reforms to improve the quality of legal education and responds to concerns that law schools eschew the study of justice, rendering students amoralist; that law schools slight the political sources of law, particularly in legislative action; and that law schools have ignored the profession entirely. These areas of neglect have impoverished legal teaching and scholarship as the academy is refashioned in response to current financial exigencies, and addressing them is long overdue. |
| above the law biglaw: The Law School Admission Game Ann K. Levine, 2013 Learn everything you need to know to get into law school. This re-written and completely updated version of the bestselling law school admission guide (first published in 2009) provides detailed information on how to present yourself in the law school application process. Ann Levine brings more than a decade of experience in law school admissions (as director of admissions for law schools and as a law school admission consultant) to provide advice about writing the best law school personal statements, how to choose people to write letters of recommendation, what to include in your resume, how to explain weaknesses in your application such as a low GPA or LSAT score, the best way to prepare for the LSAT, and how to choose a law school. Once you've submitted your law school applications, this book will continue to guide you on getting accepted from a waiting list, negotiating law school scholarships, and transferring to a new law school after your 1L year. The book includes sample resumes with annotations, an analysis of personal statement introductions, tips on writing optional essays for law schools, and sample addenda. Even if you are a non-traditional applicant, an international student, or if you have learning disabilities, you will find tips specific to your situation. |
| above the law biglaw: Canceling Lawyers W. Bradley Wendel, 2024 Lawyers take pride in a professional tradition of representing unpopular clients, understanding it as a contribution to the rule of law and the practice of toleration in a polarized society. This does not mean that lawyers are fully insulated from criticism for the clients they represent. The seemingly intractable debate over accountability for representing nasty clients is in part the result of a deep, structural tension between the institutions and procedures of the legal system, and the underlying issues and controversies about which people disagree. We also care about the attitudes and motives of lawyers, which play an important role in evaluating the actions of others. Much of the frustration experienced by lawyers who are criticized for representing unpopular clients arises from what lawyers see as the public's inability to understand the rule of law and the function of the legal system in resolving conflicts over rights and justice. Using a series of case studies, this book explores the possibility that both lawyers and their critics are right. There is genuine value in a system of formal law that aims at settling social disagreement, but that is not the whole story. Public criticism of lawyers may reflect the sense that the legal system has fallen short of ideals of fairness and inclusiveness. Many of the lawyer shaming or canceling episodes discussed in this book arise out of the representation of clients in matters involving issues where it appears that the official process of establishing and interpreting formal law has been captured by powerful interests. Accepting a certain amount of public criticism is necessary to avoid a dangerous isolation of the legal profession from accountability to the broader political community, or from the humanity of lawyers being submerged by their professional role-- |
ABOVE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of ABOVE is in the sky : overhead. How to use above in a sentence. Using Above as an Adjective or Noun: Usage Guide
ABOVE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
ABOVE definition: 1. in or to a higher position than something else: 2. more than an amount or level: 3. most…. …
234 Synonyms & Antonyms for ABOVE - Thesaurus.com
Find 234 different ways to say ABOVE, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
Above - definition of above by The Free Dictionary
In or to a higher rank or position: the ranks of major and above. prep. 1. Over or higher than: a cool spring above the timberline. 2. Superior to in rank, position, or number; greater than: put …
ABOVE - Definition & Translations | Collins English …
Discover everything about the word "ABOVE" in English: meanings, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one comprehensive guide.
ABOVE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of ABOVE is in the sky : overhead. How to use above in a sentence. Using Above as an Adjective or Noun: Usage Guide
ABOVE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
ABOVE definition: 1. in or to a higher position than something else: 2. more than an amount or level: 3. most…. Learn more.
234 Synonyms & Antonyms for ABOVE - Thesaurus.com
Find 234 different ways to say ABOVE, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
Above - definition of above by The Free Dictionary
In or to a higher rank or position: the ranks of major and above. prep. 1. Over or higher than: a cool spring above the timberline. 2. Superior to in rank, position, or number; greater than: put …
ABOVE - Definition & Translations | Collins English Dictionary
Discover everything about the word "ABOVE" in English: meanings, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one comprehensive guide.
What does above mean? - Definitions.net
What does above mean? This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word above. Something, especially a person name in …
Above Definition & Meaning - YourDictionary
In, at, or to a higher place; overhead; up. In heaven; heavenward. In or to heaven. Upstairs. A table in the dining room above. Over or higher than. A cool spring above the timberline. Higher …
Above vs. Over: What's the Difference? - Grammarly
Above is used to indicate a higher level without implying contact, or signifies superiority or excess in quantity. Over, on the other hand, can imply contact, movement, or being directly superior to …
above: Meaning and Definition of - Infoplease
not subject or liable to; not capable of (some undesirable action, thought, etc.): above suspicion; to be above bad behavior. of too fine a character for: He is above such trickery. rather than; in …
Above | Meaning, Part of Speech & Phrases - QuillBot
Apr 14, 2025 · Above generally works in combination with the other elements of a sentence to mean that one thing is “over,” “higher,” or “more than” something else (e.g., “She lives in the …
