Dirty LAWndry

Lawyer Disbarred For Lies

A Batavia attorney has been disbarred after he failed to tell his clients his law license had been suspended for misleading clients with bizarre lies. According to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, Manos Kavvadias was disbarred this month by the Illinois Supreme Court. Kavvadias was suspended for one year in 2009, ...

Attorney Claimed to Channel Client’s Dead Wife

Disbarment Sought for Attorney Who Claimed to Channel Client's Dead Wife The State Bar of Arizona is looking to throw the book at a Phoenix attorney who told a client that she was channeling his dead wife, then allegedly lied about it during an unrelated disciplinary proceeding. An Arizona Supreme Court hearing ...

Two state Supreme Court justices stun some listeners with race comments

By Steve Miletich Seattle Times staff reporter State Supreme Court justices Richard Sanders and James Johnson stunned some participants at a recent court meeting when they said African Americans are overrepresented in the prison population because they commit a disproportionate number of crimes. Both justices disputed the view held by some that racial ...

Lawyer Loses License for $3,500 per Hour Fee and obscene language

A Kansas City lawyer has been disbarred for charging a soldier a fee of $3,500 an hour, shouting profanities at court clerks, brawling with court security officers and suggesting that a judge is pedophile. Attorney Carlos D. Romious, also known as D. Carlos Romious, of ...

Disbarred attorney dies after shooting

By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer @ The Times-Tribune Corbin lawyer Kyle David Kersey, 56, was pronounced dead at Baptist Regional Medical Center at 8:05 a.m. Friday. The lawyer had been disbarred on Thursday. Kersey died from a single gunshot injury, said Whitley Coroner Andy Croley. According to Kentucky State ...

Woman claims ’sexting’ prosecutor invited her to autopsy

A Wisconsin prosecutor already under fire for sexting a domestic abuse victim also shared shared confidential information about a case with another woman and invited her on a date to an autopsy, according to a letter released by the governor. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle said the allegations are troubling and constitute ...

Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett arrested again

Beckett held on allegations of drunken driving By HENRY BREAN and MIKE BLASKY LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett was arrested late Tuesday night on suspicion of drunken driving after authorities in Pahrump received a report from a concerned citizen: Heidi Fleiss. The former Hollywood madam said she called the Nye ...

Tax Lady Attorney Roni Deutch Sued For Allegedly Swindling Thousands

State sues TV's 'tax lady' for alleged swindles Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer A Sacramento County attorney who bills herself as the "tax lady," appearing in nationwide television ads offering to help people with tax problems, was sued Monday for $34 million by state Attorney General Jerry Brown for allegedly ...

Lawyer disbarred over 56 ethical violations

By Bruce Vielmetti of the Journal Sentinel A lawyer who committed more than 50 ethical violations in 13 cases in his short career had his license to practice revoked Friday. Michael C. Trudgeon, (Marquette, '03), had been suspended from practice since 2008 for failing to report compliance with continuing legal ...

Former Lynnwood attorney arrested for allegedly smuggling heroin into jail

By Diana Hefley Herald Writer A former Lynnwood attorney was arrested Wednesday night after he was caught allegedly smuggling heroin to inmates in the Snohomish County Jail, according to court papers filed this morning. Patrick J. Mullen, 63, allegedly told detectives that he'd become addicted to prescription pain killers several years ago after ...

Suspended lawyer charged in Wales bank robbery

By Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel A suspended lawyer awaiting sentencing in federal court for bank fraud for bilking millions from a trust account has been charged with robbing the Town Bank branch in Wales on June 12. Peter T. Elliott, 62, of Summit is accused of taking $9,516 during ...

Lawyer Burglarizes Former Client’s House

Police: Arrested Longwood lawyer sent taunting texts to former client By Jeff Weiner and Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel A Longwood lawyer arrested on charges of burglarizing the home of a former client taunted his victim with several text messages threatening "all out war," according to a Lake Mary police report released Friday. Albert ...

St. Louis Park Attorney Arrested In Sex Sting

St. Louis Park attorney arrested in sex sting By ANTHONY LONETREE A St. Louis Park attorney is scheduled to appear in Hennepin County District Court Tuesday -- accused of trying to arrange through an escort service to pay for sex with an underage girl. But the escort service operator turned out to ...

Attorney Defrauded Elderly Clients Over $4.3 Million

Disbarred Attorney Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding Elderly Clients Defendant Diverted Over $4.3 Million of Clients’ Trust Money for His Own Use July 7, 2010 ATLANTA—M. DEWEY BAIN, 59, of Sugar Hill, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to serve over five years in federal ...

Oregon Attorney Convicted Of Groping Another Attorney

An attorney who groped the breast and buttocks of his opposing counsel at a downtown Portland office party pleaded guilty to harassment and was ordered to write an apology letter. A judge also sentenced Jack Levy to two years of probation, to stay away from his victim and attend ...

Lawyer Disbarred For Misuse Of Client Funds

Lawyer disbarred for misuse of client funds Posted by Jane Friedmann @StarTribune.com The Minnesota Supreme Court disbarred a lawyer who had used at least $750 in client funds to buy illegal drugs. From March 2006 to January 2007, Juan Jesus Rodriguez worked for Centro Legal Inc., a St. Paul-based organization that provides low-cost ...

Attorney disbarred following conviction

Attorney disbarred following conviction — From staff reports at Enewscourier.com Athens attorney John Hamilton McLain V, 51, has been disbarred from practicing law in Alabama following his conviction last year of sexually abusing two girls, ages 12 and 13, in 2008. McLain previously was a certified public accountant and later practiced law in ...

Fairmont Lawyer Disbarred for Misrepresentation

Fairmont Lawyer Disbarred for Misrepresentation Full Story At MetroNews Charleston The West Virginia Supreme Court has disbarred a Marion County lawyer for misrepresenting himself to prison officials. According to the state's High Court, G. Patrick Stanton, Jr. entered the Prunytown Correctional Facility in Taylor County in October 2005 to see a female inmate, Rose ...

Document Review Attorney Disbarred in PA for Padding Time

DirtyLAWndry reader - "Melissa" - emailed me this interesting tidbit regarding Lance David Lewis. Apparently, Lewis was padding time during a document review project at Pepper Hamilton. He worked from November 12, 2007 to December 4, 2007 on the project at an average of 32 hours each week. ...

Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel Fires Attorney Jeffrey B. Rotwitt

Obermayer law firm fires Rotwitt By Joseph Tanfani and Mark Fazlollah INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS Attorney Jeffrey B. Rotwitt, the lawyer who earned fees on both sides of a deal to build a new Family Court building in Center City, was fired Thursday by his law firm. Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP announced the ...

Contract Law Partner: Phony Billings, Fake Clients, and Sexual Emails

Disbarment Urged for Lawyer Who Billed Fake Clients Henry Gottlieb New Jersey Law Journal The New Jersey Disciplinary Review Board is recommending disbarment for a lawyer who manufactured fake billings for nonexistent clients, first at Fox Rothschild and then at Margolis Edelstein. The board found that Kenneth Denti, 51, violated ethics rules against fraud ...

Lawyer Arrested For Placing Video Camera Under Female Employee’s Desk

Lawyer Arrested For Putting Camera Under Woman's Desk Posted By - Kendra Mackey Cobb County, GA -- A Cobb County attorney was arrested Friday afternoon for allegedly placing a video camera under a female co-worker's desk. Police say the woman, an employee of Merritt & Tenny Law Firm, located ...

Lawyer Arrested For Arson And Bomb Threats

By Edward Marshall, Journal Staff Writer A former Martinsburg attorney was arrested in Virginia Wednesday afternoon by officers in Henrico County, Va., in connection to a series of arsons and bomb threats that occurred in Martinsburg in 2007 and 2008, police said Thursday. Ashley R. Shreve, 28, currently an attorney in Richmond, ...

Lawyer Charged With Criminal Tax Fraud And Identity Theft

DeWitt lawyer sentenced for not filing tax returns By Jim O'Hara The Post-Standard DeWitt lawyer Bonnie Strunk was sentenced this morning to a three-year conditional discharge for failing to file tax returns for 2008. That plead deal to a felony charge of fourth-degree criminal tax fraud satisfied other charges that Strunk stole the ...

Reader Submission: Senior Staff Attorney Sabotages Contract Attorneys

DirtyLAWndry reader - "Fey" - just sent this interesting tidbit about her former boss: "I used to be a contract attorney at Dechert until 2009 when I was laid off. I worked under a senior staff attorney for almost ten years doing mostly document review and a few other projects. ...

Disbarred Lawyer Roland Shawn Roberts Kin To Grim Reaper?

Rangers probe deaths for link to lawyer By John Tompkins The Facts Texas Rangers are investigating three deaths in the past three years they claim are connected to a disbarred Brazoria County attorney. A lawyer representing the former attorney said he did not believe there was a connection in the deaths. ...

Lawyer Joshua Robinson Charged With Beating A Client With A Baseball Bat

Lawyer accepts plea agreement in baseball bat case by Cheryl Caswell Daily Mail staff Prosecutors have dismissed several charges against an attorney accused of beating a client with a baseball bat, but he may still end up serving time in prison. Joshua Robinson accepted a plea agreement after his alleged victim, David Lee Gump ...

Solo Punished for Paying Paralegal a Percentage of Fees

Henry Gottlieb New Jersey Law Journal March 11, 2010 After practicing law for 57 years, Martin Burger learned something new. You can be reprimanded by the Supreme Court for paying paralegals a percentage of fees on cases they bring in. He also learned the punishment could have been worse. In an order made ...

Reader Submission: Unemployed Lawyers are screwed - $10 hourly

DirtyLAWndry reader, Kimberly, just sent me this ad from Craigslist. Get $10/hour to be a "wannabe lawyer" which apparently includes any "soccer mom/lawyer/paralegal/former or unemployed lawyer that needs the mental stimulus that the legal world offers." WANNABE LAWYER (Norristown) Date: 2010-02-19, 12:01PM EST Reply to: Norristownrentals@hotmail.com [Errors when replying to ads?] Are ...

New Orleans Lawyer Arrested For Threatening Bankruptcy Court

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A suspended attorney is in jail for allegedly e-mailing a threat to the federal bankruptcy court in New Orleans, the FBI said Sunday. Ashton R. O'Dwyer, 62, had a loaded handgun when he was arrested about 9:40 p.m. Friday evening on the 6000 block of St. Charles ...

Haiti Earthquake Relief - How You Can Help

You can donate money to the Yele Haiti Earthquake fund in one of two ways: 1. Using your cell phone, text "Yele" to 501501 to make a $5 donation; or 2. Visit the donation page at Yele.org or you can click on the banner below to be taken directly ...

Should Grads of Unaccredited Online Law Schools Be Allowed To Sit For Bar Exams?

I came across an interesting article at the ABAJournal today. A graduate of an unaccredited online law school is petitioning the Minnesota Supreme Court to "allow lawyers licensed in other states to sit for the Minnesota bar exam, regardless of their legal education." [poll id="11"] * ...

Reader Submission: When Law Firm Partners Sleep Together

DirtyLAWndry reader - "Jill" - has an interesting story about her contract job that she wants to share. Hey DirtyLAWndry! I am a contract attorney working at [a medium-sized firm]. This is the first legal job I've been able to get since I graduated last year. I hate ...

Reader Submission: Office Party Drama

DirtyLAWndry reader - "Meredith" - wants to know whether she is obligated to attend the holiday office party. "My name is "Meredith" and I'm having problems at work. My firm has an annual holiday office party. It's in December, but they send invites out early to see who's going ...

Student Loan Relief for Unemployed Attorneys?

In case you missed it, the ABA is lobbying Congress for student loan relief for struggling lawyers. They would like to see private educational debt converted to government loans for the deferment benefits that government loans provide. We all know that private lenders don't provide any relief ...

TV Advertising Attorneys = Celebrities?

DirtyLAWndry reader - "Greg" - thinks that his boss deserves an honorable mention on the site. Here's why: "I work at a small firm in Philly as a paralegal. My boss is one of those annoying personal injury attorneys that advertise on tv with paid actors. He thinks ...

Horny Attorney To Be Disciplined For ‘Adult Gigs’ Craigslist Ad

Illinois immigration lawyer, Samir Zia Chowhan, placed an ad in the Adult Gigs section of Craigslist seeking to hire a secretary/legal assistant willing to have sex with him and his partner. Here's a snippet from the post: Loop law firm looking to hire am [sic] energetic woman for their open ...

Reader Submission: Is It A Requirement For Judges To Abuse Their Power?

DirtyLAWndry reader, "Lauren," writes about her experience working as a legal clerk. Hey DirtyLAWndry! I've been clerking for less than a year, but in that time I have formed the opinion that judges are required to abuse their power. There are quite a few legal clerks here and we ...

Blind Lawyer Sues Prostitute for Overcharging His Credit Card For Her Services

Blind lawyer: Pro took me for 8G By STEPHANIE FARR Philadelphia Daily News Whether it was prostitution or Pilates, a blind Delaware County lawyer is hoping for a happy ending after his federal civil suit against a Philadelphia woman and a credit-card company was thrown out last week. John F. Peoples, 60, ...

Reader Submission: Germophobic Legal Secretary or Prejudice?

DirtyLAWndry reader, "Samantha," is feeling a little offended by the treatment she's received at Pepper Hamilton. "Hey Dirty! I'm a temp worker at Pepper. As a temp attorney, I expected to receive the typical "I'm-better-than-you" treatment from Pepper attorneys that I received at other large firms. But, ...

America’s Next Top BLAWG (Law Blog)?

So, the ABA Journal is making a list of the top 100 legal blawgs. If you like DirtyLAWndry’s site, whether it be the Fashion, Fitness, Entrepreneurs or Gossip page and think others would appreciate it as well, please visit http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/blawg100_submit and let them know about these pages before October 2, ...

Attention Lawyers: Stop Sexing Your Clients

A former assistant public defender in Albany, Matthew Swedick, was convicted of having sex with a client in return for promising to work harder on her case. He represented Latoya Gorton on drug charges after an April 2007 raid on a home she shared with a boyfriend. Swedick ...

Lawyer Bruce Hawkins Disbarred For Fraudulent Business Venture

What was he thinking? According to SeattlePI, Former Washington attorney Bruce Hawkins was arrested for a fraudulent debt elimination scheme. He told clients that national banks could not lend credit so consumers did not have to pay their credit card debt. If that wasn't bad enough, ...

Orly Taitz - Now That Her 15 Minutes of Fame Is Up, Will She Be Disbarred?

So, do you guys remember Dr. Orly Taitz, Esquire? She's the lawyer that filed the lawsuit claiming that President Barack Obama didn't have the authority to deploy a U.S. Army captain to Iraq because he isn't a United States citizen (to her understanding or maybe delusion). Well, ...

Saul Ewing Legal Secretary Turned Pimp? - Jarriette Richie

Jarriette Richie worked as a legal secretary for Saul Ewing in Washington. She was charged last week in the District's federal court with fraud for using a law firm's corporate credit card to pay for a trip to Puerto Rico for her side business - Show N Tell Entertainment. ...

Video: The Assemblyman And His Sexual Conquests - Heeeey Mike Duvall

So, here's a video of Assemblyman Mike Duvall, a married man, talking about having sex with two female lobbyists. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2GKqTeBlAg The censored parts of the video are said to contain Mike Duvall describing the "little eye-patch underwear" worn by one of the women. Then, he refers to the ...

How To Save The Legal Profession - Eliminate Low-Ranking Law Schools?

Recently, I've seen an increase of articles concerning the state of the legal profession. Some people are blaming the current recession for the lack of law jobs, decreased salaries, and disappearing bonuses and benefits. Others feel that the legal profession was already sinking due to outsourcing and poor ...

Reader Submission: Colleagues Want Attorney That Said “I’ll Snatch You Bald” Fired

Dirty LAWndry reader - "Hilary" - sent me an email recently regarding the antics at her document review project. "I'm currently working as a contract attorney with about ten other attorneys. If you've ever done document review, you know that sometimes people will just not get along. Period. ...

Funny Video: Adopt-A-Graduate

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ZwY99womA&feature=popular Have you ever visited the DirtyLAWndry Gift Store? * * * * * * * * * * If you have a story you’d like to share with DirtyLAWndry, please email it to blog@dirtyLAWndry.com. Also, if you’re a solo practitioner or entrepreneur, I’d love to feature you on the Entrepreneur page (http://entrepreneurs.dirtylawndry.com/) ...

Did Lawyer Parents Assist Their Drug Dealer Son?

20-year-old Jonathon Cook was arrested Friday after an undercover investigation. He was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of a gun without a permit and having drugs near a school. Police found 15 bags of marijuana, a scale and other paraphernalia, ...

Reader Submission: Lawyer Uses Voodoo in Practice

DirtyLAWndry reader - "Sheila" - sent me a creepy email about her boss. "GIIIIRL!!! My boss has lost his ever-loving mind!!!! He came back from vacation in the Virgin Islands yesterday, and we noticed that he "decorated" his office. He had African masks and dolls arranged around his office. ...

Reader Submission: Lawyer Files Lawsuit Against His Own Mother

DirtyLAWndry reader, "Tonya", wants to share what her boss has been up to lately. "I'm emailing you because my boss is the worst attorney ever. Before I let you know why, I just want you to know that I don't hold any grudges against lawyers or anything like that. ...

It’s Monday …

This is one of those days for me that just feels like it's never-ending. I needed a break, so I'm sharing the roller-skating babies video with all of you. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PHnRIn74Ag * * * * * * * * * * If you have a story you’d like to share with DirtyLAWndry, please ...

How do you explain the three glass pipes and cocaine in your car, Mr. Esquire?

Lawyer accused of trying to smuggle drugs into jail By Mari A. Schaefer INQUIRER STAFF WRITER A Philadelphia lawyer was arrested Friday night and charged with trying to take heroin into the Delaware County jail. Randall J. Sommovilla, 61, of the 900 block of South 11th Street, was charged with possession of contraband and ...

The Hard-Headed Lawyer Freed From Jail After 14 Years

Man jailed in divorce free after 14 yrs. By WILLIAM BENDER Philadelphia Daily News H. Beatty Chadwick is either the most hardheaded lawyer in America or a poor sap who lost 14 years of his life to a money-grubbing ex-wife and cold-hearted judges. Either way, at 3:08 p.m. yesterday the Main Line attorney who ...

Tax Evasion, Phony Wills, & A Plan Crash

Lawyer pleads guilty in tax fraud By SAM WOOD (Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer) Published: July 6, 2009 A prominent Lehigh Valley attorney admitted in U.S. District Court today that he understated his income by $5 million, evading $1.9 million in taxes. John Peter Karoly Jr, 59, had been scheduled to go to trial today ...

Man Found UNFIT To Be A Lawyer Due To Student Loans

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Tiffany", sent us a disturbing news article from the New York Times. She writes "this is the kind of BS that makes folks flip the hell out and seek revenge on innocent people in a murder rampage." LOL! Finding Debt a Bigger Hurdle Than Bar Exam By JONATHAN ...

In Memory of Michael Jackson

DirtyLAWndry decided to take a break from her regular posts and pay her respects to one of the greatest entertainers, musical genius, and style icon (see my fashion tribute to MJ) - Michael Jackson. I still remember cursing under my breath cleaning my mother's records, but then smiling when ...

Hey Mr. Esquire, Was That Really Necessary?

I was asked to speak at a law camp for high school students who are considering the field of law as a career choice. There were other attorneys from the area who were also invited to speak. Everything was going well with each attorney talking about their individual ...

Reader Submission: So…you’re a CHEATER and a PROSTITUTE?

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Jake", learned a secret about his co-worker that he wished she had kept to herself. "I'm still doing document review at this crapshack. For some reason the other attorneys think that we're actually here to make friends. My focus is on collecting a paycheck. ...

When will you retire?

For the past couple of weeks, I had the pleasure of working as co-counsel with a group of bastards seasoned attorneys. Most of these attorneys are in their late 70s and filled to the brim with legal knowledge. Unfortunately, they're also filled to the brim with hatred, intolerance, ...

Reader Submission: Office Romance

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Dionne", just happens to have a front-row seat at an unfolding drama in her office. "My boss is the biggest slut ever. He's married and messing around with two employees here. The first woman, "Pat", is young enough to be his daughter and she's been employed ...

Miami-Dade prosecutor charged with punching pizza delivery woman

Miami-Dade County prosecutor David Ranck was suspended without pay Monday after he was accused of punching a tardy pizza delivery woman trying to deliver a pie to his Miami Beach condo. According to Miami Beach police, officers on Saturday found Ranck standing next to the car of pizza woman ...

Lawyer Reprimanded for Alleged ‘Cut You Up’ Remark to Adversary’s Client

The New Jersey Supreme Court on Tuesday disciplined a lawyer who allegedly told an opposing party, "I'm going to cut you up into bits and pieces, put you into a box and send you to India and your parents won't recognize you." In reprimanding Maplewood solo Joel Ziegler, a ...

Vendetta Leads To Ethics Investigation

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Jennifer," is considering quitting the legal profession based on some dirty behavior that she recently witnessed. "I'm a chairman on a panel of attorneys that serves as arbitrators for our court system. This is not a full- or even part-time position for me or any of the ...

Former Dallas County Judge and Prosecutor Catherine Crier Defamed on Wikipedia

According to the Dallas Observer, former Dallas County judge and prosecutor Catherine Crier was falsely accused of being a murder suspect, a shoplifter, serving jail time, and being disbarred on her Wikipedia page. None of this is true. Apparently, someone took the facts from a 2007 Dallas ...

She Arrived Late To Work, Disappeared During The Day, & Left Early for 10 Whole Months!?!

I'm sure you've heard by now of paralegal, Kathy Foer-Morse, who stole over $100K from High Swartz law firm in Norristown, PA to pay restitution to the New York City law firm of Satterlee, Stephens, Burke & Burke. Apparently, she thought it was a good idea to steal from ...

“Mark” and his shady lawyer/realtor employer

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Mark", wants to share his experience at his new job. "I got laid off from BigLaw in Philly a few months ago. I was working in the REIT department for a little over a year right after law school. Recently, I got hired by a very ...

Is this the end for Legal Professionals?

Lorna & The Blinking Idiots

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Lorna", is mad at her co-workers for costing her precious overtime. "I work at a large firm in Philadelphia. If you don't know, the Philadelphia job market for legal professionals is almost extinct at this point. Everyone who is unemployed can't find a job. Everyone ...

Courthouse Smackdowns - The Fighting Continues

Why does it seem like even more attorneys are resorting to physically fighting officials? Now, judges are fighting one another. What's really going on in this industry? The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Macomb County defense lawyer, Timothy Barkovic, is being charged with ssault and battery and disturbing ...

Reader Submission: Shouldn’t Lawyers Be Required to Speak English?

Dirty LAWndry Reader, "Samantha," is about to stir up a bunch of controversy with her email. "I work in a large firm as a paralegal and I don't understand why there isn't a requirement for lawyers in the US to speak English. I noticed that, even though my firm has ...

Lawyer fired from Hinckley, Allen & Snyder for doing the right thing

Kevin M. Plante, a former Hinckley, Allen & Snyder associate, was fired from his job after he after he refused partners' instructions to destroy child pornography found on a client's computer hard drive. You can read the details of this story at Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

BigLaw Associates Hire Goons To Burglarize Colleague’s Home After Scandal

This submission is so scandalous and dirty. Dirty LAWndry reader,"Sabina," had her home burglarized on Friday, and she believes she knows exactly who did it. "I've been working on a case with six other associates for a few years now. Last year, an investigation was launched regarding the handling ...

This Summer Associate Needs Your Advice

I found a comment by a Dirty LAWndry reader that I believe deserves its own post. Here it goes: "I’ll be heading to a firm that has done similar multi-round layoffs as a summer associate. Clearly, I can’t claim to be an expert on anything. Any suggestions for ways to a) ...

The Drama Created By Layoffs at Dechert

Dirty LAWndry reader,"Sophia", knows that she and a small group of attorneys will be laid off soon, but she has some advice. "I work at Dechert and they have been laying people off in small numbers it seems like every other day. Since the layoffs started last year, many of ...

Beware of “Chris” - The Office Backstabber

Dirty LAWndry reader,"Marissa", wrote me recently about her backstabbing co-worker, "Chris". "I've only been working for a couple of months at a plaintiff's personal injury firm. I'm a newly admitted attorney so I don't have tons of experience yet. I jumped at this job opportunity that only pays a ...

JD billed at $450 an hour

I can't really say I'm shocked by this story on Law.com. It seems to be the norm for BigLaw to overcharge clients for JDs, paralegals, and legal secretaries that aren't earning anywhere near the billable amount.

How Is Your Bar Association Helping You During The Recession?

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Nick," is disappointed with the level of assistance provided by his local bar association while he is unemployed. "I've been unemployed for five months now. I'm a member of the ABA, my state, and local bar associations. Every year I'm expected to pay bar dues and ...

I Would Have Cursed My Boss Out The Day I Quit If It Weren’t For the Federal Probe

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Ronald", regrets not being able to express himself completely to his boss on the day he quit: "I just quit my job of four long, long years. I am not an attorney yet, but I worked as a legal intern. At least, that's what it says ...

DirtyLAWndry’s Gift Store

I partnered with Amazon.com to create the DirtyLAWndry Gift Store. I'm sure you'll find something for the newly barred or seasoned attorneys in your life. Let me know what you think.

Why is Having Dreadlocks Such A Controversial Issue at BigLaw?

Dirty LAWndry reader - "Tammy" - has this to share: "Hi, LAWndry girl. I recently went back to work at a large firm. I had to take some time off from work because I was diagnosed with breast cancer. During that time, I couldn't keep up with ...

Associate Attorney Flashed By Ms. J (Double) D

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Sarah", has lost confidence in certain graduates produced by law schools. "I have worked as an attorney for the same firm for almost 40 years now. I know things are different for law school graduates now than when I attended. I would imagine that the quality ...

The Reason Why You Should Always Take Your Belongings During A Fire Drill

Dirty LAWndry reader, "Gloria", wants us to be aware of the next fire drill: "This is why all my personal belongings can be swooped with one arm into a Macy's shopping, and I can roll out on the train with deliberate speed. This tactic will push an already mentally fragile ...

Victoria Sprouse - Is she the perpetrator or the victim?

Have you been following the Victoria Sprouse trial? Sprouse is a real estate lawyer from North Carolina that was convicted last week of bank fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. The prosecutors argued that she lied to lenders, falsified settlement statements and stole from her clients, which resulted in ...

Reader Has Questions About The Covington & Burling Discrimination Case

Dirty LAWndry reader,"Jake", submits the following: "I was reading that Covington & Burling is being sued by one of its former staff attorneys based on allegations of racial discrimination. The staff attorney accused the firm of "stockpiling its staff attorney ghetto with blacks and other minorities." At first, I figured ...

For All The Jobless Lawyers

After yesterday's drama in the comment section, I felt the need to post something to try to lift the spirits of the 38 soon-to-be jobless contract workers. This is from the University of Alabama Law Revue. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd0DFPfUKwA&ytsession=Rl6Yb9memhuQoWg3I-V_cU5BqRCGYVCXl-uOxOsbNQdMtDUzXMDHkqnxIgSfPN8oW1VCPi_cJcZ_ShktOlmR8ufC_NwQcACHvfrwx3TE0mgRhs1fREH5uiGjFZGO80WUf1NW_uj4LkUvd278_SZH0Tsrzh15ZvI64-9lDHIXNPZqSxzj1Xtu9-JfVPr9wGaIrhIg4WMxaBAHvLdVDmXMNcK1hkdoyv9IksQDG_58ZCeDF5HVrSrO6QmgdCL-2ZqbRCdNVvrlqVUzNAW09lLXMd4EzcXV_uqz Have a great day!

Perverted Attorney Lays Off 40 In An Attempt to Get “New Flesh”

DirtyLAWndry reader, "Tiffany," just found out that this is going to be her last week at her job. Hi. I work at a law firm doing document review. I've been here for about four years now. During this time, I've had to put up with a lot of ...

When All Else Fails … Please Don’t Cry During Your Closing Argument

"John" writes in today with a request to female litigators. "I'm a new solo practitioner right out of law school. I handle mostly criminal matters. When things are slow, I'll go to the courthouse to watch a case or two and try to learn some trial techniques. ...

Afternoon Brawl at Small Firm

I'm still shaking my head at this one. Dirty LAWndry reader, "Sam", wrote in to tell us about the drama that unfolded at his firm earlier today. "Today was one of the craziest days ever. I'm not a lawyer, but I just sat for the February bar and I'm waiting ...

Guess What….No One Cares That You’re An Attorney

Recently, I had the pleasure of dining with some former co-workers. While we were waiting for our table, a couple walked in to the restaurant. The man was loudly conversing on his cell phone. It seemed that he wanted everyone to hear his conversation. He was ...

Here Comes The Angry Bodybuilder Dechert Attorney…SHHH, Play Dead

As a solo, I don't have access to office culture and camaraderie, so it can get pretty lonely at times. But, on the flip side, I don't have to deal with borderline psychotic colleagues on a daily basis, like "Michelle." "I work at Dechert, and I just witnessed an attorney ...

Connecticut Attorney LITERALLY Fights for her Client

Watch out, people! This Connecticut attorney takes fighting for her clients rights very seriously. Apparently, she tried to prevent immigration enforcement agents from arresting her client for deportation. She went as far as to hide her client in her office and then pushed an officer. Now, I'm ...

Piper Attorney Adds Laxatives to Lunch and Catches Thief

Here's an email from "Stephanie" about her colleague's quest to catch the office thief. "For quite a few months now, someone's lunch has gone missing at least a couple times a week. It gets annoying when you bring your lunch from home only to have to buy lunch when you're ...

Associate Query: Have you seen my bra?

Today's post comes from an outraged Dechert paralegal, who's dishing the dirt on one of her colleagues. "So I just got a phone call from an associate attorney - "Nancy" - asking me to meet her in the conference room. I had no idea what it was about. I was kind ...

Angela is being Stalked by Alumni

Dirty LAWndry reader, Angela, is extra pissy about her fellow Alumni today. She wanted to vent about a situation that occurred today. Apparently, she was in a setting where she couldn't verbalize what she was thinking at that moment, so she dropped me an email to share with all of ...

Bringing Mother to Work….

Why is it that partners in smaller firms feel the need to bring their mothers to work for the sole purpose of terrorizing the office staff? At my first job out of law school, the partner's mother "worked" at the firm. I didn't know exactly what her job description was. ...

Reader’s Submission: The Traitor

This is an email from "Stephanie" regarding her trifling boss. "I hope you put this on your site. My boss qualifies as a dirty legal industry person. I am a solo-practitioner now, but I used to work for [.......] for almost ten years. During that time, there was a secretary, named ...

Reader’s Confession: I was promoted because I’m white….

I'm sharing this email that I just received from an anonymous Dirty LAWndry reader. "I have a confession to make. I work for a large firm and I was recently promoted from a staff attorney position to an associate because I'm white. I've only worked for the firm for about two ...

Contract Attorney Facing Unemployment

I just got an email from a friend who is currently working as a contract attorney doing document review. She is concerned that she will be laid off soon and forced to join the growing legions of unemployed people in the US. She reminded me of how last ...