Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer

J.D. Vance brought Yale Law back into the spotlight.-----As soon as J.D. Vance found himself on the GOP ticket, everyone who remembered him from his Yale Law days shared their thoughts and brought out their receipts. “JD’s rise is a triumph for angry jerks everywhere,” isn't a ringing endorsement. The campaign also tried to pull a fast one with some tricky phrasing about his time on the Yale Law Journal. Kirkland & Ellis adopts a carrot and stick approach -- rewarding associates for recruiting and punishing partners for leaving. And we talk about the Baldwin case.

Judges behaving badly - Trump's documents case dismissed, judge's strategic decision criticized. A judge resigns amid misconduct allegations. Northwestern Law faculty faces discrimination lawsuit. Academic entitlement lawsuit in academia.

Where are those summer bonuses? Don't give up hope yet.-----Law firms are rolling in dough as partners are charging more and billing more. But comparing Biglaw to the NBA? Come on, New York Times. Despite all the money, it's not trickling down to associates in the form of mass summer bonuses yet, though there may still be some green on the horizon. And why are certain people so angry about testing reform?

Textualism and Originalism evaporate in face of partisan objectives.-----The Supreme Court closed out its season sidestepping text, precedent, and history -- the trifecta! -- to invent a new form of immunity to bail out Donald Trump. Weird, because so many of them were asked about this precise issue under oath and offered very different analysis. We also got January 6 legalized -- over the fiery dissent of Amy Coney Barrett -- the foundation of the administrative state thrown into chaos -- and a blessing for anyone who wants to make it illegal to be homeless.

The podcast discusses summer bonuses in law firms and the Supreme Court challenging the Fifth Circuit. They also dive into the abnormality of the YSL trial and explore various legal controversies and ethical dilemmas. The hosts share their experiences with grilling during a heatwave and analyze recent legal opinions and cases, including a First Amendment case and dissenting opinions.

We talk about finding the right law school for you, and wonder how deep the SCOTUS drama goes.-----The Above the Law Top 50 Law Schools ranking is here and this year it's putting power in the hands of the users. Meanwhile at the Supreme Court, ACB tells her colleagues that not every legal problem is a job for bad history. Sam and Martha-Ann Alito release Unplugged album, and it only took a matter of days into the Clarence Thomas Transparency Era for him to get caught covering up more gifts.

Clarence Thomas received over $5 million in gifts, Ketanji Brown Jackson got Beyonce tickets, a summer associate took a horse and carriage to work, Columbia Law Review faced controversy over website shutdown

The Trump conviction excuse tour is not going well for his attorneys.-----Donald Trump is now a convicted felon and everyone wants to know why his attorneys phoned in the defense. They... don't have good answers. At all. Continuing the Trump beat, Judge Aileen Cannon continued to display a delicate mix of cynical obstinance and outright incompetence, slow-playing a motion to keep Trump from publicly lying about the FBI and then asking for briefing on how the Supreme Court's CFPB case impacts the prosecution -- which it only could have if the Supreme Court came out the other way. And students no longer care about the USNWR rankings... but maybe there's a better measure of prestige.

From Sam Alito's flag controversies to Biglaw partners crossing the $20 million compensation barrier, the podcast covers a range of intriguing topics. They also discuss the most avoidable cheating scandal at a law school and the dynamics of the legal industry's shift towards high-value partner compensation.

Supreme Court Justice Alito's flag mishap sparks controversy as he blames his wife. The podcast also discusses ethical issues in the legal system, California bar exam financial struggles, and Elon Musk's legal troubles. The episode covers conflicts of interest, lawyer-client dynamics, and potential changes to the bar exam process.