Amendments to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Effective December 1, 2009
November 30, 2009
Effective December 1, 2009, there will be time computation and other amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. For a full description of the changes, please see the following posts from the SmartRules Blog:
* Computation of Time and Calculating Deadlines: Changes to Federal Rules Effective December 1, 2009
* Non-Time-Computation Amendments to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Effective December 1, 2009
* Time Calculation Changes to FRCP–Memorandum to USDC Chief Judges
* Changes to FRCP 26 and 56–Report Re Meeting of April 2009
Change in the Offing — In BigLaw Models and Diversity
November 30, 2009
These are tumultuous times for the nation’s largest law firms. The world around them is changing on many fronts and at a rapid pace. Adapt or perish should be their mantra. Two separate special reports published today — one from The American Lawyer surveying law firm leaders and another from The National Law Journal on women in the law — make this abundantly clear. For the American Lawyer survey, leaders of 142 of the Am Law 200 firms responded to a confidential questionnaire. The takeaway, writer Drew Combs reports, is that firms are still testing the waters of the financial crisis. The survey “shows an increased willingness among firms to implement a smorgasbord of short-term cost-cutting measures while pondering more fundamental changes.” Are they testing the waters or engaging in denial? The results could be read either way. While 56 percent of firm leaders say the current economic downturn has produced a fundamental shift in the legal marketplace, 70 percent of those same leaders say it has not produced a corresponding shift in their own firm’s business model. Two-thirds report optimism about 2010 and 81 percent will raise rates next year. “Lawyers are resilient,” Richard Cullen, chairman of McGuireWoods in…
Subpoenas Target Rocker, Actress as Experts on Alienation
November 30, 2009
Martin Gore, a member of the brooding British electronic band Depeche Mode and the group’s chief songwriter, once described the focus of his lyrics as “anything that appeals to really dysfunctional people.” So if you happen to be the plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging that the defendant’s product has caused you to suffer severe social alienation, who better to call as an expert witness on alienation than the selfsame Martin Gore? I know what you’re thinking: What about Winona Ryder? Well, this particular plaintiff, Erik Estavillo, says he plans to subpoena both Gore and Ryder in his lawsuit against the company that produces the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, “World of Warcraft.” Regular readers of this blog may remember Estavillo as the California agoraphobic who sued Sony on First Amendment grounds after it banned him from participating in multiplayer games on its PlayStation Network. In October, a federal judge threw out that case. Now, Estavillo has turned his attention to the company that produces “Warcraft,” Activision Blizzard, according to a report at GameSpot, which says it obtained a copy of Estavillo’s complaint and confirmed that he had filed it in California’s Santa Clara County Superior Court. The suit sets forth…
Epiq Systems Incorporates Equivio > Relevance Into IQ Review
November 30, 2009
Epiq Systems has incorporated Equivio > Relevance document prioritization into its IQ Review system. Full release here.
Océ Upgrades CaseData ASP
November 30, 2009
Océ Business Services has upgraded its CaseData ASP document review system. Full release here.
Gifts for Lawyers: A Guide to the Guides
November 30, 2009
Unsure what to get that special lawyer on your holiday shopping list? If so, then where better to turn for gift-giving advice than another lawyer? No Scrooges these, several lawyers have made their lists (and checked them twice) of the perfect gifts for the lawyer in your life. The lists are heavy on the gadgets, but also include clothing, appliances, books and cartoons. The 2009 Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers. Now in its fifth year, Reid Trautz’s annual guide is becoming as much a holiday tradition as eggnog and bad office parties. We will forgive him the inclusion of his own book, given that this is his list. While the more studious among you may be tempted by his suggestion of Black’s Law Dictionary for the iPhone, I’ll take a FreeLoader Pro Solar Charger, so I need never see my iPhone run out of juice. 2009 TechnoLawyer Holiday Gift Guide. TechnoLawyer’s list is short — just three items — but it excuses its brevity by offering “items for people with discerning taste.” The list includes a top-of-the-line GPS device and a mid-level pair of earbuds. Needing neither, I’ll gladly accept the third item on the list, the Yamaha PDX-30 speaker…
A Musical Motion to Show Claus
November 30, 2009
A Musical Motion to Show Claus
November 30, 2009
One sure sign of the holidays is the arrival of the latest holiday humor album from lawyer Lawrence Savell. The lawyer, musician and humorist — not necessarily in that order — just released his latest compilation of legally themed holiday songs, “Season’s Briefings from the LawTunes.” It joins the musically prodigious lawyer’s earlier collections of holiday recordings, “The Lawyer’s Holiday Humor Album,” “Legal Holidaze” and “Merry Lexmas from the LawTunes,” and his rock ‘n’ roll album, “The LawTunes: Live at Blackacre.” This year’s album differs in tone from his prior recordings, “a reflection of the circumstances over the past two years that have affected everyone, and our profession in particular,” Savell tells me in an e-mail. The songs are less peppy and more introspective, while still providing a humorous diversion, he says. On the album’s introspective side is the song, “Headin’ Home On A Holiday Night,” in which a weary lawyer boards a late-night flight. Long ago when I started out I thought i knew what it was all about but what i did not appreciate was all the sacrifices that we’d make the time apart, the moments lost were the rewards worth the cost? Even the peppier songs on…
Case in Point 2009-11-30 05:00:20
November 30, 2009
About ‘Case in Point’ – ‘Case in Point’ is a weekly cartoon series, created by CaseCentral Corporation, that illustrates the lighter side of eDiscovery. ‘Case in Point’ also runs a contest inviting anyone from the expansive eDiscovery realm – lawyers, IT staff, judges, service providers, paralegals, writers and consultants – to submit their own humorous experience or a scenario they find particularly funny. Participants may submit cartoon ideas online at http://www.casecentral.com/caseinpoint/idea for consideration. Readers who see their idea turned into a cartoon will receive a copy of the final cartoon signed by the artist, Tom Fishburne.
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TURKEY DAZE
November 26, 2009
But May Joy, warmth and peace to all. I love Thanksgiving. It seems to be the one holiday (well, maybe
Halloween's in there as well) that has no agenda other than peace and food. Of
course, we all have deliciously wicked tales of dinners gone terribly, terribly
wrong (check out this story
from The New York Times).
I do always like to take a moment to acknowledge some of my blessings — among
them, how grateful I am to share this journey with all of you. I've been with
ALM (and its past acronyms) in New York now for 11 years, and before that, in
our San Francisco office for 13 years. Over those years I have had the sweet
opportunity to share your good company. We've laughed, argued, shouted
(especially in the Bronx), whispered, debated, complained, applauded, sneered,
giggled, sighed, cried and smiled together. I look forward to continuing our
traditions, starting new ones, and above all, keeping an open and joyful
heart.
you be surrounded this Thursday by at least a few people you genuinely love, and
hopefully not more than three who irritate you. My old dog's still with me, and
that fact alone brings a huge smile to my face.