Legal Research

Selections from the National Law Journal Daily Headlines January 7, 2009

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: NLJ.com, January 7, 2009

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FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Merit-based bonuses at Morgan Lewis: a sign of things to come?
"Legal experts have speculated that the flagging economy will push law firms to finally abandon the costly lockstep compensation systems they have clung to for years. Are the first signs of that sea change appearing? Morgan Lewis & Bockius informed associates on Monday that 2009 bonuses will be merit based, as opposed to an established amount given to those who billed at least 2,000 hours."

FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Federal prosecutors urge Obama to retain key incumbent U.S. attorneys, avoid wholesale firing
"The National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, which represents 5,300 federal prosecutors around the country, is urging Barack Obama to keep some top incumbent U.S. attorneys around the country and not fire all 93 wholesale. The issue of how Obama will appoint U.S. attorneys ? whether he will fire them all, as did Clinton, or just fire some on a case-by-case basis ? will be closely watched. The new administration is sure to proceed cautiously, given the explosive scandal under the Bush administration, in which a handful of U.S. attorneys were fired for political reasons."

WEB-ONLY  |  Dozens of judges urge high court to assure recusals in cases involving substantial election contributions
"Twenty-seven former chief justices and justices of 19 state supreme courts are urging the U.S. Supreme Court in a controversial West Virginia challenge to rule that a judge must recuse himself or herself from cases in which a party has made a substantial financial contribution to the judge's election. "

WEB-ONLY  |  More Dreier fallout: Three corporate partners from Dreier Stein jump to Wildman Harrold
"John Babala, Gregory Rovenger and Edward T. Schultz, three corporate partners at Dreier, Stein, Kahan, Browne, Woods, George have joined the Beverly Hills, Calif., office of Chicago-based Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon.

WEB-ONLY  |  Key figure in Detroit mayor text-messaging scandal is sentenced
Another chapter in Detroit's text-messaging scandal has closed. Christine Beatty, the former top aide to Detroit's ex-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, was sentenced on Tuesday to 120 days in jail and ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution for her role in a text-messaging scandal that put her boss behind bars and brought down an entire administration."

WEB-ONLY  |  Number of executions in 2008 marked 14-year low
"The number of executions in 2008 marked a 14-year low, continuing a declining trend since a high reached in 1999, according to a new report. Texas had the most executions, with 18 of the 37 nationwide last year."

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on January 07, 2009 (boomark / email).