Detroit Free Press – Judge Orders a New Trial in Art Suit
August 14, 2010
A federal judge has thrown out a jury’s verdict and ordered a new trial in Park West Galleries’ defamation suit against an Internet blogger who says the company defrauded customers at art auctions.
ABA Annual Meeting – Hot Ethics Issues for Trial Lawyers
August 5-8, 2010
ALM’s LAW.COM - Law Firm Didn’t Violate Confidentiality of Partner Who Used Crack Cocaine, Court Rules
July 16, 2010
New Orleans firm McGlinchey Stafford was in a tough spot after one of its partners repeatedly tested positive for cocaine use. The Supreme Court of Louisiana has made its predicament a little easier for the firm but harder for lawyers seeking help.
Corporate Counsel Weekly - A High Growth Model: The Business of Summer Associate Programs
July 7, 2010
[BNA Interviewer]…In your book you write about a change in the recruitment system in the early part of the 20th century that led some law firms to hire law students directly from school. Was that only beneficial to the larger firms, and is that still the case?
Law Practice Magazine (ABA) – 12 Tips for Reducing Online Dangers and Liabilities
July/August 2010
When lawyers get in trouble online, their actions often are not covered by professional liability policies, which generally only cover problems with “professional services.” Thus, the lawyers or firms must pay all legal costs, settlements and damages from their own funds.
ABA Best Sellers – Introduction to Law Firm Practice
June 2010
Navigating your way through a law firm practice can be overwhelming, especially in larger firms. A firm is made up of equity and non-equity partners, senior attorneys, senior associates, “Of Counsel” designates, associates, and interns, in addition to the paralegals, managers, and support staff that all help make a law firm run effectively and efficiently. A new guide by the ABA Law Practice Management Section, Introduction to Law Firm Practice, is a systematic study of how lawyers practice law at private firms and will help you navigate your way through how a law firm operates.
bNET (CBS Interactive) - Washington University Law Premiering Associate-in-Training Course
May 25, 2010
Forget $50 an hour paychecks and swanky dinners in metropolitan hot spots – for some Washington University Law students, credit hour fees and ivy-covered walls frame the reality of their summer associate experiences this year. With an associate-in-training course premiering this month at the law school, students who otherwise would have been left out of the summer loop are paying for hands-on guidance by leaders in the field. Each week for six weeks, a different legal professional is tackling topics such as law firm structures and management, client development and accounting and business for lawyers.
Virtual Law Practice – Does the Internet Make You Feel Risky?
May 12, 2010
Social media must be like a shiny new toy for some attorneys that they are eager to try out and show off. Maybe that is what makes their actions online seem more “risky.” Maybe it’s because some of these communication methods so closely connect our personal lives and personalities with our professional that some attorneys have trouble holding their tongues. I’m not sure, but even Mr. Downey, cited above, “suspects the current rules ‘are probably adequate.’”
In this 60-minute seminar, updated for 2010, nationally recognized ethics speakers Michael Downey and William Freivogel explore three distinct areas where thorny ethical issues commonly confront business lawyers: confidentiality, negotiation ethics, and multijurisdictional practice.
Mr. Downey has presented more than 200 times and published more than 40 articles on professional ethics. He has also been interviewed on professional ethics numerous times, including appearing on the front page of the New York Times and on NPR’s Talk of the Nation. Mr. Downey’s first book, Introduction to Law Firm Practice, should be released in early 2010.
Legal Ethics Forum – Michael Downey, “An Introduction to Law Firm Practice”
May 4, 2010
Michael Downey, of the Hinshaw firm, started teaching a law practice management at Wash. U. and decided to assemble his own materials, including hypos field-tested with economic consultants to law firms.
Washington University Law – 2010 January Intersession Faculty Profiles
Having taught legal ethics at Washington University School of Law since 2003, Prof. Downey will teach Lawyer Ethics in Fall 2007, Introduction to Law Firm Practice in the January 2008 Intersession, and Ethics and Practice Management in Spring 2008.
St. Louis Daily Record - Tight Times Tempt Lawyers to Cut Corners
December 21, 2009
The tight economy and scarcity of work is tempting many lawyers to take bigger ethical risks than they would during better times. Small-firm and solo lawyers experimenting in new practice areas are at particular risk. Business lawyers are also being blamed by clients whose deals went south. With a new batch of solos hanging out their shingles straight out of law school as a result of the dismal job market, more lawyers are practicing without a lot of experience.
National Public Radio (NPR) – Social Media Crashes The Courtroom
September 17, 2009
Social media tools are changing courtrooms across the country. Jurors Tweet during trials, lawyers blog and judges face calls for mistrials. Judge Gary Randall of the District Court of Douglas County, NV and attorney Michael Downey discuss social media in courtrooms.
The New York Times – A Legal Battle: Online Attitude vs. Rules of the Bar
September 12, 2009
Sean Conway was steamed at a Fort Lauderdale judge, so he did what millions of angry people do these days: he blogged about her, saying she was an “Evil, Unfair Witch.” But Mr. Conway is a lawyer. And unlike millions of other online hotheads, he found himself hauled up before the Florida bar, which in April issued a reprimand and a fine for his intemperate blog post.