The Benefits of Practicing Bankruptcy Law Let's face facts - most aspiring lawyers don't grow up dreaming about arguing on behalf of reorganization plans in Bankruptcy Court. Lots of folks go to law school thanks to the passion of such mythic (albeit fictional) lawyers as Atticus Finch from "To Kill A Mockingbird." They go to law school because they believe in passion and justice and all that is good about... (4768 views)
Bankruptcy Law & Chapter 7 Explained Chapter 7 proceedings are the mirror image of Chapter 11 proceedings: But instead of attempting to reorganize and continue operations, the Chapter 7 debtor shuts down and liquidates all assets. Appropriately, Chapter 7 corporate debtors do not operate as debtors-in-possession; instead, the Office of the U.S. Trustee appoints a Chapter 7 Trustee to "wind-down" the business... (335 views)
Bankruptcy Law's Ancient Origins and Current Trends Bankruptcy law, or at least some variation thereof, existed as far back as the Roman Empire, although modern U.S. bankruptcy law springs from British bankruptcy statutes dating back to the sixteenth century. Bankruptcy was originally more of a sword than a shield, initiated by creditors and often leading to imprisonment for the delinquent debtor. A fresh start it wasn't. (272 views)
Bankruptcy Law & Chapter 11 Explained Probably the best way to understand the various roles of a bankruptcy lawyer is to walk through a sample Chapter 11 process, exploring its various twists and turns, from pre-filing to plan confirmation. This section focuses on a corporate Chapter 11 proceeding, as opposed to the alternative corporate process, a Chapter 7 liquidation. (1096 views)
A Day in the Life of a Bankruptcy Attorney Kelly Koyama is a third-year associate in the Workout & Bankruptcy and Litigation practice groups of the New York City office of decay, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. Her practice is focused on Chapter 11 corporate proceedings, representing a variety of clients including debtors, individual creditors and asset acquisitions. This is an account of how she spent her day... (3227 views)
Advice from Practicing Labor Attorneys The advice offered to students by labor practitioners can be summarized as follows: (7 views)
Getting Placed as a Labor Attorney The development of a resume and cover letter are the next steps to take after goals, practice area, and geographic location decisions have been made. Law school and college placement offices should have a counseling staff available to assist students with the writing of job descriptions, the establishment of resume format and writing style, and the sequence of listings on... (45 views)
Recommended Academic Background for Practicing Labor Law Most labor practitioners, both union and management, agree on one point of advice to students: Take as many labor-related courses as are offered and can be squeezed into your academic schedule. An interesting educational pattern was reflected among survey participants, most of whom reported that they do not take advantage of labor courses while in law school: all now feel... (16 views)
Practicing Labor Law Labor lawyers—who are they? What do they do? How do they obtain their jobs? What advice do they have to offer law students who want to specialize in labor as a field of practice? (19 views)
Certification and Bar Membership for Practicing Labor Law Bar membership on both the state and federal court levels is strongly recommended by all attorneys responding to the survey. Although most labor issues are settled through the negotiation or arbitration process, decisions can be appealed. In order to present these cases in court, an attorney must be licensed to practice before that court, whether it is on the state or... (11 views)
Recommended Experience for Labor Attorneys A student should begin acquiring labor-related experience during his or her college years. According to most labor practitioners, students should gain this experience with summer jobs either in industry (as a laborer in a factory or in construction, preferably in a union-represented company) or in a social service agency (e.g., unemployment office or community health... (8 views)
What is Labor Law? Labor law developed as a vital area of legal specialization through ef¬forts to clarify the rights, duties, and obligations of employers and em¬ployees. Labor attorneys have attempted to establish and maintain an equitable balance of power between these two factions from the earliest interactions of labor and management. These efforts have been guided by (1) the... (3 views)
Arbitration in Labor Law Once a contract is signed and the rights, duties, and responsibilities of each side have been established and agreed upon, both the employers and employees must live within the tenets of the agreement. Disputes that arise during the life of the contract that cannot be resolved by union and management representatives are referred either to the NLRB, a state's labor hearing... (55 views)
Breaking into Labor Law A second- or third year student who has taken recommended labor-related electives and obtained some experience as described in the preceding section, may begin seeking an entry-level position that will begin after graduation. For more information on job hunting skills, see From Law Student to Lawyer: A Career Planning Manual, by Frances Utley and Gary A. Munneke, another... (22 views)
The Labor Law Job Market Cautious optimism is a term which can be used to describe the view of the job market for recent graduates who wish to enter the field of labor law practice. Many labor attorneys share the opinion stated by a Kansas City union-side practitioner: "At present [1984] best bets [for job opportunities] are in large management oriented law firms, government agencies (federal,... (25 views)
Labor Law as an Evolving Practice Area Changes in the tenor and scope of the work force, developing economic conditions, and differences in the enforcement and interpretation of labor-related government regulations all have a great impact on the growth of labor law as an area of specialization. (10 views)
Labor Law Practice Trends There are a number of factors that affect labor practice trends. Future labor specialists will have to contend with changes in the very nature of the management/union structure: for example, as union workers have faced more difficult economic conditions and thus more complex bargaining sessions, the division between the workers and management sides has begun to blur.... (4 views)
Predicting Labor Law's Growth Areas Labor attorneys expect their practice specialty to enter the next decade in a position of strength. It appears that this specialty will present considerable practice opportunities in the next five to ten years. (25 views)
How To Be a Successful Labor Attorney An even temper, a good sense of humor, an ability to relate to a variety of people, flexibility, creativity, aggressiveness, persuasiveness, and people-orientation were some of the responses given when labor attorneys were asked to describe a successful labor lawyer. It is clear that strong interpersonal skills are of paramount importance to the successful labor attorney.... (33 views)
Pursuing a Career in Labor Law Labor law is grounded in the dynamics of the employer-employee relationship. It affects the entire workforce. Labor attorneys are closely involved as advisors and as representatives in companies. Because of this, labor law is thus a very special area of practice that requires many skills, specific legal knowledge, and great personal sensitivity to people and their... (21 views)
Fashion Law: An Inside Look Arguably, fashion law has been around since the establishment of the first fashion house; it was just not an established field nor was it needed. Designers, at the time, did not fight against the duplication of their items. They actually were flattered by the replicas. Why? As a designer, when your designs were copied that typically meant that you were popular. It was free... (1508 views)
Practicing in ... Washington, D.C. The hottest places to live, work, drink, dine, and play in the nation's capital. (14 views)
Lawyers: Why the Increased Interest in Public Service? According to the June 27th law.com article, 'Do-gooders' thrive: ''Public service jobs see a spike in popularity and prestige'', the percentage of new law graduates embracing public interest careers grew from approximately 2% in 1990 to almost 7% in 2010, as per data from the National Association for Law Placement (NALP). In 2004, NALP began including public defenders in... (7 views)
What's It like to Be an employment lawyer in the United States? What's it like to work as an employment lawyer? Specifically in America, employment lawyers help those who work in the United States in issues that deal with employment, specifically in regard to discriminatory practices by employers, or other legal issues related to employment. In general, employment lawyers specialize in one particular area of the law as it relates to... (18 views)
Intellectual Property Intellectual property law cases are all the rage these days, but to what ends are they being filed? A large portion of the most recently filed lawsuits involve tech companies claiming the original patents to name-brand companies' products. The recent swell in these types of lawsuits has brought into question the entirety of the patent system in the United States, bringing... (18 views)
In-House v. BigLaw In the world of law, the position of in-house counsel is vastly different than working as an attorney in BigLaw and making the decision to commit to either one can be tough. However, while a graduate with a law degree seems to have countless options for the future and may be deciding between whether a law firm or a corporation is right from them, the choice may not... (2296 views)
The Pursuit of Public Interest Law Opportunities abound in public interest law, the practice of which encompasses work done to protect individual rights, advance justice, or enhance the public good. Attorneys practice public interest law with government agencies, non-profit organizations, international organizations, and prosecutor and public defender offices. (41 views)
Finding an Environmental Lawyer Job Making use of a Job Bank If your focus is on environmental lawyer work, you have a passion that others simply may not share with you, but you also have to find the openings in order to apply for them. Thanks to the advent of the Internet searching for legal jobs is easier than ever, but because it is easier, it also is more competitive. One of the best ways to begin... (57 views)