Friday Five: Big Week in Legal News
Posted: December 14th, 2007
By: Zach Heller
Category: Career Corner, Friday Five, Law Firms, Lawline.com, Opinion Corner, The News Beat

It’s the end of a crazy week.  Why do I say it was crazy?  So many things happened in and around the legal community this week that it is hard to even keep up.  If you are like me, you have had your eyes glued to TV screens or newspaper articles for the past few days.  Sometimes it can be difficult to try to comprehend it all at once.  That is why this Friday I have decided to sum it all up in Lawline.com’s Friday Five.  Enjoy!

TOP FIVE STORIES LEGAL STORIES IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK

1) The Mitchell Report.  Congressman George Mitchell finally completed his two year investigation into steroid use in Major League Baseball yesterday.  In my opinion, the report was very thorough but offered limited insight into the underlying issue.  Sure some big players were named, but now what?  What does it all mean?  The one good thing that came from it is a detailed suggestion of future steroid testing that should be applied to all the major sports in the years to come.

2) New Jersey Outlaws Capital Punishment.  New Jersey voted to pass a bill that would eliminate the death penalty in the state.  That makes it the first state in over forty years to outlaw capital punishment.  The bill is awaiting signing by the governor, but he has already stated that he is in favor of it.

3) Law Firm Layoffs.  As if we needed another reminder of how bad the economy is doing right now, some major law firms have announced cutbacks and layoffs for the first time in years.  That is an event that is almost unheard of the legal community, especially among the more prominent firms.  And this is all happening just when there are more graduates coming out of law school than ever before.

4) Criminal Sentencing Guidelines Erased.  Federal courts ruled earlier this week against sentencing guidelines for criminal convictions.  Prior to this there were mandatory sentences for certain major crimes such as crack trafficking.  Now, judges will have more flexibility in handing down sentences in these types of cases.  The next step is to see whether or not the ruling is retroactive.

5) Depressed Attorneys.  Dan Lukasik, an attorney in Buffalo, NY, started a website and a support group for depressed attorneys.  This brought to light the fact that lawyers are among the most miserable people, according to some studies.  This website, and other movements like it across the country are opening up the lines of communication and help attorneys get the help they’ve needed but were previously afraid to look for.

And that wraps up an exciting week in the news surround legal issues.  I hope you will take the time to further investigate these stories, as some of them will have lasting affects for the foreseeable future.  Catch you again soon.

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Comments
Very interesting... As big as the world of law is, it's not often that you see all of these big stories come out within the same week. In 6 months it would be interesting to see a follow-up on each of these 5 stories.
Comment By: Walter Cohen - December 14, 2007

Re: Law firm layoffs - The legal field doesn't usually see itself as prone to the usual cycles of business. This situation is an example of how important it is for lawyers to be attuned to what's happening in clients' businesses, underscoring the importance of adding value for clients, and being able to clearly distinguish their unique value proposition.
Comment By: nancy fox - December 14, 2007

I agree with Walter Cohen. It would be nice to see a follow-up of these stories in a couple of months. Especially when it comes to the Law Firm Layoffs.
Comment By: John Baltar - December 17, 2007

I am somebody that follows baseball constantly and cannot miss a Met's game and I did find the report rather vague. Would of been better if they included a more in-depth review of the whole situation.
Comment By: Peter Zhen - December 17, 2007

I myself do not have to worry about the lawfirm layoffs since I'm close to retirement. But my grandson is planning on becoming a lawyer, so he would be facing this challenge. It would be nice to get an update on this situation as it progresses. Thank you.
Comment By: Tim - December 18, 2007