General - Noto Law School

Follow the 99 Cent Lead

July 23, 2010 Alejandro Calderon General

I still think this is a good deal, but the 99 Cents Only Stores are getting sued for raising their prices to 99.99 cents. The class-action suits were filed in Los Angeles claiming unfair and deceptive business practices and misleading advertising.

Now that’s an idea for all of us who went to TT and TTT who were told 98% of graduates make $160,000 and based our decisions and ability to repay loans on those figures.

The 99 Cent Store at least made an effort to disclose:

Eric Schiffer, chief executive of the retailer, told the Times that the company “took every possible effort and avenue to basically bombard the consumer about our increase.” Signs have been changed, large posters are in store windows, and ads have been changed in newspapers.

I took a walk by 3 different TTTs in New York. None of them had signs that mention the employment decrease or the amount of unemployed lawyers. They are still saying everyone is getting a job. Those magical, fictional jobs where lawyers are happy and spend lots of time in court.

The attorney for the class action explained their position:

“If they call themselves 99 Cents Only, it should be 99 cents,” he said. “The people who go to that store are typically lower income or seniors, so the people they’re taking advantage of are the ones least able to discern the difference and least able to afford it.”

So, if they call themselves a law school that has a 98% employment rate 6 months after graduation, sounds like the law schools are taking advantage of the ones the least able to know that they are lying.

I think we should follow the the 99 cent lead. The only way the law schools will stop lying to prospective students is if they are forced to by a court.

More Funny Numbers

July 22, 2010 Alejandro Calderon General

Alex Barnett was working as an attorney doing class actions until he got laid off. He is now doing contract work to pay the bills and stand-up comedy to try and switch careers. Sadly, the odds of getting a TV show are probably better now than getting a gig as an attorney.

He’s smart to try alternative careers. The National Association for Law Placement reported that only 71 percent of the class of 2009 got jobs that require JDs. That number seems funny to me, I’d say it’s probably more in the 21 percent range, and only because I’m feeling generous today.

The article notes that there is a huge oversupply of lawyers, and what the blogs have been saying for months, there are no jobs:

This is true even at major BigLaw firms: Despite a bankruptcy practice that reportedly is booming, the New York office of Weil Gotshal & Manges, for instance, hired only 20 summer associates this year, down from 96 last year.

If you’ve come up with an alternate career and left the law, or know someone who has, write in and let me know so I can post it to give everyone some ideas, and possibly, a little hope for a better future.

Beauty Doing Time

July 21, 2010 Alejandro Calderon General

I’m sure she’s probably a spoiled brat, and I shouldn’t feel sorry for Lindsay, but I do. Or maybe it’s just guilt because I couldn’t stop staring at her tits during the movie Mean Girls. She’s fired or lost another lawyer; had to take the first one back, and is now stuck in jail.

Why does Lindsay keep hiring OJ’s former lawyers? Will former OJ lawyer and Cardozo Casanova Barry Scheck be next? The good news is, if she hooks up with the large nosed Casanova, she might be able to get a movie of the week out of it: Beauty Blows The Beast has a nice ring to it.

Sweaty Seat Hog

July 20, 2010 Alejandro Calderon General

I’ve been out of the loop the past couple of days – crazy busy with the poverty thing. It’s amazing how time consuming being poor is. If I only had a dime for every bill collector I successfully avoided…

I saw this blurb about a New York lawyer who is pissed because other people leave their bags on the subway seats and don’t move them even though someone is standing. The NYPD does give out $50 tickets for this, because New York really needs money now.

Well, I can go one better than a package sitting on a seat. I just took the subway, and it’s hot in NY, about 95 and humid today. So a fat guy dripping with sweat, wearing shorts, gets on, and of course tries to squeeze into the seat next to mine. Half of his fat sweaty thigh came down on my just showered thigh.

He didn’t get off me until I yelled at him. He asked me if I felt better after I yelled at him. I told him I’d feel better if he died soon, but getting his fat off me was a good start. He should have to pay double the package fine.

Legal Sector At 1991 Lows

July 20, 2010 Alejandro Calderon General, Legal Aspects, Legal Profession

Guess I’m not the only jobless JD. Employment in New York’s legal sector has fallen to lows not seen since 1991, Law.Com reported.

This confirms why University of Michigan and other top students are only getting document review in India:

The labor data confirms earlier reports that law firms had dramatically scaled back their summer associate programs. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has 34 summer associates in New York, down from 102 in 2009. Weil, Gotshal & Manges meanwhile has 20, compared to 96 last year. A report by the National Association for Law Placement in May found New York firms reduced 2010 summer associate offers by 44 percent.