As law student, it’s not long before you’ll be introduced to Above the Law (also known as ATL), an online legal tabloid and blog. It’s extremely popular, so much so that large law firms taken notice of it. This blog is also a fantastic way to waste a half hour or so of your life.
ATL is exactly what its headline states: “News, Gossip, and Colorful Commentary on Law Firms and the Legal Profession.” The site provides a lot of information about trends and events at large law firms (Big Law), such as associates at one firm being given iPads. The more “gossipy” posts include posts on ridiculous lawsuits from around the country, lawyers and other legal professionals who have been arrested/convicted of crimes, and just recently from today, an article on a clothing company doing a photoshoot at one law school’s library.
There are, however, some interesting and substantive discussions and posts on the website. The authors have been exploring several issues that are important to the legal profession today, such as law firm layoffs, starting your own law firm fresh out of law school, applying to law schools, law firm recruiting of law students and so forth.
While there may be a gossipy element to this blog, I find that reading it every so often can provide a law student with a perspective on issues related to the legal profession that don’t involve the law itself. As law students, we don’t really get a view of the sorts of non-practice related issues that exist today, and I believe it pays to have some understanding of the professional community that we plan to join once we complete school and pass the bar.
Check it out: http://abovethelaw.com/
[Disclaimer: the views and opinions on the Above the Law are not mine or Boston University’s…so click on the link at your own risk.]
