JD Journal » Stanford Law School

Law Firm Kirkland Ellis Commits $2.75 Million to Stanford Law School to Fund Scholars’ Program and Annual Forum

rebneely — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:03:04 +0000

Stanford Law School recently announced law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP has committed $2.75 million over five years to the law school. The funds, which were made possible through the firm’s foundation and through individual partners’ contributions, will fund a scholars program, honoring the law school’s top first-year students, as well as a yearly forum on important legal issues for students, alumni, and the Bay Area business and law community.

Stanford Law School Dean Larry Kramer was quoted as saying in a press release at Kirkland Ellis’s website: “This generous support from Kirkland & Ellis will enable Stanford Law School to continue to transform legal education and prepare the next generation of leaders through innovative, interdisciplinary and international programs, new and expanded forms of clinical education, and a renewed commitment to public service.”

The newly established Kirkland & Ellis Scholars Program will recognize first year law students who have performed at the very highest level. Each year, six first-year students will be designated Kirkland & Ellis Scholars, based on overall scholastic achievement across a variety of courses. Now, students may win awards in individual courses. These awards, known as “book prizes,” will help determine who among the first-year class deserve recognition with the highest honor, the Kirkland & Ellis Scholar designation. The award is unique at the law school.

Kramer was quoted as saying of the program: “The Kirkland & Ellis Scholar designation symbolizes the highest standard of achievement. It is an honor that students will covet and it will benefit them in their pursuit of career and public service goals.”

The Kirkland & Ellis Law Forum offer panel discussions and symposia on emerging legal issues of interest to the business community. Stanford Law School faculty, Kirkland & Ellis attorneys and other legal and business thought leaders from academia, private practice, government, and the public sphere will participate in the discussions.

Jeffrey C. Hammes, Chairman of Kirkland’s Global Management Executive Committee was quoted as saying: “We’re very pleased to support Stanford Law School and excited about these new programs. The opportunity to recognize student excellence and to provide a forum for sharing thought leadership on emerging matters that may challenge and reshape the business and law community fit well with Kirkland & Ellis’s culture and mission.”

Established in 1893, Stanford Law School is one of the nation’s leading institutions for legal scholarship and education, and has worked to establish a new model for legal education that focuses on rigorous interdisciplinary training, hands-on experience, global perspective and focus on public service. The Law School employs more than 50 faculty and hosts over 500 students who are working towards their Juris Doctor (J.D.) or other graduate legal degrees.

Global law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP has over 1,500 attorneys, representing clients in a broad range of matters, including complex litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration, and corporate mergers and acquisitions. The firm has offices in Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Shanghai and Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:25:46 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, July 28th. Here’s a look back at yesterday’s stories.

Steven Fagell, deputy chief of staff for Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer will leave to return to Covington & Burling LLP…

Stanford Dean Larry Kramer’s goal is to move past Yale and Harvard into the top spot on the U.S. News rankings…

Greenberg Traurig added an ex-health department official to its health and FDA business practice…

Sheppard Mullin added three partners to the firm’s Labor and Employment practice group…

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck hired three top Vegas commercial litigation attorneys from Jones Vargas…

Kaye Scholer added three partners from Dewey & LeBoeuf…

Cozen O’Connor announced it added a 15-lawyer team from Sher & Blackwell to its Washington D.C. office…

Steptoe & Johnson will put a significantly expanded energy practice into action…

Chambers USA recognized Cohen & Grigsby attorneys, and practice group…

Stanford Dean Has High Hopes For Law School

joshua — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:38:52 +0000

Stanford Law School was again ranked third on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of top law school’s this year, but Dean Larry Kramer has his sights firmly set on the top spot, according to a report out Tuesday by the San Jose Mercury News.

Since taking over at Stanford in 2004, Kramer has instituted significant changes at the school, including a major curriculum reform. His goal now is to move Stanford past Yale and Harvard and into the top spot on the U.S. News rankings.

“I think we’re in a process of developing a program here that once we’ve put it all together and got it working, is just unmatchable anywhere else,” Kramer told the Mercury News.

Part of the plan is to acquire top faculty from competing institutions around the country. Towards that end, Stanford recently acquired professor John Donohue, formerly of Yale Law, the Mercury News reports.

A major reason for Kramer’s aggressive approach is a $1.6 million commitment from Stanford designed to offset the effects of the economic downturn at the law school.

“I think we’re in a process of developing a program here that once we’ve put it all together and got it working, is just unmatchable anywhere else,” Kramer said.

At least one law expert was skeptical of Stanford’s chances of ever passing Yale as the nation’s No. 1 law school. Said University of Chicago Law School professor Brian Leiter “Yale leads everyone. To surpass or even tie Yale…that would be hard.”

Quinn Emanuel Gets Name Change

joshua — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:22:58 +0000

The firm formerly known as Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges has changed its name to Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.

Joining the firm’s masthead is Kathleen M. Sullivan, who is a partner in the firm’s New York office and heads its national appellate practice.

““Kathleen Sullivan would be on anyone’s list of the top three or four advocates practicing in the United States today,” the firm said in a press release. “She has not only built a thriving appellate practice at the firm, but has played a key role in the firm’s trial practice, arguing important motions in federal and state courts around the country.

“Her inclusion in the firm’s name reflects the integration of our trial and appellate practices and our strengths as a national law firm.”

Sullivan is a former Harvard Law professor and dean of Stanford Law School. She joined Quinn Emanuel in 2005. Among her notable achievements since joining the firm was a recent victory the New York Times called “stunning.” In it she persuaded the New York Court of Appeals to uphold New York Gov. David Paterson’s power to appoint Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor.

Quinn Emanuel has more than 400 lawyers with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Tokyou, London and Mannheim.

The National Law Journal Publishes Annual Law School Rankings, Northwestern Tops List

sara — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:31:40 +0000

Today The National Law Journal published its annual rankings of top law schools throughout the United States. The National Law Journal bases its rankings on which schools sent the highest percentage of graduates to first-year jobs at the largest firms in the country. No other factors were taken into account in formulating these rankings. Northwestern University School of Law topped the list, sending 55.9% of graduates to “top 250″ law firms. Here is a list of the top 10 schools.

1.   Northwestern University School of Law-55.9%
2.   Columbia Law School-54.5%
3.   Stanford Law School-54.1%
4.   University of Chicago Law School-53.1%
5.   University of Virginia School of Law-52.8%
6.   University of Michigan Law School-51%
7.   University of Pennsylvania Law School-50.8%
8.   New York University School of Law-50.1%
9.   UC Berkeley School of Law-50%
10. Duke Law School-49.8%

Supreme Court Names Sotomayor’s Law Clerks

Erik Even — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:45:07 +0000

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has hired four law clerks, two of whom have already clerked for other justices.

Robert Yablon formerly clerked for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. His JD is from Yale Law.

Lindsey Powell formerly clerked for John Paul Stevens. Her JD is from Stanford Law.

Jeremy Marwell clerked for DC Circuit Judge Stephen Williams. His JD is from NYU Law.

Eloise Pasachoff was a clerk for Sotomayor’s friend and 2nd Circuit colleague Robert Katzmann. Her JD is from Harvard Law.

Law Firm Hirings & Firings

Erik Even — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:32:23 +0000

Recent laterals and layoffs in the legal sector:

Scott Martin joins Greenberg Traurig in New York City as a shareholder in the Antitrust Litigation Practice, from Weil Gotshal where he served as a partner. He focuses his practice in the areas of antitrust and complex commercial litigation. Martin earned his JD from Stanford Law School.

Former Chippewa County, Wisconsin circuit court Judge Thomas Sazama has joined the Eau Claire law firm of Weld, Riley Prenn and Ricci. Sazama served as a judge in Chippewa County since his appointment in 1994. He received his law degree from Marquette University.

Amy Shearer joins the Wrexham, Wales office of GHP Legal as a trainee. She earned a dual honors degree in law and criminology at Keele University, and her Legal Practice Certificate at Chester Law School. The firm employs 100 people across North Wales and Shropshire.

Virtual Law Partners Hires Four Attorneys

Erik Even — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:07:57 +0000

Virtual Law Partners, which hired five new partners four weeks ago, has this week brought on four new partners for its commercial lending and intellectual property practices.

David Lawson joins from Troutman Sanders, where he was a partner, to chair Virtual Law’s commercial lending practice. He earned his JD from the University of Southern California Law Center.

Janyce Mitchell joins from Strategic Patent Group, where she was a vice president. She received her JD from the UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law, and her MS and C. Phil in Physics from the University of California, San Diego.

Stephen Sullivan also joins from Strategic Patent, where he was president. He will focus on patent prosecution for software companies. His JD is from the Santa Clara University School of Law.

David Roise joins from Ropes & Gray, where he was an associate. He is a former assistant professor of biochemistry and cellular biology at UC San Diego. He specializes in patent law. He earned his Ph.D in biochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his JD from Stanford Law School.

Founded in 2008, Virtual Law Partners is a distributed, web-based law firm that goes beyond the constraints of brick & mortar law firms to provide legal services at rates lower than those of conventional law firms. Powered by a digital infrastructure, VLP eliminates costly physical offices and minimizes environmental impact, while significantly lowering administrative costs and overhead.

UC Irvine Law Hires Seven New Faculty Members

Erik Even — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:20:19 +0000

The new UC Irvine School of Law, which opens this fall, has hired seven new faculty members, bringing its total number of tenure-track professors to 22.

Mario Barnes joins from the University of Miami School of Law. He teaches criminal law, constitutional law, national security law, and race and the law.

Alejandro Camacho, from the University of Notre Dame Law School, teaches environmental law.

Jennifer Chacon joins from the UC Davis School of Law, where she covered criminal procedure and immigration law.

Stephen Lee, previously of Stanford Law, is an expert in administrative law and immigration law.

Christopher Leslie teaches antitrust law and intellectual property; he comes to UCI from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

And Christopher Tomlins teaches American legal history.

When its first class enters in Fall 2009, The University of California, Irvine School of Law will be the fifth law school in the UC system, and the first public law school to open in California in 40 years.

Mayer Brown Hires for Global Projects Group

Erik Even — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:51:33 +0000

Mayer Brown has brought on two attorneys for its Global Projects Group.

Robert H. Edwards, Jr. joins from Hunton & Williams as a partner in Mayer Brown’s Washington DC office. He handles project finance and development, with particular strength in projects and policy issues related to renewable energy, climate change, the development and financing of independent power projects and “inside the fence” energy projects.

A 1990 graduate of Stanford Law School, Edwards holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BA magna cum laude in economics from Harvard University.

Robert S. Goldberg joins the Houston office from Chadbourne & Parke, as a partner. Goldberg advises lenders, investors, sponsors, developers and other participants in domestic and international project finance and corporate matters, including acquisition and divestiture work.

He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Mayer Brown is one of the largest global law firms both by number of lawyers and revenue. The firm has over 1,800 lawyers in key business centers across the Americas, Asia and Europe

‘US News’ Top Law School Rankings Leaked

Erik Even — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:07:18 +0000

The US News & World Report rankings for top US law schools will not be officially published until tomorrow — but the rankings are all over the blawgosphere anyway.

The top 20 are:

1. Yale Law School
2. Harvard Law School
3. Stanford Law School
4. Columbia Law School
5. New York University School of Law
6. University of California Berkeley School of Law – tie – University of Chicago Law School
8. University of Pennsylvania Law School
9. University of Michigan Law School
10. Duke University School of Law – tie – Northwestern University School of Law – tie – University of Virginia School of Law
13. Cornell Law School
14. Georgetown University Law Center
15. UCLA School of Law – tie – University of Texas School of Law
17. Vanderbilt University Law School
18. University of Southern California Gould School of Law
19. Washington University School of Law
20. Boston University School of Law – tie- Emory University School of Law – tie – University of Minnesota Law School

The unobservant might miss the most important story here — that UCLA beat USC by two slots! You can’t spell SUCK without USC!!!

Stanford Law Hires Criminologist Joan Petersilia

Erik Even — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:20:43 +0000

Stanford Law School today announced the appointment of criminologist Joan Petersilia as Professor of Law. Petersilia has spent more than 25 years studying the performance of U.S. criminal justice agencies and has been instrumental in affecting prison and parole reform in California and throughout the U.S. Petersilia currently serves as Professor of Criminology, Law and Society in the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine, where she directs the Center for Evidence-Based Corrections.

As a special advisor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger since 2003, she helped reorganize juvenile and adult corrections, established a new Office of Research and an Office of Policy and Planning, and worked with the California Legislature to implement prison and parole reform.

“Her appointment signals a commitment by the law school to address the nation’s most pressing problems from an interdisciplinary perspective,” added Kara Dansky, executive director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center and a lecturer at the Law School.

Stanford Law Launches Professional Center

Erik Even — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:03:36 +0000

Stanford Law School has launched the Stanford Center on the Legal Profession, which will focus on professional responsibility, leadership development and quality of life issues.

Stanford law professor Deborah L. Rhode will serve as its director. She is the founder and former director of the school’s Center on Ethics.

The Center of the Legal Profession will work to expand services to low and middle income individuals. It will address issues pertaining to the lives of lawyers, including escalating billable hour requirements and diversity in the profession.

In addition, the Center on the Legal Profession will offer interdisciplinary leadership development and continuing legal education leadership programs.

Madoff Victims — Sue All You Want, The Money’s Gone

Erik Even — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:35:07 +0000

Lawyers ramping up to try to recover client’s investment cash squandered by indicted New York investor Bernard Madoff aren’t expecting to get back very much.

“There are going to be claims, but it’s not going to be billion-dollar litigation,” says Columbia Law professor John C. Coffee. “This is medium-sized litigation that will probably go to relatively small firms. I don’t think there are enough assets left. It’s a lean and starved corpse.”

Coffee doesn’t anticipate any Madoff-related financial recovery to top $20 million, making it relatively small potatoes compared to other legal issues involving the global financial meltdown.

With the Madoff funds looking like a recovery dead-end for investors who lost millions, several litigators have said that they plan to try to recover investor funds from the third-party institutions that funneled money to Madoff, such as banks, hedge funds and investment firms.

It remains to be seen how lucrative such third-party suits will be. Stanford Law professor Robert Weisberg said litigation over the Madoff fraud may prove to be a “loss leader,” meaning firms won’t make much money trying to recover investors’ funds. But the publicity of being involved in such a high-profile case could make it worthwhile for firms in the long run.

“I think there are firms that are doing this on spec. They are circulating their businesses cards,” Weisberg said. “Getting your name out there is important, even if there isn’t much potential for recovery.”

Stanford Law Launches Online IP Database

Erik Even — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:43:49 +0000

The Law, Science & Technology Program at Stanford Law School today launched the Stanford Intellectual Property Litigation Clearinghouse (IPLC), a first-of-its-kind online database that offers comprehensive information about intellectual property disputes within the United States.

The online research tool, open to the public, will enable scholars, policymakers, lawyers, judges, and journalists to review real-time data about IP legal disputes filed across the country, and ultimately to analyze the efficacy of the system that regulates patents, copyrights, trademarks, antitrust, and trade secrets.

The IPLC database includes real-time data summaries, industry indices, and trend analysis together with a full-text search engine, providing detailed and timely information that cannot be found elsewhere in the public domain.

Stanford Law School is releasing the IPLC in phased modules, and today’s release, the Patent Litigation Module, includes more than 23,000 cases filed in US district courts since 2000—raw data for every district court patent case and all results (outcomes and opinions).

See the full press release.