August 2017

So, don’t. Over at Above the Law, Prof. Kerriann Stout wrote 10 Things That Will Absolutely Piss Off Your Law Professor.  She notes it is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good one and worth a read.  This year, I added a new bit of information to my first day of class about how to interact with me about absences and workload.  (I often discuss this in class at some point, but I don’t recall ever doing it in both of my classes on day one.) 

So, here’s the deal.  In my classes, I allow a certain number of absences (depending on number of credits and days we meet) without questions for personal reasons, interviews, etc.  Here is an example of my attendance clause: 

Students are expected to attend every class.  Students are permitted to miss up to four classes for other obligations without explanation.  This number is to include virtually all absences, including sickness, out-of-town interviews, etc. (but does not include classes missed for religious observance).  If classes in excess of four are missed, to avoid withdrawal from the course, a written explanation may be required, including the reason for missing additional classes, the student’s

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The following posting looks like an incredible opportunity to take a year to work with the Air Force cadets in Colorado Springs and maybe even check out the Olympic Training Center.  

Visiting Faculty Position:  Business Law

The Department of Law at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, offers an undergraduate Legal Studies Program.  We seek a career employee at an American graduate or undergraduate institution or government agency to fill a 10.5 month position as a visiting faculty member to teach, among other things, an undergraduate Business Law course.  This visiting position will be from July 2018 to May 2019. 

In addition to being a fulltime career employee at an academic institution or federal agency, applicants must have a J.D. degree from an accredited law school and at least five years fulltime teaching experience.  Preference will be given to experience teaching Business Law and related courses as well as on-going scholarship and practice-related activities.  Visiting Faculty responsibilities in addition to teaching include development, review, and assessment of related learning outcomes, courses and programs, and engagement with students and faculty.  The successful applicant may also teach the core (required) course, Law for Air Force Officers, a survey…

Eclipse2017(totality)

So, it happened.  A total eclipse of the sun.  (And how many of you are still singing one of these songs in honor of the occasion?)  Where were you?  What did you see and do?  My best Android phone photo of totality is above.

I spent the day enjoying both the event and the charm of Charleston, South Carolina with my hubby, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephew (a student at the College of Charleston)–as well as many others.  The photo below shows how dark it got on the ground for us during the total eclipse.  The street lights came on!

Eclipse2017(totalityground)

A lot of people left the park we settled in for the eclipse soon after totality.  My husband and I stayed to watch the moon move away.  It all was so amazing.  Check out the little sliver of sun emerging from under the moon in the spot between the clouds in the photo below.  Yowza!  Here comes the sun!

Eclipse2017(post)

I am sure the business and business law stories from the total eclipse of 2017 will take some time to resolve themselves.  But I did note this WaPo article from earlier today reporting that the run-up to the eclipse, at…

I did a Lexis search, and found zero citations to Dodge v. Ford in the New York Times (though it appears there was at least one online reference in 2015), and only three in the Wall Street Journal – two of which were factual recitations regarding the history of corporate governance debates.

The third was yesterday’s op-ed, arguing that the shareholders of the companies that quit Trump’s manufacturing council (an issue discussed earlier this week by Marcia), as well as shareholders of other companies that purport to take a “moral” stance, should sue corporate executives for destroying shareholder value.  The authors, Jon L. Pritchett and Ed Tiryakian, argued:

Memo to activist CEOs: Dust off your notes, open your textbooks, and reread the basics of corporate finance taught at every credible university. The fiduciary responsibility of a CEO is to safeguard the company’s assets and acknowledge this overriding principle: “It’s not our money but that of the shareholders.”

In today’s heated political climate, some executives have rejected the fundamentals in favor of short-term publicity for themselves and their corporations. When several CEOs quickly resigned over the past few days from the now-disbanded White House Council on Manufacturing, they

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Jodi D. Taylor, a shareholder at the law firm Baker Donelson and a former classmate of mine, recently won the firm’s Work-Life Warrior Award. “Baker Donelson established the Work-Life Warrior Award to honor an attorney in the Firm who demonstrates an ongoing commitment to excellence in maintaining a healthy work-life balance or has advocated on behalf of work-life balance issues for the benefit of others.” Jodi graciously accepted my request to answer a few questions for this post, as part of the series I am doing on law and wellness.

The interview is below the break.

The University of Richmond School of Law seeks to fill three tenure-track positions for the 2018-2019 academic year, including one in corporate/securities law.  Candidates should have outstanding academic credentials and show superb promise for top-notch scholarship and teaching.  The University of Richmond, an equal opportunity employer, is committed to developing a diverse workforce and student body and to supporting an inclusive campus community.  Applications from candidates who will contribute to these goals are strongly encouraged. 

Inquiries and requests for additional information may be directed to Professor Jessica Erickson, Chair of Faculty Appointments, at lawfacultyapp@richmond.edu. 

On July 15 of this year, The New York Times ran an article entitled, “The Lawyer, The Addict.” The article looks at the life of Peter, a partner of a prestigious Silicon Valley law firm, before he died of a drug overdose.

You should read the entire article, but I will provide a few quotes.

  • “He had been working more than 60 hours a week for 20 years, ever since he started law school and worked his way into a partnership in the intellectual property practice of Wilson Sonsini.”
  • “Peter worked so much that he rarely cooked anymore, sustaining himself largely on fast food, snacks, coffee, ibuprofen and antacids.”
  • “Peter, one of the most successful people I have ever known, died a drug addict, felled by a systemic bacterial infection common to intravenous users.”
  • “The history on his cellphone shows the last call he ever made was for work. Peter, vomiting, unable to sit up, slipping in and out of consciousness, had managed, somehow, to dial into a conference call.”
  • “The further I probed, the more apparent it became that drug abuse among America’s lawyers is on the rise and deeply hidden.”
  • “One of the most comprehensive studies

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The Executive Committee of the AALS Section on Business Associations seeks to recognize Section members who demonstrate exemplary mentoring qualities.  We seek nomination letters on behalf of a deserving colleague (please no self-nominations) on or before November 1, 2017, sent to Professor Anne Tucker at amtucker@gsu.edu.

Nominations should address personal experience with the mentor, and any additional information illustrative of the nominee’s dedication to mentoring including qualities such as:

  • Is eager to discuss others’ early ideas and contributes to the development and improvement of others’ work;
  • Promotes and encourages the success of junior scholars by reading and providing meaningful and useful feedback on drafts;
  • Promotes a supportive and rigorous environment for conference presentations;
  • Speaks frankly, provides useful professional and personal advice when asked;
  • Actively participates in a network of scholars;
  • Facilitates professional opportunities for junior scholars such as providing introductions to others in the field, and encouraging participation in the scholarly community through writing and speaking; 
  • Mentors those from underrepresented communities in academics and the study of law;
  • Actively/willingly participates in the promotion process for others by advising on tenure process, writing review letters, and providing useful guidance on career advancement.

Who May Nominate: Any member of the…