f13.net

I was named as one of Utah's "Legal Elite" this year by Utah Business Magazine based upon a survey of the entire Utah Bar.  I am apparently one of the top corporate litigators in the state.

I have two reactions to this:

1)  Say wha?

2)  LOL, because I just quit the profession.

I really have no idea how this came about. Perhaps I was grief titled by people who know I left the job. Anyways, you are now in the presence of one of the best lawyers in Utah. To paraphrase CWIII, this is equivalent to being the finest balerina in all of Ohio.

You still suck AbFab  :-D

Except at poker, you seem l337er than me there.

Grats!

Congrats for becoming an uber lawyer!  Yay for leaving the profession!

You just win and win and win....

What's funny is that after hearing your reason for leaving the profession, I have discovered exactly what you said seems to be true....and it only took me 4 hours of contract work on a deposition defense to find it out.

Back into the hallowed halls of academia with me! 

Maybe someday I can be the "privacy authority," shortly after taking a job with Choicepoint.  But that would involve me turning to evil.  Nothing to see here, move along.

So Abagadro is one of those lawyer types who secretly works for the Mormons and makes sure anyone who objects to their religious influence gets run out of the state?

Bruce

Silly man, Mormons don't play poker.

Congratulations mate.

I think only when it is for real money.  And anyway it doesn't seem to be as big a sin as smoking or drinking.

Bruce

Hmm...not sure whether to congradulate ya for the title, or despise ya...

Oh well, nice going regardless.

My initial reaction...CONGRATZ....SORTA!!!

My secondary reaction...your title of "foozle" should now be changed to "finest ballerina in all of Ohio"  :mrgreen:

What was your reason for leaving, I missed it. Are you doing law of another form, or something else entirely?

Seconded

Wow, I think that is a record.

Did I see somewhere that you were getting am LL.M.?  What are you planning to do with that when you get done?


They were numerous. I just hated the job on many levels including dealing with asshole clients, dealing with asshole attorneys, dealing with asshole partners, dealing with asshole judges, etc. etc.

I'm working part-time doing mostly writing with my old firm as an independent contractor and am in a Ph.D. program for Poli-Sci.

u:
(http://www.wchstv.com/abc/thepractice/dylanmcdermott.jpg)

Heh, well it was an ugly as hell divorce case...I had no idea how train-wreck bad until the thing started. 

Getting the LL.M. in IT & Privacy Law, hoping to xfer out of my current school to UW in Seattle at some point.  The goal would be to do policy work/consulting or get a gig with the EFF/EPIC/CDT, etc.  Ultimately...professor track. 

Right now I'm workin on building up my CV (should have a new journal article coming out this spring.)  And I'm doing buyer closings for res. real estate on the side.  Buyer closings are at least not as sucky as ugly doubleplus ungood dep defenses.

In all of the confusion, I forgot to say congrats for being the best at something that you no longer do.   :roll:

Seriously, though, that is an honor.  Your hourly rate just went up.   :-D

CmdrSlack:  That sounds like an interesting combo of issues. Good luck on the transfer.

Nazrat:  Thanks man (and to all others as well) . Hopefully my propects of getting gunned down outside a courthouse have gone down as well. That whole story give me the heebie-jeebies because you just know it has crossed the minds of so many people comming out of there after getting hosed in one way or another.

Heh in class right now discussing the bnetD lawsuit.  I just got to explain the phrase "catassing" to a bunch of people who think the online game industry is outlandish and stuff.  They also find /pizza to be quite amusing.

Heh.  Nice.

Yes the people in my office got a hold of the /pizza story as well. I got to send them the comic that was posted in the den for a good laugh. They think I'm nuts anyway.

Hehe, these people all think I'm nuts too, but since the game industry is more than fair game for discussion about cyberlaw and privacy issues, I'm a crazy academic.

Which is hopefully somehow better.

Hell, I'm working on a thesis right now about my spin on the "laws of virtual worlds."  Then I have to explain and defend it to my class.  Expect them to hear the phrase "+5 sword of foozle slaying" at least once.

Make sure to include "Mangina," "Catass," and "fucktard."

There is something to be said about living an academic lifestyle.  It's a trade off.  You might have a smaller paycheque but it's made up for with oodles of mental stimulation.  I have a good friend who is probably the best programmer I've ever met.  In fact, he was the Perl Pumpkin for ages.  (I don't think anyone is now because it's being rewritten, innit?)  He's done amazing work but what he really wants is an academic lifestyle.  As interesting as it might be to search for that elusive perfect algorithim, he dreams about living in Cambridge and chatting to people for a living.  There's just no money in it and he needs to keep up the payments on his supercar.  I have no doubt, however, that someday he'll be as rich as he can get and retire to a life of drinking merlot and discussing obscure languages.  He also has a lovely singing voice and you know how those academic types enjoy their artsy fartsy 3-piece combos.

He's single and gay if anyone is interested.   :-)

Real academics don't drink Merlot.

Pinot Noir baby, Pinot Noir.

Ok, I believe you since I can't even remember the last time I had a drink of anything stronger than Fiji water.

That's for lawyers and trust fund babies. Napa Valley Cabernet is the bee's knees.

Hmmmmm .... rich, you say?

How rich?

And how gay?

His father invested for him and he's been a millionaire off and on... mostly on.  How gay?  Did I mention he's Dutch?

So, gayer than the San Francisco all-male review.

I don't know the levels of gayness.  I don't frequent gay establishments, you rent boy you.