The Top Stories of the Week
March 18, 2016

Editor's note: Peeps in Law 2016: The Peeps Awaken is accepting your diorama entries--but this is your last weekend to work on it! Entries are due Monday, March 21. Click here to find out more.

• Full-time female lawyers earn 77 percent of male lawyer pay

  Mar 17, 2016, 8:10 am CDT

• A Message From American Bar Endowment

  Why Do Pro Bono?

  Mar 15, 2016, 11:31 am CDT

• DOJ warns local courts about illegal enforcement of fees and fines

  Mar 14, 2016, 12:11 pm CDT

• Lawyers are No. 2 on list of highest-paying jobs

  Mar 14, 2016, 6:15 am CDT

• Meet Merrick Garland, Supreme Court nominee

  Mar 16, 2016, 10:29 am CDT

• A Message From Thomson Reuters Practice Point

  3 Benefits of Using Task-Based Legal Research for In-house Counsel

  Mar 15, 2016, 1:55 pm CDT

• Yale Law School remains No. 1 in US News rankings

  Mar 16, 2016, 7:08 am CDT

• When will lawyers rise (like elevators) to the occasion?

  Mar 17, 2016, 8:30 am CDT

• 2 judges disciplined for failing to disclose their romantic relationship

  Mar 14, 2016, 2:45 pm CDT

• Strip-club lawyer threatens to 'go scorched earth' and issues F-word tax threat

  Mar 14, 2016, 5:45 am CDT

• Federal judge 'excoriated and mocked counsel,' 9th Circuit says; he is booted from a fourth case

  Mar 17, 2016, 5:45 am CDT

• Women could be majority of law students in 2017

  Mar 16, 2016, 6:15 am CDT

• Bill Cosby seeks to use homeowners' umbrella policy to pay legal bills

  Mar 16, 2016, 5:45 am CDT

• 9th Circuit OKs dismissal of Jaycee Dugard suit over kidnapping by parolee who held her for 18 years

  Mar 16, 2016, 4:00 pm CDT

• 'Unconscionable' payday loan voided by Delaware Chancery Court

  Mar 16, 2016, 11:00 am CDT

• Judge says Chipotle social media rules violated labor law, orders rehiring of worker fired for tweet

  Mar 16, 2016, 4:30 pm CDT

Question of the Week

We want to hear from you

• Are associates at your firm allowed to present arguments in court?

This week, Above the Law reported on an order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal from the Northern District of California.

"With no fewer than six post-trial motions set for argument next week, surely an opportunity can be made to give those associates that contributed mightily to this difficult case a chance to step out of the shadows and into the light," Grewal wrote. "To that end, the court expects that each party will allow associates to present its arguments on at least two of the six motions to be heard. If any party elects not to do this, the court will take its positions on all six motions on the papers and without oral argument."

And what happened? The lawyers on both sides decided that the judge should rule based on the filings. One firm was a boutique (Ruyak Cherian); the other was DLA Piper.

So this week, we'd like to ask you: Are associates at your firm allowed to present arguments in court? If so, in what sorts of cases? If not, why not?

Answer in the comments.

Read the answers to last week's question: What legal advice would you give to a client who won the lottery?

Featured answer:

Posted by JustTess4All: "Tell no one, trust no one. Hire a lawyer first, then a financial adviser, then hire a personal assistant to open your mail and answer your phone. If you have any medical, mental health or substance abuse issues, get treatment immediately at the best, most remote facility possible. While you are relaxing at the wellness retreat, think about what is most important to you. Decide on a plan--doing nothing is not a plan. You will find that money is much like time, it will slip away no matter what you do, but while you cannot make more time, you can make more money!"