Valley Layoff Watch: Happy Holidays Edition

We are foregoing today's open thread, as we assume most of you are (hopefully) not working. How about some bad news instead?

Rumor has it that our old friends at Jones Vargas just laid off an unknown number of attorneys from their transactional/real estate group. These guys have wonderful timing, as evidenced by their late rescission of summer associate offers last March and this latest "Happy Holidays" round of layoffs.

Apparently, JV's Reno office is doing fine, as they recently announced the addition of former federal district court judge and current republican candidate for governor, Brian Sandoval.

If you're feeling a bit too upbeat today, head on over to the Las Vegas Business Press where you'll find an interview with JV's President, Joe Brown, and Lionel Sawyer's Managing Partner, Paul Hejmanowski, about how things are going in our market. You'll be reaching for the antacid in no time. Happy Nevada Day!

(Thanks, tipster!)

Sidebar: Costume Contest!

That time of year is upon us. A time to celebrate dark, spooky people and things that are not of this world. That's right, it's Nevada Day.

For those of you who aren't on your way to Disneyland right now (yeah, real original idea ... you and half the state), we thought it would be fun to get a little creative.

We want to hear your best/worst law-related Halloween costume ideas. What would you like to see your favorite judge dressed as? What would be the most inappropriate thing you could wear to calendar call? What are you going as this year? Let's hear it!

Miley Non-Update

Many of you are clamoring for Miley news, and we just can't seem to get any rumors verified. So, in keeping with our "tabloid" moniker, here are all the rumors we have been able to gather [cue the slow, sappy background western music]:

So, when we last left our dysfunctional couple, Ed, in a drunken rage, strangled his dog to death and gave his hot judge-wife the 'ole what fer before deciding to play shoot-em-up with a live firearm in his backyard. This landed Ed a TRO from his home, his kids' school, and the RJC (big problem for an attorney).

After that point, the rumors get a little murky. Apparently the TRO was allowed to expire. However, Ed's current location is unknown. From what we've heard, he is in rehab in either California or Arizona (possibly court ordered).

As for Judge Hottie, she took a little vacation (do judges really have unlimited sick days?). She is reportedly back to work as of Monday.

But what about the relationship, you ask? Here's where things get real rumory. Those of you who are not daytime soap fans may wish to stop reading here.

Here's an email we received on the matter:

I heard Judge Miley told friends she is going to take him back. Not because she is so in love, but she is over in debt. She paid a lot for her house a few years ago in Red Rock and now she can't sell it for half the price she bought it for. She feels trapped with all of their debt and can't give up the life style she has created.

The cops who were there and arrested Ed - said the kids got their baseball bats, light sabors etc to try and get Dad off of their mom. He was attacking her and didn't stop. Judge Miley thought he was going to kill her then.

These are the days of our lives ...

That's all we've got. We'll leave it to you guys to fill in the blanks and/or tell us we're full of shit.

(Thanks, tipsters)

Boyd Raises The Bar

Say what you will about our local lawyer factory, they certainly are putting up the numbers.

A very respectable 86% (91 of 106) of first-time takers from Boyd School of Law passed the July 2009 bar. The pass rate for all first-time takers was 74%, and the overall pass rate was 63%.

This is the highest passage rate for Boyd to date. The previous high was 83% (paired with a 69% overall pass rate).

Congratulations, Boyd! Now, if you could just limit your next entering class to approximately 15 students, we're sure many of our currently jobless Nevada attorneys would appreciate it.

Here are the numbers:

Overall Pass Rate:
NV overall pass rate (includes both attorneys and students): 63%. In comparison, in July '08, the NV overall pass rate was 69%, while in February '09, the NV overall pass rate was 56%.
Boyd overall pass rate (includes both first-timers and repeaters): 74% (101/136) In comparison, in July '08, Boyd's overall pass rate was 75%, while in February '09, the Boyd's overall pass rate was 58%.

First time Student Takers:
NV pass rate for first-time student takers: 74% In comparison, in July '08, the NV pass rate for first-time student takers was 70%, while in February '09 the NV pass rate for first-time student takers was 46%.
Boyd pass rate for first-time student takers: 86% (91/106) In comparison, in July '08, the Boyd's pass rate for first-time student takers was 83%, while in February '09 Boyd's pass rate for first-time student takers was 58%.

Repeat Takers:
NV pass rate for repeating student takers: 28%. In comparison, in July '08, the NV Pass rate for repeating student takers was 34% and in February '09, the NV pass rate for repeating student takers was 29%.
Boyd pass rate for repeating student takers: 33% (10/30). In comparison, in July '08, the Boyd pass rate for repeating student takers was 48% and in February '09, Boyd's pass rate for repeating student takers was 55%.

Overall for Students:
NV overall pass rate for students (includes both first-timers and repeaters but excludes attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions): 69% In comparison, in July '08, the NV overall pass rate for students was 70% and in February '09, the NV overall pass rate for students was 46%.
Boyd overall pass rate (includes both first-timers and repeaters): 74%. (101/136) In comparison, in July '08, Boyd's overall pass rate was 75% and in February '09, Boyd's overall pass rate was 58%.

Those numbers certainly look good, what do you guys think?

(Thanks, tipster!)

Friday Open Thread

It's official, we're loving it. Friday Open Threads are now a regular feature on WWL.

Discuss whatever you'd like. Previous threads are available here. Have a great weekend!

Happy Bar Results Day!

Hey, you.

Yeah you ... the one with the sweaty palms who is supposed to be billing, but is instead checking the local legal gossip blog in hopes you will be able to take your mind off the potentially career-changing news that will drop later today.

You ... the one wondering if it was a good idea to listen to your friend's BarBri bootlegs instead of actually paying for the course.

And you ... the one second-guessing your analysis on whatever asinine question Nevada's sadistic bar examiners decided to trip you up with this year.

RELAX ... you are amongst friends.

Commenters, how about posting some happy thoughts for our soon-to-be-hyperventilating pals? Let them know that life goes on, regardless of the results ... tell them your tales of woe.

RESULTS ARE POSTED ... press button below.

Good luck!! Don't forget about tipping us when you become big shot attorneys!

Daaaaad!! You're ruining the play!

Doesn't anyone think about their future children when they make the decision to practice law?

Sure, living in a nice pad and getting a BMW for your 16th birthday are good perks, but what about when the economy tanks and Daddy, Esq., suddenly finding he has more time on his hands, decides to become more "involved" regarding your extracurricular activities?

Local Attorney Cory Hilton (of Hilton English, website currently "under construction") is taking on Green Valley High School over their theatrical productions of Rent and The Larime Project. Hilton is leading a group of overprotective concerned parents who don't want their children's virgin eyes and ears traumatized by such debauchery. What year is this again? From LV Now:

Hilton says he will ask a judge to shut down the plays, citing, in part, the Clark County School District's own policy related to movies. It forbids any movie above a PG rating in the schools. The movie version of Rent is PG-13.

Ahhhh ... the old "Motion To Do My Parenting For Me," very shrewd Mr. Hilton.

As a criminal defense attorney, we'd think Hilton would be more aware of the types of things modern-day high schoolers are exposed to as part of their everyday lives. We're guessing that the daily happenings over at GVHS make Rent and The Larime Project look like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, respectively.

Be sure to check out the video over at LV Now, if only for the final 10 seconds when current Boyd law student Colleen McCarty is awkwardly subject to a pop civil procedure quiz.

(LV Now)