NIU Law Class Reunions

The following classes are having reunions at Harry Caray's Restaurant in Lombard on November 15th: 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2008. 

Harry Caray's is located on the ground floor of the Westin Hotel. I haven't looked into rooms yet, but we'll probably be staying there that night. I hope to see a lot of people there. Give me a quick comment to this post if you're planning on attending. 

Is the Facebook Case Over? - Winklevoss Twins Want to Go to the Supreme Court

A settlement worth millions has not satisfied Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, the Ivy-league twins made popular in the movie about Facebook, "Social Networking".

Despite recent legal defeats, the brothers have decided to take their feud with Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg all the way to the Supreme Court. The strategy? : Get the Supreme Court to invalidate the settlement agreement from their lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. The theory?: The twins claim they were defrauded during negotiations for the settlement -- which was paid in Facebook stock -- claiming the actual value of the settlement was less than half what they were led to believe, i.e. this settlement was reached through securities fraud.

In 2004, the twins filed a lawsuit against Facebook alleging that Facebook creator Zuckerberg copied their idea and illegally used source code intended for the website Zuckerberg was hired to develop. It's reported that the twins settled in 2008 in a deal worth approximately $200 million today. A San Francisco appeals court rejected their latest attempt to renegotiate their earlier stock and cash agreement, and in his December 2010 ruling, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Justice Alex Kozinski decided that the settlement would stand. Chief Kozinski explained, “For whatever reason, they [the Winklevosses] now want to back out. Like the district court, we see no basis for allowing them to do so...At some point, litigation must come to an end. That point has now been reached.”

Because the Supreme Court only hears limited cases, how likely is it that the twins will proceed? Should the Supreme Court re-open the doors?

Since the Winklevoss's initial lawsuit, Facebook has only grown, and will continue to do so. Even though the site is blocked in several countries including the People's Republic of China, Vietnam and Iran, as of January 2011 Facebook has more than 600 million active users.

Join Northern Law Blog's Facebook page here.

Twitter wants a Corporate Counsel

Social Media network Twitter has a job posting for "Corporate Counsel". Apply here.

Corporate Counsel
Full-Time — San Francisco, CA

About This Job

Come be one of the first corporate, securities and acquisition counsel in Twitter's growing legal team!

You'll have a diverse range of responsibilities, including corporate structuring, finance, governance, equity and acquisition issues. You'll help set the culture and approach of the legal department and be an important part of our very small company.

We're looking for an experienced attorney who is comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with broad responsibility. You need to bring legal smarts, business sense and a good personality because you'll be dealing with challenging legal issues and helping to shape our business strategy.

Responsibilities

Support corporate financing activities
Assist with corporate governance and Board matters, including preparation for Board and committee meetings and implementation and oversight of corporate policies
Support mergers and acquisitions from structuring the offer to closing the deal
Educate and advise the company on corporate and securities law
Work with the finance department on stock option and other equity issues
Plan and oversee corporate structure, including formation and maintenance of domestic and international subsidiaries
Qualifications

At least seven years (though more, even much more, is welcome) of relevant experience with at least five years of relevant great law firm experience
Demonstrated sound business and legal judgment
Entrepreneurial mindset: flexible, self-starting and hard-working
Comfortable working in a company experiencing rapid growth
Strong written and oral communication skills
JD, bar admission and good academic record


Follow www.twitter.com/JoinTheFlock for more recruiting info

Chicago Bears Watch Party

Chicago Bears Watch Party

Hosted by the NIU Law Alumni Council and Student Bar Association

Sunday, November 14, 2010 (vs. Vikings)

Side Bar Grille (221 N. LaSalle, Chicago)

11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

FREE Food and Drinks. Games and Prizes!

Please RSVP IMMEDIATELY to lawevents@niu.edu or 815.753.9655

Law Blog Contributors Network in Naperville

Northern Law Blog contributors Mike Huseman, Brian Krause, and Matt Kooperman (far right) network at a DuPage County Bar Association event on Thursday evening on the rooftop patio of the Two Nine Bar in Naperville. Also pictured is Adam Wirtz from the Wirtz Law Offices, LLC (second from right).

Network Effectively on LinkedIn

This is an excellent video on how to network effectively on LinkedIn. Social media expert Chuck Hester talks about building your network, how to find employment through LinkedIn, and how to use your connections to your advantage.

If you're not on there, I suggest that you create a profile. Feel free to connect with me here.

Illinois Courts ....on Twitter?

It seems, everyone has some type of social networking or communication web page now days. Well leave it to the Illinois courts to keep up with the trends. Below is the link to the official Illinois Courts Twitter Page, where you can find out about new opinions, programs, and more.

http://twitter.com/illinoiscourts

Great client.

I'm sure most of you have heard about the defamation suit filed by the Cook County landlord against one of its tenants for comments allegedly made by the tenant on twitter.

I don't have any comments about the merits of that lawsuit. But I do like the mentality expressed by the landlord's representative in the Sun-Times article this morning.

"We're a sue first, ask questions later kind of an organization," he said, noting that the company manages 1,500 apartments in Chicago and has a good reputation it wants to preserve.

I need more clients like that guy.

What happens when a law student mixes advocacy with social networking?

When 25 year-old law student Adam Reich took on a post-conviction case as part of the USC Gould School of Law’s Post-Conviction Justice Project, he decided that his advocacy before a California parole board was not quite enough. Instead, he wanted as many people as possible to follow his plight.

His nonlawyer friend set up Web channels for the project. A website was created. Updates were made on Twitter. Messages were sent to Reich’s Facebook friends. The end result: the second year law student successfuly helped release a woman after she spent 29 years in jail and he gave internet communities front-row access as every event related to the project unfolded.

Although he’s not a “web expert”, Reich used online social networking as his backbone during the project. In an e-mail interview with the ABA Journal, he said he spent 22 hours a day on the case from Jan. 1 until the convicted woman walked out of prison. He estimates 50 percent was spent working the social media channels.

Social networking is an invaluable way to connect or re-connect with people for projects, networking and job searches. With websites like LinkedIn and the ABA’s Legally Minded, social networking has transcended from mere socializing to a form of professional communication. In Reich’s case, his social networking sites helped make his advocacy efforts a success.

Read the ABA's Complete Article on Reich.