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What constitutes computer competency? How about attorney competency?

The answers might be closer to each other than you think. Earlier this year, the ABA revised their model rules to emphasize two duties relevant to both questions: keeping up to date on relevant technology and protecting clients’ sensitive electronic data.

That means computer competency, for attorneys, requires a lot more than simple typing skills. It might also require proficiency with PDF files, Bates-numbering, and Excel, at least, if you want to be outside counsel for a multi-national auto manufacturer.

We know that the U.S is a highly litigious society, but did you know the U.S. legal system is the most costly, too?

The way our legal system works is problematic for companies, large and small. The costs of doing business will be increased by the high costs of litigation and budget cuts that will inevitably be made for businesses to survive in this economic climate. Don't let your job be on the chopping board.

The Wall Street Journal calls Mark Hayes a lobbyist for Humana, an insurance company that makes much of it's revenue off of Medicare. Bloomberg calls him a lobbyist for Greenberg Traurig. He's also a consultant for an investment research firm, Height Securities. The parties' intertwined relationships are starting to sound like a Mississippi family tree.

Greenberg Traurig represented both Height and Humana. The Journal published an email from an analyst at Height to a Humana lobbyist, which was met with an "out of office" email auto responder, that stated "You guys seem to have done everything you can. I wish you the best with rates this evening."

Late last week, the biggest BigLaw billing dispute in recent memory came to an anti-climactic conclusion with a confidential settlement, reports Reuters. The motivation to settle is certainly understandable. Though an unpaid $675,000 tab is quite a bit of bucks, and compromising on the bill sets a bit of a dangerous precedent, the cost of the negative publicity to DLA Piper was more significant.

For those not familiar with the semi-scandal, DLA Piper sued TransGas over the unpaid balance. The company’s CEO and long-time DLA Piper client, Adam Victor, countersued, alleging overbilling. The discovery process led to evidence that supported Victor’s claims and embarrassed the BigLaw behemoth.

In what universe does Mike Rice's conduct not warrant a full investigation and swift and severe sanctions? Only in New Jersey, apparently, and some of those responsible for the wrist-slapping turned PR nightmare are getting the axe. Meanwhile, we can only hope that the university has learned a lesson in governance from this mess.

Mike Rice flung basketballs at players, berated them, physically struck them, and hurled homophobic insults constantly. His conduct only came to light after a disgruntled former employee, who is suing under a state whistleblower statute, leaked the tape to ESPN. Internally, however, Rutgers University was well-aware of the abuse - and responded with a short suspension and a fine.

Many have said that startups like LegalZoom.com are "disruptors" of the legal industry. That label, which is about as played out as "cyber-__" is overused, and some might say, misapplied in the LegalZoom context. Sam Glover, over at Lawyerist, points out that legal form distributors and prepaid legal services have been around forever. LegalZoom just tossed it onto the Internet (and added some damn good marketing).

He has a great point. We'd wonder what he'd think of Axiom Law. This not-law firm legal service provider, with the equally clichéd slogan "law redefined" promises to "do legal work efficiently." It wouldn't be difficult to mistake the LLC for a law firm based on its marketing.

Or based on its services.

We feel so dirty.

The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting story last week about a new tactic that companies are employing to deal with cybersecurity threats and data breaches - hiring lawyers. Now, that probably isn't surprising to you - for nearly every significant data breach, there's a class action lawsuit filed in response. However, the real surprising part of the story was that the firms aren't being hired for their legal skills - they're being hired for privilege.

A breach happens. Data is compromised. A company's first response is probably to call a cybersecurity expert. After all, they can assess the damage, plug the leak, and prevent future hacks.

Though every person has their own individual pet peeves, there are some acts that will irritate even the most even-keeled Ghandi-like attorney.

You finally made it. You landed that cushy in-house gig for a hot Silicon Valley company. Your exuberance was soon tested, however, when your company was slammed with two IP infringement lawsuits and a sexual harassment claim within the first week.

You can't handle this yourself, nor should you. You need outside counsel with experience in these areas. The problem is, who do you choose?

Maybe you've been thinking of making the switch to in-house, or you like the work but want to scale back to part-time. We have a solution: freelance as corporate counsel.

It's true this isn't a traditional path, but for someone with the right skills and expertise it could be a dream career move. After all, corporations often hire outside counsel for projects that are beyond their in-house expertise.

Since it's not a traditional career path, you might want some tips before getting started. Luckily, we have some ready for just this occasion.