James Levine @JamesHSLevine Twitter profile

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James Levine

3 years

Nine-year-old has a restaurant idea called “Burrito Bucket,” where you order burritos by the bucket, and honest to god I think it’s a winner.

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Last Seen Profiles

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Just sent opposing counsel an email that read "Quick FU call?" and realized too late that may be a bit ambiguous.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

Are hippos using automatic weapons or something?

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Telling the judge you don’t know where your co-counsel is and that “it’s not my day to watch her” doesn’t seem like the best strategic move, but you do you, dude.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Practice tip: If you're my opposing counsel and you send an email that my co-counsel is "unpleasant," "a bitch," and acting in bad faith, there is a 💯chance that I'm forwarding her that email before I even finish reading it.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Having a judge call my motion “as pointless as a motion can be” is as close to a waking nightmare as I can imagine.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

6 months

Shoot for the stars, Judy. Shoot for the stars.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Pro se plaintiff: I have people who are advising me with respect to this case. Judge: Well I hope they have malpractice insurance.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

9 months

Your Honor— after this intro, it’s cruel not to explain how the electrician got caught up in this mess.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Opposing counsel just misspoke and referred to “interroggies” and I think I may use that going forward.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

Associates/staff shouldn’t have to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Firms should check who billed yesterday and have an intervention with the partners they work with.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

He called and we had a nice FOLLOW UP call.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

4 months

Lawyers who insist on referring to themselves as “Esq.” are the most insufferable sort.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

10 months

Attorney: Your Honor, this case is just like Smith v. Jones because… Judge: Counsel, as you may or may not have noticed, I wrote Smith v. Jones. Are you SURE you want to finish that sentence? DEAD ☠️

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Was an M&A lawyer in charge of coming up with a name for the company?

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

6 months

Why do so many litigators start shit on Friday afternoons?

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

No, opposing counsel. Your ex parte communications with court staff are NOT protected by a “judicial communication privilege.”

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

I once had a client who thought when he forwarded my emails to an adverse witness, the witness would be bound by privilege and confidentiality and couldn’t testify against the client. 🤦‍♂️

SOTUS

@SteamboatUSA

11 months

Guys please do not forward your attorney’s emails to anybody.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Exhibit #653 why you need good Delaware counsel.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Judge: I order you to testify at a hearing. LLC: ABCDEFU and the Court and whatever you support. And your clerk and your order and your GD court reporter. FU and your gavel you can watch me come unraveled. While your “order” sure seems precious, imma keep my ass in Texas.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

At my first deposition opposing counsel (very experienced) asked if I would agree to the “usual stipulations.” I asked what they were and he couldn’t explain them. I asked why any lawyer would agree to something they didn’t know or understand. 🤷‍♂️

Legal Intelligencer

@thelegalintel

2 years

Many Litigators Still Do Not Know Meaning of 'the Usual Stipulations'

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

9 months

Dear summer camps, I hope this email finds you well. 9:00-3:00 is NOT “full-time.” Best, James

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Judge: If you can’t settle this case, I may write an opinion that makes you all look bad. Three months later… Judge: Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Firms really should teach time entry narrative drafting in their new associate training.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

8 months

Am I the only one who double checks to make sure their parents tipped enough?

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

The ability to keep a straight face in court is an underappreciated lawyer skill.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

5 months

Drafting pet peeve - when people copy and paste from Westlaw or Lexis but don’t change the straight quote marks to smart ones.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

8 months

One of the hardest parts of supervising other lawyers is accepting that just because they do something differently than I would have doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

7 months

We told Eleven that she couldn’t buy a dress today. So her friend bought her the dress and she bought her friend lunch. She’s basically discovered money laundering.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

One of my all-time pet peeves is when people define terms in documents and then don’t use them.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

9 months

Lawyer: Please tell about the dispute so I can start drafting a complaint. Client:

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Had an opposing counsel who refused to consent to move a trial date to accommodate a family funeral. They made us file an opposed motion, which the court granted two minutes after they filed their opposition.

Roger Baker

@RogerJBaker

1 year

Counsel who refuse to adjourn a matter for an oncologist appointment provide a compelling reason for the public to think poorly of lawyers.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

9 months

My 2L summer I went to lunch multiple times a week with one particular partner (World Cup 2006 and games were on over lunch). Lunch was usually chicken Caesar salads and 3-4 double scotches. The bartender was his mistress. But free lunches and scotches for me!

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@vanillaopinions

9 months

who combines hard liquor and salad for a meal

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

8 months

Be careful with nicknames. Once had an adverse party who claimed to hold an officer rank in a foreign military. Co-counsel colloquially referred to him internally as Colonel Mustard. Which was kinda funny until she accidentally said it during a hearing. The court was NOT amused.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

7 months

Every legal market has *that* firm. Their lawyers are convinced they are smarter. More pure. Who say the firm name with an inflection as if they were announcing themselves as French royalty. While all the other local lawyers roll their eyes and think, “This fucking guy again!”

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Just spoke with a fairly senior lawyer who was very excited because his new iPhone “even has a camera!” Which makes me afraid of what his last phone was.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Why do lawyers insist on creating defined terms for self-defined names? There’s no need for “Plaintiff John Smith (“Smith”)” where there’s no other Smith.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

8 months

When you realize that, due to a drafting oversight, your “hitman contract” doesn’t have non-delegation language.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Congratulations to Dominion’s lawyers, who presumably just made $260,000,000…

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

So as an update, the lawyer sent a letter to the judge this morning, just before the letter opinion was issued. In the letter, he acknowledges that Delaware counsel REFUSED to sign the motion in question because of “substantive” and other issues. Rock on Delaware counsel!

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

We’re back, baby! #gobirds

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

9 months

Well that’s gonna bother me…

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Because I can’t leave well enough alone sometimes, I dug up the transcript. The judge struck the “Israeli money launderer” part that immediately preceded my objection. Judges, don’t be like this.

James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

In my first hearing ever, the judge threatened to hold me in contempt and throw me in jail because I asked him to stop calling my client “the Israeli money launderer.” (Which he wasn’t).

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

6 months

Firms that don’t include direct contact info for attorneys are a pain in the ass.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 months

How mad would my management committee be if I sold the firm?

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Signed this. Can you review?

Lawtrades

@LawTrades

1 year

Terrify your lawyer in 5 words.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

7 months

How well you do on the LSAT is a great indicator of how well you do on the LSAT.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Not me, but my wife is a lawyer who doesn’t read anything before she signs it.

Medlife Crisis (DEFUNCT)

@MedCrisis

2 years

What's the most off-brand thing you do? I'm a cardiologist. I eat healthily, I exercise, am slim, don't smoke etc. But. I don't spread butter on toast, I hold the entire block in my hand and apply it like a pritt stick until the toast is practically transparent. Paratha style.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Scene - A high end hotel bar. Eccentric billionaire: I’ll pay you $1,000,000 for one night with your wife. Me: [thinks] How will you pay? Cash? Will you 1099 me? If so, there really should be some sort of true-up… EB: [moves to dude on next stool] I’ll pay you $1,000,000…

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

Have you or your client ever called a judge a prick? Here’s a good example of why not to do it in writing: sometimes it finds its way to the judge and into an opinion…

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

In my first hearing ever, the judge threatened to hold me in contempt and throw me in jail because I asked him to stop calling my client “the Israeli money launderer.” (Which he wasn’t).

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

@mithrasangel He told counsel he could have stopped at “I don’t know” and moved onto the substance of the motion.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

7 months

Fortunately this is not my BigLaw experience. As a junior associate at a 500+ lawyer firm, I told my colleagues that my family was a priority. How did the partners respond? They encouraged me to work my schedule around my kids’/family events. Choose to work with better people.

Eli Albrecht

@Eli_Albrecht

7 months

Last year, my 6-year-old had a school play. I summoned the courage to ask the Big Law partners for permission to attend. One gave me a lecture about how he worked while his wife was giving birth and another responded, okay, and then promptly removed me from the deal I was working

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Make any movie/TV show a lawyer movie/show by changing or adding one word. I’ll start: Registered Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Holy hell. This is a wild ride. @AkivaMCohen @questauthority

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

It's tremendously fun to be Akiva's Delaware counsel. Also awesome to work with @dmschmeyer @KathrynTewson and @questauthority .

Akiva Cohen

@AkivaMCohen

2 years

So here's the thing. You can only violate people's legal rights and your own word so far before they lawyer up and come after you. I really do hope Musk changes his mind and does the right thing - the employees deserve that. But it'll be fun as hell if he doesn't.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

Wonka!

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

@dieworkwear Just had my firm’s “cocktail attire” holiday party. Half the men were in khakis and several were just wearing casual tops. I know “cocktail attire” can be broad, but that felt like a bridge too far.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

10 months

I will never get tired of lawyers who STILL don’t understand how to mute themselves in zoom hearings.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

@rossinphl FU

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

6 months

Welp, guess I can go pencils down on that article about noncompetes under Delaware law.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

3 years

As a Delaware/Chancery lawyer, I now understand how so many infectious disease doctors have felt over the past two years.

Kathryn Tewson

@KathrynTewson

3 years

What the fuck happened so that all the internet men suddenly know the words “fiduciary duty” but not what they mean

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

The downside to finishing a brief two weeks early is that you have two weeks to tinker and stew about how much you hate it.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

8 months

Things you never want to hear a judge say, Part 266: “How is that not perjury?”

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

5 years

Saddened to learn of the passing of past Chancellor of the Court of Chancery William T. Allen, an exceptional jurist who framed so many corporate law issues. I understand he was as good a person as he was a jurist. He will be sadly missed.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Ended up as an extended fight with the judge about what was a material fact. Judge showed incredible patience and spent a lot of time explaining legal principles and applying them. In the end, summary judgment granted for defendant.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

7 months

Hard not to like a judge who throws a gratuitous Office Space reference into an opinion.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Counsel also ADMONISHES THE JUDGE for not reviewing the documents counsel filed. Oh man. I think he got off easy here.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

6 months

The best response to opposing counsel’s screed is often well thought out, edited, slept on, and then deleted.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

4 years

@laplanck If you get a transcript of this hearing, could you make Christmas come early and post it please?

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

7 months

Responding to a judge’s question with “I’m not sure Your Honor is focusing on the right issues” is not going to have the effect you had hoped.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

@illegal_memer Also how I describe myself…

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

@clhubes Agree on Lily and Joe. But my 10 y/o has a disturbing number of “early seasons Luke” classmates.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

By way of background, the court is inquiring into who the real party in interest is. Really questionable stuff from the entity plaintiff. Full submission here: . Full coverage from my friends at the blog.

IP/DE

A Blog About Intellectual Property Litigation and the District of Delaware

ipde.com

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Amazingly, I think that every last thing she said is wrong.

TTI

@TikTokInvestors

1 year

“I learned it on tiktok, your honor”

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Hey #lawtwitter . Anyone ever have a case where you remove to federal court but the state court…thinks it still has the case and insists on holding proceedings?

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

Happy Thanksgiving from the best parade viewing spot in New York (72nd and the Park)!

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

If you’re a lawyer who feels neglected because you don’t get enough email, try entering an appearance in a patent litigation case. Every single IP services and litigation funding vendor on earth will find you.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

If your summary judgment brief is 5 pages and only cites to (1) your complaint, and (2) basic SJ standards, that’s TOO “summary.”

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

“What are you even talking about?” may be the best answer ever given by a deponent.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

6 months

BigLaw gets a lot of grief (some deserved), but the network a large firm provides is outstanding. A friend has a problem with real estate she inherited in Spain. I asked internally for referrals and within five minutes, nine of my colleagues had responded with good leads.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

A few years ago when we watched Frozen a lot, my wife told me she loved me and my daughter (five at the time) leaned over to her and whispered, “You’re a princess; you don’t have to settle.”

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

Ten made us waffles for breakfast. Ten: What’s the secret ingredient I added to make them extra tasty? Me: Love? Ten: What? Gross. No.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

@timserpas @mccannst Where I tell him all the ways his client f’d up? I like it!

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

11 months

The point Ames is making here is spot on. But I don’t know any first year PDs, prosecutors, or anyone else in state government service (or legal aid) making $75K. More often $50-60K. We need to pay public service better.

Ames Grawert 🎃

@AmesCG

11 months

First-year public defenders earn roughly a third of their BigLaw peers — before bonus. And no matter their years of service a line federal prosecutor will never make more than a first-year associate.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

7 months

Some mornings are really productive. Other mornings you have an earthquake and find out one of your early mentors is charged with manufacturing child pornography. I don’t make the rules.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

@questauthority

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Please don’t post screenshots of custody-related texts with your ex. It usually makes you both look bad.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

@BSmithFlyers I did! Creative juices flowing this morning.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

My father accidentally called me from his Antarctic cruise. That’s gonna be an expensive butt dial.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

9 months

For any law students seeing this post, I absolutely DO NOT endorse doing this today. It was a very different time and situation. Don’t jeopardize your offer!

James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

9 months

My 2L summer I went to lunch multiple times a week with one particular partner (World Cup 2006 and games were on over lunch). Lunch was usually chicken Caesar salads and 3-4 double scotches. The bartender was his mistress. But free lunches and scotches for me!

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

6 months

I can neither confirm nor deny whether we have discussed some or all of these ideas and the name suggestions in the comments except I can and of course we have.

Jody Sanders

@jodyssanders

6 months

If Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord do merge, I hope they go with “TroutLord” because the fish motif possibilities are endless. Partners = sharks Associates = minnows Managing partner = Megalodon Recruitment = fishing season.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

3 months

Found out today that one of my colleagues has been diagnosed with MS and another is losing her fight with cancer and going on hospice. Both are 47 years old with teenage kids. Be grateful for everything you have.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Saw the title “managing associate” on a firm’s website today and it made me wonder about the hierarchy. Is it: Managing Associate > Coping Associate > Drowning Associate > First-Year-Fresh-Faced Associate.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

1 year

Congratulations to plaintiffs’ counsel in the Dell stockholders’ litigation, to whom Vice Chancellor Laster awarded a $266,700,000 fee. That is NOT a typo. $266.7 MILLION.

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

When I joined my town’s planning commission, I thought it would be fun to help set zoning policy and the overall direction of our little hamlet. Today I am drafting an ordinance establishing building standards for chicken coops. Look Ma, I made it!

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James Levine

@JamesHSLevine

2 years

“The President, while riding his bicycle on his vacation in Jackson Hole, came to a sudden arboreal stop.”