The
winter
holidays
are
just
around
the
corner,
but
Biglaw
firms
still
have
ample
time
to
give
their
associates
the
greatest
gift
of
all:
More
money.
After
all,
matching
the
Cravath
year-end
bonus
and
Milbank
special
bonus
scales
isn’t
so
much
to
ask,
now
is
it?
In
fact,
one
top
firm
recently
gave
its
attorneys
the
all
clear
to
unwrap
some
cold,
hard
cash.
That
firm
is
Sullivan
&
Cromwell.
After
bringing
home
$2,050,719,000
gross
revenue
in
2024,
the
firm
came
in
at
No.
25
in
the
most
recent
Am
Law
100
ranking.
S&C
doesn’t
publish
memos
related
to
compensation,
but
instead
sends
out
individualized
links
to
its
attorneys.
According
to
our
sources,
the
firm
is
following
the
market
and
matching
the
prevailing
market
rate
on
bonuses.
Here’s
what
the
bonus
scale
looks
like
at
SullCrom:
Class
of
2025
–
$15,000
(prorated)
/
$6,000
(prorated)
Class
of
2024
–
$20,000
/
$6,000
Class
of
2023
–
$30,000
/
$10,000
Class
of
2022
–
$57,500
/
$15,000
Class
of
2021
–
$75,000
/
$20,000
Class
of
2020
–
$90,000
/
$25,000
Class
of
2019
–
$105,000
/
$25,000
Class
of
2018
–
$115,000
/
$25,000
Bonuses
at
the
firm
will
be
paid
out
just
before
Christmas.
Congratulations
to
everyone
at
Sullivan
&
Cromwell!
Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
compensation
updates,
so
when
your
firm
announces
or
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus/Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
your
help!
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.
I
recently
created
a
chatbot
(based
on
my
e-books,
which
are
free
on
my
LinkedIn
profile,
and
10
years
of
my
LinkedIn
posts)
for
young
lawyers
named
Ask
Frank,
which
they
can
use
to
ask
questions
about
the
profession,
their
careers,
and
the
practice.
Here’s
a
prompt
I
entered
into
my
chatbot,
followed
by
the
response.
I
hope
you
visit
the
chatbot,
use
it,
and
share
the
link
with
your
friends
and
colleagues.
How
can
a
young
lawyer
plan
for
2026?
A
simple,
realistic,
high-impact
roadmap
you
can
execute
week
by
week.
1.
Start
With
an
Owner
Mindset
(Q1
Focus)
(Based
on
Be
Your
Own
CEO
+
The
Associate’s
Handbook)
Shift
from
“I
do
the
tasks
assigned”
to
“I
run
a
mini-business
inside
the
firm.”
Ask:
Your
2026
CEO
Questions
What
services
do
I
provide?
(e.g.,
research,
drafting,
hearings,
client
comms)
Who
are
my
internal
clients?
(partners,
senior
associates,
paralegals)
What
does
success
look
like
for
each?
Where
are
the
gaps
in
speed,
quality,
or
communication?
Action
Plan
Schedule
3
kickoff
meetings
in
January:
“What
does
great
look
like
from
me
this
year?
What
should
I
do
more/less
of?”
Build
a
personal
KPI
sheet:
turnaround
time,
zero-defect
proofreading,
proactive
updates,
and
internal
client
satisfaction.
Commit
to
a
weekly
review:
what
went
well
/
what
to
refine.
2.
Master
the
Ask
&
Communication
(Q1–Q4)
(See
The
Associate
Whisperer
+
The
Associate’s
Handbook)
Make
clarity
your
superpower.
Use
a
standard
script
when
receiving
assignments:
“What’s
the
deliverable
you
want?”
“Who
is
the
audience?”
“What’s
the
deadline?
Any
soft
vs.
hard
deadlines?”
“What
would
‘overdoing
it’
look
like?”
(Partners
love
this
one.)
“What
similar
work
product
can
I
model?”
For
your
own
updates:
Keep
partners
and
clients
from
wondering.
Use
short,
structured
emails:
issue
→
status
→
next
steps
→
what
you
need.
3.
Build
Speaking,
Writing,
and
Presence
Skills
(Q1–Q4)
(See
Own
the
Room,
Getting
Published
for
Lawyers,
and
From
Law
School
to
Litigator)
Speaking: Take
Frank’s
“open
mic
night”
guidance
seriously
—
find
low-stakes
reps.
Volunteer
to
present
internally.
Give
a
10-minute
“lunch
&
learn.”
Join
a
local
bar
committee
and
ask
to
introduce
a
panelist.
Writing
&
Thought
Leadership:
Aim
for
one
publication
per
quarter
—
even
short
LinkedIn
articles
count.
Use
the
Getting
Published
framework:
idea
→
angle
→
outline
→
750-word
draft
→
pitch.
Presence:
Practice
the
Own
the
Room
triad:
stance,
eye
contact,
and
pace.
Record
yourself
once
a
month
and
refine
one
micro-skill
at
a
time.
4.
Become
AI-Fluent
—
Not
Just
a
User
(Q1–Q4)
Frank’s
commentary
repeatedly
stresses
that
AI
fluency
is
a
differentiator,
and
early
adopters
will
be
the
high
performers.
Efficiency
workflow
(email
drafts,
research
checklists,
task
triage)
Necessary:
always
keep
the
person-in-the-loop
principle
in
mind.
AI
enhances
you;
it
does
not
replace
your
judgment.
Bonus:
Track
the
tasks
where
you
save
20–40%
time
and
share
them
with
partners.
5.
Build
Your
Network
and
Reputation
(Q2–Q4)
(See
LinkedIn
for
Lawyers,
Attorney
Marketing
101,
Be
Your
Own
CEO)
Simple
weekly
habits
Comment
insightfully
on
three
posts.
Connect
with
three
new
practitioners
(outside
your
firm).
Share
one
helpful
thing
per
week
(case
insight,
checklist,
article).
Monthly
habit
Attend
one
live
or
virtual
event
and
meet
two
new
lawyers.
Follow
up
with
a
short
“great
meeting
you”
message.
Quarterly
habit
Ask
2–3
senior
lawyers
for
a
20-minute
mentorship
conversation.
Offer
value
back:
a
summary
of
AI
tools,
research
updates,
or
relevant
intel.
6.
Practice-Level
Skill
Building
(Q1–Q4)
(See
From
Law
School
to
Litigator,
Training
Your
Law
Firm
Associates)
Focus
on
the
highest
ROI
skills:
Writing
tight,
clear,
short
briefs.
Preparing
partners
for
hearings
with
“hooks”
and
key
themes.
Understanding
how
judges
think.
Managing
paralegals
and
assistants
with
accountability
(your
work
is
yours).
2026
Skill
Milestones
Q1:
Master
motion
drafting
workflow.
Q2:
Handle
your
first
argument
or
deposition
segment.
Q3:
Run
a
case
calendar
independently.
Q4:
Own
a
file
(with
supervision).
7.
Build
Grit,
Confidence,
and
Resilience
(Always-On)
(See
Motivate
Yourself,
Confessions
of
a
Latino
Lawyer)
Much
of
Frank’s
commentary
reinforces
the
“grit
at
the
inflection
point”
idea
—
most
lawyers
stop
when
things
get
hard;
winners
push
through.
Daily
mental
practices
Keep
a
“done
list”
to
remind
yourself
of
real
progress.
Reflect
weekly
on
small
wins.
Ask
for
feedback
quarterly
—
don’t
wait
for
reviews.
When
overwhelmed: Use
the
CEO
reset
question:
“What
is
the
one
next
action
that
moves
the
ball?”
8.
Plan
Your
Year
Like
a
Professional
(Q4
Before
2026
+
Quarterly
Refreshes)
Annual
Goal
Buckets
Skills
–
what
will
you
be
meaningfully
better
at
by
Dec.
31?
Relationships
–
who
are
your
10
people
to
grow
with?
Visibility
–
where
will
you
speak,
publish,
or
lead?
Efficiency
–
what
systems
will
you
streamline
(AI,
templates,
workflows)?
Well-being
–
what
guardrails
will
keep
you
steady?
Quarterly
Planning
Ritual
Review
goals.
Identify
three
must-wins
for
the
next
90
days.
Simplify
everything
else.
A
Sample
2026
Roadmap
Q1
(Jan–Mar)
Clarify
expectations
with
partners.
Build
AI
playbooks.
Publish
one
short
article.
Present
internally
once.
Q2
(Apr–Jun)
Take
on
a
hearing,
deposition
segment,
or
client
presentation.
Attend
one
conference
or
virtual
seminar.
Expand
LinkedIn
presence.
Q3
(Jul–Sep)
Lead
a
small
project/case
component.
Publish
article
#2.
Build
accountability
systems
with
support
staff.
Q4
(Oct–Dec)
Set
2027
goals
based
on
your
momentum.
Conduct
annual
review
with
two
mentors.
Document
key
wins
+
client
value
provided.
Frank
Ramos
is
a
partner
at
Goldberg
Segalla
in
Miami,
where
he
practices
commercial
litigation,
products,
and
catastrophic
personal
injury. You
can
follow
him
on LinkedIn,
where
he
has
about
80,000
followers.
Boutique
law
firms
continue
to
show
the
market
what
they’re
made
of
when
it
comes
to
their
financial
prowess,
by
either
matching
the
Cravath
year-end
bonus
and
Milbank
special
bonus
scales,
or
coming
in
over
the
top.
The
latest
boutique
to
announce
a
Biglaw
bonus
is
Ross
Aronstam
&
Moritz,
a
Delaware
litigation
firm
founded
by
lawyers
from
Wachtell,
Weil,
and
Kellogg
Hansen.
This
small,
specialized
firm
recently
entered
the
ring
to
match
the
latest
round
of
bonuses.
Here’s
an
excerpt
from
the
firm’s
bonus
memo:
We
are
happy
to
let
you
know
that,
as
we
have
always
done,
we
are
matching
the
prevailing
market
scale
for
major
national
firms,
including
both
their
year-end
and
special
bonus
amounts.
We
are
also
please
to
announce
that
we
will
likewise
continue
matching
the
salary
scale
in
place
at
those
same
national
firms.
Congratulations
to
everyone
at
Ross
Aronstam!
Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
compensation
updates,
so
when
your
firm
announces
or
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus/Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
your
help!
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.
A
reminder
to
all
legal
tech
startups:
The
deadline
is
approaching
to
apply
for
a
spot
in
the
10th
annual
Startup
Alley
atABA
TECHSHOW,
a
competition
that
has
helped
catapult
the
success
of
a
long
list
of
legal
technology
startups
and
become
a
seminal
event
of
the
American
Bar
Association’s
annual
legal
technology
conference.
Startups
interested
in
participating
mustcomplete
this
application
form. Applications
must
be
received
by
11:59
p.m.
Pacific
Time
on
Friday,
Dec.
26,
2025.
Out
of
all
the
entries
received,
15
startups
will
be
selected
to
participate
in
a
live
pitch
competition
that
will
be
the
opening
event
of
this
year’s
TECHSHOW
on
the
evening
of
March
25,
2026.
In
addition
to
the
pitch
competition,
the
15
finalists
will
be
highlighted
as
exhibitors
in
a
special
Startup
Alley
section
of
the
conference
exhibit
hall.
This
is
a
phenomenal
opportunity
for
startups
to
gain
exposure
and
traction.
ABA
TECHSHOW
is
one
of
the
world’s
pre-eminent
legal
technology
conferences.
Startup
Alley
participants
get
seen
by
a
large
and
diverse
audience
of
legal
professionals,
including
practitioners,
academics,
consultants
and
others.
In
addition,
TECHSHOW’s
audience
includes
legal
journalists,
bloggers,
industry
analysts
and
investors.
Many
employers
are
unknowingly
collecting
drug
rebate
money
that
is
funded
by
their
sickest
workers,
according
to
Mark
Cuban.
During
Forbes’
Healthcare
Summit
last
week
in
New
York
City,
Cuban
noted
that
Americans
are
often
paying
full
list
prices
during
their
deductible
periods,
effectively
subsidizing
the
rebates
that
flow
back
to
pharmacy
benefit
managers
and
employers.
This
is
a
dynamic
he
argues
most
CEOs
don’t
fully
understand.
Cuban
pointed
to
a
common
scenario:
an
employee
enrolled
in
a
high-deductible
health
plan
receives
a
prescription
for
a
brand-name
drug
like
Eliquis,
which
can
retail
around
$600
a
month.
Until
the
employee
meets
their
deductible,
they
have
to
pay
that
full
list
price
—
even
if
the
PBM
has
negotiated
a
substantial
rebate
on
the
drug.
That
rebate,
which
can
amount
to
hundreds
of
dollars
per
prescription,
never
makes
its
way
back
to
the
patient
footing
the
bill.
Instead,
the
money
goes
through
the
PBM
and
ultimately
back
to
the
employer,
Cuban
explained.
To
him,
this
structure
flips
the
intent
of
rebates
on
its
head.
Rather
than
lowering
costs
for
the
people
who
need
the
medication,
this
system
ends
up
using
those
patients’
high
out-of-pocket
payments
to
generate
rebate
checks
that
benefit
their
employer.
Cuban
warned
that
by
profiting
from
rebates
funded
by
sick
workers,
companies
could
be
falling
short
of
their
obligation
to
act
in
employees’
best
interests
under
the
Employee
Retirement
Income
Security
Act.
He
highlighted
direct-to-employer
drug
purchasing
models
as
a
way
to
avoid
this
issue.
His
company,
Cost
Plus
Drugs,
is
developing
direct-to-employer
drug
programs
designed
to
bypass
PBMs
and
secure
net
pricing.
This
way,
employees
aren’t
subsidizing
rebates
with
their
own
medical
bills,
Cuban
stated.
“I
sit
with
the
CEO,
and
I
say,
‘Look,
you
are
getting
ripped
off
by
your
PBM.
And
I
understand
it’s
difficult
to
just
move,
but
there
are
a
growing
number
of
direct-to-employer
programs
that
are
being
created,’”
he
remarked.
One
of
Cost
Plus
Drug’s
partners
for
its
direct-to-employer
drug
pricing
model
is
CenterWell,
Humana’s
healthcare
services
brand.
Humana
CEO
James
Rechtin
noted
that
CenterWell
wants
to
simplify
its
drug
supply
chain
to
deliver
medications
more
efficiently
and
transparently.
The
company
is
doing
more
contracting
directly
with
manufacturers
so
consumers
and
employers
can
see
the
true
net
cost
of
drugs
and
eschew
the
layers
of
intermediaries
that
drive
up
prices.
“With
pharmacy,
we
basically
looked
at
the
traditional
model,
and
we
said,
‘We
are
not
getting
the
cost
efficiency,
the
affordability,
that
we
need
to
to
make
sure
that
our
members
are
getting
access
to
medications,’”
he
said.
If
efforts
to
eliminate
the
middlemen
continue
to
scale,
workers
could
save
billions
in
out-of-pocket
costs,
Rechtin
and
Cuban
agreed.
Thanks
to
those
who
came
today:
Dickson
Chikwizo,
Delice
Gavazah,
Jonathan
Kariwo,
Chantelle
Manyande,
Philip
Maponga,
Trish
Matsikira,
Ziwanai
Mbanje,
Mellisa
Mbavarira,
Noble
Mwashita,
Geraldine
Takundwa,
Ephraim
Tapa
and
Tatenda
Tsumba.
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/albums/72177720330802818.
Zimbabwe
continues
to
grapple
with
unbridled
corruption,
particularly
within
the
circles
of
those
linked
to
the
State,
ZANU
PF
and
public
institutions.
This
also
includes
workers
of
these
bodies,
such
that
corruption
in
Zimbabwe
has
reached
endemic
levels.
The
sentencing
on
08/12/2025
of
Mike
Chimombe
and
co-accused,
Mpofu,
to
25
and
22
years
respectively
for
defrauding
the
state
of
USD
7.7
million
mirrors
Zimbabwe’s
rotten
moral
and
social
fabric
presided
over
by
ZANU
PF
and
President
Mnangagwa.The
crime
involved
the
accused
hatching
a
fictitious
company,
which
they
used
to
clandestinely
win
a
state
tender
and
claim
payments
for
doing
nothing.
This
reminds
us
of
the
USD
5
million
Gwanda
solar
project,
the
tender
of
which
was
awarded
to
Wicknell
Chivhayo
years
back,
with
nothing
being
delivered
to
this
date.
Given
that
corruption
permeates
throughout
the
governing
system,
it
is
no
wonder
that
the
captured
courts
found
him
innocent.
Today,
Wicknell
Chivhayo
is
known
for
gifting
socialites
with
cars
and
cash
in
an
apparent
campaign
for
ZANU
PF.
The
Chimombe
crime
was
conducted
in
a
climate
of
this
type
of
corruption,
and
one
wonders
how
many
such
cases
go
without
being
detected
or
cannot
simply
be
touched.
In
their
evidence,
the
state
as
represented
by
the
tender
authorities,
ZINARA
and
ZIMRA,
was
in
awe
of
the
sophistication
involved
as
they
could
not
distinguish
between
their
own
documents
and
those
fraudulently
provided
by
Chimombe
&
Co
on
their
way
to
win
the
tender
and
defraud
the
state.
This
underlines
the
fact
that
Zimbabwe
presides
over
a
system
of
corruption,
and
this
is
what’s
killing
the
country.
We
need
new
leaders
to
clean
up
the
mess
and
save
Zimbabwe.
Next
Vigil
meeting
outside
the
Zimbabwe
Embassy. Saturday
20th December
from
2
–
5
pm.
We
meet
on
the
first
and
third
Saturdays
of
every
month.
On
other
Saturdays
the
virtual
Vigil
will
run.
The
Restoration
of
Human
Rights
in
Zimbabwe
(ROHR) is
the
Vigil’s
partner
organisation
based
in
Zimbabwe.
ROHR
grew
out
of
the
need
for
the
Vigil
to
have
an
organisation
on
the
ground
in
Zimbabwe
which
reflected
the
Vigil’s
mission
statement
in
a
practical
way.
ROHR
in
the
UK
actively
fundraises
through
membership
subscriptions,
events,
sales
etc
to
support
the
activities
of
ROHR
in
Zimbabwe.
The
Vigil’s
book
‘Zimbabwe
Emergency’ is
based
on
our
weekly
diaries.
It
records
how
events
in
Zimbabwe
have
unfolded
as
seen
by
the
diaspora
in
the
UK.
It
chronicles
the
economic
disintegration,
violence,
growing
oppression
and
political
manoeuvring
–
and
the
tragic
human
cost
involved. It
is
available
at
the
Vigil.
All
proceeds
go
to
the
Vigil
and
our
sister
organisation
the
Restoration
of
Human
Rights
in
Zimbabwe’s
work
in
Zimbabwe.
The
book
is
also
available
from
Amazon.
The
Vigil,
outside
the
Zimbabwe
Embassy,
429
Strand,
London
meets
regularly
on
Saturdays
from
14.00
to
17.00
to
protest
against
gross
violations
of
human
rights
in
Zimbabwe.
The
Vigil
which started
in
October
2002
will
continue
until
internationally-monitored,
free
and
fair
elections
are
held
in
Zimbabwe.
These
Firms
Are
Really
Giving
Back
To
Their
Associates!:
Great
time
to
work
at
Boies
Schiller
or
Kellogg
Hansen!
Another
Boutique
Putting
The
Market
To
Shame:
Dunn
Isaacson
Rhee
is
paying
out
some
major
coin!
The
Gift
That
Keeps
On
Taking:
Economists
say
Trump’s
tariffs
will
cost
families
thousands.
Federal
Judges
Aren’t
Supposed
To
Be
Politicking:
Did
Emil
Bove
not
get
the
message?
Even
‘The
Future
Of
American
Warfare’
Thinks
It
Was
A
War
Crime:
Hegseth’s
bold
call
to
integrate
GenAi.mil
is
already
backfiring.
Free
Speech
On
Trial:
Professor
sues
school
for
retaliating
over
a
Facebook
comment.
Is
Protégé
Next
Up?:
LexisNexis
just
dropped
a
huge
AI
expansion
pack.
According
to
recent
reports,
New
York
Attorney
General
Letitia
James
retained
which
Biglaw
firm
to
work
on
two
civil
rights
probes?
Hint:
The
firm
will
advise
the
NYAG
on
its
response
to
two
grand
jury
subpoenas
issued
by
the
Acting
U.S.
Attorney
for
the
Northern
District
of
New
York
about
cases
James
filed
against
Donald
Trump
and
the
National
Rifle
Association.
There’s
been
a
recent
wave
of
First
Amendment
cases
coming
out
of
red
state
public
universities.
The
University
of
Florida
is
figuring
out
if
and
when
schools
can
respond
to
potential
threats,
The
University
of
Oklahoma
being
pushed
to
reckon
with
if
Jesus
can
actually
be
the
answer,
and
the
University
of
Tennessee
is
pressing
if
a
school
can
retaliate
against
professors
sharing
opinions
that
others
find
unsavory.
Shortly
after
Charlie
Kirk’s
death,
any
mention
of
the
man
had
people
on
the
cusp
of
unemployment
—
merely
quoting
the
man
could
have
gotten
you
fired.
This
suit
centers
on
an
assessment
of
the
man
rather
than
a
quote
from
him,
but
the
outcome
of
the
lawsuit
could
have
reaching
consequences
for
how
public
universities
can
respond
to
speech
they
don’t
like.
Knox
News
has
coverage:
University
of
Tennessee
System
leaders
could
be
called
to
testify
in
the
federal
suit
filed
Oct.
29
by
assistant
professor
of
cultural
anthropology
Tamar
Shirinian
and
her
attorney,
Robb
Bigelow.
Shirinian
asserts
the
university
and
UT
System
violated
her
First
Amendment
free
speech
rights
and
is
applying
a
double
standard
in
its
plans
to
fire
her.
“I
was
frankly
shocked
by
the
university’s
actions
against
me,”
Shirinian
told
Knox
News
on
Dec.
5.
“I
don’t
understand
how
they
could
possibly
justify
terminating
a
faculty
member
for
expressing
her
own
private
opinions
in
her
own
private
life.”
The
outrage
stems
from
her
comment
on
a
Facebook
friend’s
post
that
“the
world
is
better
without
[Charlie
Kirk]
in
it.”
To
be
honest,
handing
out
posthumous
scumbag
designations
just
seems
like
honoring
Charlie’s
legacy,
but
what
do
I
know.
The
facts
seem
to
skew
heavily
in
Shirinian’s
favor.
She
and
her
lawyer
rightly
pointed
out
that
University
of
Tennessee
professor
Glenn
Reynolds
posted
“Run
them
down”
under
a
video
of
protestors
back
in
2019
and
was
able
to
keep
his
job.
That
sets
a
pretty
high
bar
—
one
that
seems
higher
than
the
University
of
Florida
free
speech
case
about
a
tweet
calling
for
Jews
to
be
“abolished.”
University
of
Florida
read
the
tweet
as
a
threat,
but
there
is
a
good
faith
argument
that
Damsky
was
just
sharing
his
opinion.
“Abolish”
as
used
may
signal
threatening
intent,
but
determining
that
necessarily
hinges
on
how
Prof.
Noel
Ignatiev
used
the
word.
Here’s
the
text
of
the
tweet
for
a
refresher:
My
position
on
Jews
is
simple:
whatever
Harvard
professor
Noel
Ignatiev
meant
by
his
call
to
“abolish
the
White
race
by
any
means
necessary”
is
what
I
think
must
be
done
with
Jews.
Jews
must
be
abolished
by
any
means
necessary.
Reynolds’s
comment
doesn’t
require
any
comparison
with
other
authors
to
see
that
it’s
a
call
to
violence.
Calls
to
violence,
like
threats,
shouldn’t
get
the
free
speech
protections
that
sharing
private
opinions
or
political
positions
enjoy.
If
Reynolds’s
comments
were
fair
game,
it
is
hard
to
see
how
Shirinian’s
“this
guy
sucks”
comment
passes
the
threshold.
Hopefully
this
quickly
resolves
in
Shirinian’s
favor.
If
not,
you
should
expect
to
see
a
chilling
effect
on
public
university
professors.
This
isn’t
the
first
time
that
a
professor
has
gotten
in
trouble
for
less-than
kind
words
toward
political
figures
—
Ken
Levy
comes
to
mind
—
but
university
backlash
for
what
should
be
protected
speech
needs
to
be
nipped
in
the
bud
before
constitutional
protections
are
eroded
by
the
need
to
protect
everyone’s
feelings.
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
is
learning
to
swim, is
interested
in
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected]
and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.
