David Lat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Lat
|
|
|---|---|
Lat in 2022
|
|
| Born |
David Benjamin Lat
June 19, 1975 New York City, U.S.
|
| Education | Harvard University (BA) Yale University (JD) |
| Occupation |
|
| Spouse(s) | Zachary Baron Shemtob |
| Children | 2 |
David Benjamin Lat (born June 19, 1975) is an American lawyer, writer, and expert on legal topics. He is famous for starting Above the Law, a popular website that shares news and stories about law firms and the legal world.
David Lat went to Harvard University and Yale Law School. After finishing his studies, he worked as a law clerk for a judge and then as a lawyer for a big firm. He also worked as a prosecutor for the U.S. government.
He first started writing online anonymously, sharing interesting stories about judges. Later, he revealed his identity and launched Above the Law. Today, he writes for his own newsletter called Original Jurisdiction.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
David Lat was born in Queens, New York. His parents were doctors from the Philippines. He grew up in New Jersey, in towns like Bergenfield and Saddle River.
When he lived in Saddle River, his neighbor was former President Richard M. Nixon. On Halloween, David would even get a special card and a handshake from the former president!
David went to Regis High School in Manhattan. He was very good at public speaking. He won national competitions for speaking without much preparation, like the Villiger Tournament and the 1992 NCFL Grand National Championship.
After high school, David went to Harvard University. He studied English literature and wrote many articles for the student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. He was also part of the Harvard debate team. He graduated with honors in 1996.
Then, he went to Yale Law School. There, he was an editor for the Yale Law Journal, a very important legal publication. He earned his law degree in 1999.
Starting His Legal Career
After law school, David Lat worked for a judge named Diarmuid O'Scannlain. This job, called a law clerkship, meant he helped the judge with legal research and writing. He worked for Judge O'Scannlain from 1999 to 2000.
He then joined a private law firm in New York City called Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. While there, he helped with a big case about insurance payments for the World Trade Center.
Later, David became an assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey. This meant he worked as a prosecutor for the government. He even argued cases in front of Justice Samuel Alito twice. When his online writing became known, his boss, Chris Christie, praised his blog. David decided to leave this job at the end of 2005 to focus on his writing.
Becoming a Blogger
Underneath Their Robes
In 2004, David Lat started a website called Underneath Their Robes (UTR). He wrote about federal judges and the legal world, but he kept his identity a secret. He used the name "Article III Groupie." Many readers thought the writer was a female lawyer.
The blog became very popular, especially when it ran fun polls about judges. Even some federal judges, like Alex Kozinski and Richard Posner, communicated with "Article III Groupie." The blog also shared news and interesting stories about law clerks who worked for the United States Supreme Court.
In November 2005, David revealed his identity in an interview with Jeffrey Toobin for The New Yorker magazine. David explained that his blog showed two sides of his personality: his interest in serious legal issues and his enjoyment of fun, gossipy topics. After leaving his prosecutor job, David also worked as an editor for another popular blog called Wonkette.
Above the Law
In June 2006, David Lat decided to start a new legal blog. In August 2006, this blog was launched as 'Above the Law'. It quickly became a leading source for news and stories about law firms and the legal profession.
In 2012, David shared important news that a very big law firm, Dewey & LeBoeuf, was having serious problems. This showed how influential Above the Law had become. Business Insider even named David Lat as one of the top legal stars on Twitter, saying his feed was full of interesting legal news and stories.
In May 2019, David left his full-time role at Above the Law to work for a legal recruiting company. However, he still writes articles for the website twice a month.
Original Jurisdiction
In December 2020, David Lat started a new project called Original Jurisdiction. It's a newsletter and website about law and the legal profession, published on a platform called Substack. His first story was an interview with a well-known lawyer, David Boies.
In May 2021, David decided to focus entirely on his writing again. Original Jurisdiction became his main writing outlet. Today, paid subscriptions to Original Jurisdiction are his primary way of earning a living.
Author and Other Writings
David Lat's articles have also appeared in many famous newspapers and magazines. These include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and New York Magazine.
In 2014, David's first novel, Supreme Ambitions, was published. It was well-received by readers. The book tells the story of Audrey Coyne, a recent Yale Law School graduate who dreams of working for the U.S. Supreme Court. This goal mirrored David's own past ambitions. The novel was especially popular among federal judges and their law clerks.
About David Lat's Life
David Lat is gay. He is married to another lawyer named Zachary Baron Shemtob. They were married by Judge J. Paul Oetken. Their son was born in October 2017 through a gestational surrogate. Their son is named after a famous judge, Justice Harlan.
In March 2020, David Lat became ill with COVID-19. He recovered well and later shared his experience on TV shows like the Today show and The Rachel Maddow Show to help others understand the illness.
David Lat lives in Summit, New Jersey.
