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) JD) |
| Occupation |
|
| Spouse(s) | Zachary Baron Shemtob |
| Children | 2 |
David Benjamin Lat (born June 19, 1975) is an American lawyer, author, and legal commentator. He is well-known for starting Above the Law. This website shares news and discussions about law firms and the legal profession.
David Lat studied at Harvard University and Yale Law School. After finishing law school, he worked for a judge. He also worked at a law firm and later as a government lawyer.
Lat first started writing online anonymously. He wrote for a blog called "Underneath Their Robes." He later shared his identity in an interview in November 2005. Soon after, he launched Above the Law. This website quickly became a popular source for legal news. In December 2014, his first novel, Supreme Ambitions, was published.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Lat was born in Queens, New York. His parents are doctors from the Philippines. He grew up in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and Saddle River, New Jersey.
While living in Saddle River, his neighbors included former President Richard M. Nixon. On Halloween, he would receive a special card and a handshake from the former president. Lat attended Regis High School in Manhattan, New York. He was very good at public speaking. He won national speaking competitions in 1992.
College and Law School Years
After high school, Lat went to Harvard University. He studied English literature and wrote many articles for The Harvard Crimson newspaper. He was also part of the Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society. He graduated in 1996 with high honors.
He then attended Yale Law School. There, he was an editor for the Yale Law Journal. He graduated in 1999 with a law degree.
Legal Career Journey
After law school, David Lat worked as a law clerk for Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain. This was from 1999 to 2000. He also interviewed for a special clerkship with a Supreme Court justice.
He then joined a private law firm in Manhattan called Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. While there, he worked on a big case about insurance payments for the World Trade Center. Some people noticed he seemed unhappy with the daily tasks of being a lawyer.
Working as a Government Lawyer
After leaving the law firm, Lat took a job with the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. He worked in the appeals division. He argued cases in court twice before Justice Samuel Alito.
When his online writing became public, he met with the U.S. Attorney, Chris Christie. Christie actually praised his writing. At the end of 2005, Lat decided to leave his government job. He said it was his own choice. His supervisor encouraged him to explore his new opportunities in writing.
Online Writing and Legal News
David Lat became very well-known for his online writing. He started several popular websites that discussed legal topics.
Underneath Their Robes Blog
In June 2004, Lat started a website called Underneath Their Robes (UTR). He wrote anonymously under the name Article III Groupie. This blog shared news and discussions about federal judges.
The blog became very popular. It even ran a poll about "Superhotties of the Federal Judiciary." Several federal judges communicated with Article III Groupie. The blog gained national attention during the 2005 United States Supreme Court nominations. It also shared news about clerks for the Supreme Court.
In November 2005, Lat revealed his identity in an interview. He said his blog showed two sides of his personality. He was interested in both serious legal issues and fun, lighthearted topics. After leaving his government job in January 2006, Lat worked as an editor for another blog called Wonkette.
Above the Law Website
In June 2006, Lat decided to leave Wonkette. He wanted to create a new legal news website. In August 2006, this website was launched as 'Above the Law'.
In July 2008, he became a managing editor for Breaking Media. This company oversaw several blogs. In December 2009, Lat announced he would return to writing full-time for Above the Law.
In 2012, Lat reported important news about a major law firm, Dewey & LeBoeuf. This firm, which had many lawyers, was facing serious problems. Business Insider named Lat one of the top legal stars on Twitter. They called his Twitter feed a great source for law firm news and trends.
In May 2019, Lat left Above the Law. He took a job at a legal recruiting firm. However, he continued to write columns for Above the Law twice a week.
Original Jurisdiction Newsletter
In December 2020, Lat launched a new online newsletter called Original Jurisdiction. This newsletter focuses on law and the legal profession. His first story was an interview with a famous lawyer, David Boies.
In May 2021, Lat left his recruiting job. He returned to writing full-time. Original Jurisdiction became his main project. Paid subscriptions to this newsletter are now his primary source of income.
Author and Published Works
David Lat's writing has appeared in many well-known newspapers and magazines. These include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
In 2014, Lat's first novel, Supreme Ambitions, was published. It received positive reviews. It was the first fiction book published by Ankerwycke. This was a new publishing group of the American Bar Association.
The novel tells the story of Audrey Coyne. She is a recent Yale Law School graduate. Audrey dreams of working for the U.S. Supreme Court. This goal mirrored Lat's own past ambitions. After graduating, Audrey moves to the West Coast. She works for a respected appeals-court judge. A reviewer from The New York Times said the book became very popular among federal judges and their clerks.
Personal Life and Family
David Lat is married to Zachary Baron Shemtob, who is also a lawyer. They were married by Judge J. Paul Oetken. They have two sons. Their sons were born through gestational surrogacy.
On March 17, 2020, Lat announced he had COVID-19. He was in critical condition in a New York City hospital. However, his condition improved quickly. He was discharged from NYU Langone on April 1. On April 6, 2020, he was interviewed on the Today show and The Rachel Maddow Show. He shared his experience with the illness.
Lat lives in Summit, New Jersey.
