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2007/01/00: "Savell: Business running own blog sites
need to limit their liability," Computer & Internet LAWCAST (monthly
print outline and accompanying audio news service), January 2007,
at 9-10 and
track #9 of
CD (fidelity reduced here to expedite download):
 Outline
'Tip of the Month':
"Savell: Businesses running own blog sites need to limit their
liability. The explosive growth of business and even employee-run blogs
have highlighted a threshold issue of whether these websites are any
different than more traditional means of communication. Attorney Lawrence
Savell of the New York office of Chadbourne & Parke highlights the questions
that the courts have yet to fully answer.
"Savell, who specializes in media and products liability law, says that
the increased immediacy of blogging must be considered by business blog
operators in order to limit their liability. Businesses also have to
consider how much latitude to give employees to make posts because companies
are generally held responsible for actions by employees that are performed
within the scope of employment. 'You have to make sure they are not saying
things that are contrary to the company's guidelines,' he warns. 'Companies
have to set rules.'
"Savell explains that another key decision for blog operators is whether
they should allow posts or comments by third parties or consumers. But,
Savell advises, limiting third party postings can have downsides, such as
trading legal protections for business image.
"A less severe alternative, he says, is to provide an e-mail address
instead of allowing third parties to directly post messages. This way the
blog operator can select which messages to post. The selection element,
however, can increase the risk of liability because the operator has more
active involvement in publicizing the content. 'When the company starts
becoming an editor, it's much more likely the company will be found
responsible,' Savell says.
"A major legal issue for blog sites to be aware of, Savell adds, is
defamation. He points out that blog operators must police their sites to for
derogatory statements. According to Savell, defenses to a defamation claim
include truth, the 'fair reporting privilege' and the fact that the
statement was one of opinion or rhetorical hyperbole. 'There needs to be a
level of oversight,' Savell cautions, 'to show whether a possible cause of
action is being created by a third party.'
"Copyright infringement also remains a serious concern for blog
operators, both for the unauthorized use of copyrighted materials on your
site, as well as the blog site's materials being used elsewhere. One way to
limit liability, Savell says, is to make sure the blog operator actually
owns all posted materials, or has clearance to post them. For example, he
warns that if the site uses podcasts, make sure that they are 'podsafe,' in
that there is no unlicensed background music.
"Another solution, Savell advises, is to have an express agreement with
posters which states that they have the right to post the content. There may
be a 'safe harbor' exception from offending user posts under the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act if the blog can be considered an Internet Service
Provider. Savell says that would require the blog operator to remove
infringing content immediately after being notified.
"Blog sites must also avoid uses of others trademarks without permission,
Savell says. And, the blog operators should protect their own marks as well.
Toward that end, Savell suggests that blog sites register their names as
trademarks and search the Internet on a regular basis for illegal uses of
your domain name, blog name, trademark or similar names.
"Another way to limit liability, he says, is to simply remove all
questionable materials from you blog site. Attempting to edit it may expose
you to potential liability.
"One precaution that can be taken is the appropriate use of disclaimers,
One example, Savell says, is to say, 'The information on the blog may be
changed without notice and is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up
to date.' Another disclaimer could say, 'The opinions expressed on the blog
are the opinions of the individual author, and may not reflect the opinions
of the firm or any individual employee or client.'
"Savell says that sites also would do well to post a notice saying that
they are not responsible, or endorse, any links to other websites. He
concludes by noting that blog operators need to use common sense and the
appropriate disclaimers. In addition, Savell cautions checking your
insurance policies to determine if your risks are covered, especially when
it comes to defamation.
"Lawrence Savell, 'Is Your Blog Exposing You to Legal Liability?' law.com
(Dec. 22, 2006)."
Listen to MP3 (fidelity
reduced to expedite download) | See Outline
2007/02/01: Named Empire State Counsel for Pro Bono Work
Letter |
Certificate |
List
2007/03/14: ''Electronic Transcript Management Technology for Litigators,"
Stark County Law Library Blog, March 14, 2007,
http://temp.starklawlibrary.org/blog/archive/2007_03.html#006928:
"In the news: 'For lawyers, transcript management means applying
technology in an effective and efficient manner to collect, organize and
analyze records of testimony from and for use in depositions, hearings,
trials and other litigation contexts. Fortunately, these days plenty of
tools can help you deal with data effectively and efficiently. Chadbourne
and Parke attorney Lawrence Savell goes over the products available and
lists questions you should ask in choosing electronic transcript management
technology.'
"Read
full text
"Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 14 March 2007. Copyright 2006. ALM
Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. 'Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>."
2007/03/14: ''Electronic Transcript Management Technology for Litigators,"
Law News, March 14, 2007,
http://www.shashum.com.ar/law-news/2007/03/electronic-transcript-management.html:
"For lawyers, transcript management means applying technology in an
effective and efficient manner to collect, organize and analyze records of
testimony. Attorney Lawrence Savell reviews current products and lists
questions you should ask in choosing tools.
"Link"
2007/03/15: "MAIL BAG #070315," The Common Scold, March 15, 2007,
http://commonscold.typepad.com/commonscold/2007/03/mail_bag_070315.html:
"Larry
Savell, of N.Y.'s Chadbourne &
Parke, has published
this
primer on electronic transcript management technology on
Law.com. He concentrates his practice on products liability and
media law litigation defense."
2007/03/22: "Keeping Track of Deposition
and Trial Testimony: from the Complex to the Simple," The Illinois Trial
Practice Weblog, March 22, 2007,
http://www.illinoistrialpractice.com/2007/03/transcript_mana.html:
Discussion of article, "Electronic
Transcript Management Technology for Litigators"
2007: "Careers in First Amendment and Media Law," New
York City Bar Committee on Law Student Perspectives Newsletter Online,
www.abcny.org/LawStudents/NewsLetter/Media_Law.htm:
"On February 20, 2007, the lawyers behind some of New York’s largest
media groups shared their experiences at the 'Careers in First Amendment and
Media Law' panel, hosted by the Committee on Law Student Perspectives of the
New York City Bar Association. The moderator was David McCraw, Vice
President and Assistant General Counsel of The New York Times Company and
Chair of the Association’s Communications and Media Law Committee. The panel
included: Stephanie S. Abrutyn, Senior Counsel in the Litigation Department
of Home Box Office (HBO); Jonathan Donnellan, a Senior Counsel at Hearst
Corporation; Lynn Oberlander, General Counsel of The New Yorker; and
Lawrence Savell, of Chadbourne & Parke LLP. The panelists discussed a
range of topics, including the beginnings of their careers in media law,
their most rewarding experiences, and the most challenging and outrageous
aspects of their jobs.
* * *
"Mr. Savell was the only panelist who did not work as in-house counsel.
Although he is at a law firm, he has developed a specialized interest in
media law and made it a part of his legal practice.
"Mr. Savell said he maintains his interest in Media Law by creating
opportunities for himself. He said one of the most rewarding media cases he
worked on involved assisting reporters at a publication that printed stories
about the metal industry. The reporters had uncovered a huge fraud scheme,
and needed help tackling the legal issues relating to the exposé. With his
help, the reporters were so successful in their investigations that they
were awarded the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for
Excellence in News Coverage. Mr. Savell said it’s the 'business equivalent
of the Pulitzer Prize.'
'''The reason I’m here is to tell you it’s not an all or none thing,'
according to Mr. Savell. He advised the program’s attendees “if you wind-up
at a law firm and you have an outside interest in Media Law, learn more
about Media Law so you will be able to work on Media Law cases within your
firm.
* * *
"Ultimately, all of the panelists agreed on one thing; that this is a
great area of law, and those who do it really love it."
2007/Spring: "ClassNotes"/"1982," Law Quadrangle
Notes (University of Michigan Law School), Spring 2007, at 61:
"Lawrence Savell, counsel at Chadbourne & Parke LLP's New York
office, marked the 2006 Christmas season with release of his third humorous
CD, Merry Lexmas from the Lawtunes. Composer, producer, and performer
on the album, Savell previously released The Lawyer's Holiday Humor Album
(1998) and Legal Holidaze (2004). Among the tracks on his latest CD
are 'Another Billable Christmas,' 'I Got a Footnote in My Stocking,' and
'Hey, Santa, I Appeal.' Further information, images, and sound clips are
available at www.LawTunes.com.'
2007/Summer: "'Lawyers in Love' and Other Songs About Lawyers," The Update
(San Diego Defense Lawyers), Summer 2007,
http://www.sddl.org/sddlupdate/summer2007.pdf:
"I also found another website that had Christmas Music CD with song
titles such as 'Another Billable Christmas' and 'Living Life in Six Minutes'
by Lawrence Savell. The album is titled 'Merry Lexmas from the Lawtunes.'
Check out this and additional albums by the Lawtunes at www.lawtunes.com."
2007/10/14: "Spies Around the Sandbox," The New
York Times, October 14, 2007, The City, Page 1, 10, online at
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/nyregion/thecity/14nann.html (discusses
blog that posts comments regarding allegedly-observed nanny behavior):
"Further, in the opinion of legal experts, the blog dwells in a
potentially libelous area. What it’s talking about is the nanny’s
professional performance,' said Lawrence Savell, a lawyer with Chadbourne &
Parke, 'and one of the classic formulations of libel law is if it injures
someone in their profession.'"
Coverage of "The Lawtunes: Live At Blackacre" Begins Here
2007/10/24: "You know e-discovery has hit the big time…," Post Process
(Blog), October 24, 2007,
http://postprocess.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/you-know-e-discovery-has-hit-the-big-time/:
"You know e-discovery has hit the big time…
"When lawtunes parodies it.
* * *
"Reminds me of the musical skits from 'Whose Line is it, Anyway?'"
2007/10/31: "LawTunes Releases 'The Lawtunes: Live At Blackacre,'" A
Paralegal's Blog, October 31, 2007,
http://paralegalonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/lawtunes-releases-lawtunes-live-at.html:
"Indie music label LawTunes (www.LawTunes.com)
has released its latest humorous, lawyer-created, law-related album, 'The
Lawtunes: Live At Blackacre.' The CD contains ten original rock-and-roll
tunes taking on the law, lawyers, and legal practice, including, '(She's An)
Electronic Discovery,' 'Lawyers' Blood Is Typo,' 'Della Street,' 'LawMan,'
'Orderin' In,' 'Cadillac Cab,' 'Little Bluebook,' 'Livin' Life In Six
Minutes,' 'Everywhere There Is A Client,' and 'Santa's G.C.'
"(And for those wondering, 'Blackacre' is that legendary parcel of land
referenced in so many legal treatises.)"
2007/10/31: "Lawtunes Live at Blackacre: A Humorous Lawyer created Law
Related Album," Criminal Law Library Blog, October 31, 2007,
http://www.criminallawlibraryblog.com/2007/10/lawtunes_live_at_blackacre_a_h.html:
"I just received the following news item from Lawrence Savell which I am
delighted to post. It adds a dimension to the blog which we can all
appreciate. . . .
"...now to the featured item!
2007/11/02: "Did You Know?," Law & Fact LITE!
(Cuyahoga County, Ohio Bar Association), November 2, 2007, at 6 (online at
http://www.cuybar.org/lawandfact-071102.pdf):
"Did You Know?
"Just Released on CD…
"The LAWTUNES: Live at Blackacre
"Composed, recorded & produced by New York litigation attorney Lawrence
Savell. The CD includes such songs as:
'"(She’s an) Electronic Discovery,' 'Lawyers' Blood is Typo,' 'Livin'
Life in Six Minutes,' and 'Santa’s G.C.'
"This CD is premised as a live concert at Blackacre– the legendary parcel
of land so often referenced in eternally-painful law school exam questions
and scholarly legal treatises/articles.
"For more info… visit Lawtunes.com… it will also be available soon on
Amazon.com, iTunes, & CDBaby."
2007/11/12: "Lawrence Savell[:] Unchained deposition," Westchester
County Business Journal, "Profits & Passions" Feature, November 12, 2007
(online version at
http://www.westchestercountybusiness.com/archive/profitspassions/pp111207.php4):
"Law
is about the serious business of fresh air vs. hard time, prosperity vs.
bankruptcy, possession and nine-tenths. The only humor related to law or
so you’d think starts out something like: A skunk, a rabid dog and a
lawyer walk into a bar … and it’s never pretty for the lawyer. The world of
music isn’t much better, if lonelier, featuring Jackson Brown’s muffled
cries of lawyers in love and a lot of dead air after that.
"Lawrence Savell to the rescue. For the lawyers of the world, tired of
the bottom-feeder jokes and no Doors hits to call their own, it has fallen
on the broad shoulders of Savell to give them a better reputation through
music and humor.
"'It’s partly about putting a better face on the legal profession and
partly about personal dreams,' Savell says of his four CDs. 'It's one step
on a long path toward getting people to view lawyers as more approachable.'
"Savell, 49, and admittedly fluent from a young age in the lingua franca
of Tom Lehrer and Allan Sherman, got his start doing parodies at his Cornell
University fraternity. He kept up his satiric riffs at the University of
Michigan Law School, where he developed enough of a fan base to be invited
back to perform as an alumnus.
"After law school, Savell went to work for Chadbourne & Parke L.L.P. He
still practices at the New York City firm as a defense attorney. While his
music tends to be irreverent, if always rated G, he takes the law as
seriously as one would hope. 'We help people with nowhere else to turn. They
put their future in your hands. It’s like being a doctor I can’t imagine a
greater responsibility.'
"He specializes in product liability and media law, explaining, 'For a
defense lawyer, the ideal situation is that the judge dismisses the case
before it goes to trial. In a sense, going to trial is a defeat because
you’re exposing your client to a potential adverse judgment. What I do is
marshal the facts and the law to convince the judge the case should not go
forward.'
"He advised a trade publication on a series of investigative articles.
'They called daily, if not hourly, for advice on libel issues. The subjects
of these stories in particular their lawyers were contemplating suing. A
couple of months later, the subjects were indicted and the publication won
the equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize for the business press (the Jesse H.
Neal National Business Journalism Award for Excellence in News Coverage).'
"Savell has sold about a thousand CDs and has been favorably reviewed by
the Georgetown Law [Weekly]. His fourth effort 'Live at Blackacre'
features a catchy number about Della Street, Perry Mason’s aide-de-camp with
the impeccable posture: 'You knew she would be discreet … Yes I became a
lawyer to meet Della Street.' Della would have known about Blackacre, a
fictional place name in property law classes.
"Savell’s music can drift about three degrees into the realm of
seriousness, but no further. 'Law Man' is, forgive the pun, such a case: 'If
you worked for a promotion, but then you saw / The boss gave it to his
worthless son-in-law / just pick up the telephone, e-mail or fax / And I’ll
be there to get the justice you lack.'
"Says Savell: 'My music is more than just making people laugh, even if
poignant may be too strong a word. It’s trying to inject humor into law in a
positive and not a demeaning way.'
"Savell’s wife is Catherine and they have a pair of boys, 6 and 7 years
old. He records at home in Croton-on-Hudson and says with a laugh some of
what might be perceived as deep-bass percussion is Catherine stomping on the
floor, urging quiet from the legal Slowhand in the house.
"Savell plays at Chadbourne & Parke functions. He bought his current
guitar a Rickenbacker model 360 with his first paycheck from the firm in
1982. He admits to venturing into terra incognita when he stood before his
coworkers at a holiday party early in his tenure. 'Chadbourne had blue
memos,' he says. 'I did "Blue Memos" to "Blue Suede Shoes." I finished. My
entire career is hanging in the balance. Silence. And I thought, "I am now
unemployed." Then there was a thunderous reaction.' So he’s still at it,
even co-opting other legal talent for an in-house band that, as he puts it,
'comes and goes.'
"Savell is that rarest of artists: beholden to no one; in it for the fun
and for the joy of creativity, not unlike the person who sings in the
shower, only better and with CDs to show for his efforts.
"'I'm never going to make a mountain of money on this and I'm never going
to win a Grammy. It’s the reaction of people who have an interest in this,
and who enjoy listening to it, that pushes me to do it.'
"Besides 'Live at Blackacre,' Savell's CDs include: 'The Lawyer’s Holiday
[Humor] Album,' 'Legal Holidaze' and 'Merry Lexmas from the LawTunes.' To
learn more about probably the only artist to acknowledge the grown-up need
for antacids on an album cover, visit
http://www.lawtunes.com/."
2007/11/15: "Rock 'n' Roll and Billable Hours," Law.com, November 15,
2007 (teaser for Legal Blog Watch story below):
"Think lawyer jokes are funny? Maybe not the kind made at a lawyer's
expense, but how about those jokes only a lawyer would get? Robert Ambrogi
sings the praises of Chadbourne & Parke [counsel]
Lawrence Savell, whose
fourth CD, The LawTunes: Live at
Blackacre features songs like '(She's An) Electronic Discovery,' in
which he croons 'If I meta, then I'd data.'"
2007/11/15: "The Lawtunes: Live at Blackacre," Law.com's Legal Blog Watch,
November 15, 2007,
http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/legal_blog_watch/2007/11/the-lawtunes-li.html:
 "Lawrence
Savell has shed his Santa suit. The
New York lawyer who
produced and recorded three classic
holiday humor albums mocking everything from billable hours to bar
exams, has released a new CD that breaks with tradition and abandons the
holiday theme for pure rock 'n' roll. (OK, there is one Christmas song,
about a lawyer who becomes Santa's G.C.) But in keeping with its forbears,
the new release, The LawTunes: Live at Blackacre, offers a line-up of
songs that pokes fun at lawyers in a way that only a lawyer could do. Take
the song, '(She's An) Electronic Discovery,' in which late-night document
review uncovers a picture of a particularly fetching employee and spawns an
amorous fantasy:
Accessible in her native format
In photographic preservation
No evidence of spoliation.
(She's An) Electronic Discovery
Like an e-mail she sends me
If I meta, then I'd data.
"In another 'love song' (so to speak), a lawyer turns to his Bluebook
after his black book lets him down:
Little Bluebook be my guide
To the source of love denied
As the sole authority
Pinpoint her tonight for me.
"Listen closely -- very closely -- and you just might hear echoes of
Brian Wilson, the troubled genius of The Beach Boys. How else to explain the
copy of Wilson's autobiography nestled among The Bluebook, Black's Law
Dictionary and a guitar on the album's cover? Wilson inspired The Beatles,
why not Savell too?
"Savell writes and records these songs himself in a home studio. You can
buy his latest CD and any of his earlier recordings through his
LawTunes Web site ($14.95 plus
shipping). You can even buy the boxed set of all four Savell CDs, sure to be
a collector's item someday."
2007/11/16: "UPDATED: Lawyer Songs Reasonably Likely
to Rock," Lowering the Bar (Blog), November 16, 2007,
http://www.loweringthebar.net/2007/11/updated-lawyer.html:
"Attorney Larry Savell, a litigator, has also recently released a CD of
'legal rock' songs, which he's calling 'The Lawtunes: Live At Blackacre.'
This follows three previous holiday-themed albums on legal topics and is
still a good stocking-stuffer (if you have CD-sized stockings, at least).
The CD includes a love song having to do with electronic discovery, and a
new acoustic version of the song 'Livin' Life in Six Minutes.'
"The four LawTunes albums are available as a boxed set.
* * *
"Link: LawTunes.com
2007/11/20: "Yup, the holiday shopping blitz has started," The Common
Scold (Blog), November 20, 2000,
http://commonscold.typepad.com/commonscold/2007/11/mailbag-112007.html:
"And
Chadbourne & Parke counsel
Lawrence Savell has
released his annual LawTunes parodies, this year's Live at BlackAcre,
which leads off with '(She's an) Electronic Discovery.' You can hear a
sample at the website, but a caveat,
Clapton it ain't. :)"
2007/11/20: "It's Come to This ...," EDD Update (Blog), November 20,
2000,
http://commonscold.typepad.com/eddupdate/2007/11/its-come-to-thi.html:
"'(She's an) Electronic Discovery'...
um, er, well, oh sigh. From
Chadbourne & Parke's Lawrence Savell's LawTunes Live from BlackAcre.
Clapton it ain't. :)"
2007/11/21: "Lawyers in Rock…the Good, Bad & Ugly," On The Mark
(Blog), November 21, 2007,
http://www.metalincs.com/onthemark/index.php/archives/89:
"So
it’s Holiday time again for Chadbourne’s Litigator
Lawrence Savell and his
Lawtunes parody efforts. While the cover proudly displays a gorgeous
Rickenbacker (my near namesake guitar) I'm left laughing to the music coming
from their website, lawtunes.com.
Funny lyrics and it is a parody, so I’ll make nice. Their new release is
titled 'Live at Blackacre'; find more information on their website. (Thanks
to Monica for hipping me to this item.)"
2007/11/22: "TGIF for The Lawtunes: Live at Blackacre," I/P Updates
(Blog), November 22, 2007,
http://ip-updates.blogspot.com/2007/11/tgif-for-lawtunes-live-at-blackacre.html:
"Thanks
to
Legal Blog Watch for pointing to Lawrence Savell, the
New York lawyer who has
produced and recorded three classic
holiday humor albums mocking everything from billable hours to bar
exams.
"Savell writes and records these songs himself in a home studio. You
can buy his latest CD and any of his earlier recordings through his
LawTunes Web site ($14.95 plus
shipping). You can even buy the boxed set of all four Savell CDs, sure
to be a collector's item someday.
"Hear a sample here."
2007/11/27: "Holiday Gift Ideas - 2007," Legal Marketing Blog,
November 27, 2007,
http://www.legalmarketingblog.com/marketing-tips-holiday-gift-ideas-2007.html:
"a list of new and/or interesting ones [holiday gift suggestions] and
variations on those suggestions follows:
* * *
"Finally, a couple of humorous gift sites specifically for lawyers -
LawTunes . . . ."
2007/11/29: "Law Tunes," [Useless Dicta] (Blog), November 29, 2007,
http://uselessdicta.blogspot.com/2007/11/law-tunes.html:
"I have heard a lot about law related song parodies, but for some reason
I've never really heard any of them. Today I got an email about
Law Tunes These look pretty amusing.
There's a whole bunch of 'holiday' tunes for lawyers (I think the clip
called 'Billing on Christmas Eve' might be one of my favorites). Anyways,
the website has short clips of all of the songs produced by these guys if
you're interested. I found it to be a very productive use of 30 minutes
today when I was looking for things to distract me from my evidence outline
:)"
2007/Autumn: "Holiday Shopping Tips," The Green
Bag, Autumn 2007, at 4:
"[S]uggestions" "for holiday gifts for family members, friends and
colleagues with an interest in the law" lead off with:
"Music
"The latest CD from The Lawtunes, The Lawtunes Live at Blackacre. 'Little
Bluebook' is one of our favorites from this disk:
"My little black book let me down
In my life no one's around
Made the circuit of the bars
Under multiple lodestars
Then I saw you on my shelf
Wondered could you be of help
You seem versed in all the rules
Came from four top-shelf schools.
All the courts defer to you
Even law professors, too
So I state herein my plea . . ."
2007/12/00: "LawTunes: The Perfect Gift for the Lawyer Who Has Everything?,"
Bulletin (Bar Association of Erie County, New York), December 2007, at 7, online at
http://www.eriebar.org/files/December%202007.pdf:
"While these guys probably won’t be giving up their day jobs anytime
soon, this new 'allegedly-humorous, lawyer-created, law-related' CD entitled
'The LawTunes: Live at Blackacre' is unquestionably unique. Part of the
'LawTunes Jury Boxed Set,' the CD includes such titles as 'Livin' Life in
Six Minutes,' '(She's) an Electronic Discovery,' 'Lawyers' Blood is Typo,'
and 'Orderin' In,' all written, recorded and produced by a NYC-based
'practicing (so to speak) litigation attorney' named Larry Savell. The CD is
dedicated to the idea that 'a healthy willingness of lawyers to poke fun at
themselves' is a good thing. We couldn’t agree more.
"For further information, visit www.LawTunes.com"
2007/12/00: "Lawtunes CD of Music and Comedy,"
Oregon State Bar Bulletin, "Briefs" section, December 2007, at __, online at
http://www.osbar.org/publications/bulletin/07dec/briefs.html:
"New York lawyer Lawrence Savell has created another allegedly humorous,
law-related music CD, 'The Lawtunes: Live At Blackacre.' Breaking a bit from
his prior albums —'Merry Lexmas From The Lawtunes' (2006), 'Legal Holidaze'
(2004) and 'The Lawyer’s Holiday Humor Album' (1998) — the new CD is a
broader take on the law, lawyers and legal practice through 10 original rock
'n roll tunes in an album not limited by content or style to any particular
season. It even includes a few love songs, although expressed in the
language of an attorney.
"To hear samples of the songs or order a CD, visit www.lawtunes.com."
2007/12/00: "The Lawtunes: Live At Blackacre," The Commentator
(Chicago-Kent College of Law), December 2007, at 12-13:
[Text to be added]
2007/12/00: "Song Comp," Law
Institute Journal (Law Institute of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia),
December 2007, at 100:
[Text to be added]
2007/12/07: "LawTunes triumphantly return with fourth album,"
Law Weekly (Georgetown
University Law Center), December 7, 2007:
"Apparently the new owner of Blackacre recently built an arena on the
oft-traded (and sold and partially sold) parcel of land. Which musical act
christens the stage at the center of the most heavily litigated piece of
property, you ask? The LawTunes, of course.
"The LawTunes, of increasing fame and infinite applicability to law
students, are back with their latest musical effort, The LawTunes: Live
at Blackacre. The musical exploits of New York based attorney Lawrence
Savell and his LawTunes were extolled in these very Law Weekly pages
last year when Merry Lexmas from the LawTunes, the band's third
Christmas album, was released. Savell, a litigation attorney by day (and
presumably more than a few late nights), has written and produced each of
the tracks for the LawTunes four albums, including the ten new songs on
Live at Blackacre. With this latest work though, Savell broadened his
scope and produced an album for the eleven months of the year previously
neglected in the LawTunes' repertoire. (Unfortunately, it seems being a
lawyer is a tough gig year round, not just during the holidays.)
"Live at Blackacre opens with a track focused on a topic of
supreme relevance in today's litigation world - electronic discovery.
'(She's An) Electronic Discovery' tells the tale of an attorney stuck doing
late night document review and suddenly 'falling in virtual love' with
'Bates number a million two one.' Neither law school nor the Federal Rules
of Evidence prepared this late night doc-reviewer for the feeling of
encountering that special someone in an embedded image. Knowing of course
that he can't disclose his love until the case has closed, the lawyer does
the next best thing - flies down to 'take her dep.'
"The album also, at points, attempts to explain why it is that lawyers do
what they do. While many of today's law students were no doubt drawn to the
legal field in hopes that they would one day work alongside Detective Elliot
Stabler (the undeniably studly sex crimes detective on Law and Order: SVU),
lawyers of another generation took the bar just to meet Perry Mason's
legal secretary, Della Street - or so goes the song named in her honor.
Perry himself, with his many courtroom successes, was enough to inspire
would be lawyers, to be sure, but the secret behind his legal victories and
the real advertisement for entering the legal profession, was Della. Sadly,
the song reveals what we have all come to suspect - becoming a lawyer will
not enable you to meet your favorite fictional courtroom characters. A
desire to meet Della brought the lawyer in the song to the legal profession,
but according to the song, the desire remains unfulfilled. All is not lost
though; the song reveals that the lawyer has been lucky enough to work with
the many legal secretaries that Della inspired.
"Another song on the album that attempts (with a bit more sincerity) to
explain why we are all in this profession is entitled, 'Everywhere There is
a Client.' The song isn't about seeing people as potential billable hours,
though to the cynic the title might suggest as much. Instead it is about
understanding that when one becomes a lawyer she takes on an enormous amount
of responsibility to serve her clients. Lawyering, the song explains, is
about using not just your law degree but also your compassion. 'Only your
best will do,' the chorus repeats, because all your client has are his
rights and he relies on you - the trained legal professional - to stand up
in court and fight for the protection of those rights.
"The catchiest song on the album is, unquestionably, 'LawMan.' It calls
out to all of those who find themselves at the receiving end of a lawsuit,
reminding them that when zealous representation is what you require there is
only one man to call - the LawMan. Other songs on the album cover topics
well known to the hard working attorney, including ordered in meals eaten at
the desk ('Orderin' In') and car service rides paid for, naturally, with a
voucher ('Cadillac Cab'). Finally, and thankfully, the album doesn't
completely abandon the LawTunes holiday roots. The final song on the album
tells the story of a lawyer who, tired of his work at the firm, gave in to a
headhunter and went in house, becoming 'Santa's G.C.' Being the general
counsel for Mr. Claus is not without its difficulties, the song explains.
The staff is a bit short and hailing a reindeer just to get to court is,
apparently, not as much fun as one might imagine. All in all, though,
Santa's new C.C. remains glad he signed up for the job, because 'it's nice
to be in house when it's cold outside.'
"The LawTunes newest album, I am happy to report, is just as satisfying
as their first three (all of which I proudly own). Live at Blackacre
delivers the catchy tunes and well-crafted lyrics I've come to expect from
the LawTunes. Also not to be overlooked is that the song listing, found on
the back of the CD cover, is actually a 'Statement of Services Rendered,'
and lists each track time in billable hour units. Perhaps this is a detail
that only a lawyer or law student would find even slightly amusing. I don't
mean to suggest, though, that non-lawyers can't enjoy the music on this
album. Like listening to a song in a language one doesn't speak, non-lawyers
can enjoy the catchy tunes, they just may not understand what exactly a "G.C."
is or why one would look to a 'Bluebook' for help.
"To learn more about the LawTunes, or to order their albums, visit
LawTunes.com. LawTunes merchandise will soon be available on Amazon, iTunes,
and CD Baby."
Photo caption: "The LawTunes latest album comes live from every law
student's least favorite piece of property"
2007/12/07: "Students ferret out the news at law schools," Chicago Daily
Law Bulletin, December 7, 2007, at 3:
"In the Chicago-Kent student newspaper, The Commentator, entertainment
critic David Pustilnik reviews a music album released by Chicago-Kent's
Professor Henry H. Perritt Jr. and his band.
* * *
"Then Pustilnik reviews an equally unusual album by New York attorney
Lawrence Savell called 'The Lawtunes: Live at Blackacre.'
"You could not make this up. Pustilnik writes, 'Savell sings about ...
things like staying late after work, looking for clients, billing hours,
etc. He even throws in a Christmas themed track where he sings about being
Santa's general counsel.'"
2007/12/13: "Chadbourne's Larry Savell Rocks,"
The Wall Street Journal Law Blog," December 13, 2007,
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/12/13/chadbournes-larry-savell-rocks/:
 "We
thought that after depressing you with the below
post, we'd try and lift your spirits. For those who don’t remember him
from
last holiday season, please meet
Larry Savell, a
Chadbourne & Parke litigator by day
and rocker by night. Over the past decade, in between drafting
interrogatories and taking depositions, Savell has released three
'Lawyer-Created Law-Related Rock-and-Roll Holiday' records — click
here for all of them.
"This year, the 50-year-old Brooklyn native has a new album — 'The
Lawtunes Live At Blackacre.' And he’s branched out, broadening his
subject matter beyond 'I Got A Footnote In My Stocking,' 'Santa & I Are
Gonna Pull An All Nighter On Christmas' and 'Merry Lexmas Baby.'
"'My latest is more of a rock album from a lawyer’s perspective,' says
Savell. 'It’s basically because I wanted to create something that people
would want to listen to all year round. And there were things I wanted to
talk about that I couldn’t on my holiday album — like electronic discovery,
which doesn’t quite fit on a holiday album.'
"Twenty-five years ago, Savell joined Chadbourne’s New York office
straight out of Michigan Law and never left. The seeds of his crooning
career were sown in law school, where he performed in what he calls the
school's 'annual alleged "‘talent show."' Then, as a young lawyer at
Chadbourne, he sang at a firm holiday party and was urged by colleagues to
cut a record. The rest, as they say, is rock 'n roll history.
"When the Law Blog caught up with Savell, he was in the middle of
rehearsals for a big performance next week at Chadbourne's corporate
department holiday lunch. He refused to give us a peak at the set list, but
he promises that it will rock.
"To spread the holiday cheer, between now and Christmas we're going to
pepper the blog with a few lyrics from Savell's latest release. Stay tuned!"
2007/12/14: "Larry Savell Rocks: '(She's An)
Electronic Discovery,'" The Wall Street Journal Law Blog, December 14,
2007,
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/12/14/larry-savell-rocks-shes-an-electronic-discovery/:
"Yesterday we celebrated the musical work of Larry Savell, a longtime
lawyer at Chadbourne & Parke in New York. To spread the holiday cheer, we
said between now and Christmas we're going to pepper the blog with a few
lyrics from Savell's latest release.
"You can catch a snippet of Savell’s singing on his
Web site, but let's just say
his lyrics are terrific and leave it at that. The Law Blog appreciates
passion and self-deprecation, and Savell has both those qualities in spades.
'I'm such a lousy singer it takes a lot of takes to make something
palatable,' Savell told us last year. 'But it's a labor of love.'
"Here’s our first entry, an excerpt from '(She's An) Electronic
Discovery' — a lawyer's love song that pulls at the heart strings:"
2007/12/16: "Singing Law Jobs - The Singing Lawyer," LawFuel.com,
December 16, 2007,
http://lawfuel.com/show-release.asp?ID=16469:
"LawJobsPipeline.com - Okay, so practising law is not always the most fun
way to make a living. One New York lawyer who practises law for his supper
but sings for fun is Larry Savell, who has sent us occasional news releases
about his latest sing-song releases over at LawFuel."
2007/12/16: "Legal Jobs Set To Music - The Singing Lawyer,"
lawjobspipeline.com Blog, December 16, 2007,
http://www.lawjobspipeline.com/:
"Okay, so practising law is not always the most fun way to make a living.
One New York lawyer who practises law for his supper but sings for fun is
Larry Savell, who has sent us occasional news releases about his latest
sing-song releases over at LawFuel.
"You can hear Larry sing at his
website where the
Chadbourne & Parke lawyer says he has to work hard to make his music
palatable, but his lyrics compensate for any musical talent-stress. His
sense of humor and self deprecation make his music-making a joy, so have a
look at lyrics from one of his latest releases, '(She’s An) Electronic
Discovery':
"Late night doc review for a case
Was the first time ever I saw her face
Bates number a million two one
Was 'Employees Have Some Fun in the Sun'
'Come hither' smile 'neath a tropical hat
Accessible in her native format
In photographic preservation
No evidence of spoliation.
(She’s An) Electronic Discovery
Like an e mail she sends me
If I meta, then I’d data
But our love is stuck in beta."
2007/12/17: "Song of the lawyer," The National
Law Journal, December 17, 2007, at 13 (online at
http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1197626681303&rss=nlj):
"WHAT'S MORE JOLLY during the holidays than a singing lawyer?
"Here to make merry is Chadbourne & Parke litigator Lawrence Savell, dba
The LawTunes, with a new CD jam-packed with music by a lawyer for lawyers.
"The disc is called Live at Blackacre -- anyone who's been to law
school will know the place. The tunes include '(She's an) Electronic
Discovery,' about a love interest who shows 'no evidence of spoliation,'
nudge, nudge. Sadly, this is a love 'stuck in beta.'
"There's an ode to the perfect legal secretary. ('Yes,' he sings, 'I
became a lawyer to meet Della Street.') And in keeping with the season,
there's a carol about 'Santa's G.C.' ('Sure, the boss is kinda loud, and the
staff a bit short/And you gotta hail a reindeer if you gotta go to court/But
I'm certainly glad I signed up for this ride/'Cause it's nice to be in-house
when it's cold outside.')
"Savell is flogging the CD on his Web site, www.LawTunes.com."
2007/12/17: "Musical statutes," TheLawyer.com
(U.K.), December 17, 2007,
http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=130489
"Just in. The ideal late Christmas gift for the musically minded lawyer (Tulkinghorn
knows there are a few of you out there).
"Yes, it's the latest album of soon-to-be pop classics from Lawtunes.
Choose from (She's an) Electronic Discovery, Livin' Life in Six Minutes (2nd
ed) or that all-time fave Everywhere There is a Client.
"Somewhere on this album you're going to hear the immortal lines: 'It's
nice to be in-house 'cos it's cold outside'; 'I want a rainmaker reindeer to
call my own'; and 'You don't wanna cross Santa on the witness stand'.
"Go on, make it a singalongalaw Christmas this year. Check it out at
www.lawtunes.com."
2007/12/19: "More Exam Stuff," TortsProf Blog, December 19, 2007,
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/tortsprof/2007/12/more-exam-stuff.html:
"Lawrence Savell (Chadbourne & Parke) sent along a couple of entertaining
links relevant to exam season -- one because it is about exams, and one
because it might distract from the chore of grading and/or taking exams.
"In the former category is his short story
Dear Professor
Rosenstein [PDF], published in Washington Lawyer magazine.
"In the latter is his LawTunes website
(warning! starts playing music!), featuring what he describes as 'Unique CDs
of "Appealing" Allegedly-Humorous, Lawyer-Created, Law-Related Rock-and-Roll
Songs.'"
2007/12/20: "Larry Savell Rocks: 'Santa’s General Counsel,'" The Wall Street Journal Law Blog,
December 20, 2007,
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/12/20/larry-savell-rocks-santas-gc/:
"If
you’re like us, work is starting to become a distraction as our mind drifts
into holiday mode. We thought we’d bring you a little Christmas cheer with
the musical work of Larry
Savell, the Chadbourne litigator-by-day-rocker-by-night that we profiled
last week. From his new album, “The Law
Tunes Live At Blackacre,” here’s an excerpt from “Santa’s GC.” We gotta
give Savell some props — even the most cynical of our readers has gotta
appreciate these lyrics!
"After ten long years working at a law firm
Caught “change-of-venue”-itis and I started to squirm
Got a headhunter call, said the job was 'up North'
With my insulated laptop bag I bravely set forth
The CEO was friendly; and I’d say clearly well read
And his dimensions made it clear that I’d be well fed.
Look at me, I’m Santa’s GC
Could I be in any better company?
Sure, the boss is kinda loud, and the staff a bit short
And you gotta hail a reindeer if you gotta go to court
But I’m certainly glad I signed up for this ride
'Cause it’s nice to be in house when it’s cold outside."
2007/12/21: "Break out some holiday music," The Sun News (Myrtle
Beach, NC), December 21, 2007 (online at
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/entertainment/story/290057.html:
"With all the new holiday-themed CDs out there, it's nice to know which
ones shatter the standards of seasonal music and which can’t seem to bust
free from the pack . We've taken the guesswork out of buying a seasonal
album, and listened to a number of this year's popular discs. Here's what we
thought.
* * *
"Merry Lexmas From The Lawtunes
Lawrence Savell
">> Highs | The Twelve Days of Lexmas, counting by day: a roomful of
documents, Tylenols, desk meals, calling clients, paper cuts, faxes faxing,
phones ringing, partners pacing, packs of No-Doze, cups of coffee, mugs of
Maalox, and Visine spritzes (to get a lawyer through an all-nighter).
">> Lows | Look over the three sole rock music chords mastered, as Savell
admitted in jest in liner notes for his first CD, and listen for the
cleverly, legally creative lyrics and song adaptations.
"New York-based Savell has no problem opining about invoicing in 'Another
Billable Christmas' 'Billable Christmas Blues' and 'Billin' On Christmas
Eve.' He also has released two other yuletide-theme collections about
practicing their profession: 'The Lawyer's Holiday Humor Album' (1998) and
'Legal Holidaze' (2004)."
2007/12/21: "Savell's New Law Tunes CD," Law Librarian Blog, December
21, 2007,
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/law_librarian_blog/2007/12/savells-new-law.html:
Larry Savell, the Chadbourne litigator-by-day-rocker-by-night, new CD,
“The Law Tunes Live At Blackacre," makes a great addition to your CD
collection. Songs include:
(She's An) Electronic Discovery
Lawyers' Blood Is Typo
Della Street
LawMan
Orderin' In
Cadillac Cab
Little Bluebook
Livin' Life In Six Minutes (2d ed.)
Everywhere There Is A Client
Santa's G.C.
Listen to excerpts at Lawtunes."
2007/12/21: "Friday Fun: LawTunes CDs - The Perfect Gift for a Lawyer,"
University of Baltimore Law Library Blog, December 21, 2007,
http://ublawlibrary.wordpress.com/2007/12/21/friday-fun-lawtunes-cds-the-perfect-gift-for-a-lawyer/:
"Get yours here."
2007/12/21, "Happy Holidays to all," Legal Trade (Blog), December 21,
2007,
http://blogs.chron.com/legaltrade/2007/12/happy_holidays_to_all.html:
"Go to Lawtunes.com to find
ways to spend money at the intersection of the holidays and the law. It's
got your holiday/law humor and your holiday/law music. Holiday 'hits'
include: 'Another Billable Christmas,' 'Santa's Headhunter's Calling,'
'Merry Lexmas, Baby,' and the ever-popular 'I Got A Footnote In My
Stocking.'"
2007/12/26: "Guitar-Strumming Attorney Sets Legal Parodies to Music," The
New York Sun, December 26, 2007, at 3 (online at
http://www.nysun.com/article/68542):
"The skills of successful litigators with three decades in the law
profession include the ability to craft an unfortunate situation into a
lawsuit and arrange the evidence into a persuasive argument. But producing
songs from those experiences and scoring them to electric guitar riffs is a
more unusual skill, the domain of one lawyer, Lawrence Savell, who does his
part to bring the insider world of high-power litigation to the masses.
"A [counsel] at Chadbourne & Parke, Mr. Savell, who just turned 50, waxes
poetic on the intricacies of seeing opposing counsel and of emotions running
high on late nights. This year, he produced his fourth album, 'The
Lawtunes[:] Live at Blackacre,' while earlier albums have had holiday themes
to their songs.
"Mr. Savell purchased his electric guitar with his first paycheck 25
years ago, but first began drafting legal jargon parodies in law school at
the University of Michigan. He has since started writing his own lyrics, a
process that takes a few weeks each summer to write and weekends throughout
the fall to produce. His recording studio is a home office, with moving
blankets hanging along the walls to muffle echoes and computer software to
create instrumentals and the illusion of back-up singers.
"Mr. Savell has no formal musical background, only a sense of humor and a
disarming self-deprecating nature about what he does, both as a professional
lawyer specializing in product liability and 'media law,' and as an amateur
musician.
"'I love being a lawyer. I would never do anything else. It's because I
enjoy it so much that I have a desire to spend my free time doing things
that are related to it,' he said. 'If I didn't enjoy it, I would put it
aside.'
"Instead, he added, 'I've integrated it into my hobbies.'
"Slightly hokey but with earnest charm, the songs cover topics with which
lawyers are all too familiar. The lyrics are filled with references that
include emerging issues like electronic discovery, the joys of reviewing
briefs in early morning hours with cold take-out, and imaging the life of
Santa Claus's general counsel.
"'The inspiration is really just working as a lawyer and trying to find,
especially at the holidays, a little bit of humor in what we do, and not to
take ourselves so seriously,' Mr. Savell said.
:There are love songs to law and inspirational ballads, like 'LawMan,'
which Mr. Savell describes as 'a hard-pounding and blunt explanation of
exactly what it is that lawyers do.' The title character offers his fighting
services to any [client] facing the wrong end of a lawsuit, or losing a
promotion to nepotism.
"A first year associate who sang 'LawMan' with Mr. Savell at this year's
[Corporate Department] holiday party, Matthew Kelly, said the music is
refreshing to the profession and showcases the creative side of lawyers.
"'Most lawyers have a creative side to them. You can't get through law
school without the ability to think on your feet,' Mr. Kelly said in an
e-mail message. 'However, I think that Larry is one of the few to exhibit it
to his colleagues in an effort to entertain.'
"Mr. Savell says he is surprised when he actually sells an album. 'None
have been massive sellers, but for an independent seller with no
advertising, I'm always amazed when people order them,' he said.
"He has sold more than 1,000 CDs, and more songs have been downloaded
from iTunes and his personal Web site, LawrenceSavell.com. His work is most
popular with mothers or grandmothers of lawyers or law students, he said.
"The hard-bargaining defense attorney in him hopes that perhaps he can,
if even slightly, change the perception of lawyers for the masses.
"'A lot of people have this view of lawyers as stuck up and hard to deal
with, that they have no sense of humor,"'Mr. Savell said. 'This is designed
in part to soften the image of lawyers a little bit.'
"And it also about having fun, he added. 'Every time I see it on iTunes
or Amazon next to those of real musicians, it's still a real thrill,' he
said. 'I know I'll never be in their league, but to a small degree, I know
I've achieved my goal of being a rocker.'"
2007/12/26: "Crooner of Chadbourne," The Wall Street Journal, December
26, 2007, at B2:
"For anyone who has ever craved a pop song about the legal profession,
meet Larry Savell. By day, Mr. Savell is a litigator in New York at
Chadbourne & Parke LLP, and by night he's a rocker, of sorts. Over the past
decade, in between drafting interrogatories and taking depositions, Mr.
Savell has released three 'Lawyer-Created Law-Related Rock-and-Roll Holiday'
records. They feature holiday-themed songs such as 'I Got a Footnote in My
Stocking,' 'Santa and I Are Gonna Pull an All Nighter on Christmas,' and
'Merry Lexmas, Baby.'
"This year, the 50-year-old Brooklyn native has a new album—"The Lawtunes
Live At Blackacre," referring to the name often used by law professors to
describe fictitious pieces of land in property-law exams.
"'My latest is more of a rock album from a lawyer's perspective,' says
Mr. Savell. 'It's basically because I wanted to create something that people
would want to listen to all year round. And there were things I wanted to
talk about that I couldn't on my holiday album—like electronic discovery,
which doesn't quite fit on a holiday album.'
"Twenty-five years ago, Mr. Savell joined Chadbourne's New York office
straight out of the University of Michigan Law School and never left. The
seeds of his crooning career were sown in Ann Arbor, where he performed in
what he calls the school's 'annual alleged talent show.' Then, as a young
lawyer at Chadbourne, he sang at a firm holiday party and was urged by
colleagues to cut a record.
"Donald Strauber, a colleague of Mr. Savell's, says the warmth and sense
of humor reflected in his music enhance his abilities as a litigator."
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