Chris Williams

Chris Williams

Host of Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer

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. Before that, he wrote columns for an online magazine named The Muse Collaborative under the pen name Knehmo. He endured the great state of Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on 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].

Host of
Follow & Connect
Recent Episodes
November 27, 2024

Law Firm Confidentiality Can’t Be Left To The Honor System

'Hey, please don't open this' is not a policy.

November 20, 2024

Judge Throws Temper Tantrum

Also... Matt Gaetz as Attorney General is something we have to contemplate?

November 13, 2024

Biglaw Bonus Season Arrives!

The race is on.

November 6, 2024

Sir Sam Alito Decides No Pesky ‘Constitution’ Governs Him

That Governing Document Can't Stop Me Because I Can't Read!

October 30, 2024

There’s No Studying In Here, This Is The Library!

Also, Tiffany may be number 1 in his heart (she's not), but she's also not number 1 in her class.

October 23, 2024

In 2024 The GOP Is A Big Fan Of Teen Pregnancy

The republican party of the 1990s must be turning over in its grave because the modern GOP is arguing teen pregnancy is a good thing. Equity partnership in Biglaw is a financial windfall, unless you’re...

October 16, 2024

Learning How To Be A Professional

From young attorneys to the Chief Justice, a lot of lawyers are dropping the ball.

October 2, 2024

Eric Adams Must Really Hope Supreme Court Is Serious About Blowing Up Bribery Laws

The majority of the Supreme Court keeps diluting bribery laws and Eric Adams had best hope they aren't done yet.

September 18, 2024

The Urge To Merge

Is bigger better?

September 11, 2024

What is up with these federal judges?

This week’s episode of Thinking Like A Lawyer is all about the wild decisions made by federal judges. First up is a Trump judge doing Trump judge things — but don’t tell him that....

August 28, 2024

Biglaw’s Back To Office Misadventures

It's not so easy to bring everyone back.

August 21, 2024

Disney Lawyers Learn That Discretion Is The Better Part Of Valor

Just because you can make an argument, doesn't mean you should.

August 14, 2024

Who Will Join Milbank’s Summer Bonus Party?

Milbank is leading the associate compensation charge — again — with summer bonuses. The associate there must be thrilled… Unlike DLA Piper’s associates. That firm changed course on office attendance and it’s going...

August 7, 2024

Another Bar Exam In The Books

Talking Supreme Court term limits (they're good!), bar exams (they're bad!), and a law professor's conception of free speech (it's ugly!).

July 31, 2024

Overpaid Partners, Nikki Haley Lashes Out, And Judge Might Want To Chill

Catching up on the week that was.

July 24, 2024

Yale Law School Not Sending Its Best

J.D. Vance brought Yale Law back into the spotlight.

July 17, 2024

Judges Behaving Badly

They're not sending their best.

July 10, 2024

Biglaw’s Big Billing Bonanza

Where are those summer bonuses? Don't give up hope yet.

July 3, 2024

Supreme Court Goes Out In Blaze Of Mendacity

Textualism and Originalism evaporate in face of partisan objectives.

June 26, 2024

Law Firm Summer Bonuses Have Started… Will They Continue?

Also, the Supreme Court's really sticking it to the Fifth Circuit.

June 20, 2024

New Law School Rankings And Old Supreme Court Drama

We talk about finding the right law school for you, and wonder how deep the SCOTUS drama goes.

June 12, 2024

Clarence Thomas Turned Supreme Court Service Into An ATM Machine

Except ATM machines have limits.

June 5, 2024

Trump’s Lawyers Somehow Doing A Worse Job On TV Than In Court

The Trump conviction excuse tour is not going well for his attorneys.

May 29, 2024

Sam Alito’s In Distress Of His Own Making

An appeal to common sense is denied.

May 15, 2024

Trump Defense Team Playing Tiddlywinks At A Chess Match

Trump's attorneys seems as asleep at the switch as their client.

May 8, 2024

The Gag Order Pt. 10

Donald Trump, Drake, And James Ho... punchlines write themselves.

May 1, 2024

The First Law Of Whoever Smelt It, Dealt It

The New York courtroom where Donald Trump is on trial is apparently unpleasant. Is that the former president’s doing? The world may never know. Also, the fact that the racists are coming...

April 24, 2024

Alienating The Judge And Jury Seems Like A Bold Strategy For Trump

Let's see if it pays off as well as a billionaire covering up an affair.

April 17, 2024

A Big Week For Not Knowing The Law

From Elon Musk's deposition to law school protests, a lot of folks forgot to look up the actual law this week.

April 10, 2024

US News Rankings Continue Slide Into Bonkerstown

Haphazard ranking serves as a reminder that service hasn't quite found the right formula after law schools started withdrawing their data.

March 20, 2024

Did Joe Biden Get More Standing Ovations At The State Of The Union Or On Cold Call

Conservative justices can't stop telling on themselves when it comes to forum shopping.

March 13, 2024

Biglaw’s Parental Leave Backslide

Parental leave and a bumbling Supreme Court highlight the week.

March 6, 2024

Too Rich For Trump’s Blood

Bond... unaffordable cash bond.

February 28, 2024

Return To Office Policies Attempt To Catch Bees With Vinegar

What is it they say about just a spoonful of sugar?

February 21, 2024

Hard To Say Where Arrested Lawyer Went Wrong But Posting About Selling Drugs Probably Didn’t Help

This week's podcast!

February 14, 2024

It Pays To Be A Delusional Hack

Even-keeled professionalism may pay off over time, but being a mercurial lunatic always pays off now.

February 7, 2024

Habba Dabba Doo!

We're reaching peak Alina saturation.

January 24, 2024

Alina Habba Goes Full Lionel Hutz In Latest Trump Trial

'The only rules are there are no rules' apparently doesn't fly in Judge Kaplan's courtroom.

January 17, 2024

Donald Trump’s Legal Team Decides Not To Ask Permission OR Forgiveness

Who needs a judge's approval to start ranting in court? Every other person ever, you say?

January 10, 2024

Roberts Explains That Artificial Intelligence Can’t Replace Judges Because How Would Billionaires Fly An AI To Luxury Resorts Anyway?

Maybe GPT-5 will want a free RV?

January 3, 2024

2023 Year In Review

The highs and mostly lows from the year that was.

December 20, 2023

The Unbearable Lightness Of Being Rudy’s Wallet

Defaming people doesn't pay well.

December 13, 2023

The Firm’s Doing Great… Also We’re Doing Layoffs.

There's never a good look for layoffs but there are definitely bad ones.

December 6, 2023

Breaking Down The Great Biglaw Raise Of 2023

Payable sometime in 2024... of course.

November 29, 2023

Paging Rule 11

Elon Musk files a facially ludicrous lawsuit and Trump argues that sexual assault doesn't count on airplanes.

November 22, 2023

Trump Complained About Us In His Mistrial Motion And All We Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt

We discuss Trump's failed motion, DeSantis racking up bills, and Biglaw whiners.

November 15, 2023

Do You Know Where Your Raises Are?

Big week in Biglaw news.

November 8, 2023

Some Clients Aren’t Worth The Risk For Biglaw… And, Yes, We Mean Donald Trump

Discussing the risks of representing Trump, Sam Bankman-Fried's goofy courtroom sketch, and Biglaw's open letter to law schools.

November 1, 2023

No More Room In This World For Two Ampersands

Stroock strikes out.

October 25, 2023

But, Maybe, Logic Games Were… Good?

LSAT's decision is not totally... illogical.