David Lat

Current

Managing Editor at Breaking Media
Freelance Writer at Various publications

Past

Founding Editor at AbovetheLaw.com
Editor at Wonkette.com
Assistant U.S. Attorney (Appeals) at U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey

Associate (Litigation) at Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
Law Clerk at U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

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Education

Yale Law School
Harvard University

Recommended

1 person has recommended David

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Online Media

Websites

David Lat’s Summary

I'm the managing editor of Breaking Media, a new media company that currently consists of three properties: AboveTheLaw.com, a legal site; Dealbreaker.com, a finance / Wall Street site; and Fashionista.com, a fashion and style site.

I'm the founding editor of Above the Law, which receives over 6 million page views a month. I'm also a freelance writer, focusing on legal affairs. My work has appeared in the New York Times, New York magazine, the New York Observer, and Washingtonian magazine (among other publications).

Before launching Above the Law, I served as editor of Wonkette, the widely read politics blog published by Gawker Media. I first entered blogging in June 2004, when I launched Underneath Their Robes ("UTR"), a cheeky and irreverent gossip blog about federal judges. I wrote UTR under a pseudonym ("Article III Groupie"), while still working as a federal prosecutor. In November 2005, I outed myself as the blog's author, in an interview with Jeffrey Toobin of the New Yorker.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer/blogger, I worked as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey and a litigation associate at the New York law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. I also served as a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

I'm a graduate of Regis High School (1992), Harvard College (1996), and Yale Law School (1999). I currently live in New York.

David Lat’s Specialties:

Blogging, new media, law / legal profession, law firms, law schools, federal judges, federal prosecution, appellate law.

David Lat’s Experience

Managing Editor

Breaking Media

(Online Media industry)

September 2008 — Present (11 months)

As managing editor of Breaking Media, I oversee three websites:

-- AboveTheLaw.com, a legal site;

-- Dealbreaker.com, a Wall Street and financial site; and

-- Fashionista.com, a fashion and style site.

I'm also in charge of developing new online properties for the company, which focuses on sites targeting various professional communities.

In addition to my editorial oversight responsibilities, I work closely with our publisher and our sales and marketing director on business development. I also handle legal affairs for the company.
Freelance Writer

Various publications

(Newspapers industry)

December 2006 — Present (2 years 8 months)

I'm a freelance writer, focusing on legal affairs. My work has appeared in the New York Times, New York magazine, the New York Observer, and Washingtonian magazine (among other publications).
Founding Editor

AbovetheLaw.com

(Online Media industry)

July 2007 — September 2008 (1 year 3 months)

Above the Law ("ATL") is an online legal publication that receives over 6 million page views a month.

The Washington Post has described ATL as "a must-read legal blog." The site has been honored as "Best Law Blog" in the annual Weblog Awards and has been named to the ABA Journal Blawg 100 ("the 100 best Web sites by lawyers, for lawyers, as chosen by the editors of the ABA Journal").
Editor

Wonkette.com

(Privately Held; Online Media industry)

January 2006 — June 2006 (6 months)
Assistant U.S. Attorney (Appeals)

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey

(Government Agency; Law Practice industry)

October 2003 — January 2006 (2 years 4 months)
Associate (Litigation)

Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz

(Partnership; Law Practice industry)

December 2000 — June 2003 (2 years 7 months)
Law Clerk

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

(Government Agency; 1-10 employees; Judiciary industry)

August 1999 — August 2000 (1 year 1 month)

Law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain (9th Cir.). Based in Portland, Oregon.

David Lat’s Education

Yale Law School

JD , Law , 1996 — 1999

Activities and Societies:

Yale Law Journal (Book Review Editor), Yale Federalist Society (Vice President), Landlord Tenant Clinic (Student Director), Morris Tyler Moot Court
Harvard University

AB , English , 1992 — 1996

Activities and Societies:

Harvard Crimson (Associate Editorial Chair), Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society (Vice President), Philippine Forum (Vice President), Phillips Brooks House (Tutor)

Additional Information

David Lat’s Websites:

David Lat’s Interests:

Law, journalism, media, publishing, entertainment industry, politics, art and architecture, real estate, theatre, film, running, travel, reading (mainly fiction and magazines), dining out, gossip.