Many of the December columns you’ll read will look at 2024’s highlights, and low moments, too. You’ll see any number of “best” or “top 10 lists,” and lawyers particularly will eagerly seek out the “biggest plaintiff’s verdict” or “top defense wins” of the past year. In my opinion, however, no year-end list or stroll down memory lane would be complete without a review of some of the strangest and funniest moments that the legal world gave us in 2024. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorites:

Best Legal Employment Ad


Lawyers on the job hunt in September might have done a doubletake upon seeing a job posting for a “Pirate Ship” seeking “in-house counsel.” The ad read, “We’re currently on the lookout for exceptional pirates to join our crew as a Senior Legal Counsel otherwise known as a Corsair Consigliere to us here at Pirate Ship.” Shiver me timbers! Could this be the employment that my inner child had been dreaming about since going on the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride at Disney World oh so many years ago? And what would an in-house counsel for a pirate ship do, anyway—litigate worker’s comp claims over wooden legs while negotiating settlements in gold doubloons? Avast matey—it was not to be. Faster than you can say “Aargh” to that emotional service parrot on your shoulder, I read further and learned that this was a real job listing for a real outfit, a shipping software company named Pirate Ship. The tongue-in-cheek ad called for qualified candidates who could “keep litigation management shipshape” and “practice balanced buccaneering with advisory and strategic roles.” Oh well, no booty (but probably a nice 401(k)).