(We realize this is old news, but we're declaring this Remedial Blogging Day at ATL. We have a few other slightly stale stories that we may write up later today, if it continues to be a slow news day.)

Judge Harold Baer (S.D.N.Y.) was once nominated as a hottie of the federal judiciary. Alas, he didn't win.

But in a competition for hotheadedness rather than hotness, Judge Baer might fare better. From a very interesting article by Anthony Lin in the New York Law Journal:

A Manhattan federal judge has delivered a lengthy manifesto against declining civility in the legal profession in the course of sanctioning law firm Dorsey & Whitney and two of its partners.

Southern District of New York Judge Harold Baer opened his 129-page decision with a discussion of how "naked competition and singular economic focus of the marketplace have begun to infiltrate the practice of law, subordinating the high standards of service, collegiality and professionalism as a result."

He ended it with his observation that "partners are at times made and retained for their rainmaking skills and not for their legal skill, that the number of billable hours is not only the alpha and omega of bonuses but that these hours -- or at least the ones that count -- often exclude pro bono hours, or that who gets credit for originating a piece of business can throw a firm into turmoil and prompt internecine struggles, or that the bottom line has eclipsed most everything else for which the practice of law stands or stood to the extent that the practice of law is now frequently described as a business rather than a profession."

Usually when a federal judge tears you a new one, you just grin and bear it. Or maybe go out and buy some Preparation H.

But the lawyer who was the subject of Judge Baer's ire actually struck back. Read more, after the jump.

Judge Baer was particularly harsh towards former Dorsey & Whitney partner Kristan L. Peters, described in the opinion as showing "studied disregard for the sanctity of court orders."

But Kristan Peters begs to differ. From Tony Lin's article:

"It is hard to take seriously Judge Baer's alleged concern for professional courtesy when he continues to treat women litigators like second-class citizens in his courtroom, requires attorneys to physically oversee the return of documents in another country within a matter of hours when they are overseas on their anniversary, and sets depositions on Sunday mornings," said Peters in an e-mail.

"Indeed, when a Catholic lawyer asks for the opportunity to attend church before the Sunday deposition, he mocked the attorney for Catholic observance," she said.

For the love of Mary! That's not very nice, Judge Baer.

So what happened to Kristan Peters? We understand that she joined Dorsey & Whitney as a partner in January, left the firm in June, and now owns her own firm.

Dorsey Firm Sanctioned as Part of Judge's Manifesto on Civility in Legal Profession [New York Law Journal]