At Weil Gotshal, Joke Poses Existential Question About the Smartphone

For its annual April Fool’s Day Joke, the leadership at Weil, Gotshal & Manges joked that everyone can ignore their smartphones between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. because no emails will be sent at this time.

The only problem is that’s not actually funny, as Above the Law reported after learning of the failed joke from an angry associate.

“This email was the Firm’s annual April Fools’ Day message and was intended to be humorous,” Executive Partner Barry Wolf had to explain in an email later that day. “We obviously got this wrong and we sincerely apologize.”

For years, psychologists and business school professors have said that ...