editor’s legal news picks

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The Ethical & Practical Use of AI in Patent Prosecution

The Ethical & Practical Use of AI in Patent Prosecution

This webcast offers a concise, high-level guide to ethical AI use in patent practice, drawing directly from the USPTO's Guidance on Use of Artificial Intelligence-Based Tools in Practice       This webcast offers a concise, high-level guide to ethical AI use in patent...

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Getting Ahead of the Debanking Curve

Getting Ahead of the Debanking Curve

On Aug. 7, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order targeting “debanking. The order defines debanking as “an act by a bank, savings association, credit union, or other financial services provider to directly or indirectly adversely restrict access to, or...

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Target Reveals Severance Terms for Ousted Legal Chief

Target Reveals Severance Terms for Ousted Legal Chief

Amy Tu agreed to not work for a Target competitor for 24 months as part of the agreement, which the retail giant filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week.       Amy Tu agreed to not work for a Target competitor for 24 months as part of the...

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Kim Kardashian Is Waiting On Her Bar Exam Results

Kim Kardashian Is Waiting On Her Bar Exam Results

Back in May, we learned that Kim Kardashian had finally graduated from “law school,” perhaps better known as the California legal apprenticeship program she started about six years ago when she announced that she was studying to become a lawyer without going to law...

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Morning Docket: 09.02.25

Morning Docket: 09.02.25

* To bolster death penalty bid in Luigi Mangione case, prosecutors are arguing that the United Healthcare shooting, normalized gun violence. Instead of, say, the mass school shootings that the administration refuses to do anything about. [New York Law Journal] * Rudy...

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These Law Firms Are Finding A ‘Sweet Spot’ in 2025

These Law Firms Are Finding A ‘Sweet Spot’ in 2025

Second Hundred law firms have notched higher demand and comparable profit growth as the Am Law 50, without the same level of growth in billing rates as their larger counterparts.       Second Hundred law firms have notched higher demand and comparable profit growth as...

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Trust, Transformation & The Human Layer of AI

Trust, Transformation & The Human Layer of AI

Join us for a candid discussion to gain historical context and directional insight into how lawyers and in-house counsel are implementing AI not only to drive legal operations forward but also to elevate trust and collaboration.       Join us for a candid discussion...

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Molotov Hoagie Avoids Indictment — See Generally

Not All Heroes Wear Capes… Not All Grinders Or Subs Either: Department of Justice fails to secure indictment for sandwich vigilante. Baby’s First Hostage Negotiation: Lawyers use newborn for leverage in scheduling spat, proving once again that bar associations should...

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7 Essential Skills Every 1L Must Develop ASAP

7 Essential Skills Every 1L Must Develop ASAP

The post 7 Essential Skills Every 1L Must Develop ASAP appeared first on Above the Law.The first year of law school is notoriously difficult. There are so many differences between college and law school, which makes for a pretty steep learning curve. Trying to figure...

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Client Entertainment Expenses Are Worth The Cost

Client Entertainment Expenses Are Worth The Cost

Law firms often spend substantial sums of money on business development in the belief that this will pay off with new work for the firm.  Many law firms pay for their attorneys to attend conferences and networking events so that they can potentially meet people and...

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Bar Exam Scores Are Up!

Bar Exam Scores Are Up!

The cost of living isn’t the only thing up this year! The bar exam — one of our industry’s time-honored hazing exercises, is the main hurdle that separates people who merely have JDs from bona fide esquires. And this year the average score of July test takers is the...

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How Appealing Weekly Roundup

How Appealing Weekly Roundup

Ed. Note: A weekly roundup of just a few items from Howard Bashman’s How Appealing blog, the Web’s first blog devoted to appellate litigation. Check out these stories and more at How Appealing. “With Louisiana Essentially Flipping Sides in Callais Case Before Supreme...

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Federal Court Protecting Mail-In Ballots

Federal Court Protecting Mail-In Ballots

Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! Which federal circuit court recently ruled that a state law requiring election officials toss mail-in ballots if they contain missing or incorrect dates was unconstitutional? Hint: The judges found the...

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Alina Habba Breaks New Jersey Court System

Alina Habba Breaks New Jersey Court System

Alina Habba cares deeply about the rule of law. She just cares about her career more. Yesterday, the New York Times ran a three-byline piece detailing the chaos in New Jersey thanks to President Trump’s insistence that his personal lawyer serve as the top prosecutor...

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Harvey Goes To Law School — See Also

Harvey AI Partners With Law Schools: Notre Dame, UCLA, NYU and Stanford are early adopters. Here’s Your 1L Primer: Prepare yourself for success! Did You Hear About The Bar Scores?: Things are looking up! We’re In The Authenticity Checking Phase Of It All: Trump admin...

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Your Path to $1M+ in Annual Income as a Law Firm Owner

The average attorney in the U.S. makes $151,000 a year. However, if you own the firm — if you’re the one managing the team, signing the checks, and carrying the whole business on your back — you should be earning far more. How much more? How about $1M+ per year? But...

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Emory Healthcare Hands Legal Reins to K&L Gates Partner

Emory Healthcare Hands Legal Reins to K&L Gates Partner

Gina Bertolini is a former deputy general counsel of Michigan Medicine and former associate general counsel of the University of North Carolina Health System.       Gina Bertolini is a former deputy general counsel of Michigan Medicine and former associate general...

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When the Love is Gone: Small Business Divorce

Business partnerships often begin with shared goals and mutual trust. Family members, friends, co-workers or a combination form the business to chase the American Dream. But as companies grow and evolve, so do the people behind them. Disputes among...

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When the Love is Gone: Small Business Divorce

Business partnerships often begin with shared goals and mutual trust. Family members, friends, co-workers or a combination form the business to chase the American Dream. But as companies grow and evolve, so do the people behind them. Disputes among...

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Personal Injury Lawyers Lead The Way On AI Adoption

Personal Injury Lawyers Lead The Way On AI Adoption

Technology adoption in the legal profession has always been a mixed bag. Historically, lawyers have been receptive to some innovations, like email, word processing, fax machines, and BlackBerrys, but have been slow to accept others, such as cloud computing, online...

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Intel Drops Funding HBCU Legal Pipeline

Intel Drops Funding HBCU Legal Pipeline

More diversity crackdown news. Intel, known mostly for their chip production, awarded North Carolina Central University law school a $5M grant in 2021 meant to foster diversity in the legal landscape. There was probably hope that Intel would renew the grant after it...

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Thanks To Our Advertisers!

Thanks To Our Advertisers!

We’d like to express gratitude to our fantastic sponsors here at Above the Law: 8am™ AffiniPay 8am™ CasePeer 8am™ LawPay 8am™ MyCase Aon Axiom Brightflag Caret Legal CobbleStone Software CosmoLex Definely Draftable  Filevine FlexOffers.com iManage Keeper Security Inc....

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Insights On AI And Its Impact On Legal, Part Two

Insights On AI And Its Impact On Legal, Part Two

In a previous article I explored how Ethan Mollick’s insights from Co-Intelligence: Living and Working With AI  about how the equalization of skills will impact legal. In today’s post I will examine two additional Mollick insights that are equally important to the...

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Presiding Judge Lori Bustamante on Project S.A.F.E.

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) presented Judge Lori Bustamante of the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County with the Innovator of the Year Award for the creation of Project S.A.F.E. (Safety Awareness & Firearms Education)...

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You Are Summoned To Testify Before Congress. Now What?

You Are Summoned To Testify Before Congress. Now What?

Process presents unique challenges and potential public exposure, underscoring importance of honesty, careful document preservation, and reliance on qualified legal counsel.       Process presents unique challenges and potential public exposure, underscoring...

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You Are Summoned To Testify Before Congress. Now What?

You Are Summoned To Testify Before Congress. Now What?

Process presents unique challenges and potential public exposure, underscoring importance of honesty, careful document preservation, and reliance on qualified legal counsel.       Process presents unique challenges and potential public exposure, underscoring...

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Morning Docket: 08.28.25

* Chicago prepares for potential troop deployment. Chicagoans might want to familiarize themselves with how grand juries work before the Italian Beefs start flying. [Reuters] * Trump can bring lawsuit against Pulitzer Prize board for aggravated awarding journalists...

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Every Case May Go to Trial: Act Accordingly

Every Case May Go to Trial: Act Accordingly

It’s often said that 1% of civil cases, if that, go to trial. Because so few cases go to trial, many litigators do not view their cases through the prism of trial, but rather the prism of settlement – what do I need to do to settle this case? Resolve it at mediation?...

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July MBE Scores Reach Highest Scaled Mean Since 2013

July MBE Scores Reach Highest Scaled Mean Since 2013

The MBE national mean scaled score for July was 142.4, 0.6 points higher as compared to the July 2024 mean of 141.8, according to NCBE's announcement.       The MBE national mean scaled score for July was 142.4, 0.6 points higher as compared to the July 2024 mean of...

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July MBE Scores Reach Highest Scaled Mean Since 2013

July MBE Scores Reach Highest Scaled Mean Since 2013

The MBE national mean scaled score for July was 142.4, 0.6 points higher as compared to the July 2024 mean of 141.8, according to NCBE's announcement.       The MBE national mean scaled score for July was 142.4, 0.6 points higher as compared to the July 2024 mean of...

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Announcing the Finalists for the New Jersey Legal Awards 2025

Announcing the Finalists for the New Jersey Legal Awards 2025

Announcing this year's honorees for the New Jersey Legal Awards, including finalists for two of the Law Journal's most prestigious awards: Attorney of the Year and Law Firm of the Year.       Announcing this year's honorees for the New Jersey Legal Awards, including...

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The Perfect Pen, Perfect Pencil

Analog Attorney | Finding the perfect pencil and the perfect pen might change your note-taking game. The post The Perfect Pen, Perfect Pencil appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers.Finding the perfect pencil and the perfect pen might...

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2400 Reasons To Brush Up That Resume

Be prepared to be on the clock a lot longer at King & Spalding, where the firm has introduced a 2400 hour “productive” time target. In other words, attorneys will have to figure out how to describe 2400 hours worth of work to the firm’s billing software every...

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Insights On AI And Its Impact On Legal, Part One

Insights On AI And Its Impact On Legal, Part One

I recently finished reading Ethan Mollick‘s excellent book on artificial intelligence, entitled Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI. He does a great job of explaining what it is, how it works, how it best can be used, and where it may be headed.  Having...

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Just How Big A Problem Is Padding Your Billable Hours?

Just How Big A Problem Is Padding Your Billable Hours?

What happened here [an Irwin Mitchell senior associate getting caught misrepresenting billable hours, who was ultimately banned from the profession by U.K. regulators] is not as extraordinary as it may sound. The practice of inflating hours—at least to some extent—is...

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It’s A Good Time To Be A Biglaw Equity Partner

It’s A Good Time To Be A Biglaw Equity Partner

Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! According to data from the Wells Fargo Legal Specialty Group, how much are profits per equity partner up in the AmLaw 200? Hint: The six-month survey showed a strong performance in Biglaw (thanks...

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In the Clear on Click-to-Cancel? Not So Fast, Experts Say

In the Clear on Click-to-Cancel? Not So Fast, Experts Say

“If you had been updating your subscription model in anticipation of the click-to-cancel rule, your best course of action is to complete the play, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough wrote in a note to clients.       “If you had been updating your subscription...

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