editor’s legal news picks

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Yale Law School Appoints Cristina Rodri guez as New Dean

Yale Law School Appoints Cristina Rodri guez as New Dean

Rodri guez is currently serving as deputy dean and will take over the role on Feb. 1, 2026. The school's prior dean, Heather Gerken, stepped down in August to run the Ford Foundation.       Rodri guez is currently serving as deputy dean and will take over the role on...

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Top 25 Biglaw Firm Announces Bonuses

Top 25 Biglaw Firm Announces Bonuses

You know why you’re here. King & Spalding just hitched onto the bonus train! They’ve been raking in the cash, $2,373,034,000 gross revenue in 2024 according to the Am Law 100, and they’re divvying up the coffers this holiday season. Here’s the scale: To 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. “DC Circuit likely to reject Peter Navarro’s contempt appeal on broad...

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Law School Applicant Boom to Benefit Lower Tier Schools

Law School Applicant Boom to Benefit Lower Tier Schools

At least a half dozen law schools had their highest enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year in five years according to American Bar Association 509 reports.       At least a half dozen law schools had their highest enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year in five...

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Rape Allegation Rocks Major Biglaw Firm

Rape Allegation Rocks Major Biglaw Firm

Proceeding under the name Jane Doe, a former associate at DLA Piper has filed suit alleging that Brian Biggs, then a partner at the firm, raped her and later escalated the violence by breaking into her home and strangling her. The complaint paints a grim picture of...

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Morning Docket: 12.19.25

Morning Docket: 12.19.25

* Trump orders looser restrictions on marijuana… immediately after passing harsher new laws on hemp. Certainly no dementia at work here. [Law360] * Lawyer for the Joint Chiefs advised that officers should retire rather than follow unlawful order. No word on whether he...

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The Lands: Brothers On—And Off—the Bench

The Lands: Brothers On—And Off—the Bench

Supreme Court of Georgia Justice Benjamin A. Land and U.S. District Judge Clay D. Land sit down with Legal Speak podcast co-host Cedra Mayfield to discuss what it's like being brothers in law.       Supreme Court of Georgia Justice Benjamin A. Land and U.S. District...

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Meet the Lands: Brothers In Law—Literally

Meet the Lands: Brothers In Law—Literally

Supreme Court of Georgia Justice Benjamin A. Land and U.S. District Judge Clay D. Land sit down with Legal Speak podcast co-host Cedra Mayfield to discuss what it's like being brothers in law.       Supreme Court of Georgia Justice Benjamin A. Land and U.S. District...

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Your 2026 Affirmations

Your 2026 Affirmations

I love those little calendars you put on your desk that have daily affirmations.  In my last piece, I discussed my chatbot for young lawyers called Ask Frank on ChatGPT.  Here is the link. I asked for daily affirmations based on my writings. It did just that.  Enjoy. ...

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4 Ways Your Firm Can Build Economic Resilience 

4 Ways Your Firm Can Build Economic Resilience 

Even during boom times, economic challenges may be lurking around the corner.  That’s why it’s critical for law firms to position themselves for long-term success by building economic resilience.  Doing so means strengthening your firm’s fundamentals while always...

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Holiday Parties: Yay Or Nay?

Holiday Parties: Yay Or Nay?

Is there anything worse than a holiday office party? I can think of nothing less fun than spending several hours with colleagues at lunch or dinner or cocktails in settings outside of the office. For those like me, the whine is usually “Do I have to go?” Making an...

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Admission to Top-Tier Law Schools More Competitive Than Ever

Admission to Top-Tier Law Schools More Competitive Than Ever

"This is looking to be a brutal year for applicants and admissions outcomes," because schools "have more high-quality applicants," and in the last several years "medians for both LSAT and GPA have risen at almost all schools," one expert said.       "This is looking...

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Brand New Biglaw Firm Delights With Associate Bonuses

Brand New Biglaw Firm Delights With Associate Bonuses

It was only earlier this year that the Biglaw world got its latest mega firm following the merger of Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin. The combined firm grosses more than $2 billion, and they’re putting all that cash to good use — associate bonuses. Earlier...

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Coker Law at 50: A Legacy of Courtroom Mastery

Coker Law at 50: A Legacy of Courtroom Mastery By Susan Cushing Just after sunrise in Jacksonville, when the streets are still settling into the day, the lights inside Coker Law glow with the familiar hum of purpose. It is the same energy that has defined the firm for...

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Chris Johns: ‘Getting It Settled’

“My greatest asset as a mediator who gets cases settled is my ability to connect with the parties and attorneys personally as an equal by allowing them to express themselves fully, validate their emotions, genuinely listen to what they express factually, legally, and...

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Sydney Schmidt: Top of Her Class

Sydney Schmidt is a judicial staff attorney at the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court. She graduated from Jacksonville University College of Law this past May, earning the Dean’s Award for Academic  Excellence. We sat down with her to discuss her career aspirations. AALM:...

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Student Spotlight: Morgan N. Miner

Morgan N. Miner is a Juris Doctor candidate at Jacksonville University College of Law. She is on track to graduate in May 2026. AALM: What first interested you in pursuing a legal career? Did you have any other career aspirations before law? MNM: Before law school, I...

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Morning Docket: 12.18.25

Morning Docket: 12.18.25

* As Trump administration braces for loss in tariff case, it’s time to take stock of how unbelievably bad this administration is at “lawyering.” [Politico] * United Airlines pilots claim company lost their 401(k) funds like they were luggage. [Corporate Counsel] *...

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Nick Reiner’s Attorney Is Used To The Spotlight

Nick Reiner’s Attorney Is Used To The Spotlight

Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! Nick Reiner hired what Los Angeles criminal defense attorney to represent him on charges he murdered his parents, director and actor Rob Reiner and photographer and film producer Michele Singer Reiner?...

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$770K In Bonuses?! — See Also

Boutique Firm Blows The Market Out Of The Water!: Never a better time to work at Bursor & Fisher! They Aren’t The Only Ones!: Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone, Glenn Agre, Selendy Gay, Irell & Manella, HSF, and Hueston Hennigan! Some Make You Go Above And...

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SEC Alleges $48.5M Crypto-Mining Fraud by Philadelphia Man

SEC Alleges $48.5M Crypto-Mining Fraud by Philadelphia Man

“Chairman Atkins has signaled a laser-like focus on those who lie, cheat or steal—and this complaint alleges a trifecta where the defendant managed to do all three, said Jason Spitalnick, who previously served as enforcement counsel for the U.S. Securities and...

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Lawsuit Revives Uncertainty Over OSHA’s Future

Lawsuit Revives Uncertainty Over OSHA’s Future

“Regardless of how this challenge unfolds, it has the potential to reshape the future of workplace safety regulation and test ... the outer limits of congressional delegation to administrative agencies, Morgan Lewis & Bockius attorneys wrote in a recent client...

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There Are Limits to Congress’s Investigatory Powers

There Are Limits to Congress’s Investigatory Powers

Businesses across all sectors of the economy should be knowledgeable about how best to respond to a Congressional investigation, and ultimately, if the investigatory Committee is not satisfied with voluntary compliance efforts, the options available to them for...

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Holidays Come Early For Top 20 Biglaw Firm

Holidays Come Early For Top 20 Biglaw Firm

Last year, Goodwin announced its bonus structure in early January. Not that there’s anything necessarily wrong about that — many firms don’t pay out their bonuses until the new year, so there’s nothing magic about hearing about it until January. But, like Clark...

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Bonuses For The Holidays! — See Also

Bonuses For The Holidays! — See Also

Susman Godfrey’s Bonuses Punch Above The Market!: They’re doing good work and the money shows! But Wait, There’s More!: Check out Goodwin and Massumi + Consoli LLP! ‘Tis The Season For Promotions!: Cadwalader promotes a big partner class. Catch Up On This Partners To...

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Boutique Law Firm With Biglaw Cash

Boutique Law Firm With Biglaw Cash

One of the most consistent themes of this year’s bonus season is that big bonuses are not just for Biglaw. Time and again, small but mighty law firms are lavishing their attorneys with the kind of money that’s typically associated with much larger firms. Massumi +...

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Anatomy Of A Modern Merger: Finding Long-Term Success

Anatomy Of A Modern Merger: Finding Long-Term Success

Ed. note: Last in a series.   You’ve successfully navigated the pre-merger phase. Your deal has closed. Your legal department has taken the immediate necessary steps.  Now, the real work of ensuring long-term success begins.  Ironically, this forward-looking effort...

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Law Schools Are Increasingly Popular

Law Schools Are Increasingly Popular

Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! According to data from the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, how much did first-year law school enrollment increase this year over 2024? Hint: Law school...

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