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Harris Beach Murtha Completes Peabody & Arnold Combination, Eyes New England Expansion
Nearly 40 attorneys and 25 professionals from Peabody & Arnold have transitioned to Harris Beach, doubling the firm's Boston presence. Nearly 40 attorneys and 25 professionals from Peabody & Arnold have transitioned to Harris Beach, doubling the firm's...
Biglaw’s WFH Glory Days Aren’t Coming Back, Reading The Real Estate Deal Tea Leaves
Legal sector office leasing jumped 17% year-over-year in the first half of 2026, climbing to nearly 12.2 million square feet, according to new figures from Cushman & Wakefield reported by Reuters. Law firms accounted for 14% of all office leasing across the 10...
Boutique Law Firm Steps Up With Milbank Raises As Biglaw Stays Put
While Biglaw continues to sit on the sidelines, yet another boutique has stepped up to match the Milbank salary scale. At this point, boutiques seem far more eager to pay associates the money they deserve than the country’s biggest and wealthiest firms. Biglaw may...
Have We Reached ‘Peak Legal Tech?’ Sure Felt That Way At ILTACON
The post Have We Reached ‘Peak Legal Tech?’ Sure Felt That Way At ILTACON appeared first on Above the Law.“We’ve reached peak legal tech.”That was the takeaway of a veteran legal tech CEO while attending this week’s ILTACON, the annual conference of the International...
Retired Federal Judge Alan Albright Joins A&O Shearman in Austin
Alan Albright, a federal judge since 2018, grew a busy and influential patent litigation docket from his bench in the Western District of Texas. Alan Albright, a federal judge since 2018, grew a busy and influential patent litigation docket from his bench in the...
These Law Schools Are Crushing It When It Comes To Graduate Employment
For prospective law students, employment outcomes are often the most important consideration when selecting a law school. After all, if you’re going to spend three years of your life and potentially take on six figures of debt to earn a law degree, you’d probably like...
Sam Alito Delayed Financials Reveal Still Betting Big On Oil Companies As He Hears Climate Change Case
Justice Samuel Alito’s annual financial disclosure was due on May 15. So, obviously, he posted it today. Federal judges can take up to 90 extra days to perform the barest of minimum acts of transparency, and Alito takes advantage of that almost every year. His eight...
The 2026 Midlevel Associates Survey: The Rankings
There was a significant amount of year-over-year rankings movement, including the top three spots, our data shows. There was a significant amount of year-over-year rankings movement, including the top three spots, our data shows.
Fewer Midlevel Associates Believe They’re Cut Out for Partnership
Big Law looks like a steppingstone to an increasing proportion of midlevels. Big Law looks like a steppingstone to an increasing proportion of midlevels.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Resigns
The post Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Resigns appeared first on Above the Law.WASHINGTON — Dan Driscoll, the 26th secretary of the Army, has submitted his letter of resignation, after serving in his position for less than two years, two Army officials told Breaking...
Morning Docket: 09.01.26
* Supreme Court decides no one has standing to stop a president who wants to tear down a national monument and build on top of it all without congressional approval. [Balls and Strikes] * HSF Kramer named in billion-dollar malpractice suit. [Bloomberg Law News] * They...
Left Brain, Right Brain, and Reading Precedent
While lawyering is more art than science, science—specifically neuroscience—has something to say about professional development. Its insights into the brain can help lawyers apply precedents more persuasively and, in doing so, gain an edge on the...
New York Judge Tosses Uber’s Racketeering Case, but California Case Moves Ahead
On Aug. 14, a federal judge dismissed Uber's RICO case against New York's Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, but Los Angeles-based Jacob Emrani and Downtown LA Law Group moved to reconsider a contrasting ruling in an Uber case in California. On...
Circuit Revives Kentucky Law Professor’s First Amendment Suit Over Israel Petition
Back in July, a University of Kentucky spokesperson offered a theory of why the school’s investigation of law professor Ramsi Woodcock had dragged on so long: if Woodcock “had spent his time responding to the serious allegations regarding his conduct in a timely...
Samuel Alito Has Absolutely No (Direct) Financial Interest In The Upcoming Global Warming Case — See Also
Alito Is Still Loaded Up On Oil And Gas Stock Ahead Of The Big Climate Case: His long-withheld financials, posted this morning, confirm the holdings watchdogs say should have forced a recusal. Jim Clyburn’s Clarence Thomas Endorsement Has Not Aged Well, And He Knows...
9th Circuit Says Nevada Can Regulate Kalshi Contracts as Gambling, Creating Circuit Split
The appeals court, in a break from a sister circuit, held that sports event contracts are bets—and not “swaps, which fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission under the federal Commodity Exchange Act. The appeals...
How to Stop ‘Rough-Drafting’ and Learn to Speak with Precision
Do your presentations suffer from "hanging fragmentitis"? Here’s how to stop yourself from constantly editing, restarting and revising out loud. The post How to Stop ‘Rough-Drafting’ and Learn to Speak with Precision appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law...
From Hong Kong to London: Chinese Issuers Have More Listing Options. Law Firms Are Adjusting to Win the Work
Law firms in Asia are sharpening their focus on governance and sanctions risks as more cross-border IPOs emerge and as the London exchange doubles down on wooing Chinese issuers. Law firms in Asia are sharpening their focus on governance and sanctions risks as...
The Next Legal AI Problem Is Not Hallucination. It Is Authorization.
Imagine an AI agent reviewing a supplier agreement. It reads the limitation of liability correctly, compares it with the company’s standard, concludes that the deviation is relatively minor, and accepts the agreement. The analysis may be flawless. The decision may...
The Justice That Beat An Impeachment Effort Led By A Future President
Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! Which Supreme Court justice survived a 1970 campaign to impeach him, led by a House minority leader who would later become president? Hint: That future president offered a memorably elastic definition...
Illinois Supreme Court Fills Another Judicial Vacancy in Chicago
Gregory Mitchell, a solo practitioner focusing on federal criminal defense and employment law, begins his tenure in October. Gregory Mitchell, a solo practitioner focusing on federal criminal defense and employment law, begins his tenure in...
Duquesne Law Partners With Law Firms to Refine AI Education
Duquesne Kline Law faculty and staff have been visiting a variety of law firms to gain information about real-world uses of AI in the legal profession. Duquesne Kline Law faculty and staff have been visiting a variety of law firms to gain information about...
Mead Johnson Wins Defense Verdict in 1st Federal Trial Over Cow’s Milk-Based Infant Formula
The trial was the first before U.S. Senior District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, who is overseeing more than 800 cases in multi-district litigation involving cow's milk-based infant formula and a gastrointestinal illness called necrotizing enterocolitis. The trial...
New Survey Says Lawyers Are Just As Miserable As Everyone Else
Seventy-three percent of professionals say administrative work makes them at least slightly miserable. The remaining 27 percent are presumably either rich or deranged. Or both. These findings of unfathomable sorrow are chronicled in the 2026 Admin Misery Index, out...
Trump Admin Says Post Office Can Treat Ballots Like Cremated Pets
Trump’s plot to take over state voting systems had a busy week in court. The U.S. Postal Service’s final rule on Ballot Mail for Federal Elections took effect August 21, got formally published August 26, then got blocked by Judge Indira Talwani less than 24 hours...
Jim Clyburn Vouched For Clarence Thomas In 1991, Now He Wants To Add Four Justices To Compensate
Rep. James Clyburn went on “Meet the Press” this weekend and did the thing politicians almost never do: he admitted he was wrong. Specifically, wrong about Clarence Thomas. That’s a heavier admission for Clyburn than for most, because in 1991 he wasn’t a bystander to...
Biglaw Firm’s Emails Casually Insult ‘Dumb Judge’ And ‘Poop Man’
I am wondering whether we should ask Judge Whelan to strike their praecipe to discontinue under Rule 229(c). I have never done it before but this feels like the right opportunity. Keeping it live in PA could make this easier for a dumb judge in RI. –Holland &...
‘Serious Matter’: 5th Circuit Weighs Reassignment After Judge Used AI to Draft Ruling
U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate issued the temporary restraining order "on the basis of names that didn't even exist and statements that didn't even exist," said Fifth Circuit Judge Jerry Smith. "Are you saying that we can be confident that that didn't infect his...
Legal AI Needs An Escalation Layer
The most important decision an AI agent makes may be the decision not to decide. As legal AI moves from answering questions to participating in transactions, we need systems that know when to stop, ask for approval, or hand the matter to a human. That sounds obvious....
The Iranian October Surprise
Suppose the United States manages to impose an economic stranglehold on Iran. Suppose Iran feels desperate by late September. The regime is beginning to wobble. Do you really think the Iranians would admit defeat and come to the negotiating table with their tale...
Series A Round for Newcode, An AI Harness for Legal, Brings Its Funding To $20M and Fuels U.S. Expansion
Newcode, an Oslo-based legal AI company that sells law firms a configurable AI harness rather than a finished assistant, has raised a Series A led by OnDean Forward, the investment firm founded by Relativity founder Andrew Sieja. The round brings the company’s total...
Troutman Adds New Real Estate Partner in Boston With National Practice
Dan Monger joined the firm's Boston office as partner in August as Troutman looks to broaden its real estate practice across a national platform. Dan Monger joined the firm's Boston office as partner in August as Troutman looks to broaden its real estate...
This Is How to Answer the Phone
Telephobia (ringziety?) is real. Here are Bull Garlington's helpful tips and tricks for conquering your anxiety over answering the phone, or (NO!) placing a call yourself. The post This Is How to Answer the Phone appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms...
How I Made Law Firm Leadership: ‘Earn the Trust of Your Colleagues,’ Says Mike Byrne of Day Pitney
"Come to work every day thinking about the interests of your clients and your firm, and earn the trust of your colleagues. Make a real investment in getting to know them. Emails or chat threads are wonderfully useful, but trust is built over coffee, in the hallway, at...
Bill to Expand Reach of California’s Antitrust Law Secures Legislators’ Support
Democratic majority lawmakers approved AB 1776, which would allow state prosecutors to target anticompetitive behavior by single companies. Democratic majority lawmakers approved AB 1776, which would allow state prosecutors to target anticompetitive behavior by...
The Big Defense Spending Priorities Awaiting Congress In September
The post The Big Defense Spending Priorities Awaiting Congress In September appeared first on Above the Law. While lawmakers wrap up their August recess, Breaking Defense Multimedia Director Daniel Woolfolklays out several key funding measures confronting the House...
The Big Defense Spending Priorities Awaiting Congress In September
The post The Big Defense Spending Priorities Awaiting Congress In September appeared first on Above the Law. While lawmakers wrap up their August recess, Breaking Defense Multimedia Director Daniel Woolfolklays out several key funding measures confronting the House...
Morning Docket: 08.31.26
* Why are there so many lawyer billboards? [Mental Floss] * California legislature moves to block private equity from investing in law firms. [Law360] * DHS using law about customs violations to spy on journalists without a warrant. [Guardian] * Judge shopping crisis...
Inside Weil’s Private Equity Partner Shuffle
It's the second time within two years that the firm has sustained a series of departures from key partners. It's the second time within two years that the firm has sustained a series of departures from key partners.
Protecting the Record: Security Best Practices for Complex Litigation
As a case becomes more complex, so too does the challenge of ensuring security and privacy are strictly maintained. Veritext CIO Jacob Mathai walks us through best practices for keeping confidential data secure. The post Protecting the Record: Security Best Practices...
As If It’s Not Hard Enough To Make Partner — See Generally
A Change Of Heart: Matthew Cali says Troutman Pepper Locke told him “the goalposts to make Partner” had moved after he survived a devastating heart attack. Emergency Contact: The conservative majority reached for the emergency docket to let Trump’s mail-in ballot...
When Samuel Alito Is The One Calling You ‘Scary,’ You Know There’s A Problem — See Also
Clarence Thomas Was “Scary” In Law School: At least according to Samuel Alito. Court watchers still think he’s plenty scary now, too. SCOTUS Said Come Back With A Final Rule. The States Did. They Won Again (At The District Court): The Postal Service finalized its...
Opioid Defendants Facing Hundreds of New Plaintiffs Appeal Judge Polster’s Order—Again.
Two pharmacy benefit managers, OptumRx and Express Scripts, petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to reverse a July 27 order by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster allowing 800 plaintiffs to sue them over the opioid crisis. Two pharmacy benefit...
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. “Kalshi Takes Hit as Appeals Court Says Sports Bets Aren’t Swaps”: Gillian...
Nominated To The Supreme Court On Monday, Gone By The Next Weekend
Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! In 1987, a president reeling from a failed Supreme Court nomination quickly named a replacement — only to watch this one collapse in about a week. Who was the nominee who wasn’t undone by his judicial...
State Immune From Damages in Genetic Privacy Dispute, Appellate Court Says
The ruling comes as GIPA litigation is on the rise. But now, government employees won't be able to receive damages. The ruling comes as GIPA litigation is on the rise. But now, government employees won't be able to receive damages.
ILTACON Confirms: Gradually, Then Suddenly Legal Tech Became A Big Business
How did you go bankrupt? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly. — The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway, 1926 When I started writing about legal tech a decade or so ago, it was a sleepy business. Most of the time not all that much happened… which made it pretty easy to...
Samuel Alito Thought Clarence Thomas Was ‘Scary’ In Law School
Imagine learning that one of your future Supreme Court colleagues didn’t befriend you in law school because he found you terrifying. Justice Clarence Thomas recently sat down for a rare interview with Senator Ted Cruz on his “Verdict” podcast, where the conversation...
Building A Legal Practice That Fits Your Life
Kara Maciel always knew she wanted to be a lawyer, and a high school trip to Washington, DC sealed the deal. What she didn’t plan for was building her own firm. In this episode, the Conn, Maciel & Carey co-founder talks about the years she spent paying off law...
Lawyers Don’t Need To Dress Up For Every Video Call
One of the more interesting changes to the legal profession since the COVID-19 pandemic has been the way lawyers dress for work. Before the pandemic, there were fairly well-established expectations about what attorneys should wear in different professional settings....
The Mail-In Ballot Fight Is Right Back Where It Started, With The Trump Administration Taking Another ‘L’
Remember earlier this week, when the Supreme Court’s shadow docket handed Trump his mail-in ballot wish by deciding the blue states had sued too early — that they’d have to wait for the Postal Service to actually finalize its rule before anyone could complain about...
Law Department 2.0
Last year, Law Firm 2.0, or the reimagined law firm, was a big topic at the TLTF Summit. Now, even AI-native law firms are part of the vernacular, designed from scratch around AI technology. Venture capital is flowing into firms built from the ground up, and existing...
Teenage Law Grad Thinks Getting A Tax LLM Will Be A ‘Little Vacation’
Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day. I think it’ll be fun. I like tax, so I think it’s going to be like a little vacation. — Jimmy Chilimigras, who recently graduated from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law at the age of 18, in comments...
Trump Trollsuit Against New York Times Damages Trollsuit Against IRS
Donald Trump has amended his defamation trollsuit against the New York Times. Now instead of being 40 pages of incoherent gobbledygook, it’s 62 pages of incoherent gobbledygook. But don’t worry, he’s still seeking just $15 billion in damages. No extra charge for the...
Oracle Helped Kneecap Section 230, Then Bought 15% Of A Company That Needs It.
Six years ago, when Trump first tried to force ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations to his billionaire buddy Larry Ellison at Oracle, we wondered if this would finally get Oracle to change its tune on Section 230. While not as widely known outside of Silicon...
Turning Client Intake Calls Into Marketing Insights
If your law firm is not using client intake calls as a source of data to generate marketing insights, you are missing out on one of the best ways to collect the information you and your marketing team need to refine your law firm growth strategy. Intake calls tell you...
Pentagon’s Blacklisting of Anthropic Was ‘Unlawful Retaliation,’ Federal Court Finds
Judge Rita F. Lin of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California found the Pentagon's designation was “unlawful retaliation against Anthropic for its criticism of the department's plans for use of artificial intelligence technology. Judge...
Arizona Bar Foundation’s Partnership Raises the Bar for The Equal Justice Challenge
We sat down with Dr. Kevin Ruegg, the CEO and executive director of the Arizona Bar Foundation to discuss the partnership with the Arizona Equal Justice Foundation to expand its reach and make a larger impact for civil legal aid in Arizona. AALM: Tell us how you came...
EEOC Seeks Faster Process for Federal Worker Bias Claims, Critics Fear Fewer Protections
The proposal would remove the ability of federal employees to request administrative hearings within the EEOC, forcing many claims into federal court. The proposal would remove the ability of federal employees to request administrative hearings within the EEOC,...
How I Made Partner: ‘Speak Up About What You Want and Advocate for Yourself,’ Says Jillian London of Gibson Dunn
"At the same time, it's important to speak up about what you want and advocate for yourself. Partners and mentors need to know that partnership is something you are genuinely working toward so they can help create opportunities for you along the way. Doing great work...
‘A New Wave of AI Enforcement’: Alabama AG Subpoenas OpenAI in Probe Over Hugging Face Hack
The filing could, experts say, signal a wave of potential multi-state enforcement actions against AI companies in the future as OpenAI continues to weather a novel surge of product liability litigation primarily concentrated in California state court. The filing...
Legal AI Gets an Upgrade: Inside LexisNexis’ New Innovation Lab
In this episode of Legal Speak, LexisNexis CTO Greg Dickason discusses how LexisNexis' new Customer Innovation Lab in New York City brings legal customers, engineers and designers together to shape future products, alongside technology partners including OpenAI and...
‘Unresponsiveness’ and ‘Unclear Goals’ Dog Big Law Marketing Departments—Not to Mention the AI Risks
According to Law.com's legal marketing survey for 2026, several nagging issues — including unclear and under-resourced expectations — are creating tension between law firm management and marketing departments, often leading to burnout. According to Law.com's...
Grief Is Essential
Grief does not have to be scary. It is an essential part of our lives and part of the healing process. Here's Shawn Healy's advice on what to do and where to go when you, or your colleagues, are grieving. The post Grief Is Essential appeared first on Articles, Tips...
Litigation Trends to Watch: Suits Strike at Moonlighting Bans, ‘Made With Avocado Oil’ Claims and Employee Background Checks
Employment cases are piling up over claims that "anti-moonlighting" clauses violate Washington law. Employment cases are piling up over claims that "anti-moonlighting" clauses violate Washington law.
Freshfields Asia Suffers Another Blow as Latham Lures Hong Kong Dealmakers Grace Huang and Edward Freeman
The hires give Latham heavyweight equity capital markets, private equity and M&A capabilities as Hong Kong's deal market rebounds. It also deepens a run of significant partner losses for Freshfields across Asia. The hires give Latham heavyweight equity...
The Cost of AI Usage: Time To Throw In The Unrestrained Towel
I used to vacation with my family and friends at a swanky resort in a foreign country. The resort had several grand pools and overlooked the Pacific. It also had a very strict towel policy. To get a towel, you had to sign in with an attendant who recorded your room...
The Best Law Schools For Family Law (2026)
Family law programs play a crucial role in law school, giving students the knowledge and practical skills they need to guide clients through some of the most high-stakes issues they’ll ever face — marriage, divorce, family planning, custody, personal safety, and...
Harvey And PacerPro Announce Partnership To Connect Docket Data With AI Litigation Workflows
The post Harvey And PacerPro Announce Partnership To Connect Docket Data With AI Litigation Workflows appeared first on Above the Law.The legal AI company Harvey and the court data company PacerPro have announced an integration partnership that gives litigation teams...
Associate Says His Firm ‘Moved The Goalposts’ To Partner After His Heart Attack
Matthew Cali did what Biglaw associates are told to do: kept his head down, billed the hours, stayed on the partner track. Then his heart stopped. And his firm, he alleges, treated that as reason to push him off the track entirely. Cali, a litigation associate in...
AI Is Coming To Litigation. Get Up To Speed With Bellwether AI Litigator Early Bird Special.
The post AI Is Coming To Litigation. Get Up To Speed With Bellwether AI Litigator Early Bird Special. appeared first on Above the Law.The post AI Is Coming To Litigation. Get Up To Speed With Bellwether AI Litigator Early Bird Special. appeared first on Above the Law.
Biglaw’s Talent Wars Bring Signing Bonuses Back Into Style
Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day. This really is supply and demand. If the demand is there, then we’re going to continue seeing the signing bonuses. And then when the market cools off and associates have fewer options, firms won’t have to offer...
Biglaw Is Riding The AI Boom To A Record First Half… If Only They Can Collect On It
Wells Fargo’s Legal Specialty Group is out with its six-month 2026 survey, and by the top-line numbers, Biglaw is having one of its best years on record. Revenue across the Am Law 200 climbed 12.4 percent through June, ahead of last year’s 11.2 percent pace and among...
What A Torn Rotator Cuff Can Teach Us About Legal Business Development
If you are old enough to remember the movie Risky Business, you probably remember the famous scene where Tom Cruise slides smoothly across a wooden floor in his socks while Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” blasts in the background. Now imagine that same scene,...
The Only Family To Put Two Generations On The Supreme Court
Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! Who are the only grandfather-grandson pair ever to serve on the Supreme Court with a shared named borrowed from a legendary early justice? Hint: The elder became famous as a lone voice of conscience;...
A Heart Attack, A Billing Scheme, And $3,000 For The ‘Cabinets’: Inside One Associate’s Suit Against Troutman Pepper — See Also
He Survived A ‘Widow-Maker’ At The Office. Then, He Says, His Firm Went To Work On Him: A new lawsuit accuses Troutman Pepper Locke of moving the partnership goalposts after an associate’s heart attack — and of a billing scheme he was told to keep quiet. Biglaw’s...
‘We’re Not Playing Games’: Attorney Mark DiCello in Hot Seat Over Paraquat Clients
At a Thursday teleconference, U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel, who is overseeing 6,600 paraquat cases in the multidistrict litigation in the Southern District of Illinois, said she had “serious concerns that all of DiCello Levitt's clients had opted out of a...
With Eyes on SCOTUS’ Emergency Docket, Appellate Equivalents Get Little Attention
While the U.S. Supreme Court's interim or emergency docket has drawn outsized attention in the last decade, bids for stays pending appeal and other emergency relief requests make up a large share of work at the federal appeals courts too—albeit marked by far less...
AI Is Turning Corporate Archives Into Valuable Assets. What Could Go Wrong?
Lawyers could find themselves in unfamiliar territory as the need to train AI platforms spurs buying and selling corporate data in deals like Google's $10 million transaction with Spirit Airlines. Lawyers could find themselves in unfamiliar territory as the need...
In Latest Slate of AI Partnerships, Law Firms Claim Benefits of Early Access and Collaboration
Rather than keeping co-developed technology exclusive, firms are helping vendors develop tools that competitors will be able to purchase. Rather than keeping co-developed technology exclusive, firms are helping vendors develop tools that competitors will be able...
Mamdani Revives City Bar’s Role in Judicial Vetting, but Makes It Optional
A new agreement between Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary and the New York City Bar Association restores the bar group's role in evaluating judicial candidates, but leaves participation up to the candidates themselves A new agreement...
Morgan & Morgan Expands to New Chicago Office
Personal injury giant Morgan & Morgan opened a Chicago office with eight attorneys and plans to focus on filing cases in local courts. Personal injury giant Morgan & Morgan opened a Chicago office with eight attorneys and plans to focus on filing cases...
Simpson and Milbank’s Chicago Entrance ‘Part of a Larger Pattern’ in Big Law
Especially with the latest entry of New York firms, Chicago may be “too big to not pay attention to, some legal industry observers say. Others say the moves are "part of a larger pattern" of growth across Big Law. Especially with the latest entry of New York...
The Next 5 Minutes: Where Legal Intake Interviews Fall Apart
Connor Gallic | A caller makes it past your greeting. They haven't hung up. By every measure that matters, this call is going right. Then, somewhere in the next five minutes, they go quiet. What went wrong? The post The Next 5 Minutes: Where Legal Intake Interviews...
Ex-Client Slams Davis Polk’s $3.2M Fee Suit, Promises Counterclaims
A representative for Enel called Davis Polk's allegations against it “self-serving and a complete mischaracterization of facts. A representative for Enel called Davis Polk's allegations against it “self-serving and a complete mischaracterization of...
Meta’s $17B Settlement: ‘Momentous Step Forward,’ but Concerns Arise About Amount, Privacy
Meta's settlement, announced on Wednesday, is with 50 states, U.S. territories and Washington D.C., but legal experts and observers flagged initial concerns about age verification and releases in the deal. Meta's settlement, announced on Wednesday, is with 50...
Let’s Just Say This Biglaw Firm’s Feelings About Jan. 6 Have Evolved — See Also
DLA Piper Once Told Pence To Invoke The 25th Amendment. Now It’s On Trump’s Jan. 6 Legal Team: The firm called the Capitol attack a ‘reckless and wanton threat to the Constitution.’ Then it signed up to defend the guy accused of causing it. Cravath Is Just Trolling...
Second Mass. Govt. Official Arrested This Month for Pandemic Loan Relief Fraud
Massachusetts State House Rep. Francisco E. Paulino is the second Bay State government official the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts have accused of misappropriating pandemic loans in August. Massachusetts State House Rep. Francisco E....
Greenberg Traurig And Thomson Reuters Tackle What ‘Human In The Loop’ Was Missing
Last August at ILTACON, Thomson Reuters CEO Steve Hasker told me about the company’s decision to acquire a bunch of genius scientists building a smaller, more manageable legal model. It stood out because everyone crammed into that exhibit hall couldn’t wait to explain...
A Tribute, A Tactic, Or An Appellate Issue?
The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children, has spawned a courtroom subplot with real legal stakes: prosecutor Shanan Buckingham has spent weeks in Plymouth Superior Court in a rotating collection of...
His Political Career Was Only A Warm-Up
Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! Which legal mind was elected governor of California three times — the only person ever to do it — ran for vice president on a losing national ticket, and made a bid for the presidency before accepting...
Asymmetric Litigation Warfare: Using AI to Narrow the Resource Gap
By automating document review, transcript analysis, and cross-case research, AI serves as a force multiplier that narrows the resource gap and shifts the negotiation dynamic, compelling stronger parties to reconsider the true cost of a prolonged fight. By...
The Rise of Embedded Appellate Counsel: A Smarter Trial Strategy
Embedded appellate counsel are part of the trial team, but their primary focus is on the forthcoming appeal. These lawyers are experienced not only with handling appeals, but also with how steps taken or not taken at trial can affect the chances of success on...
$6 A Gallon Gas, A Huge Recession, Or AI Taking Your Job: Pick 2
Unless something changes dramatically in the last few days of the month, this will be the most expensive August ever when it comes to gasoline. The national average for a gallon of regular is $4.10 (and probably even a bit more by the time you’re reading this). While...
Paying For Clout Isn’t A Business Expense: Tax Court Lessons For Social Media Creators
In most viral social media posts, you may see the author posing with celebrities, or in photos or videos in expensive houses, cars, or exotic locations. In any case, the content creator appears to be living their best life while you, as the viewer wonder why you can’t...
Ballew Puryear: Help on the Way
Ballew Puryear: Help on the Way By Bob Friedman A fully functional mock courtroom, multiple conference rooms ready for multi-party mediations and depositions, and the Grateful Dead inspired logo that greets you when you enter the offices of Raleigh personal injury law...
Ballew Puryear: Help on the Way
Ballew Puryear: Help on the Way By Bob Friedman A fully functional mock courtroom, multiple conference rooms ready for multi-party mediations and depositions, and the Grateful Dead inspired logo that greets you when you enter the offices of Raleigh personal injury law...
The High Price of Freedom
My cousin was cleaning out a storage room and came across a speech my father, J. Russell Kirby, gave to a civic group in the early 1970s about the high price of freedom. She sent it to me because I’m a lawyer, have always had an interest in politics and she thought...
Chad Essick Charts Course for Poyner Spruill as New Managing Partner
Chad Essick was named managing partner of Poyner Spruill on April 1, 2026. He succeeded Dan Cahill, who remains with the firm as a litigator and assistant general counsel. Essick began working in the firm’s messenger center as a college student 25 years ago. He joined...
NC Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls
“There are so many aspects of daily life in North Carolina that are impacted by decisions of our court, and voters hold the power to decide ultimately who should be making those decisions, and that’s just fundamental to democracy,” said North Carolina Supreme Court...

















































































