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The AI-Native Law Firm: Flat Fees, Embedded Lawyers, And A 100% Net Promoter Score
Getty ImagesSomething is different about Ryan Walker’s law firm. General Legal doesn’t bill by the hour. They don’t send back contracts bleeding red lines. They jump into your Slack channel. They have a perfect net promoter score, reflecting a strong customer...
Former Biglaw Partner Says Trump’s Billion-Dollar Crypto Haul Is ‘The Greatest Onslaught Of Corruption In The History Of Mankind’
Former Hogan Lovells partner turned White House special counsel (in the Trump I regime) Ty Cobb is back on the cable news circuit to make some biting comments about his former boss. Cobb left the hallowed halls of Biglaw to join the first Trump administration, but he...
Corporate Counsel Have Spoken: These Are The Law Firms They Love
Which Biglaw firms have clients who can’t stop singing their praises? That’s what the BTI Consulting Group set out to answer with its latest ranking, the Client Service A-Team. This isn’t a list of the biggest firms or the ones with the flashiest profits-per-partner...
Biglaw Firm Gets On Board With New Associate Salary Scale
Norton Rose Fulbright has matched the new Milbank salary scale, effective July 1, 2026. The firm — one of the largest in the world by headcount — is raising associate base compensation across the scale, with first-years going to $235,000 and the most senior associates...
3 Questions For A Law Student Turned Conference Host (Part II)
Last week, I presented Part 1 of my written interview with law student turned litigation funding conference host, Charles Zuo. That column presented his answer to the first of my three questions and focused on his efforts to ensure that his conference had a diverse...
‘Adventures In Legal Tech’: An Apt Analogy For Lawyer AI Use
The pilot and the autopilot are not enemies. Neither are lawyers and AI. The question is figuring out who does what. Teo Doremus, CEO and co-founder of Advocacy, has a simple answer for any lawyer thinking about building an AI-native practice: do it now, not later....
Alito’s Outburst And Tough Times For Partners
Supreme Court action gets spicy as Sam Alito threw a fit from the bench. After Justice Sotomayor took the opportunity to systematically dismantle his reasoning in the asylum case, Alito spoke up out of turn to explain that he’d have brought better arguments if he’d...
How I Made Practice Group Chair: ‘Leadership Must Be Earned,’ Says Siegmund Gutman of Mintz
"Ultimately, I believe leadership must be earned. It's not enough to simply want to be a leader. People need to want to follow you. So, aspiring leaders must earn respect. This requires hard work. You must show why you can lead." "Ultimately, I believe...
Halfway To 250, America’s Republican President Fought Big Business, Won The Real Peace Prize, And Loved Nature
Like many of my fellow Americans, I have zero interest in any of the tacky, self-aggrandizing events President Donald Trump has planned for the nation’s 250th birthday. None of that is about us or our real history. Rather, Trump’s semiquincentennial celebrations are...
House GOP Defectors Tank Procedural Vote To Bring NDAA To Floor
The post House GOP Defectors Tank Procedural Vote To Bring NDAA To Floor appeared first on Above the Law.WASHINGTON — A gambit by House GOP leaders to tie the annual National Defense Authorization Act to a controversial voter restriction bill turned into a political...
‘How is it Not a Conflict?’ Debate Surrounds Kirkland’s Billion-Dollar Investment Fund
A Law.com investigation reveals a growing divide over whether U.S. law firms' in-house investment funds create alignment with private equity clients—or unresolvable conflicts that risk undermining lawyers' independence. A Law.com investigation reveals a growing...
Those ‘WL’ Citations Are An Open Invitation To AI Hallucinations
Lawyers continue to file hallucinated cases, which is, frankly, kind of an accomplishment at this point. Legal tools exist that guard against such hallucinations and even more tools exist to double check to make sure no hallucinations slipped in there. And then, of...
Supreme Court Justice’s Unusual Place In History
(Image via Getty) Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! Which Supreme Court Justice shook hands with both John Quincy Adams (6th president of the United States) and also John F. Kennedy (the 35th)? Hint: With more than 29 years on the...
Morning Docket: 07.01.26
* In an exquisite use of concurring opinions, Ketanji Brown Jackson goes off on Clarence Thomas and his revisionist history of the 14th Amendment. [Bloomberg Law News] * The left can’t afford to get cocky about the birthright citizenship decision. [Huffington Post] *...
What Flat Fees Actually Cost Family and Immigration Attorneys
Amy Coats | In family law and immigration law, cases that stay within their original scope are the exception. But knowing this and pricing for it are two different things. The post What Flat Fees Actually Cost Family and Immigration Attorneys appeared first on...
Legal Education Leaders Raise Concerns Over Access as Law School Loan Caps Take Effect
The new federal student loan caps that go into effect Wednesday raise concerns about increased reliance on private loans, potential enrollment shifts and disproportionate impacts on underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students. The new federal...
Critical Mass With Law.com’s Amanda Bronstad: What’s the Impact of the Roundup Ruling by SCOTUS? Meta Loses Last Bid to Avoid Next Month’s Trial Against 29 States
This week: The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling siding with Monsanto puts thousands of Roundup lawsuits into limbo. A federal judge rejected Meta's summary judgment motion ahead of an Aug. 18 bellwether trial in which attorneys general from 29 states allege its social...
29 States Head to Trial Against Meta After Social Media Addiction Judge Refuses to Toss Claims
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is overseeing the social media addiction multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of California, refused to grant Meta's summary judgment motion on Monday. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who...
Sam Alito Still Has His Job — See Also
Reports Of Samuel Alito’s Retirement Have Been Greatly Exaggerated: A lil’ oopsie from NPR. Small firms, big money: Raises and bonuses going around. No Holds Barred Take On Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche: Sheldon Whitehouse is *not* a fan. Citations At The Root...
SEC Eyes New ETF Rules Amid Rise of Prediction Market Funds
Since the agency adopted ETF rules in 2019, ETF assets have grown from roughly $4 trillion to more than $12 trillion. Since the agency adopted ETF rules in 2019, ETF assets have grown from roughly $4 trillion to more than $12 trillion.
The Supreme Court Celebrates America’s Birthday By Defending The Constitution
Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day. Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to “every free-born person in this land.”...
Litigation Boutiques Aren’t The Only Ones Getting In On The Summer Bonus Action
Not every summer bonus announcement comes from a litigation boutique with nine-figure verdicts on the wall. Sometimes it comes from a corporate firm in Coppell, Texas, that represents people buying and selling dry cleaners and HVAC companies. SMB Law Group — a...
Senator Whitehouse Would Like To Tell You Exactly What He Thinks Of Todd Blanche
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has written the most comprehensive argument yet against confirming Todd Blanche as Attorney General, published this week in The Contrarian under the headline “Todd Blanche Should Not Be Confirmed.” If you’ve been following our coverage of...
Delaware Judge Tosses Biotech Exec.’s $700M Suit Over Failed IPO
A Delaware judge dismissed a former Aurion Biotech executive's challenge to a stockholder's alleged takeover of the company, finding he failed to plausibly allege that defendants caused the abandonment of the planned IPO. A Delaware judge dismissed a former...
NPR Reports Sam Alito Retires From Supreme Court (Spoiler Alert: He Did Not)
Sam Alito watched his career flash before his eyes on Tuesday. Immediately after the conclusion of the Supreme Court Term, NPR reported that the justice had announced his retirement, complete with Nina Totenberg’s retrospective on his tenure. Totenberg framed her look...
Meet The Law Firm That’s Suing Employers on a Volume Basis
For HKM Employment Attorneys, which has more than 100 lawyers filing suits on behalf of plaintiffs, its large size gives it "the ability to fund any case and not get overwhelmed or bullied by defense counsel," claimed firmwide managing partner Daniel Kalish. For...
Pfizer Reaches Tentative Settlement in Depo-Provera Cases, Bellwether Trial Vacated
U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers, in the Northern District of Florida, postponed her expert ruling this month due to a settlement reached between Pfizer and lead counsel in the Depo-Provera multidistrict litigation. U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers, in...
Second Circuit Judge Sarah Merriam Disciplined Again, This Time for Creating A ‘Tense And Challenging’ Work Environment
The federal judiciary is perpetrating a fraud upon the public. With four judges in the news just this month for committing misconduct — Eleanor Ross, Ryan Nelson, Thomas Luddington, and now Sarah Merriam — we should be honest about systemic flaws in the judicial...
Tulane Elevates Deputy GC as Universities Keep Cycling Through Legal Chiefs
Howard Boyd will take over July 1, succeeding Victoria “Tori Johnson, who is stepping down after more than three decades of service to the university. Johnson has been named general counsel emeritus and will continue supporting Tulane on select projects and transition...
Trump Picks Recently Confirmed Judge Anna St. John for 5th Circuit Vacancy
University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias said St. John's elevation has been particularly quick, though Trump in his first term similarly appointed some individuals to district courts and elevated them to appeals courts shortly thereafter. University of...
At 3rd Circuit, Judges Press ROSS And Thomson Reuters On Fair Use, AI Training, And Market Harm
The post At 3rd Circuit, Judges Press ROSS And Thomson Reuters On Fair Use, AI Training, And Market Harm appeared first on Above the Law.The closely watched copyright litigation between Thomson Reuters and ROSS Intelligence returned to the spotlight this month as a...
After the BARBRI Deal, Lega’s Christian Lang Says the Governance Platform Isn’t Going Away, But It Is Going to School
When I wrote last week about BARBRI’s acquisition of Lega, I had not yet had the chance to speak with Lega founder Christian Lang, who was traveling. So I closed that post with what was admittedly conjecture on my part – that the large-language-model governance...
Running a Client Team
Sally Schmidt: Much has been written and said about the value of forming client teams, but not all lawyers understand what that actually means. The post Running a Client Team appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers.I once suggested to a law...
An Entirely Innocent Question About Artificial Intelligence
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia was talking a couple of weeks ago about Anthropic’s artificial intelligence “Mythos model.” Warner said, “This tool broke into almost all of our classified systems, not in weeks but in hours.” Hmmm. An artificial intelligence...
Elite Boutiques Continue To Leave Biglaw In The Dust: Another Milbank Match Is Here
The salary wars may have started in Biglaw, but it’s the boutiques that have been doing all the talking. Elite litigation shops continue to roll out Milbank matches at a steady clip, while many of the industry’s largest firms remain conspicuously silent, leaving...
Supreme Court Slaughters FTC, Lets Federal Reserve Cook
Donald Trump put the Supreme Court in a pickle. The conservative supermajority had dropped hints with all the subtlety of setting off a fireworks display while riding a Sea-Doo naked across the green ooze of the Reflecting Pool that it was ready, willing, and able to...
The Side Hustle Myth Lawyers Need To Stop Believing
Most lawyers think entrepreneurship starts with a resignation letter. It usually starts with exhaustion. A late-night idea. A LinkedIn post. A spreadsheet. A conversation that refuses to leave your head. Something you build after your children go to sleep because you...
Saks Exits Bankruptcy
The post Saks Exits Bankruptcy appeared first on Above the Law.The post Saks Exits Bankruptcy appeared first on Above the Law.
The Midyear Career And Brand Audit You Should Be Doing Right Now
Summer is officially here. School’s out for the kids, vacation mode is turned on, and weekend BBQs are abundant. Yet, it’s also a great time to conduct your own midyear career and brand audit, especially if you’re preparing to make a career move within the next six to...
How the Deal Got Done: Winston Taylor Completes Historic Transatlantic Combination
Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing's U.K.-led business have officially launched as Winston Taylor, a transatlantic law firm with more than 1,400 lawyers and estimated annual revenues of approximately $1.75 billion. Dominick DeChiara, chief strategy officer of...
Anti-Surveillance Pricing Trend Picks Up Steam in New York
New York's legislature recently passed a bill that would ban so-called surveillance pricing, in which retailers adjust prices offered to consumers based on personal data like location, household income and browsing history, adding to a growing nationwide...
Supio Hires COO of Nevada’s Largest PI Firm As Its First VP of Industry, To Help Drive Innovation Strategy
Supio, the AI platform built for plaintiffs’ personal injury firms, has hired Melissa Graham, chief operating officer of Nevada’s Richard Harris Law Firm for the last 15 years, as its vice president of industry, a newly created role aimed at narrowing the gap between...
Morning Docket: 06.30.26
* Hogan Lovells Cadwalader makes its premiere tomorrow, with plans for growth on the horizon. [Bloomberg Law News] * A little lost in the Supreme Court shell game yesterday, the Court quietly snuffed out Trump’s bid to get out of the E. Jean Carroll case. [NY Times] *...
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Is ‘Ready to Roll’ On July 1
On the verge of a historic merger with Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, Hogan Lovells CEO Miguel Zaldivar said both legacy firms turned in strong performances during the first half of 2026 and the combined firm will be off to a strong start. On the verge of a...
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Is ‘Ready to Roll’
On the verge of a historic merger with Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, Hogan Lovells CEO Miguel Zaldivar said both legacy firms turned in strong performances during the first half of 2026 and the combined firm will be off to a strong start. On the verge of a...
The NRA Sees A Lot Of Targets — See Also
Stop Hitting Your (Former) Self: The NRA will be suing the 1791 Foundation in three courts! John Roberts Is Not As Clever As He Thinks He Is: Releasing two contradictory opinions at the same time is what happens when hubris meets madness meets being a shameless hack....
Fewer Deals, Bigger Bets: India’s M&A Enters a New Phase
In the first quarter of this year, deal activity fell more than 22% compared to last year, and deal value declined nearly 40%, LSEG data shows. It was the first significant slowdown in India's M&A market in close to 10 years, lawyers said. In the first...
Two Justices Just Signaled — Again — That They Want To Destroy Press Freedom
Once again, Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch have gone to the mat for their attempt to end a truly free press. The Supreme Court’s orders list this morning included a cert denial that includes a quiet wake-up call for the media. In Dershowitz v. Cable News...
Biglaw’s Newest Transatlantic Giant Unveils An Ambitious Global Vision
Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day. Ashurst Perkins Coie enters the market with a clear ambition: to be the leading global advisor to the companies shaping the future economy. We have built a firm with the scale, capability, and sector focus to...
So… Maybe Bar Examiners Need An Actual Plan For Emergencies?
The New York State Bar Association is calling on bar examiners to do better, specifically, to establish clear procedures for emergencies and disruptions during the bar exam. On Saturday, NYSBA’s governing body, the House of Delegates, adopted a report from its Young...
After The World Cup Ends, The Cameras Will Still Be Here
A couple of weeks into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the conversation has understandably focused on the matches themselves. The United States opened with a strong performance. Canada and Mexico have already generated excitement among home supporters. Across North America,...
Building A Judicial Legacy
Judge Nushin Sayfie traces her path from a fifth-grade classroom where a teacher named her attorney general, to 14 years defending clients who couldn’t afford a lawyer, to the bench of Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit. She talks with Kathryn Rubino about what she gave...
Supreme Court Justice’s Side Hustle As An Author Is A Pretty Lucrative Gig
Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! According to the most recent Supreme Court financial disclosure documents, which Supreme Court Justice has earned the most as an author? Hint: This justice has earned a total of $4.14 million off of...
New Connecticut Law Puts AI-Assisted Hiring Under a Microscope
AI expert Niloy Ray calls Connecticut's law "a really good statute" because it emphasizes transparency, but "it avoids the hyper-specificity of some of the other statutes," such as the ones from New York and Colorado. AI expert Niloy Ray calls Connecticut's law...
Federal Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Law School Application Fees
A Georgia resident originally filed the class-action complaint last August in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleging three counts of violating the Sherman Act, citing horizontal restraint of trade in two counts and monopolization in...
Legal AI Is Only as Smart as the System Behind It
"When AI produces insights that you have to manually verify before being able to trust them, you've done the polar opposite of unlocking AI efficiency. You've added a verification burden on top of your existing processes," said Mark Ross, principal and growth and...
Judiciary to Increase Pacer Fee to Fund Fast-Tracked System Upgrade
“Unfortunately, without a modest increase in fees, we will not be able to collect enough money to cover the costs of delivering the case management system that the federal courts must have to continue to operate securely," said Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr., director of...
How I Made Partner: ‘Take Ownership of Outcomes and Building Authentic Relationships,’ Says Colin Cloherty of Wiley Rein
"You have to become a partner before you make partner. That means taking ownership of outcomes, not just tasks, and building authentic relationships, not transactional ones. Identify the lawyers you respect, study how they operate, and start doing the same. Then, make...
Supreme Court Declines to Review Trump’s Appeal of $5 Million E. Jean Carroll Verdict
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Donald Trump's appeal of a jury verdict finding him liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll, leaving intact a $5 million judgment against him. The decision closes one case while a separate defamation verdict...
Opening a New Practice in 2027? Your Six-Month Law Firm Startup Checklist
Katie Barnard | Launching a new practice in 2027? Use this month-by-month law firm startup checklist to secure your brand identity, protect your digital assets, and build a solid marketing runway before opening day. The post Opening a New Practice in 2027? Your...
Google Maps Drivers’ Wage and Hour Case Shows Evolving Misclassification Claims
The case stems from Cognizant's contract with Google to update Google Maps. Cognizant, in turn, relies on staffing company Aceolutions, also a defendant in the case, to get drivers to verify Google Maps data. Google is not a defendant. The case stems from...
Sam Alito Complains That Dog Ate His Homework — See Generally
Sam Alito Huffed That He Totally Could’ve Made Better Arguments (Spoiler: He Could Not Have): Alito broke protocol at the Supreme Court this week to whine from the bench that Sotomayor’s dissent made him look bad for gutting Holocaust-era asylum protections in Mullin...
Ashurst Perkins Coie Merger Goes Live
The newly combined firm is the latest in a series of transatlantic mergers. The newly combined firm is the latest in a series of transatlantic mergers.
Ben Sasse Pens Hilarious Supreme Court Satire, But I’m Afraid He’s Totally Serious
This morning, I opened up a link to one of the funniest satirical takes on the Supreme Court ever. Framed as an argument against bringing cameras into the Supreme Court, the article delivers one knee-slapper after another. Halfway through, I’d already spit out my...
Sullivan & Cromwell Jumps On Biglaw Salary Raise Train
Donald Trump’s favorite law firm keeps its bonuses firmly squirreled away in a black box, but historically follows the New York prevailing market when it comes to salaries. While most Biglaw firms have kept their powder dry in response to Milbank raising the stakes,...
Federal Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Law School Application Fees
Judge John F. Murphy previously granted the Law School Admission Council's motion to dismiss in April, but gave the plaintiff a chance to file an amended complaint in the case, which was filed on behalf of law school applicants nationwide over application fees,...
The Science Of Relationships And Business Development For Lawyers
Getty ImagesIn a recent conversation with Dillon Zwick, Steve Fretzin explored a question that sits at the core of every lasting legal career: What if networking wasn’t sales at all, but a science of human relationships? What Dillon laid out wasn’t a vague...
In-House Counsel Say They Want More From Outside Counsel But Don’t Demand It
On June 22, Thomson Reuters released its annual Future of Professionals Report that shows a continuing gap between what clients want from their law firms and what they are getting. Despite the continuing drumbeat of how AI is changing legal, the results paint a pretty...
JD Vance: Watergate Would Be No Big Deal Today. He’s Right, And That’s The Problem.
I think Nixon’s historical legacy is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, and deservedly so. I joked that if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12 hours news story. The idea that it took down a presidency is crazy. — JD Vance, during a speech a the Nixon...
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. “Nursing homes, factory owners and immigrants brace for fallout from...
House Appropriators Approve $1T Defense Bill, Adopt ‘War Department’ Renaming
The post House Appropriators Approve $1T Defense Bill, Adopt ‘War Department’ Renaming appeared first on Above the Law.The post House Appropriators Approve $1T Defense Bill, Adopt ‘War Department’ Renaming appeared first on Above the Law.
Appeals Court Orders $10K In Sanctions Over AI-Related Filing Mistakes
You don’t have to go far to find a story on the valuable use cases of LLMs in legal work. For example, smart use of AI can reduce your time spent doing grunt work, freeing you up to focus more on the actually “legal” part of your job. Unfortunately, it cannot stop you...
Democracy Isn’t Always Easy
Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! Which founding father, an attorney who would go on to serve on the very first Supreme Court, was targeted by rioters in October 1779, but was also one of the only ones known to quote from the...
S&C Takes The Salary Plunge — See Also
Sullivan & Crowell Raises Associate Salaries: Probably to the Milbank scale. Brendan Carr Wants To Crack Down On “The View”: Wasn’t a problem over the last 26 years. Is This Satire? If only: Ben Sasse’s creed against SCOTUS cameras is dead serious. Hostage...
Patriots Player’s Digital Marketing Suit Cannot Be Punted to Florida Court, Fed. Judge Rules
The former New England Patriots receiver claims he helped build a digital marketing company that sold for $50 million last year. The former New England Patriots receiver claims he helped build a digital marketing company that sold for $50 million last...
Capital Calls: Inside the Debate Over Outside Investment in Law Firms
In this week's episode, Legal Speak examines the growing interest in outside investment in U.S. law firms and what it could mean for the legal industry. In this week's episode, Legal Speak examines the growing interest in outside investment in U.S. law firms and...
AI Doesn’t Rewrite Trade-Secret Law, but It Is Rewriting How Legal Departments Protect It
"I think that courts are going to approach the question of the intersection between trade secrets and AI, and apply well thought out and well widely accepted basic trade secret law. They're not going to, at least initially, come up with any novel approaches to AI,"...
Litigation Trends to Watch: Suits Center on Cell Phone Listings, Cannabis Disputes and EtO Emissions
Cell phone listings in online directories are driving a wave of privacy suits under Colorado's Prevention of Telemarketing Fraud Act. Cell phone listings in online directories are driving a wave of privacy suits under Colorado's Prevention of Telemarketing Fraud...
We’re ‘Representing a Hedge Fund That’s a Reality’: Inside the Defense Strategy That Won Out in a Novel Securities Trial
During Manhattan's groundbreaking federal trial over whether hedge fund investors formed an "insider" group in a children's TV company, defense counsel had to be nimble. One of their challenges? Humanizing their hedge fund clients. During Manhattan's...
How We Made Office Managing Partner: ‘Be Inclusive of Teammates’ Ideas,’ Say Jordan Klein and Brett Johnson of Winston Taylor
"Listen. You do not have the monopoly on good ideas. People are more willing to follow a plan they feel they've contributed to and have some ownership in. Bottom line—be inclusive of teammates' ideas and views even if you have the ultimate say. Leading is easier if...
A&O Shearman Sees Latest Exit as Global Fund Finance Co-Head Joins Weil Gotshal
The firm has seen 17 partner departures so far this year, according to Law.com Compass data. The firm has seen 17 partner departures so far this year, according to Law.com Compass data.
Courtroom Camera Bills Prompt Questions About AI-Driven Analyses of Judges
“The more useful question isn't whether to allow cameras, it's whether we authenticate the record well enough that a genuine clip can always be told apart from a fabricated one," wrote attorney Michael McCready. “The more useful question isn't whether to allow...
Bonuses Aren’t Just More Flexible. For Some Firms, They’re Also ‘Less Personal’
There are psychological and emotional benefits to firms increasingly leaning on and looking to pay partners via bonuses. There are psychological and emotional benefits to firms increasingly leaning on and looking to pay partners via bonuses.
AI Training for Lawyers: Why One Skill Beats Nine Prompts
Ernie Svenson: Most AI training aimed at lawyers is shiny-object stuff. That's exactly why none of it sticks. The post AI Training for Lawyers: Why One Skill Beats Nine Prompts appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers.In “The 80/20...
The Legal Industry’s Greatest Untapped Asset Is Hiding In Plain Sight. It’s Neurodivergence.
The legal profession prides itself on precision, rigor, and the relentless pursuit of the right answer. And yet, for decades, it has been structured in ways that quietly sideline some of the most precisely wired, rigorously focused, and creatively determined minds...
Justice Department Signals Big Change For Whistleblower Fraud Cases
The move will require affected companies to adapt their compliance programs, attorneys say. The move will require affected companies to adapt their compliance programs, attorneys say.
Sam Alito Takes Unusual Step Of Whining From The Bench After Getting Called Out For Lazy Hackery
Justice Alito spoke out of turn this morning in a highly unusual break from Supreme Court protocol, to complain that there “was much he would have added,” after Justice Sotomayor publicly eviscerated him in her dissent. It’s the response one expects from a middle...
No Points For Held Tongues — See Also
Alito Whines He Could Have Said More In Disagreement With Sotomayor: Reserve what you should have argued for the shower, bub. Who Needs Milbank When You Have Groombridge?!: The boutique firm is compensating their associates handsomely! Sen. Whitehouse Still Waiting On...
The Legal Tech–To-English Dictionary (2.0) Is Here!
Welcome to the sequel to the Legal Tech-to-English Dictionary (2022). This edition updates a vestige of the pre-AI world to share all of the AI and practice management terminology you need to be funner at parties. Now, before you suggest that the sequel is never...
Conflict Is Not The Problem. Avoiding It Is.
Lawyers live in conflict. We do not visit it. We do not occasionally stumble across it. We live there. Our clients call us because something went wrong. Someone breached a contract. Someone got hurt. Someone fired someone. Someone refused to pay. Someone wants out....
No Laughing Matter: Humor’s Place In Legal Pedagogy
Welp, the article’s title is the point. You’re welcome to spend a couple .6s reading further or you can just say you did and share this to your co-workers — no one will be the wiser. That heuristic goes for Above the Law articles just as much as it does for the sorts...
From Foonberg To Fan: Celebrating A Half Century Of Law Firm Independents
The post From Foonberg To Fan: Celebrating A Half Century Of Law Firm Independents appeared first on Above the Law.The post From Foonberg To Fan: Celebrating A Half Century Of Law Firm Independents appeared first on Above the Law.
Senator Whitehouse Is Still Waiting For Todd Blanche To Explain The Ghislaine Maxwell Prison Transfer
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse isn’t letting the Ghislaine Maxwell prison transfer question drop — and with Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be worse for the AG nominee. Whitehouse, the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Courts...
Biglaw’s Diversity Efforts Are Slowing, But Aren’t Dead Yet
The numbers [are] still moving forward, [even though] it’s one of the most challenging environments for diversity initiatives in decades. But increasing or holding steady riding on the prior years of increases—it suggests firms are continuing to view talent...
People, Prompts, And Product: The ‘Vibe Coding’ Revolution In Biglaw
Getty ImagesEd. note: This article first appeared in ILTA’s Peer-to-Peer Magazine. AI is already reshaping how lawyers deliver legal services. Now it is beginning to transform how law firms build the very tools that power their businesses. AI-powered coding platforms...
Thomson Reuters CEO Steve Hasker On The Next Generation Of CoCounsel, The ‘Future Of Professionals’ Report, And Why TR Is Building Its Own LLM
The post Thomson Reuters CEO Steve Hasker On The Next Generation Of CoCounsel, The ‘Future Of Professionals’ Report, And Why TR Is Building Its Own LLM appeared first on Above the Law.Yesterday, Thomson Reuters made two announcements. It opened early access to the...
Lawyers Aren’t Getting The Most Out Of AI
While AI adoption in legal is up, with 74 percent of professionals surveyed in the Thomson Reuters Future of Professionals Report 2026 saying that they use AI tools several times a week, respondents still reported an “AI value gap” where they claim their organizations...
‘Overdue Justice’: Monsanto Praises SCOTUS Ruling, Roundup Lawsuits in Limbo
Thursday's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court could wipe out tens of thousands of Roundup lawsuits, but some plaintiffs' lawyers remain optimistic some claims could survive. Thursday's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court could wipe out tens of thousands of Roundup...
Law Firm Disrupted: The World Cup Is Everywhere, Including These Firm Client Lists
We dive into FIFA's outside counsel roster, where Paul Weiss has an outsized position. We dive into FIFA's outside counsel roster, where Paul Weiss has an outsized position.
Fixing Legal Time Tracking Mistakes and the Real Role of a Fractional CFO with Leah Miller
Leah Miller and Jared Correia tackle the financial leaks tanking law firm revenue and break down the real role of a forward-looking fractional CFO. The post Fixing Legal Time Tracking Mistakes and the Real Role of a Fractional CFO with Leah Miller appeared first on...
















































































