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Another Rumored Biglaw Merger Falls Apart Before It Begins
Remember when everyone thought the Allen & Overy/Shearman merger was a once-in-a-generation event? It was supposed to be a transatlantic Biglaw merger for the ages, but many law firm leaders viewed it as an invitation. Now, we’ve got HSF Kramer, Winston Taylor,...
Paging Dr. Freud: Todd Blanche Calls Himself Trump’s Lawyer At His Attorney General Confirmation Hearing
Todd Blanche has spent the better part of his confirmation hearing trying to convince the Senate Judiciary Committee that he is the Attorney General of the United States, not Donald Trump’s personal attorney. He is not making it easy on himself. During an exchange...
AALL 2026: Focusing On The Aloha
The annual American Association of Law Librarians Conference (AALL) kicks off this week in Cleveland. I’m a regular attendee and fan of this conference. It’s low-key and attended mainly by law librarians. Law librarians from big firms, small firms, in-between firms,...
Yes, Even Celebrities Have To Pay Their Attorneys
Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! Which recording artist was recently sued by their former attorneys at Biglaw firm Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani over six figures worth of unpaid legal bills from defense of a copyright infringement...
Amazon Joins Big Tech’s Dive Into the Legal Market With Amazon Quick for Legal
Amazon's AI assistant offers agentic workflows for contracts, compliance and legal research. Amazon's AI assistant offers agentic workflows for contracts, compliance and legal research.
Headaches Ahead? AI Glasses-Boom Brings Litigation Risks for Employers
Some smart glasses collect biometric data about faces, voiceprints and other identifying characteristics, but collecting and storing these might require disclosure and informed consent under biometric laws in Illinois, Texas and Colorado, said attorney Adia Craig....
What Becoming a Brain Tumor Patient Taught Me About Advocacy
For years, I thought I understood my clients’ experiences. Then I became a patient myself. As a medical malpractice attorney, I fight for people whose lives have been permanently altered by tragedy by taking on big hospital systems. Whether it’s a patient who died on...
Critical Mass With Law.com’s Amanda Bronstad: Appeals Courts Affirm Talc Verdicts, Plaintiffs Win Acetaminophen Appeal Over Experts
This week: Appeals courts in Pennsylvania and Illinois affirmed talcum powder verdicts against Johnson & Johnson. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed dismissal of three plaintiffs' experts tying prenatal use of acetaminophen to autism and...
‘I Couldn’t Get It Out of My Mind’: Chris Cartrett on Why He Is Leaving Aderant and Legal Tech
When I spoke with Chris Cartrett yesterday, just hours after reporting that he will step down Aug. 1 as president and CEO of Aderant, he was emphatic that his departure, after 12 years at the company, including five as CEO, was not about wanting to leave. “It’s not a...
How a Record Punitive Damages Award Changed Tobacco Litigation in Massachusetts
One jury's billion dollar punitive damages verdict changed the trend of litigation against Big Tobacco in Massachusetts, data from Law.com Radar shows. Law.comSubscribe Current ArticlesThis feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all...
How a Record Punitive Damages Award Changed Tobacco Litigation in Massachusetts
One jury's billion dollar punitive damages verdict changed the trend of litigation against Big Tobacco in Massachusetts, data from Law.com Radar shows. One jury's billion dollar punitive damages verdict changed the trend of litigation against Big Tobacco in...
How I Made Partner: ‘Don’t Let the Plan Become a Box,’ Says Ellie Norris of Norton Rose Fulbright
"Your career will change in ways you don't expect, whether because of a mentor, a matter, an opportunity you weren't looking for. Some of those shifts will feel uncomfortable. Do them anyway. Advocate for yourself and what you want—that part I'd keep. But don't let...
How I Made Partner: ‘Don’t Let the Plan Become a Box,’ Says Ellie Norris of Norton Rose Fulbright
"Your career will change in ways you don't expect, whether because of a mentor, a matter, an opportunity you weren't looking for. Some of those shifts will feel uncomfortable. Do them anyway. Advocate for yourself and what you want—that part I'd keep. But don't let...
Legal Decoder Introduces Aperture, A Natural Language Interface for Querying Legal Billing Data
Legal Decoder, a legal spend analytics company whose billing-review technology has been relied on by Fortune 500 companies and Am Law 100 firms, as well as fee examiners in major federal bankruptcy cases, is today launching Aperture, a natural language interface that...
Todd Blanche’s Independence From Trump Faces Sharp Questions During AG Confirmation Hearing
“I can't answer that yes or no, Blanche said, when asked by Sen. Mazie Hirono whether he believed it was the president's right to order the investigation or prosecution of his perceived enemies. Law.comSubscribe Current ArticlesThis feed's current articles are...
Todd Blanche’s Independence From Trump Faces Sharp Questions During AG Confirmation Hearing
“I can't answer that yes or no, Blanche said, when asked by Sen. Mazie Hirono whether he believed it was the president's right to order the investigation or prosecution of his perceived enemies. “I can't answer that yes or no, Blanche said, when asked by Sen....
‘It Can’t Ever Be Just About The Money’: Simmons’ Julian Taylor Plays Connect Law
Over a board game with Law.com's editor, the long-time leader and leading employment lawyer discusses the firm's approach to ethics and money and tells how he had wanted to avoid corporate law. Over a board game with Law.com's editor, the long-time leader and...
With Round of Law Firm Subpoenas, the Trump DOJ Spotlight Returns to Big Law
Subpoenas went to firms that made deals with the Trump administration as well as firms that fought executive orders. Subpoenas went to firms that made deals with the Trump administration as well as firms that fought executive orders.
Has A Law School Had A Dean Facing Court Sanctions Before? Asking For THIS Law School.
Yesterday, a federal judge sanctioned Daniel Epstein under both Rule 11 and the court’s inherent authority for his participation in Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS — a contrivance designed to allow Trump to effectively control both sides of the “v.” and reward himself...
Forcing Prosecutors To Bring Cases To Keep Their Jobs? What Could Possibly Go Wrong? — See Also
DOJ Has A Cool New Way To Demoralize The Attorneys It Has Left Working For It: Mandatory case quotas. Read The Opinion… No, Not Like That: Amy Coney Barrett tells Congress that the Supreme Court doesn’t really care about explaining itself all the time. Law School...
The Pro Se Surge: How AI Is Changing the Litigation Landscape
In this special report, Law.com explores how AI is fueling a surge in pro se litigation, the challenges it presents for courts and litigants, and what it could mean for the industry. In this special report, Law.com explores how AI is fueling a surge in pro se...
The Pro Se Surge: How AI Is Changing the Litigation Landscape
In this special report, Law.com explores how AI is fueling a surge in pro se litigation, the challenges it presents for courts and litigants, and what it could mean for the industry. Law.comSubscribe Current ArticlesThis feed's current articles are shown below....
Legal Operations Was Built For The AI Era
Getty ImagesFor years, Legal Operations has been described as the team responsible for improving efficiency. We implemented technology, streamlined workflows, managed outside counsel spend, and helped legal departments operate more like business functions. That’s...
Linklaters Poaches Two Paul Weiss Litigators
Christopher Boehning and Daniel Levi, two senior litigators, have jumped from Paul Weiss to the New York Linklaters office. Boehning, FIFA’s lead counsel, becomes the chair of a new global sports practice and the US strategic disputes group. Levi, who also represents...
The Law Schools That Offer Students The Most Help With Tuition (2026)
Almost everyone knows that it costs an arm and a leg to go to law school. In fact, the average law school graduate leaves law school with up to six figures in debt. Some law schools, though, are interested in keeping their graduates out of the poorhouse. To that end,...
DOJ Rolls Out A Case Quota For The Prosecutors It Hasn’t Lost Yet
At this point, the Department of Justice’s staffing crisis has its own expanding series of soap opera subplots. There were the emergency jump teams, rotating AUSAs in from all 93 US Attorney’s offices to plug holes wherever the latest self-inflicted crisis erupted....
Inaction On Judge Eleanor Ross Sends A Clear Message: Retaliating Against Whistleblowers Is OK
(Image via Getty)Eleanor Ross shouldn’t be a federal judge. She exhibited disturbingly poor judgment, lied about it, and blamed her law clerk when she got caught. That’s not someone who should make life-and-death decisions about litigants’ lives, livelihoods, and...
When Being A SCOTUS Justice Means Explaining Bulletproof Vests To Your Kids
Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day. The [threat] statistics sound abstract but being on the receiving end of them is not, so I thought I would just share a little bit about how the threats have affected me and my family personally. They have...
AI-First Law Firms Don’t Work Fewer Hours, They Work Smarter Hours
When lawyers imagine an AI-first law firm — and this goes for the media writing about AI-first law firms as well — they tend to spin a narrative in their head about a clever lawyer automating the boring parts, shedding associates, and pocketing the spread. For better...
Welcoming The World
(Photo by Isabelle Ouvrard/SEPA.Media /Getty Images)As we approach the final three games of the World Cup, it is as good a time as any to reflect on some of the things we have learned from the past month or so, when it seems like the world has come to visit the United...
Geoffrey Brow On Why the Best In-House Lawyers Learn To Fly The Plane With One Engine Burning
Most lawyers are trained to avoid uncertainty. Then there are lawyers like Geoffrey Brow, who spent years helping companies build technologies so new that there was no legal playbook to follow, no precedent to cite, and sometimes no regulator who fully understood what...
Amy Coney Barrett Then: ‘Read The Opinion!’ ACB Now: Inappropriate To Expect Supreme Court To Explain Decisions
Today, the Supreme Court sent Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett up Capitol Hill to testify about the judiciary’s request for a substantial increase in security funding. The threats against federal judges — primarily lower court judges ruling against the Trump...
7th Circuit Overturns Clearview AI Privacy Settlement Over Class Representation Concerns
A key component in the decision was the fact that one class would receive less from the settlement fund without representation in the agreement. A key component in the decision was the fact that one class would receive less from the settlement fund without...
Appeals Court Reverses Dismissal of Experts Linking Prenatal Acetaminophen to Autism, ADHD
Monday's ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit could revive nearly 600 lawsuits tying Tylenol to autism and ADHD. Monday's ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit could revive nearly 600 lawsuits tying Tylenol to autism...
‘The Threat Level Is Really High’: Justice Barrett Details Threats Against Her Family
Justice Amy Coney Barrett appeared alongside Justice Elena Kagan in dual hearings before House and Senate budget subcommittees Tuesday, the first time members of the Supreme Court have testified before the House since 2019 and the Senate since 2011. Justice Amy...
AI Is Speeding Up Cyber Threats: Is Your Law Firm Ready?
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the pace of cyberattacks. Michael Maschke, Sharon Nelson and John Simek examine how law firms can sharpen their law firm cybersecurity defenses. The post AI Is Speeding Up Cyber Threats: Is Your Law Firm Ready?...
Robert Travieso and Robert McLeod: Where Referral Trust Meets Trial Readiness
Robert Travieso and Robert McLeod: Where Referral Trust Meets Trial Readiness By Susan Cushing In today’s legal marketplace, referrals are often spoken about as a measure of success. For many firms, they are a welcome byproduct of visibility, advertising, or name...
Amanda Hall Takes the Helm at JaxALA
Following her inauguration as the president of the Jacksonville chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators, we sat down with Amanda Hall to discuss her new role. She first became involved with JaxALA five years ago. Encouraged by her mentors, Jessica VanTroost...
Susanne and Rick Sichta Named 2026 Recipients of the John R. Hamilton Pro Bono Award
Susanne and Rick Sichta were presented with the 2026 John R. Hamilton Pro Bono Award of the Year by the Florida Bar’s Appellate Practice Section. This award honors members who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to expanding access to justice through pro bono...
Patrick Kilbane: Relationships & Trust
From advocating for clients in the courtroom to advising families on their financial future, Patrick Kilbane says there is one common thread that has stayed with his career – relationships and trust. AALM: Patrick, tell us about the decision to leave the practice of...
David P. Trotti: Taking Off the Loafers
“I ask my attorneys in mediation to take off their litigation loafers and put on their settlement sneakers. That’s a good phrase that sets a positive tone for the process that follows. My mission as a mediator is to provide an atmosphere in which clients can...
Dana Jacobs Recognized as JWLA 2026 Woman Lawyer of the Year
We sat down with Dana Jacobs following her recognition by the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association with the Woman Lawyer of the Year Award. Each year, the organization presents it to a woman lawyer who has made meaningful contributions to her community through legal...
‘We’re in a New Terrain’: AI Bolsters Pro Se Litigation, but Judges Raise Alarms
Many legal experts attribute skyrocketing pro se filings to artificial intelligence tools, but some judges in federal and state courts have sanctioned them over "hallucinations" and other errors caused by AI. Many legal experts attribute skyrocketing pro se...
‘We’re in a New Terrain’: AI Bolsters Pro Se Litigation, but Judges Raise Alarms
Many legal experts attribute skyrocketing pro se filings to artificial intelligence tools, but some judges in federal and state courts have sanctioned them over "hallucinations" and other errors caused by AI. Law.comSubscribe Current ArticlesThis feed's current...
Sullivan & Cromwell Partner Who Handled Trump Case Confirmed to Second Circuit
Up until his confirmation, Matthew Schwartz was part of Trump's legal team urging a New York state appellate court to overturn the president's conviction by a Manhattan jury in 2024. Up until his confirmation, Matthew Schwartz was part of Trump's legal team...
The Week in Data July 14: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers
Catch up on the latest data from across the Law.com newsroom, including Law.com's Top 100 Verdicts and the 2026 Pro Bono Scorecard. Catch up on the latest data from across the Law.com newsroom, including Law.com's Top 100 Verdicts and the 2026 Pro Bono...
Delaware Enacts Uniform Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors Act with Minor Modifications
Delaware recently became the sixth state to enact the Uniform Law Commission's Uniform Act, with minor modifications (the Delaware Act). This two-part article describes the innovations, certainty and paradigm provided by the Uniform Act and Delaware's revisions to the...
‘Sweeping Expansion of Survival Recovery?’: Appeals Court Upholds $45M Talc Verdict
"The majority's decision will now turn shortened life expectancy damages into a routine component of every survival action paired with a wrongful death claim," one judge said. "The majority's decision will now turn shortened life expectancy damages into a...
Chris Cartrett to Step Down as CEO of Aderant, Departing Legal Tech to Lead Public Safety Software Company; Former CEO Deane Price to Return on Interim Basis
In a major leadership change at one of legal technology’s largest companies, Chris Cartrett will step down as president and CEO of Aderant, effective Aug. 1, the company announced today. He is leaving the legal industry to become chief executive officer of ImageTrend,...
Exclusive: As Its Kaleidoscope Conference Returns for Year Two, 8am Trades Austin’s Cowboy Boots for the Las Vegas Strip — And Books the Savannah Bananas’ Founder As Keynote
Last September, when the company 8am — having successfully pulled off a major rebrand just three weeks earlier — then went on to pull off its first-ever customer conference in Austin, I wrote a review giving it high praise. Although that inaugural event was modest in...
Linklaters Hits Paul Weiss for New York Partner Duo, Gaining FIFA’s Top Counsel
It is a significant boost to the firm's U.S. growth strategy. It is a significant boost to the firm's U.S. growth strategy.
Yale Law Students Advise Their Own University: Knock Off This ‘Obey In Advance’ Nonsense
Yale Law School’s leaders are begging the university to stop playing footsie with fascism. Yale Law students agree. The dean and members of the faculty reportedly made behind-the-scenes overtures to university leaders to stop trying to negotiate with the Department of...
Judge Cites Supreme Court’s Newfound Unitary Executive Theory To Blow Up Trump’s IRS Settlement
The Supreme Court just finished explaining that the President is the executive, wholly and thoroughly (except for the Federal Reserve for… reasons). Every agency, every officer, every cabinet secretary is the President wearing a different lanyard, exercising his...
Judge Cites Supreme Court’s Newfound Unitary Executive Theory To Blow Up Trump’s IRS Settlement
The Supreme Court just finished explaining that the President is the executive, wholly and thoroughly (except for the Federal Reserve for… reasons). Every agency, every officer, every cabinet secretary is the President wearing a different lanyard, exercising his...
Yale Law Students Advise Their Own University: Knock Off This ‘Obey In Advance’ Nonsense
Yale Law School’s leaders are begging the university to stop playing footsie with fascism. Yale Law students agree. The dean and members of the faculty reportedly made behind-the-scenes overtures to university leaders to stop trying to negotiate with the Department of...
‘Trump v. Trump’ Did Not Impress The Judge — See Also
Benchslapped By His Own Petard: Judge nixes Trump v. IRS settlement citing administration’s unitary executive nonsense. Todd Blanche Loses Lindsey Graham: Contentious confirmation hearing set to begin this week will have to go ahead without Lindsey Graham after the...
Biglaw Firm Is Growing Its Sports Law Practice
Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! Which Biglaw firm recently launched its sports law practice, hiring Brandon Etheridge, the former general counsel for the Baltimore Ravens? Hint: “What I’ll be able to do is bring that insider...
UChicago Law’s New AI Policy Emphasizes Building ‘Essential Human Skills’ Alongside Effective Tech Use
The focus will be on “essential human skills, like critical thinking, oral presentations and learning material by being able to answer questions without using technology, but “then also incorporating technology explicitly into the curriculum in other places, Dean Adam...
Overstock Loon Patrick Byrne Loses To Himself In Court, Must Pay Hunter Biden
On Friday, a federal judge ordered MAGA weirdo Patrick Byrne to pay Hunter Biden $1.7 million in punitive damages, ending a deranged carnival of chaotic lawyering that lasted almost three years. The defamatory statement was relatively tame, at least when compared to...
Larry David Casts His Biglaw Lawyer In New Show
In 2022, Larry David broke a decades-long refusal to do ads and starred in an FTX Super Bowl spot as a time-traveling grouch who sneers at every advance in human history — the wheel, the fork, the toilet, democracy — before landing on a pitch for Sam Bankman-Fried’s...
A ‘Projection’ Of The 2027 U.S. News Law School Rankings
Prospective law students, current law students, and law school alumni have seen the historic 2026 edition of the U.S. News Law School Rankings, and they’re wondering what could possibly happen next. As a quick recap, Yale was kicked out of the top spot for the first...
Legal Ethics Roundup: Lawyer ‘Negligence’ For Not Using AI, Cameras At SCOTUS, Law School Laptop Ban & More
Ed. note: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup, here. Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics. Happy Monday! Law...
Well, This Doesn’t Help Todd Blanche
Todd Blanche’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing was already shaping up to be a genuine fight. Now that there’s a Lindsey Graham-sized hole on the Judiciary Committee, well, that math’s gotten tighter. Lindsey Graham died Saturday, removing from the...
Rebecca Slaughter Has A Message For Yale: Grow A Spine
Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day. I have personal experience of challenging actions of the administration to accrue power for themselves at the expense of Congress, of the people, and I have experienced challenging that all the way up to the...
Arguments That Embarrass Only The Advocate
I often see arguments that advocates think are persuasive. In fact, the arguments convince me only to doubt everything the advocate says. For example: “We had a terrible blizzard last week. See? I told you that global warming is a hoax!” The speaker believes that he...
Carolyn Herzog On Why Legal Leaders Need Optimism, Not Certainty
Most lawyers are trained to spot what could go wrong. That skill matters. It always will. But in a world shaped by AI disruption, geopolitical instability, nonstop regulatory shifts, and businesses demanding faster decisions, Carolyn Herzog believes something else...
Law Dean Turnover Slows for First Half of 2026
A total of 32 deans began new deanships between July 1, 2025, and June 30, down from 38 for the previous year and 45 in the previous 12-month period. A total of 32 deans began new deanships between July 1, 2025, and June 30, down from 38 for the previous year...
Percipient Launches Certera.AI, A Blind Head-to-Head Testing Ground for Legal AI, with a Lawyer-Voted Leaderboard On the Way
Which AI models are actually best at legal work? A new platform launched in beta by the alternative legal services provider Percipient aims to answer that question by letting legal professionals put the models to the test themselves, in blind, head-to-head...
Mitchell Atiles
Home Expert Witness Digital Forensics Mitchell Atiles StonePath Investigations, LLCNew York, NY646-518-1039stonepathinvestigations.com Meet the Expert StonePath Investigations, LLC is a New York State licensed private investigative firm focused on cryptocurrency...
Leaving Your Firm? Aim for a Joint Notice to Clients
Mark C. Palmer answers a lawyer's question about leaving their law firm on a positive (and ethical) note. Ask the Experts at 2CivilityOrg. The post Leaving Your Firm? Aim for a Joint Notice to Clients appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and...
New Proposal Signals Big Changes Ahead for Embattled Drug Discount Program
“The breadth of the proposal suggests that many organizations will need to reassess existing policies, contractual relationships, and compliance programs if these reforms advance, Daphne Kackloudis, a partner at Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, wrote in a recent client...
Lands’ End Legal Chief Abruptly Sets Sail Ahead of New CEO’s Arrival
No reason was given for the resignation last week of general counsel and licensing chief Peter Gray No reason was given for the resignation last week of general counsel and licensing chief Peter Gray
The AI Productivity Inflection: How the Agentic PDLC Accelerated Delivery and Drove AI Adoption
R&D & AI INNOVATION The AI Productivity Inflection How the Agentic PDLC Accelerated Delivery and Drove AI Adoption R&D performance, Q1 FY2025 through Q2 FY2026 By Greg Ingino, Chief Technology Officer, Litera Eighteen months ago, I walked out of an Hg...
7th Circuit Eyewear Ruling Raises Questions of Healthcare Exceptions Under BIPA
The federal district court in Illinois had initially dismissed the suit. The federal district court in Illinois had initially dismissed the suit.
How I Made Practice Group Chair: ‘Do Right by the Practice and by the Firm,’ Says Shannon Reaney of Morrison Foerster
"I also approach every day by trying to do right by the practice and by the firm. When faced with making decisions for the Patent practice, I lean into all of my experiences: from my doctoral work in chemistry to being a patent agent, to my current chairship, to the...
What It Takes to Build a Transformative Legal Career and Life: Lessons from Aiko Bethea’s Anchored, Aligned, and Accountable
Self-leadership is a daily practice, an ongoing commitment to remain anchored, aligned and accountable in a world that constantly pushes us to be otherwise, writes Marcie Dickson, a board member with the Institute for Well-Being in Law. Self-leadership is a...
If At First You Fail Miserbly At The Supreme Court, Try, Try Again — See Generally
Insanity Is Doing The Same Thing Twice And Expecting…: Trump wants the same Supreme Court that just rejected his birthright citizenship order to rehear the whole thing “immediately.” And he decided to insult them in the process. Grievance Studies: A conservative...
Sullivan & Cromwell Has A Civil War On Its Hands — See Also
The Red Line Bob Giuffra Drew For Himself Didn’t Last: Sullivan & Cromwell said it would never touch the Carroll cases… Sullivan & Cromwell is now touching the Carroll cases. Law School Laptop Ban: Chicago wants to get ahead of AI and decided banning laptops...
Some Practice Areas Are More Stressful Than Others
Most people believe that the legal profession is a stressful vocation due to the conflict and tight deadlines that are typically part of legal work. However, some practice areas are definitely more stressful than others because the consequences are much more...
Stat(s) Of The Week: ‘Soft Skills’ Are All The Rage
As AI tools continue to make inroads in the law, so-called soft skills like emotional intelligence and collaboration are increasingly critical to career success, according to a new survey. But roughly half of the law students and associates in the study use “fair” or...
Biglaw Summer Associateships Are Hugely Important To Your Legal Career
Ed. Note: Welcome to our daily feature Trivia Question of the Day! According to a new report into the Biglaw associate experience published by Chambers, what percentage of Biglaw summer associates start at that firm as first-year associates post-graduation? Hint: The...
Small Law Firms Billing More Hours Per Case — The Opposite Of What AI Promised — But At Least They’re Getting Paid!
AI promised lawyers efficiency. For small law firms, it’s not clear whether or not it’s delivering. Back in March, 8am released its 2026 Legal Industry Report, which surveyed more than 1,300 legal professionals and found a healthy chunk of them saving six to 10 hours...
University Of Chicago Law School Takes Away Laptops And Doubles Down On Socrates
Just in time for Christopher Nolan’s take on The Odyssey, Chicago Law has decided its 1L classrooms need to look a lot more like they did back then. In a new AI strategy document released this week, Chicago Law laid out its plan to train lawyers in a world where...
‘Adventures In Legal Tech’: You, Too, Can Tame Your ESI. Here’s How.
If your firm has ever handed over a pile of files for discovery and just hoped for the best, you’re not alone. Warren Parrino of the ALSP Trustpoint.One has spent years helping solo practitioners and small firms get a handle on their electronically stored...
The Death Of Organic Reach On Social: What Lawyers Can Do
If you have been watching your social media reach and engagements fall into the gravity well of an algorithmic black hole, you are not alone. 2025 was the year that finally nailed shut the coffin on organic reach for many businesses, including law firms. While some...
Trump Demands SCOTUS Reverse Birthright Red Card
It’s exhausting to have a president who couldn’t pass 7th grade American history — particularly when the mad king’s advisors are too busy glazing him to point out when his latest edict is not a thing. Twice this week, the law-understander demanded an appeal to the...
When Pay Is Equal, Boutique Firms Have The Edge
Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day. It took the salary away as a factor, so I could focus on the other aspects of my career and where I wanted to be. — Emily Clarke, an associate at Wilkinson Stekloff who joined the firm after a federal...
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. “Work on Trump’s E. Jean Carroll Defamation Case Divides Sullivan &...
Lawyers Do Not Need An AI Ban. They Need An AI Duty Of Care.
Not long ago, artificial intelligence in the legal profession still felt hypothetical. Lawyers were experimenting with it quietly. Judges were curious but cautious. Most discussions about AI and the law sounded academic. That phase is over. Today, lawyers are using AI...
Litigation Trends to Watch: Lawsuits Center on AI Trainers, Surveillance Pricing and Last-Mile Delivery Drivers
A new wave of litigation is taking shape as workers who train AI models claim they were misclassified as independent contractors. A new wave of litigation is taking shape as workers who train AI models claim they were misclassified as independent...
Sullivan & Cromwell Partners Are Big Mad About The Firm’s Latest Trump Representation
Something’s going down at Sullivan & Cromwell. The Wall Street Journal has confirmed the rumors swirling around Biglaw that there’s a civil war brewing at Sullivan & Cromwell over just how far the firm should go for its most famous — and most toxic — client....
On The Other Side Of The 4th
Weather didn’t discriminate this past holiday weekend. Brutal is putting it mildly. Climate change is real and if you don’t believe me, then read Jeff Goodell’s book of several years ago, “The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet.” I am not...
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...
How I Made Partner: ‘Build Relationships With Attorneys in Other Practice Areas,’ Says Drew Newman of Moore & Van Allen
"Build relationships with attorneys in other practice areas at your law firm as soon as possible. Looking back on my career, I wish I had started networking with attorneys outside the litigation group sooner. These attorneys become part of your client portfolio and...
Trump Calls Supreme Court ‘Absolutely Insane’ And Then Asks For Birthright Citizenship Do-Over
Donald Trump losing Trump v. Barbara was the least surprising ruling of the term. That said, it was one of the more surprising decisions because while the Fourteenth Amendment is clear and literally no one doubted its meaning until about a year ago, a few of the...
Fifth Circuit Says Gov’t Can Violate Migrants’ Due Process Rights… But Only For 90 Days
Good news!(?) It’s good news of sorts, so we’ll go with a qualified “good news!” here. There’s a little table setting that needs to be done to explain why it’s better now than it was before the Fifth Circuit Appeals Court continued ingratiating itself to...
Morning Docket: 07.10.26
* OpenAI accused of hiding evidence in NY Times copyright case. Reached for comment, ChatGPT said, “I’m sorry, you’re right, I was supposed to produce that.” [Law360] * Lawyer dressed as police officer to spy on ex-girlfriend at Nando’s. [Roll on Friday] * Ninth...
UChicago Law Bans Laptops from 1L Classrooms As Part of Sweeping New AI Strategy for Legal Education
The University of Chicago Law School yesterday released a comprehensive AI Strategy Statement that will reshape how it teaches first-year students, how it assesses upper-level writing, and how it integrates AI tools across its curriculum — including a pilot program...
From Rankings to Responses: AI Is Changing How Law Firms Get Found
In this week's episode, Legal Speak how the rapid rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping law firm marketing and public relations. In this week's episode, Legal Speak how the rapid rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping law firm marketing and public...
Big Law’s Trump Deals May Face More Lawmaker Pressure After Midterms
Democratic lawmakers are expected to revive congressional investigations into nine law firms that made deals with the Trump administration, if Democrats gain a majority in one or both chambers of Congress. Law firms could be the subject of congressional subpoenas or...




































































