Judicial Notice (05.25.26): Day Of Reckoning
A federal jury in Oakland dismissed Elon Musk’s $150 billion lawsuit against OpenAI, Sam Altman and Microsoft, ruling the case time‑barred. The advisory verdict was promptly adopted by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, ending Musk’s challenge to OpenAI’s for‑profit conversion. Wachtell Lipton’s William Savitt and Sarah Eddy, alongside Dechert’s Russell Cohen and Jay Jurata, secured the win for the AI giant and its strategic investor. Musk has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Ninth Circuit.
Judicial Notice (05.10.26): You Chose... Poorly
The week’s Judicial Notice highlighted several legal‑industry flashpoints. Neal Katyal’s tweet and TED Talk about the Harvey AI tool sparked a backlash, with roughly 70% of readers reacting negatively. The Justice Department announced $25,000 signing and retention bonuses to lure...
5 Tips For Aspiring Plaintiffs’ Lawyers
The article outlines five practical tips for law students and junior lawyers who want to build careers on the plaintiff side. It urges candidates to resist the default pull toward Biglaw, actively educate themselves about plaintiffs’ firms, seek on‑the‑feet courtroom...
Judicial Notice (05.03.26): Spirited Away
James Comey was re‑indicted this week after an Instagram post of seashells allegedly threatened President Trump, a charge many legal scholars say rests on shaky First‑Amendment precedent. The indictment was signed by interim U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle, a Trump‑aligned...
The Top 20 Most Profitable Law Firms (2025)
The 2025 Am Law 100 data show Biglaw generating $178.95 billion in gross revenue, a 13% jump from the prior year, while revenue per lawyer rose to $1.39 million and profits per equity partner (PEP) climbed to $3.59 million, up 14%. Partner compensation...
Judicial Notice (04.26.26): The GOAT of SCOTUS Advocates?
Paul Clement, a former U.S. solicitor general, has been tapped to represent a coalition of big‑law firms in the D.C. Circuit appeal of the Trump administration’s executive‑order defeats. The firms chose Clement over other heavyweight litigators, underscoring his reputation as...
An AI Screw-Up By... Sullivan & Cromwell?
Sullivan & Cromwell filed a Chapter 15 motion that contained AI‑generated citation errors, prompting senior partner Andrew Dietderich to send an apology letter to Chief Judge Martin Glenn. The mistakes were flagged by rival firm Boies Schiller Flexner, which itself has a history of...
The 25 Most Prestigious Law Firms In America (2026)
David Lat’s latest Original Jurisdiction post ranks the 2026‑2027 Vault 100, highlighting the ten most prestigious U.S. law firms and noting modest shifts in their positions. While the top three—Cravath, Wachtell, and Skadden—remain unchanged, Wachtell’s profits per equity partner jumped...
Defense-Focused Biglaw Moves Into Plaintiff-Side Work
Biglaw firms traditionally known for defending corporate clients are increasingly taking on plaintiff‑side litigation. The shift accelerated after 2020, with firms like Kirkland & Ellis reporting more than $2 billion in plaintiff recoveries by 2022. Legal‑finance providers such as Burford Capital...
Judicial Notice (04.05.26): The Worst
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Attorney General Pam Bondi will leave the administration, marking her as the second cabinet member dismissed in his second term. Bondi’s ouster follows weeks of criticism over her handling of the Jeffrey...
Judicial Notice (03.15.26): ‘Swinging Dicks’
Lawrence VanDyke, a former deputy solicitor general, faced a heated Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in March 2026 when a senator questioned his potential bias against LGBTQ litigants. VanDyke responded emotionally, defending his judicial philosophy, and the exchange was widely circulated...