Leave ‘Swinging Dicks’ Out Of Dissents — See Also
Recent legal commentary highlights four distinct developments. A dissent by Judge Van Dyke has drawn criticism for perceived immaturity, prompting calls for higher judicial decorum. The Fourth Circuit affirmed gender‑based discrimination claims, extending protections to adult patients in healthcare decisions. Meanwhile, a law‑school student’s challenge to a flyer removal raises free‑speech concerns, and a new advisory warns of increasing fake‑attorney scams.
The CLE Afterparty: Keeping The Conversation — And Connection — Going
The article outlines post‑CLE strategies that turn a single presentation into an ongoing relationship. It recommends delivering rich takeaways such as whitepapers, slide decks, and recordings, and offering personalized one‑on‑one consultations. It also stresses the importance of regular touchpoints via...
How To Avoid Fake Lawyer Scams
A recent column details how scammers impersonate lawyers to sell bogus asset‑recovery services, demanding upfront fees for fictitious taxes and bank charges. The author exposed a case where a fake retainer looked AI‑generated, the website’s domain was registered days before...
Fourth Circuit Removes Autonomy From Adults In Healthcare Ban Decision
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld West Virginia's ban on Medicaid coverage for gender‑affirming surgeries, extending the restriction from minors to adults. The ruling overturns a lower court finding that the 2004 statute violated anti‑discrimination laws and...
Morning Docket: 03.13.26
Regulators and agencies are under scrutiny across multiple fronts. The CFTC signaled potential regulation of prediction markets, while the U.S. Customs Agency reported its tariff refund system is only 40‑80% complete, highlighting operational uncertainty. Live Nation employees were caught on...
Bot’s Not Nice
A recent Wall Street Journal test pitted Claude, Gemini, and OpenAI against each other, revealing each model’s distinct strengths and quirks, especially a tendency toward hedging language that falls short of client‑focused counsel. The article highlights how such vague output...
AI Legal Research Startup Descrybe Launches ‘Legal Reasoning’ Tool; Says It Outperforms ChatGPT, Claude, And Gemini On Bar Exam Benchmark
Descrybe introduced DescrybeLM, a purpose‑built legal‑reasoning AI that achieved a perfect 200‑out‑of‑200 score on the NCBE multiple‑choice bar exam benchmark. In contrast, leading general‑purpose models—ChatGPT 5.2, Claude Opus 4.5 and Gemini 3 Pro—missed 13‑23 questions, scoring between 88.5% and 93.5% accuracy. The study highlighted that...
Why Wasn’t Biglaw Ready For The Epstein Files ‘Bomb’ To Drop?
The article examines why major law firms, collectively known as Biglaw, were caught off‑guard when the Epstein files were released, revealing their ties to the convicted sex offender. Despite years of warning, firms failed to activate a coordinated public‑relations plan,...
Top Biglaw Firm Debuts Nonequity Partnership Tier, Moving Goalposts Just A Bit Further
Sidley, the sixth‑ranked firm on the 2025 Am Law 100, announced an income‑partner tier that creates a nonequity partnership level. The move follows a wave of Biglaw firms—starting with Cravath’s salaried partner tier in 2023 and later Paul Weiss, WilmerHale, and...
Discovery As Truth-Seeking: Win Hard Without Playing Hide-The-Ball
The on‑demand InfoTrack webinar, presented by attorney Drew Levine, teaches litigators how to balance broad discovery rights with privacy concerns. It covers proportionality, managing electronically stored information, and differences between state and federal discovery rules. The tutorial emphasizes practical, results‑focused...
Seven Essential Security Strategies For Law Firms And Legal Departments
Law firms and corporate legal departments face escalating cyber threats, with one‑third expected to experience a breach this year and average losses exceeding $5 million. The article outlines seven essential security strategies: building a vigilance culture, turning compliance into a market...
DOJ Attorney Throws Himself Under The Bus Rather Than Dragging Down Everyone Else
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudy Renfer in the Eastern District of North Carolina filed a court brief generated by artificial intelligence that contained fabricated quotations and incorrect case citations. A magistrate judge rebuked Renfer for the inaccuracies and for failing to...
Meet Eve — The AI Used By 800+ Top Plaintiff Firms
Eve, an AI platform tailored for plaintiff litigation, is now deployed by more than 800 firms nationwide. Its intake agent, Jenny, has lifted lead conversion rates from roughly 10% to 35% while shaving 50 minutes off the intake workflow and...
The Justice Department Is Lowering Its Ethical Guardrails
The Justice Department has eliminated the "further restricted" classification for its senior political appointees, allowing them to engage in campaign activities under the Hatch Act. For decades, DOJ leaders were subject to stricter limits to preserve impartiality in election‑related investigations...
Legal AI: What Government Agencies Need To Consider
Filevine has released a comprehensive guide titled “Legal AI: What Government Agencies Need To Consider,” aimed at helping public‑sector legal teams navigate the rapidly expanding AI market. The guide outlines how AI can improve government legal workflows, offers a framework...
What Separates Rainmakers From Service Lawyers
Jennifer Gillman explains that lawyers who become rainmakers—those who generate their own business—gain autonomy over staffing, timelines, and work‑life balance, unlike service partners who operate on firm‑assigned schedules. She emphasizes early, consistent business‑development habits, such as dedicating fifteen minutes weekly...
Maryland Federal Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby Acknowledges Creating ‘Abusive’ Workplace
A Fourth Circuit disciplinary order revealed that U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby created an abusive work environment for her law clerks, including bullying, intimidation, and humiliating incidents. Despite two clerks being reassigned in late 2022, the Administrative Office and...
From The Special Counsel’s Office To The Campaign Trail: Former Trump Prosecutor Turns Firing Into Political Launchpad
J.P. Cooney, a former federal prosecutor who served as principal deputy to special counsel Jack Smith in two criminal cases against Donald Trump, says he was dismissed by the president for his commitment to the rule of law. Cooney is...
Federal Judge Accused Of Driving ‘Super Drunk’ Takes ‘Voluntary’ Leave From The Bench
Federal Judge Thomas Ludington, a 72‑year‑old Eastern District of Michigan appointee, was arrested in October for driving with a 0.27 blood‑alcohol concentration, more than three times the legal limit. He has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor DUI charges and voluntarily...
Vetting AI Vendors: 6 Areas Every Legal Team Should Assess
The Above the Law guide outlines six critical areas legal teams must evaluate when selecting AI vendors, emphasizing risks around confidentiality, privilege, and reliability. It provides practical questions for each assessment category and highlights Filevine’s LOIS platform as an integrated...
Houston Is Becoming A Biglaw Stomping Ground
Houston is emerging as a premier destination for large law firms, with two Am Law top‑30 firms announcing new Houston offices in 2026. The move leaves only five firms in the top‑30 still without a Houston presence, underscoring the city’s growing...
Federal Judge Tells The Trump Administration To Quit Acting Like Big Brother
Federal Judge Cynthia M. Rufe granted a preliminary injunction forcing the Department of Justice to restore signage, displays, and videos at Philadelphia’s President’s House that detail the slaves owned by George Washington. The Trump administration had sought to remove the...
Got In To Your Dream Law School? Federal Loan Caps Could Change The Math
The U.S. Department of Education will enforce a new federal loan cap on July 1, 2026, limiting professional‑school borrowing to $50,000 per year and $200,000 total. At top‑tier law schools, where tuition and living costs often exceed $100,000 annually, the cap forces...
The Votes Are In! Here Are The 15 Legal Tech Startups Selected For The 2026 Startup Alley At ABA TECHSHOW
The ABA TECHSHOW’s 2026 Startup Alley has selected 15 legal‑tech startups to pitch on opening night, after a public voting process narrowed a panel‑chosen shortlist of 25. Winners will showcase their AI‑driven solutions—from immigration case management to email automation and settlement...
3 Questions For A Litigation Funding Startup Founder (Part II)
The interview with Signal Peak founder Lauren Harrison highlights a critical shortage of trial‑ready talent in IP law firms, noting that fewer than 10% of litigators have ever tried a case. She explains that funders favor firms that can confidently...
