Morning Docket: 04.14.26
Law firms made headlines this week as DLA Piper was vindicated in a pregnancy‑discrimination lawsuit, while the high‑profile merger between Perkins Coie and Ashurst received partner approval. A Financial Times analysis warned that growing client use of generative AI could lift legal fees, and Anthropic’s general counsel predicted AI will finally render the billable‑hour obsolete. Meanwhile, the D.C. Circuit demanded the FTC justify its probe into Media Matters, and a court dismissed former President Trump’s defamation suit against the Wall Street Journal.
Is Biglaw Getting That ‘Uh Oh’ Feeling On The Economy?
Dorsey & Whitney managing partner Peter Nelson says biglaw firms aren’t panicking over a potential economic shock from the war in Iran, but are actively preparing. He notes that a downturn would likely hit profitable areas such as M&A, capital...
Lawyers Should Stay Away From A Client’s Office Politics
Lawyers representing large organizations often find themselves caught in internal office politics among client teams. The article advises attorneys to channel communications through a senior manager, stay neutral, and handle staff mistakes directly to avoid becoming a pawn in internal...
What The Legal Industry Can Learn About AI Hallucinations From Auditors
Legal firms are grappling with AI‑generated "hallucinations" that embed false citations and non‑existent cases into court filings. Since the first AI‑driven brief in 2023, more than 1,200 incidents have been logged, and a recent lawsuit by Nippon Insurance accuses OpenAI...
WilmerHale’s $35M Bill Comes Under Fire
WilmerHale faces London High Court scrutiny over a $35 million bill to billionaire heir Alberto Safra. The client disputes $18.9 million still unpaid, citing unnotified hourly rate hikes and excessive daily charges. Judge Leonard questioned the firm’s reliance on a contentious business...
Defense Department Lawyering Almost As Good As Hegseth’s Pullups
The Pentagon’s new press credential policy, championed by Secretary Pete Hegseth, required journalists to sign gag‑style agreements that barred the publication of any “unauthorized” information. After more than 30 outlets refused to sign, reporters were stripped of their Pentagon Facilities...
Justice Sotomayor Advises Law Students On AI Adoption — There Should Have Been A Stronger Warning
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor told law students at the University of Alabama that mastering AI is essential, likening the technology to a new legal revolution while warning of its "dangerous hallucination" tendencies. She emphasized that AI reflects human bias...
Work-Life Balance Is Precious; So Is The Rule Of Law
The article notes a cultural shift among attorneys who are abandoning the traditional Biglaw prestige model in favor of greater work‑life balance. Many lawyers now prioritize flexible schedules over long hours and billable‑hour pressure. Simultaneously, a high‑profile legal battle is...
Managing In The Age Of AI: Bring Back Walking Around
The article warns that unchecked AI decisions can produce costly errors, illustrated by a loan‑approval mishap that a human quickly corrected. It argues that the legal profession, which depends on nuance, is especially vulnerable to over‑reliance on large language models....
Sean Combs Fights For Reduced Time Due To Potential Sentencing Error
Sean "Diddy" Combs was sentenced to 50 months in prison last year for sex‑trafficking convictions, but his legal team is now appealing the sentence. The appeal centers on whether the judge improperly added a coercion enhancement based on conduct the...
Trump Sends DOJ After NFL To Avenge His Own Public Humiliation In The 80s
The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into the NFL’s media‑rights deals, scrutinizing whether the league’s reliance on cable and streaming subscriptions harms consumers. The probe arrives amid recent DOJ antitrust leadership turnover and a high‑profile Ticketmaster settlement, raising...
813 Solos Signed Their Names While Biglaw And GCs Hid
Bloomberg reported that major law firms and Fortune 500 in‑house counsel filed amicus briefs opposing recent executive orders anonymously, while 813 solo and small‑firm attorneys signed the same brief openly. The anonymous filings came from partners earning seven‑figure salaries and large...
Judge Accused Of Driving ‘Super Drunk’ Takes No Contest Plea
Federal Judge Thomas L. Ludington, 72, entered a no‑contest plea to a misdemeanor drunken‑driving charge, allowing prosecutors to drop a higher‑level DWI count. A sentencing hearing is set for May 13, with expectations of probation and a substance‑abuse assessment. Despite...
Turns Out A Law Degree Is Actually Worth It
A recent study by Yale economist Joseph Altonji and Vassar economist Zhengren Zhu quantifies the earnings boost from a Juris Doctor, finding an average increase of roughly 100% for graduates. This gain ranks third among professional degrees, trailing only pharmacists...
Trump’s Awful No Good Day At The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on President Trump’s bid to eliminate birthright citizenship through an executive order, and the justices signaled a decisive rebuff. Trump attended the hearing in person but departed before the session ended as his Solicitor...
Pam Bondi To Congress: New Phone, Who Dis?
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee to answer questions about her handling of Jeffrey Epstein‑related files. The Department of Justice, citing a leadership transition, asked the committee to withdraw the subpoena, arguing it...
Scott Barshay’s Paul, Weiss Makeover: More Money, Less Soul?
Paul, Weiss’s new chair, M&A partner Scott Barshay, is reshaping the firm from a progressive‑litigation powerhouse into a profit‑driven corporate shop. He overhauled partner compensation to reward rainmakers, tightened associate staffing, and pushed an apolitical brand. The strategy has paid...
Trump Team Calls Iran Power Plants ‘Legitimate Military Targets,’ Law Prof Calls That Theory ‘Idiocy’
The Trump administration’s senior advisers argued that Iran’s power plants qualify as legitimate military targets, claiming that their destruction could spark civil unrest and impede Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. NYU law professor Ryan Goodman dismissed the argument as legally unfounded, labeling...
It Shouldn’t Be That Hard To Understand This — See Also
The piece aggregates several legal‑industry stories, from the historic confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson—who could become the first Black woman on the Court—to a Japan‑theft hypothetical used to lampoon right‑wing jurisdiction arguments. It also tracks the...
This Person Was Real Talky At The Birthright Citizenship Oral Argument
The article poses a trivia question about the *Trump v. Barbara* oral argument, which challenges Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to end birthright citizenship. According to Dr. Adam Feldman’s analysis, one participant delivered a 7,575‑word statement, far outpacing the...
DLA Piper Headed To Trial Over Firing Of Mom-To-Be
DLA Piper failed to secure summary judgment and will face a federal jury trial in Manhattan over allegations it fired associate Anisha Mehta for taking maternity leave. Judge Analisa Torres found the firm’s performance‑based justification conflicted with evidence, siding with...
Retiring Partners Should Relinquish Prized Offices
The piece argues that retiring partners should vacate their large, often underused offices to free premium space for emerging lawyers. It illustrates this with a senior partner who was moved to a smaller office, grew resentful, and eventually left the...
Atlanta Prosecutor Repeatedly Cites Non-Existent Cases To Avoid Murder Retrial
Atlanta prosecutor Deborah Leslie admitted in a sworn affidavit that she used an AI tool to generate and cite nonexistent case law while arguing before the Georgia Supreme Court to block a murder retrial. The fabricated citations were part of...
The Lawyer Who Never Went Home
A lawyer who never mentally left the office became a respected litigator, but his relentless mental immersion led to chronic exhaustion and eventual burnout. The narrative shows how the culture of constant work intensity can erode judgment and personal well‑being....
Biglaw Firm Doubles Down On Pro Bono, And Lets The Billable Chips Fall Where They May
Munger, Tolles & Olson reported a 1.8 % dip in revenue while boosting pro bono hours by roughly 50 % in 2025. Co‑managing partners Martin Estrada and Daniel Levin framed the increase as a deliberate choice to uphold the rule of law...
DOJ Cracks Down On Unfair Contracts With New Lawsuit Against NewYork-Presbyterian
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an antitrust lawsuit against NewYork‑Presbyterian Hospital, accusing it of using “all‑or‑nothing” payer contracts that force insurers to include every NYP facility in their networks. The complaint says the practice blocks lower‑cost plans, limits...
Wait, Viral Video Judge Has Fines From Texas Ethics Commission?!?
Harris County civil judge Nathan Milliron, whose courtroom outburst was captured in a viral video, is now facing financial penalties from the Texas Ethics Commission. The commission cited delinquent filings, imposing a $1,000 civil penalty for missed campaign‑finance reports and...
Strategic Planning For Marketers: Your Critical Role In Strategy Development And Implementation
Legal marketing professionals are uniquely positioned to shape law‑firm strategic planning. By keeping discussions outward‑focused, distinguishing business from brand strategy, and injecting client intelligence, marketers ensure plans target market opportunities. Their grasp of profitability metrics transforms them into strategic advisors...
Integrating Technology With Customer Service: Preserving The Human Element
Legal help desks are rapidly adopting AI‑driven automation, virtual agents, and real‑time analytics to boost efficiency and triage speed. Panelists at ILTACON 2025 highlighted that firms are piloting these tools in narrow use cases—such as password resets and HR onboarding—before...
General Counsel Nearly Doubles His Salary After Closing Major Acquisition
Capital One’s chief legal officer, Matthew Cooper, saw his compensation surge 93% to $15.6 million after he successfully closed the acquisition of a rival credit‑card issuer. The pay rise acknowledges his role in negotiating the deal and steering post‑merger integration. The...
Biglaw Firms Are Starting To Get ‘Nervous’ About Deal Work Inventory
Biglaw firms are showing increased anxiety over shrinking deal work inventories, according to law‑firm consultant Blane Prescott. Managing partners report lighter workloads compared with a year ago, prompting more cautious revenue forecasts. The slowdown is most evident in M&A and...
Has Legal Industry Upheaval Changed Your Career Goals?
Above the Law is surveying legal professionals about how AI‑driven upheaval and shifting work models are reshaping career aspirations. The brief, anonymous poll asks whether concerns like cognitive offloading, office‑based work, and skill development influence lawyers’ plans. Respondents can win...
Where The Head Goes The Body Follows — See Also
A wave of legal headlines highlights turbulence across the sector: midsize firm Taylor Duma is closing after a partner exodus ending its 21‑year run; Section 230 faces renewed scrutiny following recent verdicts against Meta; a white law student’s multi‑million discrimination...
Harvard Law Students Push School To Divest From ICE & Law Firms That Support Them
Harvard Law students staged a rally and submitted a petition urging the school to divest from major tech firms—Palantir, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft—and to sever recruiting ties with four law firms they allege collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs...
Maximize Your Reach: Turning CLE Content Into Long-Term Success
The article advises legal professionals to extend the lifespan of their Continuing Legal Education (CLE) presentations by repurposing the material into articles, LinkedIn posts, and other digital assets. It outlines practical steps for tailoring content to different audiences, optimizing for...
Biglaw Partner Slammed For ‘Orwellian’ Answers To Senator’s Questions
Sheria Clarke, a partner at Nelson Mullins, was nominated by former President Trump to a U.S. district court seat and appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee. During the hearing, Senator Richard Blumenthal accused her of giving "Orwellian" canned responses and...
Legal Professionals Should Usually Get A Lunch Break
Lawyers often face pressure to skip lunch, especially when judges or clients demand continuous availability. The author recounts a six‑hour courtroom wait that forced him to eat from a vending machine, illustrating how routine cases can still deny basic breaks....
Vision, Ownership, And Profit: What Law Firms Must Fix First
Brooke Lively, founder of Cathedral Capital, advises law firms to first resolve ownership ambiguity, align partner vision, and prioritize strategic initiatives. She argues that shared ownership without a single accountable leader creates delays and erodes profitability. Misaligned visions fragment strategy,...
Midsize Law Firm Closing Its Doors After 21 Years Following Partner Exodus
Atlanta‑based midsize firm Taylor Duma announced it will close at month‑end, ending a 21‑year run. The firm’s attorney headcount fell by more than half after a prolonged partner exodus, highlighted by co‑founder Joe English’s 2025 move to Offit Kurman. Offit Kurman has...
How Law Firm Pricing Power Really Works And Why Negotiation Alone Is No Longer Enough
Law firms across the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom are maintaining aggressive outside‑counsel rate hikes as 2026 begins. The Persuit Global Outside Counsel Rate Trends report shows pricing power remains durable, with many corporate clients accepting the increases....
The Path To AI Maturity: What Leaders Should Consider In The Coming Year
AI has reached a tipping point in the legal sector, moving from experimental pilots to a baseline expectation for many firms. Litify’s 2025 State of AI in Legal Report shows rapid adoption but uneven maturity across organizations. A March 31 webinar...
Jay Clayton’s SDNY Throws ICE Under The Bus To Save Face In Court
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York publicly corrected a material misstatement about ICE policy in the African Communities Together v. Lyons case. The office had relied on a 2025 ICE guidance memo claiming that immigration...
Morning Docket: 03.26.26
The legal landscape saw a flurry of high‑profile moves on March 26. Donald Trump’s housing chief floated new criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, while big‑law firms reported a reduced share of litigation‑funding revenue in 2025. The...
Afroman And Elon Had Very Different Trial Experiences
Rapper Afroman successfully defended a $3.9 million defamation suit filed by Ohio officers after a police raid, with a jury rejecting the claim and reinforcing First Amendment protections. In parallel, the Department of Justice drew scrutiny for lowering hiring standards, internal...
This Law School’s Grads Love The Biglaw Life
The article poses a quiz based on the 2025 ALM Go‑To Law Schools ranking, revealing that a top‑tier law school sent 71.85% of its 2024 graduates into Biglaw firms. The statistic underscores the school’s exceptional employment pipeline and highlights the...
Not Getting Duped
Quince has filed an antitrust complaint against Deckers Footwear, accusing the Uggs owner of using template lawsuits to stifle competition in the sheepskin casual‑footwear market. The move follows a recent trade‑dress victory that declared Quince’s Ugg‑style dupes generic, while a...
Biglaw’s Trump Ties Get Called Out: ‘Not A Place Top Litigators Want To Be’
Nine major law firms provided about $940 million in free legal services to Trump‑aligned causes, sparking criticism over partisan pro bono work. Beth Wilkinson, founder of Wilkinson Stekloff, warned that such ties damage a firm’s brand and deter top litigators. The controversy...
Top SEC Enforcer Walks Rather Than Play Politics
Margaret Ryan, the former head of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, resigned amid escalating clashes with Trump‑appointed SEC Chair Paul Atkins and other Republican commissioners. Ryan had pushed for more aggressive enforcement, targeting high‑profile figures such as Elon Musk and Justin...
I Am Trump’s Brain
The piece is a satirical monologue that imagines former President Donald Trump urging a pre‑emptive strike on Iran, peppered with references to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and his son-in‑law Jared Kushner’s $2 billion allocation. It...
March Madness Cinderella With Mock Airplane Cabin & January 6 Role Getting ABA-Approved Law School
High Point University’s Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law received provisional approval from the American Bar Association, allowing its 2024‑onward graduates to sit for the bar exam. The approval is a stepping stone toward full accreditation, which must be secured...