Supreme Court Revives First Amendment Challenge to Colorado Conversion-Therapy Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court in *Chiles v. Salazar* held that Colorado’s ban on conversion‑therapy for minors regulates speech based on viewpoint, not merely professional conduct, and therefore demands strict First Amendment scrutiny. The ruling overturns the Tenth Circuit’s more deferential approach and signals that state‑crafted limits on what licensed counselors may say are subject to heightened constitutional review. The decision is expected to reshape ongoing challenges to similar statutes nationwide and to force health‑care providers and licensing boards to reassess their policies. It establishes a new precedent for professional‑speech cases.
Supreme Court Revives Grande ISP Copyright Fight for Fresh Fifth Circuit Review
The U.S. Supreme Court vacated the Fifth Circuit’s ruling that upheld a copyright verdict against Grande Communications and remanded the case for reconsideration under a newly‑narrowed liability framework. The high court’s action follows its recent decision that limits when internet...
ILTA Just-In-Time: Legal L&D Is Losing Its Seat at the Table – Here's How to Get It Back in 2026
The TJ L&D Influence Report 2026 warns that most learning and development (L&D) teams are still measuring activity rather than effectiveness. Survey data shows a gap between legal L&D initiatives and the business metrics executives trust. The report urges L&D...
Battle of the Brands: Legora Signs Jude Law as Harvey & Legora PR Deals Grow
Legal GenAI firm Legora announced a global advertising campaign featuring actor Jude Law, positioning its technology as a core component of modern legal work. The high‑profile spot, directed by SNL veteran Rhys Thomas and shot by Oscar‑winning cinematographer Hoyte van...
Simmons & Simmons Welcomes Students to First Dedicated AI Internship
International law firm Simmons & Simmons launched its first AI law internship, welcoming eight students for a two‑week program in London from April 13‑24. The internship targets penultimate or final‑year undergraduates, postgraduates and recent graduates, offering hands‑on experience in both...
When Clients Learn to Love AI
Clients are rapidly embracing artificial intelligence, narrowing the trust gap that once favored law firms. Sophisticated businesses are deploying AI at deeper levels and faster speeds than many attorneys, forcing Big Law to confront a cultural and operational lag. The...
DOJ Sues Idaho Over Access to Voter Registration Records
On April 1, 2026 the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Idaho, alleging the state failed to provide complete voter‑registration records after a federal request. The suit centers on whether Idaho complied with federal disclosure duties that support transparency in...
DOJ Indictment Puts Mississippi School Sports Bid-Rigging in the Criminal Antitrust Spotlight
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division has indicted Jon Christopher Burt, Gerald Steven Lavender, and Jack Nelson Purvis Jr. for allegedly rigging bids on sports‑equipment contracts for Mississippi public schools. The indictment underscores that bid‑rigging is a per se antitrust violation,...
PTAB Grants Unopposed Lead Counsel Substitution in PGR2025-00086
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) granted an unopposed motion to withdraw the existing lead counsel and substitute new lead counsel in post‑grant review case PGR2025‑00086. The order follows 37 C.F.R. §42.10, which governs counsel recognition and changes, and...
Microsoft Targets QOMPLX Patent in New PTAB Challenge
Microsoft filed an inter partes review petition against QOMPLX LLC on April 7, 2026, docketed IPR2026‑00325. The filing asks the PTAB to invalidate one or more claims of a QOMPLX patent on anticipation or obviousness grounds. Details such as the patent number...
The Five Barriers Blocking Legal AI Adoption (Part 1)
Legal tech analysts surveyed over 100 senior lawyers and in‑house counsel to pinpoint why AI projects falter in law firms. The research identified five recurring barriers: poor data hygiene, cultural resistance, unclear ROI, regulatory uncertainty, and integration bottlenecks. Each obstacle...
Data Science Is Quickly Shifting What's Best and Practicable: What Litigators and Judges Interpreting Rule 23 Should Know
The article explains how advances in data science are reshaping the legal standard of “best and practicable” under Federal Rule 23. Judges and class counsel must now assess algorithmic sampling, predictive modeling, and AI‑driven certification methods when designing class notices...
Patent Disputes Over Data Centers' Cooling Tech Heating Up in Chicago Fed. Court, Data Shows
A coalition of five data‑center operators, collectively managing more than 280 facilities across the United States and overseas, now face patent‑infringement lawsuits in the Chicago Federal Court. The suits allege that the firms used a proprietary cooling system patented by...
Apple Targets PTAB Review in IPR2026-00332
Apple Inc. filed an inter partes review petition (IPR2026-00332) with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board on April 3, 2026, seeking to invalidate at least one issued patent. The docket currently reveals only Apple as the petitioner, with details on...
Trump-Era Litigation Keeps Reshaping Federal Courts and Legal Practice
Litigation stemming from the Trump administration continues to dominate federal courts, extending beyond high‑profile policy fights into fundamental questions about agency data access, executive authority, and statutory limits. Recent challenges force agencies to defend data‑access decisions, highlighting disputes over administrative...
The Latest Orange Rag Product Table – Link Here
The Orange Rag March newsletter highlighted two dominant trends shaping legal technology. First, vendors such as DISCO, Consilio and Epiq are consolidating formerly separate tools—review, analytics, operations intelligence and managed services—into unified platforms, responding to client demand for fewer point...
Legaltech Rundown: Littler Mendelson Appoints Chief AI Officer, Parambil Unveils Enhanced Platform Technology, and More
Littler Mendelson, one of the nation’s largest labor law firms, announced the appointment of a former Google AI lead as its first Chief AI Officer, signaling a strategic push to embed artificial intelligence across its practice. At the same time,...
Navigating Roundabouts Vs. Legal Tech: A Fun Spin Around the Circle
The blog post uses roundabouts as a metaphor for legal technology, describing how initial aversion can turn into appreciation once users understand the system. It highlights that roundabouts, like well‑designed legal tech platforms, provide efficient, predictable flow and reduce stress....
Bar Standards Board Sees Influx of AI-Generated Complaints Against Barristers
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) reports a 25% rise in complaints driven by AI‑generated reports, which has pushed the regulator past its timeliness targets for investigations and authorisations. Interim director Steven Haines says the AI‑written complaints are more complex, requiring...
Littler Appoints Stephanie Goutos as Inaugural Chief AI Officer
Littler, the leading U.S. employment‑law firm, has hired Stephanie Goutos as its inaugural chief artificial intelligence officer. Goutos joins from Gunderson Dettmer, where she led AI‑driven practice innovation and piloted Perplexity Enterprise. In her new role she will shape Littler’s...
Guilty Plea Highlights DOJ Focus on Black-Market Peso Exchange Laundering
A Mexican national pleaded guilty to a two‑year, multimillion‑dollar trade‑based money‑laundering conspiracy that moved drug proceeds from Texas to Mexico via a black‑market peso exchange. The case highlights the DOJ’s focus on dismantling the financial infrastructure of narcotics trafficking, not...
Regulatory Software Company ViClarity Launches AI-Powered Regulation Tracker
ViClarity, a regulatory‑software specialist, unveiled an AI‑powered Regulation Tracker that continuously scans global rule changes and delivers machine‑generated summaries. The solution leverages large‑language models to translate dense legal text into concise briefs, aiming to slash manual compliance effort. It plugs...
Skadden Execs Turned Legal Tech Advisers Talk Navigating Client Tech Demands
Former Skadden chief AI and technology officer Harris Tilevitz and ex‑CEO Eric Friedman, now advisers to Harvey, Ironclad and Litera, discussed how law firms can meet escalating client technology expectations while safeguarding data. They highlighted the shift from internal tech...
Your Client Is Talking to ChatGPT About Their Case. After 'Heppner,' That's a Discovery Problem.
Clients are turning to ChatGPT for legal advice, prompting courts to scrutinize AI‑generated communications. The recent Heppner decision clarified that chatbot interactions constitute discoverable evidence, forcing parties to preserve and produce them. Defense attorneys are now tightening discovery requests to...
FTC and DOJ Open Inquiry That Could Rewrite HSR Merger Filing Practice
The FTC and DOJ have launched a joint public inquiry into the Hart‑Scott‑Rodino pre‑merger notification form, signaling a possible overhaul of the HSR filing process. Regulators are questioning whether the current form provides sufficient data to evaluate modern transactions efficiently....
Patlytics Secures $40M in Series B Funding With Contribution From Relativity
Patlytics announced a $40 million Series B round led by Relativity, bolstering its AI‑driven patent analytics platform. The capital will fund an aggressive expansion into Asian markets and broaden the technology’s application to sectors such as life sciences. Existing investors also participated,...
PTAB Institutes Post-Grant Review in Entegris, Signaling Broad Scrutiny of Early Patent Claims
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has instituted a post‑grant review (PGR) of Entegris, Inc.’s patent in case PGR2026‑00037. Unlike inter‑ partes review, a PGR allows challenges on eligibility, novelty, obviousness and specification‑based grounds under §§101, 102, 103 and...
April 7 Legal News Snapshot: Why Today’s Verified Developments Matter for Litigators and Compliance Teams
The April 7 legal news snapshot highlights that verified, official statements from agencies and courts now drive the most consequential actions for litigators and in‑house counsel. Early confirmations shape litigation narratives, dictate procedural posture, and trigger cross‑agency exposure before a full...
Outside Counsel Selection Platform Priori Adds Agentic AI Features to RFP Offering
Priori, the SaaS platform that streamlines outside‑counsel selection, has rolled out agentic AI capabilities to its request‑for‑proposal (RFP) suite. The new features automatically draft RFPs, score incoming proposals, and recommend the best‑fit law firms based on predefined criteria. Priori says...
Death Bot? Lawyers Question Privilege and Foreseeability Amid Rising ChatGPT Litigation
Lawyers are preparing a wrongful‑death lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT gave advice to the alleged Florida State University gunman. The case raises novel questions about product liability, privilege and whether AI providers can be held liable for user actions....
Supreme Court’s Immigration Docket Keeps Focus on Birthright Citizenship and Executive Power
The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to decide a case challenging the federal government’s ability to narrow birthright citizenship through executive action. The dispute, centered on the scope of presidential authority, also raises questions about the courts’ power to issue...
The Agentic Evolution: Autonomous Finance Is Here with Anant Kale
The conversation spotlights a paradigm shift from AI‑assisted finance to fully autonomous, or “Agentic,” finance, championed by AppZen’s founder Anant Kale. Kale describes AI moving beyond simple alerts to actually reasoning, auditing, and handling global tax compliance. AppZen’s platform acts...
Okta Files IPR2026-00327 at the PTAB: A New Challenge to an Identity and Access Patent
Okta, Inc. filed inter partes review IPR2026-00327 with the PTAB on April 6, 2026, targeting a yet‑unidentified identity‑management patent. The petition will argue unpatentability under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103, likely citing anticipation or obviousness based on prior art. While details of...
Bankruptcy and Restructuring Company Stretto Launches New Research Platform
Stretto, a specialist bankruptcy and restructuring firm, announced the launch of its Research Suite, a new platform designed to surface and compare bankruptcy documents across jurisdictions. The service aggregates court filings, DIP financing agreements, and plan documents, providing a searchable...
SDNY Gives Preliminary Approval to $72.5M Bank of America Epstein Settlement
A Manhattan federal judge gave preliminary approval to a $72.5 million settlement that resolves claims from up to 75 women alleging Bank of America facilitated Jeffrey Epstein’s sex‑trafficking. The case centers on accusations that the bank ignored red flags and continued...
Specialty AI Insurance Emerges as Key Tool to Tamp Down Risk
Specialty AI insurance is gaining traction as firms grapple with a wave of algorithmic failures and mounting regulatory scrutiny. Insurers are increasingly carving out AI exclusions from standard policies, prompting the launch of dedicated AI coverage products. Gartner analyst Alissa...
Legaltech Rundown: Thomson Reuters Teams Up With Hotshot in Law Schools, Clio Adds Agentic Features to Clio Work, and More
Thomson Reuters announced a strategic partnership with Hotshot to embed its AI‑driven research tools into law school curricula, giving students hands‑on experience with commercial legal tech. Clio introduced new agentic features to its Clio Work platform, automating routine tasks such...
Litigation Tech Provider AI.Law Releases 2nd Version of Its Platform
Litigation technology company AI.Law has launched the second version of its AI‑driven platform, AI.Law v2. The upgraded solution expands beyond document management to include case analysis, automated drafting, and new predictive analytics features. It also offers native integrations with leading...
AI in Legal Workflows Raises a Hard Question: Who Owns the Risk?
Legal departments are rapidly integrating AI tools into everyday workflows, but recent concerns highlight that any mishandling of privileged information, bias, regulated data exposure, or evidentiary integrity ultimately falls on the organization. General counsel, managing partners, CIOs, and legal operations...
Solve Intelligence Acquires AI Patent Litigation Startup Palito.ai, Announces Munich Office
Solve Intelligence announced the acquisition of AI‑driven patent‑litigation startup Palito.ai and the opening of a new office in Munich. The deal adds Palito.ai’s automated validity analysis and case‑law research tools to Solve Intelligence’s existing platform. The Munich location signals a...
&Lsquo;Seminal Cases'? Appeals Courts Confront Fake Cites in Wave of AI-Related Sanctions Orders
U.S. appellate courts are now reviewing a wave of district‑court sanctions issued against attorneys who used generative AI to insert fabricated citations in legal briefs. Judges have imposed monetary penalties and, in some cases, adverse rulings for failing to verify...
Clio Adds Agentic AI Capabilities to Clio Work, Also Launches Vincent Mobile App
Clio announced two major AI‑driven updates: agentic capabilities are now embedded in its Clio Work platform, and a new standalone mobile app, Vincent by Clio, launched for iOS and Android. The agentic layer enables the software to autonomously gather facts, suggest...
The NFL Has a New Official Professional Services Partner, and Yes, It’s a Legal Tech Company
The National Football League announced 8am as its new official professional services partner, marking the league’s first legal‑tech sponsor. 8am, formerly known as AffiniPay, brings a suite of payment processing, practice‑management, and compliance tools—including LawPay, MyCase, and CasePeer—to the NFL’s...
Deepfakes: A Problem In Search Of A Problem?
Lawyers at the ABA TechShow report zero encounters with deep‑fake evidence, highlighting a gap between technological capability and courtroom experience. Judge Xavier Rodriguez warned that the legal system still operates on a presumption that photos, recordings, and video are authentic,...
Repeat Litigants: How Party Patterns Change Case Strategy
The Trellis Blog’s latest installment examines how repeat litigants shape case strategy by leveraging state trial‑court data. By tracking parties from filing through resolution, the analysis shows that identifying recurring defendants or plaintiffs can shift uncertainty into tactical advantage. The...
Uber's Chief Deputy GC: Legal Tech &Lsquo;Collaboration Must Replace Standardization'
Uber’s vice‑president and chief deputy general counsel, Katie Waitzman, highlighted that AI‑driven legal tech will transform productivity and knowledge management within corporate legal teams. She argued that collaboration, not rigid standardization, should guide the deployment of these tools. Uber’s legal...
Google X's Discovery, Litigation Strategy Leader: Gen AI Is &Lsquo;Fundamentally Reshaping' The Legal Department, Outside Counsel Relationship
Google X’s senior discovery and litigation strategy leader, Alex Ponce de Leon, announced that generative AI is fundamentally reshaping corporate legal departments and their reliance on outside counsel. He highlighted that AI‑driven tools are cutting document review times by up...
Cox Media Group's GC: Legal Tech Accelerates Bifurcation of Legal Profession
General counsel Eric D. Greenberg of Cox Media Group argues that legal technology is rapidly deepening the split between high‑value advisory services and commoditized transactional work. He notes that AI‑driven platforms and automation are pushing routine tasks into low‑cost solutions,...
IAPP GS Day One: OpenAI, Anthropic Attorneys Delve Into the Privacy-Safety Tradeoff in AI
At the IAPP Global Summit, attorneys from OpenAI and Anthropic examined the tension between privacy protection and safety safeguards in generative AI. They highlighted how expanding privacy roles now intersect with model alignment, content moderation, and emerging regulatory mandates such...
The $285 Billion Warning: Why Legal Departments Must Move Beyond the Billable Hour Now
The article warns that the entrenched billable‑hour model could cost corporate legal departments up to $285 billion each year as per‑seat software pricing collapses. It highlights that hourly billing inflates spend, hampers budgeting and slows adoption of subscription‑based legal technology. Recent...
