Expert Analysis

• What The ESG Divide Means For Insurers And Beyond

  

  The debate around ESG is becoming increasingly polarized, with some states passing legislation that prohibits the use of ESG factors and others advancing affirmative legislation, highlighting the importance for insurers and other companies to understand this complex legal landscape, say Scott Seaman and Bessie Daschbach at Hinshaw.

• 5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World

  

  As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.

• Opinion

  Bar Score Is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action

  

  After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies, law firms looking to foster diversity in hiring should view an applicant's Multistate Bar Examination score as the best metric of legal ability — over law school name or GPA, says attorney Alice Griffin.

• Cos. Must Prepare For More ESG Scrutiny From All Sides

  

  As businesses face challenges to their environmental, social and governance efforts and statements — both from those who find them inadequate, and from those who think they go too far — it is more important than ever to proceed with care in implementing and disclosing ESG initiatives, say attorneys at Skadden.

• Recent Changes Mark A Key Moment For New York High Court

  

  Recent developments in the New York Court of Appeals — from rapid turnover and increasing diversity, to a perception among some of growing politicization — mark an important turning point, and the court will continue to evolve in the coming year as it considers a number of important cases, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

• Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback

  

  Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.

• New NLRB Bench Book Is An Important Read For Practitioners

  

  Though the National Labor Relations Board's Bench Book is aimed at administrative law judges who adjudicate unfair labor practice hearings, key updates in its 2023 edition offer crucial reading for anyone who handles charges before the agency, say David Pryzbylski and Thomas Payne at Barnes & Thornburg.

• Steps To Success For Senior Associates

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.

• Legal Profession Must Do More For Lawyers With Disabilities

  

  At the start of Disability Pride month, Rosalyn Richter at Arnold & Porter looks at why lawyers with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in private practice, asserting that law firms and other employers must do more to conquer the implicit bias that deters attorneys from seeking accommodations.

• Opinion

  Appellate Funding Disclosure: No Mandate Is Right Choice

  

  The Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules' recent decision, forgoing a mandatory disclosure rule for litigation funding in federal appeals, is prudent, as third-party funding is only involved in a minuscule number of federal cases, and courts have ample authority to obtain funding information if necessary, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

• Secure 2.0 Takeaways From DOL's 2024 Budget Proposal

  

  The U.S. Department of Labor’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposal provides insight into the most pressing Secure 2.0 implementation issues, including establishment of a search database for finding lost retirement savings and developing guidance on the execution of newly authorized emergency savings accounts, say attorneys at Maynard Nexsen.

• How Attys Can Avoid Exposing Their Firms To Cyberattacks

  

  Attorneys are the weakest link in their firms' cyberdefenses because hackers often exploit the gap between individuals’ work and personal cybersecurity habits, but there are some steps lawyers can take to reduce the risks they create for their employers, say Mark Hurley and Carmine Cicalese at Digital Privacy & Protection.

• Virginia 'Rocket Docket' Slowdown Is Likely A Blip

  

  After being the fastest or second-fastest federal civil trial court for 14 straight years, the Eastern District of Virginia has slid to 18th place, but the rocket docket’s statistical tumble doesn't mean the district no longer maintains a speedy civil docket, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

• Managing Public Pension Plans During An Election Cycle

  

  With the 2024 elections fast approaching, investment advisers managing public pension plan assets must consider political contributions by their personnel in order to ensure compliance with the pay-to-play rule and other statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements, say attorneys at Dechert.

• A Look At 2023's Major NLRB Developments Thus Far

  

  Over the last six months, the National Labor Relations Board has broadened its interpretation and enforcement of the National Labor Relations Act, including increasing penalties and efforts to prohibit restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements, say Eve Klein and Elizabeth Mincer at Duane Morris.