Business of Law

October 15, 2025
Some Federal Workers Win Quick Block On Shutdown Layoffs

A California federal judge on Wednesday granted a request from two unions representing thousands of federal workers to immediately block the Trump administration from laying them off during the government shutdown, saying she believes the plaintiffs will show that "what's being done here is both illegal and is in excess of authority."
October 15, 2025
DHS Says Seizure Of Atty's Phone Tied To Employment Probe

The government is pushing back on a Massachusetts immigration attorney's allegations that his work phone was seized in retaliation for his criticism of the Trump administration and advocacy for noncitizens, saying it's looking into whether he violated federal employment verification laws.
October 14, 2025
NJ, Del. Judges Stress Value Of Local Counsel For IP Attys

Six judges with significant experience overseeing pharmaceutical patent litigation in the districts of New Jersey and Delaware urged litigators on Tuesday to rely on the expertise of local counsel if they're hoping to impress the court.
October 14, 2025
Skinny Labels, Orange Book Take Center Stage In IP Talks

Patent litigators focused on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology met Tuesday to work through the biggest issues in their industries, including possible reform to skinny label law, frustration with position-switching in litigation, concerns about when to list patents in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Orange Book and data on the relatively low impact of new policies at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
October 14, 2025
California Bans Fee Sharing With 'Alternative' Law Firms

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law that blocks Golden State lawyers and firms from sharing contingency fees with out-of-state firms owned by non-lawyers.
October 14, 2025
As Shutdown Drags On, Judiciary To Face Belt-Tightening

With no end in sight to the government shutdown, the situation for the federal judiciary will get worse after Friday.
October 14, 2025
Ex-Fujitec Atty May Sue Over Defamation But Not Race Bias

A Cincinnati federal judge has ended racial discrimination claims brought by the former top lawyer for Fujitec America against the elevator company, while leaving intact a defamation claim the attorney is pursuing against a colleague who he said made bogus allegations leading to his firing.
October 14, 2025
Wash. To Launch Portal For Entities Applying To Practice Law

Applications for businesses and nonprofits to provide legal services in Washington state will go live next week, the Washington State Bar Association announced Tuesday, a major milestone in a state Supreme Court-approved plan to expand who can practice law.
October 14, 2025
Judge Denies Gov't's 'Overbroad' Comey Discovery Proposal

A Virginia federal judge has shot down prosecutors' recommendations for a protective order covering discovery material such as law enforcement documents and private communications in its case against ex-FBI Director James Comey, calling the proposal "overbroad" as it would have kept Comey's attorneys from leaving discovery material with Comey himself.
October 14, 2025
Voting Rights Case Could Further Chief's 'Central Project'

As a 20-something special assistant in President Ronald Reagan's Department of Justice, John G. Roberts Jr. argued a test focused on the discriminatory effects of legislative redistricting on minority voters would be unconstitutional. Now, four decades later and as chief justice of the United States, he has a chance to make that view the law of the land.
October 14, 2025
Has The 9th Circ.'s Rightward Shift Ended Bids To Split It?

Republican lawmakers have long dreamed of breaking up the nation's largest appellate court. But that fervor has diminished as the Ninth Circuit's balance of Democratic and Republican appointees has evened out in recent years, upending the circuit's status as a culture war lightning rod.
October 14, 2025
Calif. Bar Won't Tweak Scores Despite Accommodation Errors

The committee in charge of overseeing the California bar exam has announced it will not be seeking further score adjustments for test-takers whose approved accommodations were not provided in the fraught February 2025 exam.
October 14, 2025
Florida Supreme Court Rejects Bid For Bondi Ethics Probe

The Supreme Court of Florida has ended an attorney's attempt to force the Florida Bar to investigate U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for alleged unethical conduct after finding that he failed to show a clear legal right to do so.
October 14, 2025
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

Last week at the Delaware Chancery Court, Vice Chancellor Lori W. Will ruled that Carlos Vasallo remains the CEO of Caribevision TV Network LLC, finding that majority investors' attempt to remove him under a defective 2019 agreement was invalid for lack of proper notice.
October 14, 2025
Attys Suspect AI In Police Surveillance Could Lead To Bias

A panel of Pennsylvania attorneys speaking on advances in the use of artificial intelligence in criminal justice and surveillance expressed concern over the potential misuse of such technologies, predicting they could result in rights violations on both individual and mass scales.
October 10, 2025
In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.
October 10, 2025
9th Circ. Flouting 'Imperial Judiciary' Warning, Judges Assert

A large contingent of Ninth Circuit judges accused colleagues Friday of ignoring recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions limiting legal remedies in politically charged disputes, adding fresh fuel to a heated debate over the judiciary's handling of suits against the Trump administration.
October 10, 2025
Up Next At High Court: Voting Rights & Warrantless Entries

The U.S. Supreme Court will return Tuesday to hear oral arguments in four cases, including a dispute over the constitutionality of the last remaining provision of the Voting Rights Act and whether federal prisoners seeking postconviction relief are subject to the same rules as state inmates.
October 10, 2025
Atty's Due Process Claims Challenging Disbarments Trimmed

A former attorney has had most of a due process suit fighting his disbarment in Florida and reciprocal discipline in Massachusetts and New York thrown out, with a Manhattan federal judge finding that New York lacks personal jurisdiction over out-of-state disciplinary officials.
October 10, 2025
Retribution, Intent Claims May Defuse Bombshell James Case

The Trump administration's indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James is tightly crafted and offers a straightforward presentation of the government's case, but experts say James appears to have a strong argument that she did not intend to break the law and is being unfairly targeted for what amounts to a minor offense.
October 10, 2025
GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

It is of little solace to general counsel that most big law firms hiked their billing rates this year just slightly less than last year's increase. And it looks like Elon Musk is settling with the former chief legal officer and the general counsel of Twitter, along with two other executives, over their suit to obtain millions in promised severance pay. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.
October 10, 2025
NY State Courts Release AI Rules For Judges, Staff

The New York State Court System on Friday released an interim policy on the use of artificial intelligence software by judges and staff, which goes into effect immediately and remains subject to change.
October 10, 2025
Bill Would Let Judges, Prosecutors Carry Concealed Guns

Two Republicans have introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate that would allow current and retired federal judges and state, local and federal prosecutors to carry concealed firearms in response to increasing concerns about judicial security.
October 10, 2025
Ga. Judge Charged With DUI At Florida Strip Club

The Georgia judge who heads up the state's council of superior court jurists was arrested for driving under the influence outside a Jacksonville, Florida, strip club this week after hitting another vehicle with his Mercedes, according to arrest records.
October 10, 2025
NJ Senate President Calls For Monitor Of State AG Unit

New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari on Friday called for the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee the state's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, saying it has been troubled with failed prosecutions, botched investigations and misconduct.

Expert Analysis

Opinion

The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.
Roundup

Power To The Paralegals

With technology evolving, rules of practice shifting and firms rewriting their org charts, this Expert Analysis series discusses how the vital work of paralegals is in flux.
Series

Brazilian Jiujitsu Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in Brazilian jiujitsu – often against opponents who are much larger and younger than me – has allowed me to develop a handful of useful skills that foster the resilience and adaptability necessary for a successful legal career, says Tina Dorr of Barnes & Thornburg.
Series

Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles

Law firms looking to recruit legal business talent should consider turning to paralegals, who practice several key skills every day that prepare them to thrive in marketing and client development roles, says Vanessa Torres at Lowenstein Sandler.
Series

Playing Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Poker is a master class in psychology, risk management and strategic thinking, and I’m a better attorney because it has taught me to read my opponents, adapt when I’m dealt the unexpected and stay patient until I'm ready to reveal my hand, says Casey Kingsley at McCreadyLaw.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Becoming A Firmwide MVP

Though lawyers don't have a neat metric like baseball players for measuring the value they contribute to their organizations, the sooner new attorneys learn skills frequently skipped in law school — like networking, marketing, client development and case evaluation — the more valuable, and less replaceable, they will be, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.
$38M Law Firm Settlement Highlights 'Unworthy Client' Perils

A recent settlement of claims against law firm Eckert Seamans for allegedly abetting a Ponzi scheme underscores the continuing threat of clients who seek to exploit their lawyers in perpetrating fraud, and the critical importance of preemptive measures to avoid these clients, say attorneys at Lockton Companies.
Series

Teaching Business Law Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Teaching business law to college students has rekindled my sense of purpose as a lawyer — I am more mindful of the importance of the rule of law and the benefits of our common law system, which helps me maintain a clearer perspective on work, says David Feldman at Feldman Legal Advisors.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Mastering Discovery

The discovery process and the rules that govern it are often absent from law school curricula, but developing a solid grasp of the particulars can give any new attorney a leg up in their practice, says Jordan Davies at Knowles Gallant.
Series

Playing Guitar Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Being a lawyer not only requires logic and hard work, but also belief, emotion, situational awareness and lots of natural energy — playing guitar enhances all of these qualities, increasing my capacity to do my best work, says Kosta Stojilkovic at Wilkinson Stekloff.
Crisis Management Lessons From The Parenting Playbook

The parenting skills we use to help our kids through challenges — like rehearsing for stressful situations, modeling confidence and taking time to reset our emotions — can also teach us the fundamentals of leading clients through a corporate crisis, say Deborah Solmor at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Cara Peterman at Alston & Bird.
Series

Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.
Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.
How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.
3 Steps For In-House Counsel To Assess Litigation Claims

Before a potential economic downturn, in-house attorneys should investigate whether their company is sitting on hidden litigation claims that could unlock large recoveries to help the business withstand tough times, says Will Burgess at Hilgers Graben.