Business of Law

Billable Hours Only 30% Of Attys' Day, Report Says

Lawyers spend about 30 percent of their day on billable hours, according to a surprising new report from practice management software Clio, with most of the rest of the day eaten up by billing, administrative tasks and looking for new clients.

Why Associates Are Taking A Pay Cut To Go In-House

In-house legal departments are continuing to snag young, talented attorneys from BigLaw firms in spite of a pay gap accentuated by a recent spate of associate raises, with nonmonetary perks luring associates away from law firms and into corporations. Here, three nonmonetary perks that lure associates away from law firms and into corporations.

4 Ways Law Firms Can Bolster Their Prestige

Gaining prestige may be one of the more challenging tasks that law firms take on, but there are a number of tactics firms can use that hold the potential to transform their image from ordinary to elite. Here, experts highlight four ways law firms can pump up their prestige.

Law Schools Struggle To Find Themselves In Post-Recession Market

Classes on blockchain and artificial intelligence. Crash courses in business and financial markets. These are a few ways law schools are preparing students for a job market that is struggling in the wake of the recession.

October 17, 2018
Lieff Cabraser, Others Want $90M In State Farm Judge Case

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP, Clifford Law Offices PC and several other firms have asked for $90 million in fees and expenses for their work representing a class of State Farm customers who settled claims the insurance giant rigged an Illinois judicial election for $250 million.
October 17, 2018
Law Firm Leaders: Loeb & Loeb's Kenneth Florin

Loeb & Loeb LLP's new chairman, Kenneth R. Florin, recently spoke with Law360 at the firm's Manhattan office to discuss the ways in which Loeb & Loeb and the legal profession at large have evolved and why he thinks some of the most significant changes are still to come.
October 17, 2018
Baker McKenzie Chooses Florida For New Legal Services Hub

Baker McKenzie plans to launch a global service center in Tampa, Florida, to build on the success of its existing hubs in the Philippines and Northern Ireland, the global law firm said Wednesday.
October 17, 2018
4th Circ., Fla. Court Picks Glide Through Sparse Hearing

President Donald Trump's choices for a Fourth Circuit seat and district court seats in Florida and Alabama cruised through a sparsely attended nominations hearing Wednesday, after Democrats objected to holding the hearing at all.
October 17, 2018
ABA Says Attys Must Inform Clients After A Data Breach

The American Bar Association unveiled ethics requirements Wednesday that say attorneys should notify current clients in the event of a data breach and to keep clients updated on the findings of any investigation into the breach.
October 17, 2018
Chief Justice Defends Court's Integrity After Kavanaugh Row

Alluding to the recent political firestorm surrounding Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s monthslong nomination process, Chief Justice John Roberts tried to assure the public that the U.S. Supreme Court would remain an independent and collegial institution.
October 16, 2018
SEC Comes Up Short In Fraud Case Against RD Legal Capital

A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission administrative law judge on Monday shot down much of the agency’s case alleging that fund manager RD Legal Capital LLC and its owner misled investors about their hedge funds’ legal receivables investments, ruling that while some misrepresentations had been made, they hadn’t been made with fraudulent intent.
October 16, 2018
DC Investigations Lawyer To Be New White House Counsel

President Donald Trump has selected Pat A. Cipollone to replace Don McGahn as White House counsel, the president told reporters Tuesday, bringing in a well-known Washington litigator as his new top lawyer as the special counsel investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election continues unabated.
October 16, 2018
Justices Asked If Sanctions Can Cover Presuit Actions

A whistleblower has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider whether federal courts can impose sanctions for behavior that happened before a suit was filed, saying a Tenth Circuit decision upholding sanctions against him created a circuit split.
October 16, 2018
Berry Appleman Adds 9 Epstein Becker Immigration Attys

Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP has nabbed a 60-person immigration team from Epstein Becker Green, including nine attorneys, expanding the firm's footprint to New York City with the opening of a new Manhattan office on Monday.
October 16, 2018
The Path To Becoming A Supreme Court Advocate

A look at the careers of attorneys who have dominated oral advocacy at the U.S. Supreme Court over the last decade shows a similar path for men and women, with a few key differences. Here’s how the top 10 male and female advocates stack up.
October 16, 2018
Axinn Enters California With SF Office, Plans To Expand

Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider LLP announced Tuesday that it has launched a new office in San Francisco, bringing its antitrust and intellectual property capabilities to the West Coast and planning to lure talent to serve its major clients in the state.
October 15, 2018
Gender Disparity At The High Court: How Top Law Firms Measure Up

For the women at elite law firms, an enduring gender gap among advocates can create a high hurdle for their high court ambitions. Here, Law360 looks at the law firms where women score Supreme Court arguments, and where they don’t.
October 15, 2018
Calif. Supreme Court Recuses Itself In Judicial Raises Case

The entire California Supreme Court has recused itself from an appeal that involves whether the Golden State owes about $36 million worth of back wage and pension payments to a class of more than 3,000 current and former judges.
October 15, 2018
1 In 4 Women In Law Experienced Recent Harassment: Report

One in four professional women working in the legal industry experienced some form of sexual harassment or misconduct in the past five years, according to a survey released Monday.
October 15, 2018
New Trial Boutique Eschews Billable Hours, Partner Track

Thirteen litigators have left McKool Smith to form Reichman Jorgensen LLP, a new trial boutique with offices in New York, Silicon Valley and Atlanta, leaving behind not only their previous law firm but also the billable hour as the new firm operates solely on an alternative fee basis, the firm announced Monday.
October 15, 2018
Why Is There So Much Bullying In The Legal Industry?

Mounting evidence shows the legal industry has a serious problem with bullying and harassment, a reality that some say is caused by structural inequality, while others point to a culture of aggression.
October 15, 2018
Fla. Gov. Can't Name 3 Justices To High Court On Final Day

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Monday that Gov. Rick Scott cannot appoint three justices to the court on his final day in office and said the governor had overstepped his authority by prematurely asking the judicial nominating commission to begin the process of selecting candidates to replace three retiring justices.
October 15, 2018
15 Minutes With Brooks Running Co.'s General Counsel

Brooks Running Co. is known in the sport's community for its "Run Happy" tagline. For its general counsel, Barbara Barrilleaux, the phrase means leading a healthy lifestyle overall. In the midst of the fall marathon season, she recently told Law360 which U.S. Supreme Court justice she wants to share a 20-minute run with, her favorite running route and her responsibilities as the top lawyer of the company.
October 12, 2018
Will The Future Of The Supreme Court Bar Be Female?

While women have made significant inroads into the elite world of U.S. Supreme Court advocacy, last term the number of women arguing at the court hit a decade low. Was it an off year? Or a sign of progress stalled?

Expert Analysis

Opinion

Skip The New 'Civility Courses' And Think Like A Lawyer

As we watch what passes for political discourse in our nation’s capital, it’s understandable that universities are launching programs on how to cope with ideological disputes. But our country needs fewer people who profess to be open-minded and more people who engage in and honor the conclusions of reasoned debates, says Alex Dimitrief of General Electric Co.
Why Law Firms Should Monitor The Dark Web

Dark web monitoring allows law firms to see what sensitive information may have made its way onto the thriving global underground marketplace where cybercriminals buy and sell exposed data. It can also help lawyers advise clients on a wide range of legal and business matters, say Anju Chopra and Brian Lapidus of Kroll.
Does Rule 45 Protect Nonparties From Undue Burden?

Interpretations of Rule 45 protections vary but what's clear is that "undue burden" does not mean no burden at all. To avoid the costs of compliance with a subpoena, a nonparty should be ready to demonstrate its disinterest in the litigation and the anticipated cost and burden of compliance, say attorneys at Pepper Hamilton LLP.
5 More GC Tips For Succeeding As A New Associate

Jason Idilbi, former BigLaw associate and general counsel of the tech startup Passport Labs Inc., returns to Law360 to share recent thoughts on best practices for newer associates — whether they are serving external clients or senior attorneys within their firms.
Series

Judging A Book: Block Reviews 'Tough Cases'

In a new, extraordinary book, "Tough Cases: Judges Tell the Stories of Some of the Hardest Decisions They’ve Ever Made," 13 of my judicial brethren have courageously and dramatically humanized the judicial process, says U.S. District Judge Frederic Block of the Eastern District of New York.
8 Innovative Ways To Empower Jurors

Much time and attention have been focused on improving lawyers' abilities to communicate with and persuade juries in complex trials. But it is equally important to equip and prepare jurors to become better students in the courtroom, say attorneys with DLA Piper and Litstrat Inc.
Cloud Computing Clearly The Future For Small Firms

While in-house technology investments on the scale and complexity needed to compete with large firms remain cost prohibitive for small and midsize law firms, cloud-based services offer significant cost savings and productivity gains with little to no capital investment, says Holly Urban of Effortless Legal LLC.
Leveraging Today's Lateral Associate Market

With the Milbank/Cravath pay scale once again equalizing compensation at many Am Law 100 firms, there is even more pressure for firms to differentiate themselves to top lateral associate candidates. This presents strategic considerations for both law firms and lateral candidates throughout the recruitment process, says Darin Morgan of Major Lindsey & Africa.
Q&A

Back To School: Stanford's Jeff Fisher Talks Supreme Court

In this series featuring law school luminaries, Stanford Law School professor Jeffrey Fisher discusses his motivation for teaching, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court and what the court might look like if Judge Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed.
Calif.'s New Rules For Lawyers Move Closer To ABA Model

The first comprehensive overhaul of California's Rules of Professional Conduct in nearly 30 years becomes operational on Nov. 1. Some of the new rules mirror the model language used by the American Bar Association, but many continue to reflect California’s unique approach to certain ethical questions, says Mark Loeterman of Signature Resolution LLC.

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