Business of Law

May 16, 2025
Jackson Walker Criticizes JC Penney Fee Suit As 'Money Grab'

Jackson Walker LLP wants out of a fee suit brought by former client J.C. Penney, arguing that the bankrupt department store's wind-down debtors entered claims as a "leverage play and a money grab" after learning that a firm partner had engaged in a yearslong undisclosed relationship with a Texas bankruptcy judge.
May 15, 2025
Each Justice's Key Comments At Universal Injunction Args

U.S. Supreme Court justices conducted a searching inquiry Thursday regarding the Trump administration's quest to curtail sweeping injunctions against its agenda, sometimes sounding sympathetic but also wary of alternative remedies and the White House's willingness to accept any future courtroom losses.
May 15, 2025
Jenner & Block, WilmerHale Call Out Revoked Clearances

Jenner & Block LLP and WilmerHale have informed two D.C. federal judges that the government recently suspended some of their attorneys' security clearances, arguing that has thrown a wrench in the lawyers' ability to represent clients in cases and asking the courts to reverse the suspensions.
May 15, 2025
Anthropic's Atty Says Client's Own AI Created Error In Filing

A Latham & Watkins LLP associate representing Anthropic in the artificial intelligence company's copyright fight with music publishers said Thursday that she used Anthropic's own Claude.ai tool to help draft an expert's declaration that included an erroneous citation, but she argued the error was "an honest citation mistake and not a fabrication of authority."
May 15, 2025
Justices Wary Of Pausing Sweeping Injunctions In Birthright Case

A majority of the U.S. Supreme Court seemed eager Thursday to limit lower courts' use of universal injunctions generally, but several justices voiced concerns about the effect such a ruling would have on lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's executive order that aims to limit birthright citizenship.
May 15, 2025
Durbin Says White House Skirting Blue-Slip Process For Noms

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, raised concerns Thursday that the White House is not fully complying with the practice of giving both home state senators a de facto veto over nominees for U.S. attorney and district judgeships.
May 15, 2025
Trump Could Claw Back Defense Fees Under New Ga. Law

Georgia taxpayers could end up on the hook for President Donald Trump's legal expenses in his election interference case under a newly signed, Republican-backed state law that allows defendants to seek attorney fees when prosecutors are disqualified from their case.
May 15, 2025
Judicial Aide's NY Sex Abuse Suit May Survive, Panel Hints

A New York state appellate panel has voiced doubts that a former judicial secretary's sex abuse lawsuit should have been dismissed, challenging the state court system's arguments that it didn't employ her and thus can't be held liable for any harms she suffered.
May 15, 2025
Texas Senate OKs Bill Allowing 1st Amend. Suits Against Bar

The Texas Senate has passed a bill prohibiting the state bar from creating policies that affect bar members' First Amendment rights.
May 15, 2025
Ex-LA DA's Atty's AI Use 'Affirmatively Misled' Special Master

The retired California federal judge serving as special master for former Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey's insurance coverage suit — stemming from her husband's holding a gun in their home's doorway in 2020 — has ordered litigation sanctions against Lacey's legal team, finding the lawyers submitted "bogus AI-generated research" that initially tricked the judge.
May 15, 2025
Lima Accuses Foley Hoag Of Conflict In $200M Award Case

The Peruvian city of Lima has urged a D.C. federal court to vacate its confirmation of about $200 million in arbitral awards favoring a highway contractor, saying the municipality's former counsel at Foley Hoag LLP concealed a conflict of interest.
May 14, 2025
NJ Attys Reveal Workplace Probe Tips Amid New Limits

Witness misunderstandings in workplace probes can be avoided by clarifying the terms of the interview and the roles of the participants, lawyers said Wednesday at the New Jersey State Bar Association's annual meeting in Atlantic City.
May 14, 2025
NJ Attys Share Mass Tort Litigation Insights At Annual Meeting

Get to general cause issues as early as possible, take advantage of special masters and make sure local counsel knows the local rules — those are some of the tips New Jersey bar members took away Wednesday from an expert panel in Atlantic City on multicounty and multidistrict litigation in the Garden State.
May 14, 2025
Trump's Unorthodox US Atty Picks May Face Learning Curve

While some of President Donald Trump's picks for U.S. attorney fit the typical mold — former federal prosecutors and BigLaw alums — others lack the type of court experience that can be crucial for effective office management and earning the respect of judges, experts say.
May 14, 2025
Gibson Dunn Launches State Attorneys General Task Force

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP has created a state attorneys general task force made up of subject matter experts and former government attorneys based in offices across the country, in what the firm says is an effort to improve services for clients across a range of subject matters and industries.
May 14, 2025
DC Judge Restores Canceled ABA Domestic Violence Grants

A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday reinstated terminated federal grant funding for the American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence, finding that "the First Amendment prohibits the type of reprisal DOJ appears likely to have taken."
May 14, 2025
Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q1

A promotion to partner or election to practice group chair means a slew of new responsibilities and also lots of well-deserved recognition. Law360 reveals the list of attorneys whose commitment to legal excellence earned them highly coveted spots in the law firm leadership ranks. Find out if your old legal friends — or rivals — moved up in the first quarter of the year.
May 14, 2025
Judiciary To Share Pros, Cons Of AI For Courts With Congress

The federal judiciary is looking at the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence for the court system and will share its discoveries with Congress, top officials testified on Wednesday.
May 14, 2025
DOJ Says No Hiring Private Counsel From Firms Suing US

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has issued a memo directing the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid engaging with firms that are suing the government over its policies or that represent clients in similar suits.
May 14, 2025
Grassley Targets Universal Injunctions In Budget Negotiations

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is looking to address universal injunctions as part of the budget reconciliation process, Law360 has learned.
May 13, 2025
Wis. Grand Jury Indicts Judge Accused Of Blocking ICE Arrest

A Wisconsin federal grand jury on Tuesday returned a two-count indictment against the state judge arrested for allegedly helping an unauthorized immigrant evade arrest by federal immigration officers.
May 13, 2025
DOJ Antitrust Deputy Says Gov't 'Out-Lawyered' Google

The deputy head of the U.S. Justice Department's Antitrust Division took a victory lap Tuesday after dual monopolization wins over Google's search and advertising technology businesses, citing the cases as proof that the government's attorneys can win in a "David versus Goliath" battle.
May 13, 2025
Michigan Judge Strikes Down State's Abortion Restrictions

A Michigan judge struck down several of the state's abortion restrictions Tuesday, including a mandatory waiting period, required counseling materials and a rule that only doctors may perform abortions, finding the laws make it harder for people to access abortion and don't protect patients' health.
May 13, 2025
The Man Who Ended Affirmative Action Is Just Getting Started

Nearly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, the legal strategist who brought the landmark case is using the ruling in a bid to end race-based programs in the public and private sectors, bolstered by allies in the executive branch.
May 13, 2025
Buzbee Beats Suit Claiming He Coerced Client To Settle

Texas attorney Anthony Buzbee, who is making headlines by filing sexual abuse lawsuits against music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, has defeated a malpractice suit filed in Louisiana federal court by a ship captain alleging that the attorney pushed him to settle a work injury claim, then took 98% of the final disbursement.

Expert Analysis

Identifying Deepfakes During Evidence Collection, Discovery

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Attorneys must familiarize themselves with the tools used to create and detect deepfakes — media manipulated by artificial intelligence to convincingly mimic real people and events — as well as best practices for keeping this fabricated evidence out of court, says Bijan Ghom at Saxton & Stump.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
This Year's Insights On Attorney Well-Being

With the legal industry increasingly grappling with attorney burnout, depression, anxiety, stress and substance use disorders, Law360 guest experts proposed solutions this year ranging from mental health first aid training to exercises that build flexible optimism.
New Strategies For Enhancing Firm Culture

How can law firms work toward retaining legal talent and meeting business goals? This year, Law360 guest commentary dove into tips like embracing cognitive diversity and conducting so-called stay interviews.
The Latest Legal Writing Tips

In 2024, Law360 guest experts provided advice for improving many kinds of legal writing — explaining how attorneys can use syllogistic reasoning, emulate master chefs, and clean up drafts produced by generative artificial intelligence tools.
2024 Pointers On Persuading Jurors

In a year where nuclear verdicts continued to proliferate, Law360 guest commentary focused on how trial attorneys can better select and connect with jurors, offering strategies for identifying anti-corporate sentiments and tactics to land one’s closing argument.
Associate Issues In The 2024 Spotlight

Law360 guest writers provided insights on a range of issues affecting associates this year, from the challenges of training new lawyers in the era of artificial intelligence, to nonfinancial factors that junior attorneys should consider before accepting a job offer.
Cybersecurity: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

From the CrowdStrike failure to the plethora of new and sometimes tricky regulatory requirements, to early decisions interpreting cyberinsurance coverage, guest authors broke down the implications of the biggest cybersecurity developments this year.
Election Impact: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

Donald Trump's election win initiated a deluge of predictions for the incoming administration, with Law360 guest writers covering key policy areas such as immigration, tax, energy, labor and competition, plus potential congressional themes and investigations.
ESG And DEI: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

In their commentary on ESG and DEI topics this year, Law360 guest authors discussed Project 2025’s potential impact, the rise of greenwashing litigation, strategies for fostering employee retention amid a shaky regulatory landscape, and more.
AI Questions: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

As the legal discourse surrounding artificial intelligence shifted from theoretical to concrete this year, guest commentary focused on the proliferation of new AI-related litigation, enforcement actions and best practices, while tracking the judiciary’s experimentation with generative AI.
Noncompetes: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

Employee noncompete issues took center stage this year, as Law360 guest writers covered everything from state-level enforceability trends and alternative methods for protecting business interests, to a National Labor Relations Board ruling and the Federal Trade Commission’s attempted ban.
The Most-Read Securities Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

This year, popular securities guest article topics included controversial Delaware court decisions and their legislative aftermath, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s focus on emerging industries amid struggles to implement its rulemaking agenda.
The Most-Read Employment Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

Readers were drawn to employment law commentary on a range of 2024 developments, including the U.S. Supreme Court's Title VII ruling, impactful activity from the National Labor Relations Board, and state legislation targeting employee noncompete agreements.
The Most-Read Access To Justice Guest Articles Of 2024

Law360 guest commentary addressed several emerging access to justice issues this year, including growing case backlogs, a dearth of legal services in rural communities and amendments to long-standing sentencing policies.