Business of Law

The 2018 Law360 Diversity Snapshot

The 2018 Law360 Diversity Snapshot shows only incremental progress on racial and ethnic diversity in the attorney workforce. At every level of a typical law firm, minority attorney representation increased by less than a percentage point from last year’s survey.

Simpson Thacher Joins Firms Raising Associate Salaries

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Chicago-based boutique law firm Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP on Wednesday joined a handful of other firms that this week that announced plans to raise associate pay following Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP's lead on Monday.

Why BigLaw Loves Mob Prosecutors

Want a top post at a large law firm? Experts say building cases against the mafia is the perfect training ground.

LGBT Pride: Weighing The State Of Equality In The Law

Every June, rainbow flags decorate storefronts and apparel across the U.S. in celebration of LGBT Pride Month. As the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's trio of landmark LGBT rights rulings approaches, LGBT attorneys and legal industry leaders spoke with Law360 and shared what they think the industry does well and what it can do better for those within its ranks.

June 19, 2018
Jones Day Sued Over Alleged Gender Bias, 'Fraternity Culture'

A former Jones Day partner sued the firm in California court Tuesday for allegedly treating women as “second-class citizens,” providing preferential treatment to men and firing her for speaking out against its alleged “fraternity culture.”
June 19, 2018
2 More Law Firms Match Cravath's Associate Pay Raises

Vinson & Elkins LLP and Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP have both announced associate raises matching the new pay scale set by Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP last week, according to internal memos made public over the past days.
June 19, 2018
3 Takeaways From The Recent Round Of Associate Raises

The recent race among law firms to raise salaries and bonuses for associates is likely to change the recruitment landscape for young lawyers and put further distance between an elite echelon of highly profitable firms that can attract the top talent and everyone else, but the upshot for clients is less clear.
June 19, 2018
Reed Smith And Greenberg Opt Out Of Associate Pay Raises

As more law firms each day announce their decisions to raise associate pay to match new industry benchmarks set earlier this month by Milbank Tweed Hadley McCloy LLP and Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, a few law firms have made it clear they plan to opt out.
June 19, 2018
Ex-Prof Slams For-Profit Law School's Bid To Slip FCA Suit

A former professor and an alumnus of the now-closed Charlotte School of Law slammed it and its parent company, Infilaw Corp., in a filing in Florida federal court Monday, deriding their attempts to escape a False Claims Act suit over how the for-profit institution was operated.
June 19, 2018
A Chat With Holland & Knight CFO Mia Stutzman

In this monthly series, legal recruiters at Major Lindsey & Africa interview management from top law firms about navigating an increasingly competitive business environment. Here we feature Mia Stutzman, chief financial officer at Holland & Knight LLP.
June 18, 2018
GCs Tackle Law Firm Culture In Diversity Push

Following an American Bar Association pledge, in-house attorneys are taking a harder line in demanding diversity from their outside counsel, and they're seeking to play a larger role in the workings of the law firms they hire.
June 18, 2018
The Hurdles Facing BigLaw’s Minority Women

We asked BigLaw for data on female minority lawyers for the first time this year, and the results show an industry that is failing to attract and retain them. Here’s a look at the challenges facing these attorneys — and how a few firms are defying the norm.
June 18, 2018
The Best Firms For Minority Equity Partners

The legal industry is making sluggish gains when it comes to attracting and retaining attorneys of color, but this select group of firms is taking broader strides to diversify at the top.
June 18, 2018
After Kozinski, 7th Circ. Expands Harassment Reporting

The Seventh Circuit announced dramatic changes to the way it’s handling sexual harassment and discrimination complaints from clerks and other employees on Friday, becoming one of the first court systems in the country to overhaul its policies in the wake of allegations against former Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski.
June 18, 2018
In Their Own Words: Minority Partners On Reaching The Top

Despite decades of industrywide initiatives, movement up the ladder has stagnated for minority lawyers. Here, five industry success stories tell Law360 about the paths they took and what needs to change in BigLaw.
June 18, 2018
3 More BigLaw Firms To Tie Associate Salary Bumps

Three BigLaw firms are among a handful of shops that recently said they will match Cravath's increased associate pay scale, which includes a $190,000 starting salary for first-year lawyers.
June 18, 2018
15 Minutes With Uber's General Counsel

In a recent interview, Uber General Counsel Tony West discussed some of the ongoing controversies embroiling the ride-hailing giant, how startups at the cutting edge of new industries can best position themselves for long-term success and what changing a company's culture means to him.
June 15, 2018
Minority Lawyers On Why They Left BigLaw

Despite the proliferation of diversity committees and inclusion initiatives, corporate law firms remain overwhelmingly white and male, especially at leadership levels. Here, minority attorneys discuss their reasons for leaving a large firm.
June 15, 2018
Taking On The ‘Petri Dish’ Of BigLaw Bias

The often-informal processes for deciding matters like compensation at law firms can create, as one expert put it, a “petri dish” for the effects of unconscious bias. Here’s how some firms are looking to shake up the system.
June 15, 2018
The Best Firms For Minority Attorneys

While U.S. law firms have long vowed to make their ranks more diverse and inclusive, the industry has long failed to deliver on those promises. Here are the firms making some headway, according to this year’s Diversity Snapshot.
June 15, 2018
Law360’s Diversity Snapshot: By The Numbers

Efforts to increase diversity have again yielded few meaningful changes in law firm demographics, according to Law360’s annual headcount survey, even as law schools continue to enroll students of color in increasing numbers.
June 15, 2018
Law360’s Pro Say: What BigLaw Should Do About Diversity

For years law firms have had programs aimed at increasing attorney diversity, but nothing is working. On this week’s Pro Say podcast we take a look at our latest survey of diversity at law firms, and unpack what experts say are the things that could actually move the needle on this issue.
June 15, 2018
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.
June 15, 2018
3 High Court Justices Dump Some, But Not All, Of Their Stock

The amount of individual stock held in public companies by U.S. Supreme Court justices declined once again in 2017, but three members of the high court’s bench still combine to hold shares in more than 40 entities, according to an analysis of financial disclosures released Thursday by watchdog group Fix the Court.

Editor's Picks

How Women Are Changing The Law Firms They Lead

Female law firm leaders have scraped their way to the top. Now they want to pull up other women, too. And this may be their toughest challenge yet.
The 2018 Law360 Glass Ceiling Report

Women have made up over 40 percent of law school students for more than three decades, and they now make up more than half. But our annual survey of the largest U.S. law firms shows that women continue to be underrepresented at all levels.
The Big Picture: How #MeToo Is Changing The Legal Industry

As the #MeToo movement sweeps the nation, the legal industry is starting to respond: Law firms are reviewing sexual harassment policies, fostering more internal discussion, and, in some cases, getting rid of arbitration agreements that have gained a reputation for perpetuating the problem.

Expert Analysis

#MeToo At Law Firms And What We Can Do About It

While some may say it’s ironic, it’s also embarrassing and enraging that the very industry that offers anti-harassment training, policies and counsel now finds itself the subject of #MeToo headlines. The American Bar Association recommendation that will bring about the greatest change is the call to provide alternative methods for reporting violations, says Beth Schroeder, chair of Raines Feldman LLP's labor and employment group.
Knowledge Lawyers Can Help Firms Stay Ahead Of The Curve

In a profession notoriously averse to change, it should come as no surprise that there is skepticism about the value of having attorneys perform nonbillable tasks. But U.S. law firms have slowly begun to incorporate knowledge lawyers into their operations — and the trend is likely to continue, says Vanessa Pinto Villa of Hogan Lovells.
An Unprecedented Look Inside The FARA Unit

For close observers of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the June 8 release by the U.S. Department of Justice of over 50 FARA advisory opinions was a watershed. These opinions offer an unprecedented glimpse into how the FARA Registration Unit interprets the law, say Brian Fleming and Andrew Herman of Miller & Chevalier Chtd.
Why Lawyers Shouldn't Accept Fees In Cryptocurrency: Part 2

The legal industry has already begun to feel the impact of anti-bribery and anti-money laundering requirements. When involved with cryptocurrency trading and remittance, law firms face more than the risk of being perceived as organizations that support money laundering practices, says John Reed Stark of John Reed Stark Consulting LLC.
Why Lawyers Shouldn't Accept Fees In Cryptocurrency: Part 1

Law firms are increasingly accepting cryptocurrency as payment for services. While this might seem innovative and forward-thinking, ironically it is much more of a throwback, says John Reed Stark of John Reed Stark Consulting LLC.
Impediments To Legal Industry's 'Inevitable' Future: Part 2

I agree with the legal pundits speculating that NewLaw’s present and future disruptors will radically change the legal services industry, but that change may not come quite as rapidly as predicted. Regardless, now is the time for both the incumbents and the challengers to best position themselves for the eventual shakeup, says Craig Levinson, founder of Levity Partners.
Impediments To Legal Industry's 'Inevitable' Future: Part 1

Legal pundits continue to make predictions that newer entrants into the industry — NewLaw firms, the Big Four and alternative legal service providers — will progressively seize greater amounts of market share from traditional law firms. But the BigLaw response has been underwhelming at best, and a glimpse at the market forces puts its lack of urgency into perspective, says Craig Levinson, founder of Levity Partners.
Guest Feature

Dan Abrams Talks 'Lincoln's Last Trial' And Crime In Media

Everything I saw through the glass walls of Dan Abrams’ office shouted new media. But after an hour with the ABC News chief legal affairs anchor, discussing his new book about Abraham Lincoln's career as a lawyer and a wealth of other topics, I came away realizing the secret of his success. And there’s nothing new about it at all, says Randy Maniloff of White and Williams LLP.
Opinion

Why Widespread Use Of Live Video Testimony Is Not Justified

Despite the partiality some courts have shown to live video testimony, it provides no advantages — and several disadvantages — over the tried-and-true method of videotaped depositions, say attorneys with Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP.
Series

Judging A Book: Wallach Reviews 'Uncivil Warriors'

"Uncivil Warriors: The Lawyers' Civil War," by Peter Hoffer, is a new book about the involvement of lawyers on both sides in the American Civil War. The discussion is enlightening and often fascinating, but falls short in several key areas, says Federal Circuit Judge Evan Wallach.

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