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California Pulse
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Clerk Rule Change Unlikely To Trigger Judicial Ethics Probes
A recent change to the rules governing how federal court leaders handle the reassignment of judicial clerks due to misconduct claims against a judge is unlikely to lead to investigations into those allegations and so won't improve those clerks' working conditions or judicial accountability, court reform advocates say.
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Morgan Lewis Taps Global Leaders As New Chair Starts Term
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP announced its new global leadership team Thursday as longtime partner David McManus kicked off his five-year term as firm chair.
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Federal Bar Discussion Looks At Courts' Role In Regulating AI
A Federal Bar Association discussion Wednesday in California about AI and how it will be regulated in the United States prompted the Northern District's new chief judge to ask whether Congress' "inability to pass laws" will leave it to the courts "to figure out how we're going to do this."
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Newsom Signs New AI Worker Protections, Atty Limits
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed a slate of laws aimed at placing guardrails on artificial intelligence, including protecting workers from job losses, limiting its use in the practice of law and strengthening safeguards against deepfakes.
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Leaders Of Smaller Firms Say Talent, Not Tech, Is Top Issue
Leaders of small to midsized law firms are expressing more concern about a long-standing problem, the cost of hiring and retaining talented attorneys, than they are about a new issue, the cost of AI and other technology, according to a survey released Wednesday.
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How Coinbase's GC Went From Crypto Novice To Top Lawyer
In under six years, Molly Abraham has gone from buying "Crypto For Dummies" — days before starting as director of legal at Coinbase — to serving as the high-profile cryptocurrency exchange's top lawyer. She spoke with Law360 Pulse this week about the attributes she learned from her predecessor Paul Grewal and how she approached an unfamiliar crypto environment.
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Seyfarth Brings On Glaser Weil RE, Entertainment Pro In LA
Seyfarth Shaw LLP has added an attorney specializing in the intersection of real estate and the entertainment industry to its downtown Los Angeles office from Glaser Weil Fink Howard Jordan & Shapiro LLP.
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How Junior Associates Can Crush Their Fourth Quarter Goals
The last three months of the year can be crunch time at many law firms, as lawyers scramble to meet their year-end goals. But for some junior associates, what they need to concentrate on and avoid may not always be clear.
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Pierson Ferdinand Passes 300-Partner Milestone
Less than three years after Pierson Ferdinand LLP launched with a group of breakaway attorneys from FisherBroyles LLP, the firm has reached a headcount of over 300 partners including five partner hires in September, it announced Tuesday.
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Munger Tolles To Expand Summer Associate Revamp In 2027
Following the end of a 2026 summer associate program that the firm says was its largest ever, Munger Tolles & Olson LLP announced that it will expand its redesigned 1L split-summer program model to include 2L and 3L students in 2027.
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Mintz's Boston Office Head To Succeed Longtime Firm Leader
Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC will have a new managing member as of July 1 for the first time since 2009, the firm announced Tuesday.
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Big AI Investments Up The Ante For Law Firm Prestige
Investment in AI, including building firm-specific proprietary tools, is the latest front among top law firms to gain and maintain elite status. Law360 spoke with legal industry leaders about how firms can embrace AI innovation to keep their competitive edge.
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These Firms Are The 2026 Prestige Leaders
In the intense competition of the legal sphere, firms have to make a constant effort to stand out from the crowd. Here are this year's Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders — the 100 firms the industry recognizes for their prominence, power and distinction.
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The 2026 Prestige Leaders: The Firms In The Billionaires' Club
BigLaw's record-setting revenue streak shows no sign of slowing. Here, we highlight the firms that reported more than $1 billion in gross revenue in the latest year.
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Calif. Attys Face New Penalties For Paying To Recruit Clients
Lawyers convicted of felony "capping" — or illegally paying for client recruitment — in California will now face a $25,000 civil penalty and face disbarment under a bill signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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Why Fractional GCs Are Becoming The 'Go-To' Lawyers
Senior-level lawyers are leaving the corporate world to establish firms where they're strategic partners and trusted advisers to growth-stage companies. These fractional general counsel argue that their business model will grow in popularity amid artificial intelligence expansion that's changing legal services.
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Burford Eyes $1.4B Of $5.7B Patent Trial Verdict Against Apple
Burford Capital said it is entitled to $1.4 billion of last week's historic $5.7 billion patent infringement jury verdict against Apple, but the litigation funder cautioned Monday that the massive payday could still evaporate on appeal.
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California Powerhouse: O'Melveny
O'Melveny & Myers LLP has spent more than a century evolving alongside California, giving the 141-year-old law firm the depth of resources and experience needed to tackle high-stakes matters this past year, from helping Johnson & Johnson shed $950 million in punitive damages to guiding AI assistant platform Moveworks through a $2.85 billion acquisition.
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Cahill Gordon Joins Firms Issuing Summer Bonuses
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP is giving out bonuses that range from $6,000 for the class of 2025 to $25,000 for the class of 2018.
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After Antitrust Loss, Live Nation Replacing Its GC Of 20 Years
Fresh off its antitrust trial loss, Live Nation Entertainment Inc. said it will replace its executive vice president and general counsel of 20 years on Nov. 1 but keep him on staff in other capacities for another three years. He will be replaced by Da-Wai Hu, the general counsel of Chewy Inc.
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How A Calif. Ruling May Ease Court Reporter Shortage Effect
A recent California Supreme Court ruling could help low-income litigants overcome a court reporter shortage that has left millions of hearings without an official record, undermining their chances of successfully appealing court decisions. For domestic violence survivors, advocates say, that record can mean the difference between challenging a potentially dangerous court order and having no viable path to appeal.
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Legal Ed Faces Uncertain Future Amid ABA Accreditor Fight
The U.S. legal education system could soon be plunged into disarray, after politics seemed to overshadow substance during an unusual hearing this week on whether to revoke an American Bar Association council's federal status as the primary accreditor of law schools, experts told Law360 Pulse.
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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week
O'Melveny & Myers LLP and Reed Smith LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Ninth Circuit overturned a $140 million class verdict against CenturyLink, holding that the company had a reasonable interpretation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
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IP Address Tracking: Law Firms Are In Their Big Brother Era
An increasingly competitive marketplace for legal talent and attorneys moving their platforms frequently, recruiters say firms seem to be taking a more active role in monitoring their roster, relying more increasingly on digital monitoring to try and detect whether any of their attorneys are thinking about a possible lateral move.
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California Powerhouse: Munger Tolles
Munger Tolles, over the past year, took on the Trump administration in multiple high-profile battles involving Susman Godfrey and the New York attorney general, and defended the University of California in litigation following student protests over the war in Gaza, making the firm one of the Law360 2026 Regional Powerhouses in California.
Expert Analysis
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5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2026
After a pivotal year for the legal industry, lawyers and their clients face an evolving litigation finance landscape in 2026 that will be shaped by developments ranging from new policies governing patent lawsuits to the reemergence of appellate monetization funding, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
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Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Think Like A Waiter
To convert casually interested restaurant patrons into satisfied, repeat customers, a good waiter relies on four service-oriented habits that proactive attorneys can borrow to cultivate lasting client relationships, say attorneys at Maynard Nexsen.
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6 Strategies To Set Up New CCOs For Success
As demand for chief compliance officers rises among a growing range of complex issues, organizations looking to hire and retain top-notch CCOs can adopt a series of strategies including defining success metrics and allowing the CCO to build a team, says Cara Bain at Major Lindsey.
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Making Legal Cents: How Firms Can Navigate 2026 Trends
From the adoption of artificial intelligence infrastructure to increasing client attrition, a number of trends will likely define the legal industry in 2026, and law firms will need to strategically lean into these shifts to gain a competitive advantage, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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Notes From A Partner-In-Charge On Integrating Lateral Talent
When done thoughtfully through three strategies, bringing laterals into the fold can propel growth and create significant business opportunities that enhance the law firm's cultural fabric, says James Sullivan, leader of Alston & Bird's New York office.
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The Augmented Lawyer: Drafting As AI Alters Admin Of Law
As generative artificial intelligence tools become embedded in mainstream legal practice, they are reshaping the administration of law itself, from how experts document and validate their work to how joint defense teams operate, demanding a new level of contractual clarity and operational discipline, says Karineh Khachatourian at KXT Law.
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How Attorneys Can Plan Now For Biz Dev Success In 2026
As the year winds down and the pace of work slows, attorneys should reflect on what did and didn’t work to generate business in 2025, and start mapping out their 2026 business development plan now to set themselves up for success, says Ezra Crawford at Crowell.
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How Firms Can Retain Rainmakers, Now And All Year Long
Though firm leaders feel the most urgency about retaining rainmakers now, during compensation season, effective retention strategies are preemptive and year-round efforts anchored in meaningful support, tactical execution and credible follow-through, says Tom Orewyler at TO Comms.
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What GCs Value Most: 7 Ways To Earn Clients' Trust
Trust is the foundation of any great client relationship, but it isn’t built overnight or maintained passively — rather, counsel must consistently show up in small but important ways to become the trusted partner clients rely on when judgment matters most, says Andrew Dick at The L Suite.
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Series
Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Make An Onboarding Plan
The investment required for a personalized client onboarding plan is minimal, but the return on investment — measured in client satisfaction, relationship strength and longevity, client referrals, and other business development opportunities — can be extraordinary, says John Reed at Rain BDM.
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Law Firm Content Strategies To Stay Competitive In 2026
A number of trends will continue to reshape how people search, consume and trust information next year, and law firms will need to adopt forward-thinking content strategies — from generative engine optimization to interactive legal tools — to stand out, says Elizabeth Lampert at Elizabeth Lampert PR and Nancy Myrland at Myrland Marketing and Social Media.
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What Law Firm Liability Risks In 2025 Signal For Year To Come
Trends and statistics reveal that law firms of all sizes and practice areas remained attractive litigation targets this year, so firms must take concrete steps to avoid professional liability risks in the year to come, say Douglas Richmond and Andrew Ricke at Lockton Companies.
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5 New Archetypes Of Legal Talent For The Age Of AI
New job archetypes are rapidly replacing the traditional model of the lawyer as artificial intelligence proliferates, and to remain competitive, firms will need to embrace the diverse portfolio of talent required to navigate, design and critique algorithmic systems, says Dmitri Mehlhorn at Atoll Society.
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A Closer Look At 5 Types Of Legal Management Services Orgs
Legal management services organizations, which outsource the administrative aspects of law firms to separate entities, are poised to disrupt the industry in the year to come, so firms and attorneys should consider the advantages and disadvantages of several MSO models, say Frederick Shelton and Ayven Dodd at Shelton & Steele.
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Law And Disorder: How To Tackle A Key Burnout Syndrome
Impostor syndrome prevails as a main root cause of attorney burnout, but sufferers can equip themselves with a series of practice tips that build confidence through evidence, not emotion, to address the mindset behind this damaging condition, says Jonathan Cohen at PNY.