DC Pulse


  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    Partnership promotions, BigLaw hires and firm merger votes helped make this another action-packed week for the legal industry. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    High Court Sends La. Pollution Suit To Federal Court

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday said that pollution lawsuits against Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron in Louisiana belong in federal court, agreeing with the companies that their World War II-era oil production in the state was federal in nature.

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    Judiciary Panel Loves Paralegal's Idea To Modernize Briefs

    An Arizona paralegal's unsolicited idea for overhauling a procedural rule governing the format of briefs found a surprisingly enthusiastic audience Thursday at a federal judiciary meeting, where prominent officials and attorneys voiced strong interest and agreed to explore the concept in earnest.

  • Bondi's Contempt Defenses Are Strong, But Not Without Risk

    Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi currently has some potentially powerful defenses against Congress' relatively limited abilities to force her to comply with a subpoena to be deposed under oath about the Epstein files, but her exposure to being held in criminal contempt could shift with the political winds, experts said.

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    BigLaw Hiring Heats Up In Q1 As Firms Chase Partner Talent

    Large U.S. law firms started 2026 with a surge in lateral moves that boosted partner hiring to the highest level in six years, but softened on associate additions, according to new data from legal intelligence provider Firm Prospects.

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    Dems Call On Watchdog To Probe DOJ Antitrust Work

    A group of Democratic federal lawmakers this week called on the U.S. Department of Justice's acting inspector general to investigate the possibility that lobbying has led to misconduct in the department's antitrust work, including the DOJ's recent surprise settlement with event ticketing giant Live Nation.

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    Katten Partner Rejoins Epstein Becker In DC For 3rd Time

    Epstein Becker Green LLP has rehired, for the third time, a healthcare transactional attorney who focuses his practice on guiding hospital systems, private equity-backed entities and professional practices on transactional matters and regulatory compliance.

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    Day Pitney 'Lifer' Prepares To Lead Firm Into New Era

    After joining Day Pitney LLP straight out of law school in 1987, Michael P. Byrne has been elected as the firm’s managing partner. Here, Byrne discusses his business goals for his first year on the job, the firm’s growth trajectory, and the importance of maintaining its culture.

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    Katten's Profits Per Equity Partner Climb To $3.32M

    Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP has reached several key financial growth milestones in the less than two years since litigator and former federal prosecutor Gil Soffer became chair of the Chicago-headquartered firm, without jumping into the recent law firm merger frenzy.

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    Mintz Consulting Arm Hires Ex-HHS Official, Health Policy Pro

    ML Strategies, a consulting subsidiary of Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC, has hired a former federal health policy director at consulting firm Guidehouse who brings almost a decade of experience in senior roles with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Trump Defends DOJ Investigation Of 'Incompetent' Fed Chair

    President Donald Trump expressed support Wednesday for the U.S. Department of Justice continuing to investigate Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over the Fed's headquarters renovation, saying the government must "find out what happened" with the project's $2.5 billion price tag.

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    Ex-DOJ Antitrust Atty On Google Case Joins Wilson Sonsini

    A lead attorney on the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's monopolization cases against Google LLC who left the agency last week joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday as a partner.

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    Sotomayor Apologizes For 'Hurtful' Comments About Kavanaugh

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor publicly apologized Wednesday for comments she made at a University of Kansas appearance earlier this month criticizing Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

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    Vedder, WilmerHale Attys Vie To Lead DC Bar In Quieter Race

    Member elections are underway for the D.C. Bar, with attorneys from Vedder and WilmerHale facing off to lead the organization in what's been a lower profile contest than last year's headline-grabbing race that included the brother of former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

  • Trump's 8th Circ. Pick Pressed On Leonard Leo Ties

    President Donald Trump's nominee for the Eighth Circuit, who represented Trump in the two cases brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, came under scrutiny Wednesday for his affiliation with groups linked to longtime Federalist Society executive and Republican fundraiser Leonard Leo.

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    Heavy Hitters File Amicus Briefs In Law Firm EO Appeal

    With oral arguments scheduled next month at the D.C. Circuit on the Trump administration's 2025 executive orders targeting law firms, Law360 looks at some of the notable amicus briefs filed in recent weeks and the lead attorneys on those briefs.

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    Higher Partner Rate Hikes Are The New Normal For GCs

    The largest law firms continued to get the bulk of the work in 2025 despite having the most expensive rates, while mid-tier firms are grabbing a bigger piece of the action, according to a new report by LexisNexis CounselLink.

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    White & Case Hires Reed Smith M&A Partner In DC

    White & Case LLP has hired a former Reed Smith LLP partner, who is joining the team in Washington, D.C., to continue her practice focused on mergers and acquisitions matters.

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    Holland & Knight Adds Former Senate Counsel, DOT Adviser

    Holland & Knight LLP has hired a former Senate Commerce Committee counsel and adviser to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has joined the team as a partner in the public policy and regulation group.

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    Hogan, Cadwalader Partners Vote To Forge Ahead With Merger

    Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader said Wednesday that their partners have voted in favor of their merger ahead of the scheduled launch of the combined law firm on July 1.

  • Judiciary Panel Backs Legal Finance Project, Subpoena Rules

    Federal judiciary advisers agreed Tuesday to develop transparency obligations for litigation funders despite "vehement" views in the defense and plaintiffs bars, while also advancing controversial subpoena rules involving remote testimony and process servers.

  • Ex-CFTC Chair Departs Willkie, Law Practice For Fintech Work

    The former leader of the nation's derivatives regulator dubbed "Crypto Dad" says he's leaving his law practice at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP to focus on advising fintechs and crypto firms, researching public policy issues and working with nonprofit programs.

  • Grassley Says Cruz And Lee Top His List If Alito Retires

    Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Tuesday that if U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito were to retire then he would recommend the president nominate either Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, or Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

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    Mayer Brown Focuses On Increasing AI Adoption In 2026

    Mayer Brown LLP is focused on increasing artificial intelligence adoption among its attorneys and staff this year and has launched an AI literacy program to help achieve that goal.

  • Ginsburg Hack Conviction Upheld For Man Who Blamed Cat

    The Fourth Circuit affirmed Tuesday a former hospital transplant coordinator's conviction for illegally accessing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's healthcare records, upholding a ruling that the defendant was not improperly coerced when he told FBI agents a coworker or his cat may have been responsible.

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Expert Analysis

  • Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Make A Plan For The Year Author Photo

    While firms are busy allocating resources and assessing client demand, individual attorneys should use the start of the year to slow down and create a personal business plan, which can be accomplished with a few steps, say Elizabeth Gooch, Teri Robshaw and Chris Newman at McDermott.

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    Talking Mental Health: Caring For Everyone As A Firm Leader Author Photo

    Reid Phillips at Brooks Pierce discusses how he manages the pressure of running a law firm, how sources of stress in the legal industry have changed over the past decade, and what firm leaders should do to help manage burnout and mental health issues among employees.

  • How Firms Can Use LinkedIn To Aid Marketing Efforts In 2025 Author Photo

    LinkedIn has several features law firms can use to showcase their capabilities and thought leadership to reach prospective and existing clients, including the Event and Live features, says Sofia Millar at Reputation Ink.

  • Talking Mental Health: Managing Emotions In Trauma Cases Author Photo

    Nikki Hurtado at The Ferraro Law Firm discusses what motivates her to represent victims of catastrophic injuries, how she copes with the emotional toll of such cases, and what other attorneys taking on similar cases can do to protect their mental well-being.

  • Strategies For Successful Law Firm Mergers In 2025 Author Photo

    Law firms are expected to continue consolidating in the year to come, and because these mergers require a different kind of playbook, firm leaders must carefully consider office culture nuances, professional services economics and talent retention strategy before any merger, say directors at FTI Consulting.

  • Making Legal Cents: Winning More Work In A Crowded Market Author Photo

    In a market where clients have more options, tighter budgets and higher expectations, firms must figure out how to differentiate themselves without discounting their rates, and several practical strategies for pitching, pricing and early-engagement communication can help, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Best Practices For Implementing Firm Revenue Cycle Roles Author Photo

    Law firm revenue cycles are becoming more complex and time-consuming, but hiring dedicated revenue cycle personnel can help streamline the process and reduce the burden on attorneys, says Christine Indiano at Harbor Global.

  • Tips For Constructing Your Small-Law Exit Strategy Author Photo

    By initiating planning and processes to evaluate personal retirement goals and firm value early, longtime solo practitioners and small-firm owners can unlock a range of possibilities and potential buyers, setting up for a profitable exit and a rewarding transition, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Tips For Persuasive Briefs Beyond The Argument Section Author Photo

    When crafting an appellate brief, the focus for most lawyers is the argument section, but other sections also offer strategic opportunities to shape the court's perception of the case and favorably frame the issues, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • Ask A Mentor: Is Secondment A Good Career Move? Author Photo

    Kate Driscoll at Morrison Foerster suggests six questions to help candidates evaluate whether a secondment will benefit their career.

  • 3 Trends Reshaping Chief Marketing Officer Appointments Author Photo

    Recent approaches to hiring chief marketing officers demonstrate how firms are reimagining their marketing and business development frameworks to stay competitive and responsive to evolving client needs, says Murray Coffey at M Coffey.

  • Talking Mental Health: Working As A Mom Of An Autistic Son Author Photo

    Sarah Kovit Hanna at Assurant discusses how she balances the demands of her in-house role and the support needs of her son, who was diagnosed with autism, as a single mom, and reflects on how the legal industry can better support caretakers of family members who have special needs.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Can I Maximize My Pro Bono Impact? Author Photo

    Debbie Berman at Jenner & Block offers advice on how attorneys can make a meaningful impact on their communities through pro bono work while enhancing their professional development through strengthened client-facing skills, hands-on experience and more.

  • Opinion

    Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code Author Photo

    As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.

  • Series

    My Nonpracticing Law Job: Law Firm Marketer Author Photo

    Liz Bard Lindley at Jaffe PR shares how she went from a family law associate who helped write industry articles to a savvy legal public relations and marketing professional, and offers takeaways for any attorney who might not feel at home in their law practice and is considering alternative career paths.

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