Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
U.S. law firm revenue rose 12.5% on average in 2024 compared to the previous year, marking the industry's biggest jump in revenue outside of 2021, with the 50 largest law firms driving the average upward with outsized increases in income and profits, according to the results of a survey released Wednesday.
Many U.S. law firms have actively grown their non-equity partner ranks in recent years, creating more high-level job opportunities within law firms in what appears to be a win for young lawyers. But what seems like a positive development could come with some caveats, experts say.
As the legal industry grows ever more competitive, smaller regional firms are seeking new strategies to level the playing field with their larger counterparts. The solution many are turning to? Mergers.
Phillips Black Inc., Ridley McGreevy & Winocur PC and King & Spalding LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court revived claims from a woman on death row in Oklahoma that prosecutors unfairly sex-shamed her and relied on gender-based stereotypes to convince a jury that she had killed her estranged husband for insurance money.
The legal industry had another busy week as BigLaw firms shuffled practices and President Donald Trump began his second term with a flurry of policy changes and appointments. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.
Dechert LLP has started multiple visionary programs since creating an Innovation Task Force eight years ago. Devin Swaney, New York-based innovation partner at Dechert, talked to Law360 Pulse about how innovation is in the firm’s blood.
Burr & Forman's work on an asset management company sale and Brownstein Hyatt handling a challenge to federal land redesignation on behalf of the Navajo Nation lead this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight on Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from Jan. 10 to 14.
After being unanimously elected to his fourth term as head of Ohio-based firm Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff, Gregg Eisenberg says that he is looking to continue on with the same strategy that has seen the firm significantly expand its geographic reach and headcount during his tenure.
One year after nearly half of the partners at FisherBroyles LLP left to form the breakaway firm Pierson Ferdinand LLP, both firms have grown their headcount and reported a successful 2024, and industry observers say it demonstrates the appeal of their offbeat model as partner-only and fully remote.
While most attorneys have volunteered pro bono services at some point in their career, many lawyers are not meeting the American Bar Association's goal for every lawyer to provide 50 hours of pro bono work every year, and lack of time was the biggest discouraging factor, according to a recent report.
Delaware State University's general counsel has been nominated to serve as secretary of the state's Department of Labor, with new Gov. Matt Meyer calling his nominee "a proven leader" who advocates for workers' rights.
Burr & Forman LLP announced Thursday that the former vice chancellor and general counsel of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will join the firm at the start of March as its new chief operating officer.
The last five years have brought with them some major changes in both new lawyer and lateral attorney recruiting, according to experts, leaving large law firms scrambling to find internal recruiting professionals to navigate what some are calling the "Wild West" of hiring.
On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed executive orders to launch his promised immigration crackdown. And the solo and small firm attorneys who make up the vast majority of the nation’s immigration bar are at the front lines preparing to fight for their clients.
Law360 Pulse asked corporate counsel to identify some common misconceptions about working in-house and share their thoughts on the rewards and challenges of their jobs. Here's what they said.
Law360 Pulse asked in-house counsel about their jobs, workplace and career prospects. Find out how satisfied corporate lawyers are with their schedules, hours, work-life balance, opportunities for advancement and more.
It may once have been that the typical in-house lawyer worked a 40-hour week, but that no longer appears to be the case for many corporate counsel, with more than 40% reporting they exceed 50 hours at work each week in a recent survey by Law360 Pulse.
In-house attorneys report high job satisfaction when it comes to schedule flexibility, team collegiality, and compensation, but concerns linger about workload and career advancement, particularly for mid-level lawyers seeking to climb the career ladder, according to a new Law360 Pulse report.
While most in-house lawyers seem generally happy with their outside counsel, about 9% of participants in Law360 Pulse's first In-House Counsel Satisfaction Survey want more, saying they are fed up with being nickel-and-dimed while receiving low quality work and poor communication from their outside attorneys.
Law360 would like to congratulate the winners of its Practice Groups of the Year awards for 2024, which honor the attorney teams behind litigation wins and significant transaction work that resonated throughout the legal industry this past year.
Eight law firms have earned spots as Law360's Firms of the Year, with 54 Practice Group of the Year awards among them, steering some of the largest deals of 2024 and securing high-profile litigation wins, including at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Keller Postman LLC, Ward & Smith PA, Pope McGlamry PC and Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader PC lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that after a Missouri resident dropped her federal claims in a putative class action over alleged mislabeling of prescription dog food, the case was properly sent back to state court.
Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP has unanimously reelected its managing partner to a fourth consecutive term as head of the firm after years of successfully growing its headcount and revenue.
The legal industry had another busy week as law firms inked new deals, elevated attorneys and expanded practices. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse’s weekly quiz.
Women, people of color and women of color keep setting records for representation in the nation's legal industry, but a smaller percentage of Black summer associates may portend future challenges, according to a report released Thursday.
BigLaw has the unique opportunity to hit refresh post-pandemic and enhance attorney satisfaction by adopting practices that smaller firms naturally employ — including work assignment policies that can provide junior attorneys steady professional development, says Michelle Genet Bernstein at Mark Migdal.
In order to attract and retain the rising millennial generation's star talent, law firms should break free of the annual review system and train lawyers of all seniority levels to solicit and share frequent and informal feedback, says Betsy Miller at Cohen Milstein.
Lawyers can take several steps to redress the lack of adequate LGBTQ representation on the bench and its devastating impact on litigants and counsel in the community, says Janice Grubin, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee at the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York.
Krill Strategies’ Patrick Krill, who co-authored a new study that revealed alarming levels of stress, hazardous drinking and associated gender disparities among practicing attorneys, highlights how legal employers can confront the underlying risk factors as both warnings and opportunities in the post-COVID-19 era.
While international agreements for space law have remained relatively unchanged since their creation decades ago, the rapid pace of change in U.S. laws and policies is creating opportunities for both new and veteran lawyers looking to break into this exciting realm, in either the private sector or government, says Michael Dodge at the University of North Dakota.
Series
Ask A Mentor: What Makes A Successful Summer Associate?Navigating a few densely packed weeks at a law firm can be daunting for summer associates, but those who are prepared to seize opportunities and not afraid to ask questions will be set up for success, says Julie Crisp at Latham.
Law firms can attract the right summer associate candidates and help students see what makes a program unique by using carefully crafted messaging and choosing the best ambassadors to deliver it, says Tamara McClatchey, director of career services at the University of Chicago Law School.
Opinion
Judges Deserve Congress' Commitment To Their SafetyFollowing the tragic attack on U.S. District Judge Esther Salas' family last summer and amid rising threats against the judiciary, legislation protecting federal judges' personal information and enhancing security measures at courthouses is urgently needed, says U.S. District Judge Roslynn Mauskopf, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can Recalcitrant Attys Use Social Media?Social media can be intimidating for reluctant lawyers but it can also be richly rewarding, as long as attorneys remember that professional accounts will always reflect on their firms and colleagues, and follow some best practices to avoid embarrassment, says Sean Marotta at Hogan Lovells.
Neville Eisenberg and Mark Grayson at BCLP explain how they sped up contract execution for one client by replacing email with a centralized, digital tool for negotiations and review, and how the principles they adhered to can be helpful for other law firms looking to improve poorly managed contract management processes.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can Firms Coach Associates Remotely?Practicing law through virtual platforms will likely persist even after the pandemic, so law firms and senior lawyers should consider refurbishing their associate mentoring programs to facilitate personal connections, professionalism and effective training in a remote environment, says Carol Goodman at Herrick Feinstein.
As the U.S. observes Autism Acceptance Month, autistic attorney Haley Moss describes the societal barriers and stereotypes that keep neurodivergent lawyers from disclosing their disabilities, and how law firms can better accommodate and level the playing field for attorneys whose minds work outside of the prescribed norm.
Many legal technology vendors now sell artificial intelligence and machine learning tools at a premium price tag, but law firms must take the time to properly evaluate them as not all offerings generate process efficiencies or even use the technologies advertised, says Steven Magnuson at Ballard Spahr.
While chief legal officers are increasingly involved in creating corporate diversity, inclusion and anti-bigotry policies, all lawyers have a responsibility to be discrimination busters and bias interrupters regardless of the title they hold, says Veta T. Richardson at the Association of Corporate Counsel.
Every lawyer can begin incorporating aspects of software development in their day-to-day practice with little to no changes in their existing tools or workflow, and legal organizations that take steps to encourage this exploration of programming can transform into tech incubators, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.