Expert Analysis

• Opinion

  Now's The Time To Address Archaic Law School Curricula

  

  With law school enrollments jumping significantly ahead of a potential recession and more students graduating than the market can absorb, law schools should turn to creative solutions to teach students how to negotiate, work with clients, specialize and use technology to practice their craft more efficiently, says University of Colorado adjunct professor Jason Mendelson.

• Lessons From Lawyer Fee-Sharing Agreements Gone Wrong

  

  The recent fee-sharing dispute between Edelson and Girardi Keese is a reminder that lawyers who do not strictly follow the applicable rules may risk a disciplinary complaint, lose their share of the fee, or wind up in costly litigation with co-counsel, says David Grossbaum at Hinshaw.

• LeClairRyan Bankruptcy Highlights Pass-Through Tax Issue

  

  A Virginia bankruptcy court's recent ruling in the case of defunct law firm LeClairRyan shows there may be serious tax consequences for pass-through entity partners who give up their ownership interest without following operating agreement exit provisions and updating bankruptcy court filings, say Edward Schnitzer and Hannah Travaglini at Montgomery McCracken.

• Depp Verdict Shows Why Va. Is Ideal Defamation Claim Venue

  

  In the wake of Depp v. Heard, it is worth noting that factors unique to Virginia — including the state's weak anti-SLAPP legislation, amenability to personal jurisdiction and limits on summary judgment for defendants — make it a favorable venue for defamation plaintiffs, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• 8 Steps To Creating A Legal Ops Technology Road Map

  

  Legal departments struggling to find and implement the right technologies for their operations should consider creating a road map that summarizes their approach to technology changes, provides clearly defined metrics for success, and serves as the single source of truth for stakeholders, says Melanie Shafer at SimpleLegal.

• The Importance Of Data And Data Analysis In Litigation

  

  Understanding, analyzing and effectively presenting large data sets is an increasingly important skill in litigation as it allows plaintiffs to dramatically scale up the scope of cases and is often critical to defeating motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment, says David Burnett at Motley Rice.

• Steps Companies Can Take To Mitigate Privilege Labeling Risk

  

  Although Google prevailed on a recent privilege labeling sanctions motion, an important takeaway from the decision is that companies should assess their in-house procedures and employee training programs regarding privileged communications to mitigate risks of the potential appearance of bad faith privilege claims, say Gareth Evans at Redgrave and e-discovery attorney James Hertsch.

• Opinion

  Aviation Watch: Why Boeing Pilot's Indictment Was Misguided

  

  Criminal fraud charges against test pilot Mark Forkner related to the Boeing 737 crashes — charges of which he was recently acquitted — appear to have been an effort to whitewash the failures of Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration, and highlight that civil remedies are a better solution in such cases, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

• What Litigation Funding Disclosure In Delaware May Look Like

  

  A standing order issued by Delaware's chief federal judge requiring litigants to disclose whether their cases or defenses are being financed by third parties is unlikely to have onerous effects but may raise questions regarding potential conflicts of interest and access to justice, say Cayse Llorens and Matthew Oxman at LexShares.

• When A Claimed Trade Secret Isn't In Fact A Secret

  

  The Second Circuit's recent holding in Turret Labs v. Cargo Spirit tells a cautionary tale of how information cannot be a trade secret if reasonable measures are not taken to keep the information secret, and counsel must determine whether first appearances concerning secrecy are indeed true, says Francis Morrison at Axinn.

• How In-House Legal Leaders Can Drive Corporate Growth

  

  Today, more executives are seeking legal leaders who are strategic, adaptable thinkers, making it essential that in-house counsel get out of their comfort zone of legal advice and take several steps to contribute toward revenue growth and raise their profile, says Tim Parilla at LinkSquares.

• Opinion

  Calif. Bill On Protective Orders Threatens Privacy Norms

  

  California's Public Right to Know Act — seeking to make discovery in product and environmental cases presumptively public — would upend the current regime of court protective orders necessary for compliance with national and international privacy laws, and undermine U.S. efforts to reach a data transfer treaty with the EU, say Patrick Oot and Phil Goldberg at Shook Hardy.

• Attorneys Should Tread Carefully On Job Counteroffers

  

  Promises of more compensation to keep attorneys from leaving their jobs have become commonplace in today's hot job market, but lawyers should weigh their options carefully as accepting a counteroffer can negatively affect their reputation, says Leeron Molloy at VOYlegal.

• Series

  The Future Of Legal Ops: Time To Get Serious About Data

  

  Most corporate legal departments collect surface-level data around their operations, such as costs and time to resolution, but legal leaders should explore more in-depth data gathering to assess how effective an attorney was, how efficiently legal work was performed, and more, says Andy Krebs at Intel.

• Opinion

  Justices Should Give Feds' Roundup Amicus Little Weight

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court shouldn't defer to the solicitor general's petition-stage amicus brief urging a claims-award review in the Monsanto Roundup case, because the action would not only affect thousands of cases but also undermine the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's authority, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation.