As legal workplaces keep adapting to the post-pandemic world, law firms are tackling a new challenge – addressing the skill gaps of ‘Zoom associates’, lawyers who joined the profession during or shortly after the pandemic. Several law firm partners have expressed concerns over skill deficiencies among these new digital natives, which in turn has raised…
The arrest of former visiting attorney for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has driven attention towards the practises associated with ‘visiting attorneys’ within large law firms. Romero Cabral Da Costa Neto, the ex-attorney at Gibson Dunn charged last week, was reportedly accessing internal law files without proper authorization, utilizing them for insider trading ahead of a…
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued new rules that essentially force employers to recognize and bargain with unions, unless they promptly request an employee election and subsequently win that election. This adjustment marks a significant shift in federal labor law and imposes a tough burden on companies. As noted by the law firm…
New guidelines developed through a collaborative effort by the Division on Civil Rights (DCR) and the Department of Education (DOE) have been issued by the New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and acting Department of Education Commissioner Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan. The guidelines, available in a recently released document, are a response to a 2020…
Last week, legal professionals from all over the world gathered in Orlando, Florida for the 43rd edition of ILTACON, one of the most prominent conferences in the legal tech industry. The event saw a significant turnout with about 3,400 onsite registrants, attesting to the importance and relevance of legal technology in today’s increasingly digital world….
As cases surrounding bullying are increasing, legal professionals are using the glare of publicity to incite change. The spotlight on these instances is becoming a potent tool, aiming to reform negligent behaviour and institute new procedures to prevent reoccurrences. Emily Suski, from the University of South Carolina School of Law, has noted that once corporations…
Consolidation in the legal research market has recently spurred some concern among law firms of all sizes. Swiftly emerging start-ups are often eagerly acquired by a select few committed legacy corporations. This trend has led to an increasing reliance on one or two major companies within the legal fraternity. Such industry consolidation may cause fears…
The nature of client entertainment at law firms is evolving, reflecting the wide-ranging changes within the industry itself. Keeping abreast with these developments can hold the key to understanding the shifting dynamics of the legal profession. Since the advent of the internet, traditional client entertainment strategies, such as off-site dinners, cocktail receptions and golf outings,…
In recent legal news, 3M has agreed to settle hundreds of thousands of lawsuits over its combat earplugs with a $6 billion settlement. Although the company has previously pushed back against similar litigation, this latest development indicates a movement towards resolution. This is a significant order of magnitude in the arena of class action and…
In a recent decision that has captured the attention of legal professionals, a federal judge in Maryland has upheld a nearly $9 million verdict in favor of plaintiff Alia Salem Al-Sabah against defendant Jean Agbodjogbe. The judge dismissed allegations by Agbodjogbe that his attorney had a conflict of interest, declaring such allegations insufficient to demonstrate…
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently initiated a new program that distributes grants to legal service providers for veterans in a bid to combat the risk of homelessness amongst this demographic. Syracuse University College of Law, Emory University School of Law, and Cornell Law School have been awarded these grants, each receiving $150,000. In…
The complexity and significance of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) in supporting businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic turmoil have also presented opportunities for fraudulent activities, a truism exposed in a recent incident involving a disbarred attorney from the state of Washington. Darlene Baker, who has also been known as Darlene Piper, from Port Orchard,…
In a recent update, a federal judge in Virginia sanctioned a settlement agreement permitting Gary LeClair, co-founder of now-dissolved law firm LeClairRyan, a $1.6 million unsecured claim in the firm’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. This decision followed earlier contentions in which the same judge, as well as a bankruptcy judge, intensely criticized LeClair and a bankruptcy…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has issued a partial award for attorney fees in favor of a University of Michigan student. This decision comes after the student, identified only as John Doe, alleged that he was denied due process when his transcript was frozen amidst an ongoing investigation into a sexual…
A significant development in the legal sector came to light recently with founding attorneys of Dominion Voting Systems initiating a new venture. The lawyers, acclaimed for their noteworthy victory in amassing a $787 million settlement from Fox News, opened a new firm with a unique focus – fighting the spread of viral misinformation in the…
In a surprising turn of events, Sandy Bohrer, a distinguished figure with 25 notable years at Holland & Knight, has decided to step out of retirement and join Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, a boutique firm located in South Florida. Bohrer has a rich history of service at Holland & Knight, where he last held the…
The California state government has filed a lawsuit against a local school district, contesting a policy that requires school staff to communicate with parents if a student wishes to be recognized by a different name or pronoun, effectively “outing” transgender students. The contentious policy is being challenged for its constitutional viability, igniting a debate regarding…
A recent decision by the Virginia Court of Appeals saw a firearm conviction nullified on the grounds of reasonable doubt. In this instance, the legal concern hinged on whether the defendant’s pistol was a “center-fire” firearm according to Code § 18.2-287.4. The Virginia Code § 18.2-287.4 places restrictions on the public carrying of specific firearms…
In a substantial resolution, multinational conglomerate 3M has confirmed it will pay over $6 billion to settle hundreds of thousands of lawsuits related to its dual-ended combat earplugs. The settlement, which was announced on Tuesday, is tied to 240,000 suits in multidistrict litigation in the Southern District of Florida as well as countless additional cases…
The COVID-19 pandemic has added a layer of complexity to law firms’ succession planning efforts. In particular, the process of transitioning relationships between individual lawyers and their clients has become more challenging as the crisis unfolded. Law firm partners, who have often built up significant bodies of business over the course of their careers, are…
A rule prohibiting lawyer-client sexting is currently being proposed in the state of Pennsylvania. The disciplinary system of this state has seen an increase in investigations surrounding sexting or similar acts as part of “sex with clients” claims. These communications have increasingly taken precedence over claims of actual physical relationships, as per details mentioned in…
A newly introduced bill in California would extend the state courts’ ability to hold criminal proceedings remotely until the end of 2024, granting judiciary leaders, lawyers, and labor groups an additional year to reach a more comprehensive agreement. This proposal emerges in the wake of unfruitful discussions surrounding this contentious issue, which concluded without resolution…
The U.S. 6th Circuit Court is addressing a noteworthy legal debate, as it deliberates on whether the First Amendment safeguards the critical texts a father sent to his child’s high school softball coach. This case has arisen after the father was subsequently banned from the games because of these messages, thus leading him to file…
The landscape of client entertainment in London’s law firm sector is shifting. The extravagant, all-expenses-paid experiences that were once commonplace seem to have been scaled back, replaced by simpler gestures. According to Addleshaw Goddard London banking partner Alex Dumphy, a typical lawyer-client meeting these days might involve nothing more elaborate than a bowl of noodles….
In an important development regarding the False Claims Act (FCA), the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a district court’s decision after a jury verdict was in favor of an employee. The court found that Parker-Migliorini International (PMI) had violated the FCA by retaliating against an employee named Brandon Barrick who had engaged…