Above the Law

Morning Docket: 12.11.25

* Citi preaches positive outlook for law firms next year. In fairness, bankruptcy work still counts as demand. [Yahoo Finance]

* Law firms sprucing up their offices to sweeten deal of calling everyone back in. [American Lawyer]

* Lawsuit seeks to block Trump from plastering his face on national park passes like he’s Stalin or something. [Law360]

* Trial set to begin for Wisconsin judge charged with obstructing immigration officials by not letting them commandeer her courtroom. [ABC News]

* Ethics expert says senior DOJ leadership declaring “war” on judges is not good for the rule of law. [New York Law Journal]

* Paralegal for prosecutors who snuck a look at her boyfriend’s case file receives suspended sentence. [Legal Cheek]

* Legal tech year in review. A lot has happened… but mostly AI. [ABA Journal]

$300K Bonuses?! — See Also

These Firms Are Really Giving Back To Their Associates!: Great time to work at Boies Schiller or Kellogg Hansen!

Another Boutique Putting The Market To Shame: Dunn Isaacson Rhee is paying out some major coin!

The Gift That Keeps On Taking: Economists say Trump’s tariffs will cost families thousands.

Federal Judges Aren’t Supposed To Be Politicking: Did Emil Bove not get the message?

Even ‘The Future Of American Warfare’ Thinks It Was A War Crime: Hegseth’s bold call to integrate GenAi.mil is already backfiring.

Free Speech On Trial: Professor sues school for retaliating over a Facebook comment.

Is Protégé Next Up?: LexisNexis just dropped a huge AI expansion pack.

This Is Why We Have Bar Exams

And the DOJ continues to be a hot mess.

$300,000 Bonuses For Junior Associates? Bonuses 8x The Market Rate? This Biglaw Firm’s Spin On Bonuses Brings In A LOT Of Cash

Boies Schiller & Flexner associates are raking it in.

Sure, Swift Kicks To The Sternum For All Tech CEOs, But How About An AI Robot That Can Clean The Damn John?

The bulk of the media-facing AI field is full of tech charlatans stumbling all over one another to create the first humanoid robot that isn't a useless POS.

A Monthly Checklist For Upping Your Cash Flow

Want to kickstart your firm’s profitability? Learn how by downloading the guide.

Boutique That Broke Away From Capitulating Biglaw Firm Hands Out Bonuses That Really Pack A Punch

Associates at the firm are reaping big rewards after its Biglaw split.

Trump’s Liberation Day Tariffs Are On Shaky Legal Ground As They Appear To Be A Stealth Consumption Tax

A Yale Budget Lab study believes the average household will lose $2,700 in purchasing power in 2025 due to the tariff’s inflationary effect on prices.

Trump Admin Should ‘Go Farther’ On Rewrite Of Acquisition Regulations: Industry Org

‘This is a really rare opportunity to attack some of those requirements that are most burdensome,’ said Margaret Boatner, AIA's vice president for national security policy.

Morning Docket: 12.10.25

* Sullivan & Cromwell argues that Trump’s state criminal charges — over behavior he undertook when he wasn’t president — belongs in federal court because jurors heard testimony about his attempts to cover up the crimes as president. [New York Law Journal]

* Big sanction for Goldberg Segalla over AI use in Chicago Housing case. [Chicago Sun-Times]

* ICE’s secret weapon? Databases of often anonymous and unsupported “gang” traits cited to keep people indefinitely detained. [Balls and Strikes]

* Trump’s proposed executive order to regulate AI will “face legal hurdles,” which is the nice way of noting that this is not how executive orders work. [The Hill]

* Lawsuit alleges Chipotle bowl delivered by DoorDash had a rodent in it. DoorDash immediately regrets not inventing rodent surcharge for the extra. [Law360]

* Department of Justice says evidentiary order is blocking their effort to reindict James Comey as opposed to the fact that it’s all clearly time-barred. [ABA Journal]

* Tax prosecutions fall precipitously. [Reuters]

* Supreme Court wants to know JD Vance’s political plans so they can bolt some kind of standing on his effort to erase campaign finance reforms. [Supreme Court Brief]

The Boutique Money Is Beautiful — See Also

Kellogg Hansen Comes In Over The Market!: Big money from a small firm!

Boutique Money Is Bigger In Texas: Check out Yetter Coleman’s bonus compensation!

The Sotomayor “Gotcha” Moment Doesn’t Hold Up Under Scrutiny: A handful of examples over 230 years isn’t the stare decisis ender the gov’t thinks it is.

Wait A Little Longer Before You Use Your Locker: White Supremacist’s return to school gets put on pause.

Mind Who You Clerk For: The Legal Accountability Project can help you navigate the 1 in17 abusive judges offering clerkships.

Mind Your Taxes!: A couple of small changes could save you thousands in the long run.

Holiday Reminder: Make sure to place your entry in our 17th Annual Holiday Card contest!

Being A Lawyer Is Super Popular Right Now

The legal profession is growing!

5 Year-End Tax Moves That Could Save Lawyers Thousands In Retirement

A little planning now can save you thousands in April.

Big Bonuses Aren’t Just For Biglaw

Elite litigation boutique shows out.

Are Judicial Clerkships A Hazard, Or Is There A Clerkship for Everybody?

The Legal Accountability Project's data indicate that around 1 in 17 federal judges are abusive, which aligns with the federal judiciary’s own data.