Above the Law

Judges Should Not Weaponize Delays To Force Compromises

Judicial efficiency matters, but keeping attorneys stuck in court to force settlements can create ethical and logistical problems.

Will Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Wellness Appeal To Employers?

Employer advocates said Cost Plus Wellness could help spur more direct contracting and transparency in healthcare, though they questioned whether the model can scale and adequately measure provider quality and outcomes.

FIFA’s Bigger World Cup May Come With A Bigger Cost For Fans

How much expansion still serves the integrity of the event, and how much simply serves the business model surrounding it?

Morning Docket: 05.22.26

* Michael Cohen says he’s applying to the DOJ slush fund. Let’s see how this plays out. [Daily Beast]

* Gibson Dunn and Davis Polk eye largest IPO in history — a $2 trillion valuation for a company that brings in about $15 billion a year. Who doesn’t love a 130x valuation? [Bloomberg Law News]

* Tom Goldstein hires Elizabeth Prelogar. So he knows he’s heading for an appeal. [Law360]

* If it seems like Todd Blanche has reoriented the whole DOJ around delivering illicit gifts to Trump, it’s because he has — and it’s why he’s going to keep his job. [Politico]

* Company turns over its outside counsel engagement process to an AI bot. What could go wrong? [Roll on Friday]

* New report says the administration will move immigration lawyers into the DOJ to “speed up” the process. [Reuters]

* ChatGPT confesses to crime that it didn’t commit. [Lowering the Bar]

Happiness Matters — See Also

The Firms Women Are Happy To Work At: These firms report some of the highest job satisfaction levels!

Young Lawyers Need To Figure Out Timing: Now is the best time to read this advice.

Experts Say Things Are Bad For The Rule Of Law: This should surprise no one. That’s part of the problem.

You Can’t Just Destroy Official Records: Judge stops Trump from disappearing the evidence.

UC Berkeley Takes A Stand On AI Learning: Huge! How many schools will follow their lead?

DOJ Lawyer Indicted Over Emailing Herself: The Jack Smith report must be terrible!

My Big Fat President’s Big Fat Misappropriation

Hopefully, there will be a lot of taxpayer lawsuits ahead.

Indicting Former DOJ Lawyer Tells You Exactly How Bad The Jack Smith Report Must Be For Trump

More like 'Devil's Food' than 'Bundt Cake.'

UC Berkeley Cracks Down On AI Use With New Policy

Pedagogy ain't dead yet!

Wearables In The Courtroom: Let’s Educate, Not Knee Jerk

An educated judge can impose meaningful and appropriate penalties when lines are crossed concerning wearable technology.

Keeping Up With AI Has Become Biglaw’s Full-Time Job

As AI reshapes the legal industry in real time, firms are keeping busy trying to look innovative while privately trying to keep pace.

Some Thoughts On Harvey’s Launch Of ‘LAB,’ An Open-Source, Long-Horizon Benchmark For Legal AI Agents

‘The goal of LAB is to provide a clear picture of how agents can be deployed to support legal work in the real world,’ the researchers write.

State Of Rule Of Law The Worst It’s Been In A Decade, Experts Say

In other news, water is wet.

The Law Firms Where Women Associates Are Actually Happy (2026)

Even as firms go quiet on DEI amid political pressure, some still manage to support and retain women lawyers.

From Defending Spend To Managing It

How PERSUIT is changing the conversation between Legal and the business.

Judge Shreds Trump Demand To Destroy Official Records

It didn't work for Nixon, but it might work for us...