Above the Law

Judge Grants Anthropic Preliminary Injunction But Pentagon CTO Says Ban Still Stands

'The record strongly suggests that the reasons given for designating Anthropic a supply chain risk were pretextual and that [the government’s] real motive was unlawful retaliation,' said Judge Rita Lin.

Morning Docket: 03.31.26

* Over half of all federal judges report using AI as part of their workflow. [Reuters]

* Kirkland snags several Latham lawyers in Houston. [American Lawyer]

* New wrinkle in Charlie Kirk case as defense argues ATF couldn’t match bullet to alleged shooter’s gun. [Politico]

* Judge invokes Kafka in Defense Department press credential dust up. [Law360]

* Meta counsel says AI has changed the outsourcing game. Notice how she didn’t say “the Metaverse” has changed anything. [Legalech News]

* Baldoni lawyers handed a little benchslap in Lively case. [Bloomberg Law News]

Thank You For Your Service. Now Get Out! — See Also

Judge Gets Mad At IT Guy For Doing His Job: Gotta love a judicial temper tantrum and a hot mic!

Can The President Put Lawyers On A Leash?: Fighting the executive orders is a big deal for the profession.

Democrats Mad Trump Didn’t Steal More Earlier: Feckless party.

Trump Lawyers Cite Confederate Legal Theorists To Attack Birthright Citizenship: Citing Alexander Porter Morse was a definite choice.

Why Realistic Scenarios Matter More Than More AI

AI that prioritizes smoothness over substance feels less credible, not more.

Who’s Worse Than Trump?

Trump is terrible.

Jordan Furlong’s TECHSHOW Keynote: The Lawyers Who Will Thrive In The New World Order Will Be Entrepreneurs — And Humans

The lawyers who will succeed in the future will be masters of relationships and cultivate trust and confidence.

Legal Ethics Roundup: Lawyer Court Selfie Sanction, J&J Conflict Disqualification, House Rep Ethics Violations, Alito/Gorsuch Recusals, Fiery Judicial Opinions, LSB’s New Ethics Hierarchy & More

Your tour of all things related to lawyer and judicial ethics, with University of Houston law professor Renee Knake Jefferson.

Trump Officials Downplay Guilt By Association, Cite White Supremacists As Authorities In Birthright Case

Their version of America First includes excluding potential Americans.

Biglaw Firms Are Starting To Get ‘Nervous’ About Deal Work Inventory

Managing partners are growing cautious as workloads dip and optimism takes a hit.

Has Legal Industry Upheaval Changed Your Career Goals? 

Please share your thoughts in this (always) brief and anonymous survey.

Dems Scold Trump For Not Stealing Money Sooner

Do not congratulate!

Biglaw To D.C. Circuit: This Isn’t Just About Us — It’s About Whether The President Can Put Lawyers On A Leash

Susman, Jenner, Perkins, and Wilmer say the executive orders are retaliatory, abusive, and very much not okay.

Product Spotlight: Lexis® Create+ For Litigators

Litigation moves on strict deadlines—and every filing must withstand judicial scrutiny. Despite deep institutional knowledge, teams often spend critical time surfacing prior briefs and pleadings, and validating authorities, before a document is ready for court.

Judge Throws IT Worker Out Of Courtroom For Doing His Job

Viral video captures judge treating a tech support staffer like a hostile witness for pointing out that everything was working fine.

‘This Is Crazy’: Health Experts Call For Changes To The No Surprises Act

Industry leaders say the No Surprises Act is protecting patients from surprise bills, but its Independent Dispute Resolution system is being overused and exploited, driving up costs and prompting calls for reform.