U.S. Department of Justice (photo by David Lat)
* In 2018, what did Donald Trump talk about when he talked about the courts? Adam Feldman dives into the data to find out. [Empirical SCOTUS]
* Speaking of President Trump and the judiciary, he continues to appoint federal judges at a record pace — but the Democrats are doing everything they can to slow down his progress. [Bench Memos / National Review]
AI Is Reshaping Legal Practice—But Tools Aren’t The Real Differentiator.
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
* If you care at all about affordable housing, then you should be heartened by these developments in the fight against exclusionary zoning, as discussed by Ilya Somin. [Volokh Conspiracy / Reason]
* Congratulations to the Department of Justice on its ninth consecutive year of civil health care fraud settlements and judgments exceeding $2 billion. [MedCity News]
* If you’re interested in the hot topics among law librarians, legal technologists, and others in the space, check out Jean O’Grady’s most popular stories of 2018. [Dewey B Strategic]
Filevine’s New Legal AI Platform LOIS Turns AI Into A True Legal Coworker
Legal work isn’t slowing down, and the firms that win won’t be the ones working harder — they’ll be the ones working smarter.
* And if you’re interested in the year that was in artificial intelligence and the law, check out the Artificial Lawyer’s roundup of notable news. [Artificial Lawyer]
* Condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues of Bre Payton, who passed away last week at the age of 26. [The Federalist]
* Veteran trial lawyer David Berg continues his series on “What It Takes To Win”:
David Lat is editor at large and founding editor of Above the Law, as well as the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at [email protected].