Business Development
presented by Bloomberg Law

Another law firm website fail.

* Watch out, law students! Democratic politician Darren Soto is in hot water for what he wrote as part of Law Revue. [Gawker]

* Bernie may be complaining about Hillary’s fundraising, but according to election law expert Rick Hasen, “legally this seems weak.” Well, when you are alleging someone is breaking the law, “legally weak” is good enough. [The Atlantic]

* Fourth Circuit to the rescue! Today, the court held that federal law prevents public schools from banning students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. [Slate]

* Predictions on how the justices will wind up voting in U.S. v. Texas. [Empirical SCOTUS]

* A new day, a new lawsuit against Trump. Filed yesterday, Cheryl Jacobus is suing for defamation, and Michelle Fields seems like she might not be far behind. [The Slot]

* ICYMI, here’s our own Elie Mystal talking elections on Morning Joe. [MSNBC]

* Need more time to focus on business development? Delegate your work. [Reboot Your Law Practice]

One Biglaw firm recently hit the reset button on their online presence and not everyone is happy.

The only good associate is a billing one.

Biglaw firms used to depend entirely on doing good work as the key to getting new business. But that notion's time has passed.

Attorneys have a role to play in legal marketing, but they aren't always right.

It's hard out there for a... business developer. You've got to be on your grind to make it rain.

Entrepreneur Ari Kaplan explains how his new technology can guide you down the path to riches and independence, but only if you embrace accountability.

* An odd order? Perhaps in an attempt to avoid yet another 4-4 split in a controversial case, SCOTUS justices have ordered parties on both sides of the contraceptive coverage battle in Zubik to file briefs describing how such coverage could be provided without religious groups having to put forth much effort to formally object. [Associated Press]

* “It’s mind bogglingly obvious, but often gets lost in the mix. Apart from checking there aren’t any conflicts, clients are rarely put at the heart of these mergers.” Go figure, but according to a new report by professional services consultancy Gulland Padfield, law firm mergers usually don’t benefit clients in any way, shape, or form. [Am Law Daily]

* It seems that Russian cybercriminal “Oleras” has hired hackers to break into the computer systems of 48 Biglaw firms so he can collect confidential client data and then trade on the stolen insider information. Thus far, he’s been unsuccessful. Has your law firm been targeted? If you’d like to know, check the list here. [Crain’s Chicago Business]

* The NFL is so pissed that the New York Times recently published a story linking the league to the tobacco industry that it not only wrote a two-part rebuttal that was more than 3000 words long, but it also sicced Paul Weiss attorneys on the paper of record in search of a retraction, claiming that the story was defamatory in nature. [Yahoo! Sports]

* “I will not go down. I want Bill Cosby in court.” A Los Angeles judge has ruled that model Janice Dickinson’s defamation case against Bill Cosby can move forward so that a jury can decide whether her allegations of rape are truthful, and further, whether a “liar” comment made by the comedian’s ex-lawyer, Marty Singer, was defamatory. [Telegram]

Maybe you dread making "cold calls" -- but it's far easier than you think to turn "cold" conversations into warm ones, according to columnist David Perla.

By giving up a little of our own spotlight, we can do our part to make sure that our firms remain on stage for a long run, according to columnist Gaston Kroub.

* No matter what your right-wing uncle posts on Facebook, or what that drunken Bernie Bro tried to convince you of at a bar, no: Hillary Clinton is not getting indicted over her use of emails while at the State Department. Don’t believe me? Ask a law professor. [Media Matters]

* If you’re wondering what Mitch McConnell is thinking, overtly being an obstructionist over President Obama’s Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland, you aren’t alone. But here is some insight as to why he is playing this political game. [Guile is Good]

* We told you the Gawker verdict was no damn good. [Gawker]

* Will it take a Cesar Chavez to takedown rideshare giants like Uber and Lyft? [Casetext]

* Now that Donald Trump is within striking distance of the GOP nomination for president, will that impact potential sanctions against these lawyers? [Wise Law]

* Columbia Law hosted a conference about Asian-Americans in the law, with our own David Lat, about demystifying the model minority myth and the “Bamboo Ceiling.” [Columbia Law School]

* Can you make pre-packaged marketing materials work for you? [Reboot Your Law Practice]

* Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill will be leaving public service and heading to Biglaw. She leaves the FTC effective March 31 and will then join Hogan Lovells. [Reuters]

One of the most challenging aspects of running a law firm or law department is the classic problem of all buyers and sellers: how do you get and sustain a good deal?

What sets superior lawyers apart throughout their careers, according to lawyer turned entrepreneur David Perla, is one quality in particular: empathy.

If you're a law student, ask yourself if your law school is truly preparing you for the future.

Even in a world of dashboard-based outside counsel relationships, the legal business will always be driven by personal connections -- so here's how to develop stronger connections with your own clients and colleagues.

Strippers use certain techniques to grab their clients’ attention and to get their money -- and some of these techniques can apply to the legal profession, as columnist Shannon Achimalbe explains.

In order to make a good decision about how to handle clients, it is important to assess their actual or potential contribution to the firm’s professional and financial bottom line.

Getting out there is the only way to stay relevant as a lawyer in this competitive environment, according to columnist Gaston Kroub.