Excellent non-Biglaw firm litigators can represent almost any client at least as well as so-called Biglaw -- but law firm managers need to run their firms right to make this happen, according to columnist John Balestriere.
It sounds like this prominent intellectual-property firm is in trouble.
Those who’ve adopted legal-specific systems are seeing big benefits.
Skadden argues that it made innocent mistakes, but the bottom line is that the firm should never have found itself in this position in the first place.
The vastly divergent fortunes of partners and solos.
When a partner goes public with controversial views, that can impact the firm's overall reputation and recruitment.
According to columnist John Balestriere, when you're deciding whom to hire, you should almost always ask whether the person could be running the place someday.
A new proposal would let wealthy foreign nationals secure an opportunity for a U.S. green card with a $1 million 'gift' to the government, sparking legal and ethical debate.
What Biglaw firm is in hot water for ordering the destruction of dox?
Freeze your asses off or get a new job, associates. The decision is in your ice-cold hands.
* Partners at this law firm tried a threesome, but it didn't exactly work out as expected, so now they're scaling it back to just one at a time. (And by this, we of course mean that Porter Scott's three co-managing partners plan was a no-go.) [Sacramento Business Journal]
* More than 40 class-action suits have been filed since the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, with many litigants alleging that they were "duped" into its purchase. Maybe one of them will pack a better punch than the so-called "Fight of the Century." [National Law Journal]
* Just because one Biglaw firm went under, in part, because of its brand-spanking new administrative hub, that doesn't mean your firm shouldn't consider opening one. The risk might be worth the reward of saving millions in expenses. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg]
* Concordia Law launched a media campaign to attract students, touting the fact that it's been kind of provisionally approved by the ABA as its selling point. It's new slogan is likely "Meh, we're good enough for the ABA, so we're good enough for you." [Idaho Statesman]
* Here's some good news for the people who are actually considering taking the D.C. bar exam instead of just waiving in like the rest of civilized society: the D.C. Court of Appeals will finally allow you to type the essay portion of the exam on your laptops. [Legal Times]
* Hillary Clinton is making a mad dash for Biglaw bucks to support her presidential run. This week, she’ll be at an event hosted by Sullivan & Cromwell, and next week, she’ll be at an event hosted by a Chadbourne & Park partner. Ooh la la, fancy schmancy! [Bloomberg Politics] * Dewey know why this firm failed? Back before D&L declared bankruptcy, the firm’s most successful rainmakers were asked to give up half of their gigantic salaries in an attempt to stave off the worst... but they didn't want to. We suppose that’s the way the cartel crumbles. [Am Law Daily] * Bickel & Brewer, the fearsome Texas litigation boutique, recently broke up, and now it'll simply be known as Brewer. John Bickel, who invoked the firm’s partnership retirement clause, is now ensconced as senior counsel at Fish & Richardson. [Texas Lawbook] * This career services dean is here to tell you a tale about law school job stats. You see, law schools don’t have an unemployment problem -- instead, they have a “J.D. Advantage” problem (aka, jobs they took because they couldn't get lawyer jobs). [Huffington Post] * This is yet another reason why people are considering Fordham’s Fashion Law LL.M.: “Every designer should have a minimum degree of legal literacy, if only to know when to seek a legal opinion — and to avoid being sent to sit at the kids’ table.” [New York Times]
As of October 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requires electronic payments for filing fees. Learn key updates, exemptions, and how firms can prepare.
In a profession ruled by men, these Biglaw firms have taken steps to level the playing field for women.
Which partner fired off such a harsh email?
What is this rule, and how does it apply to lawyers? Columnist John Balestriere explains.
* Ouch! The Florida Supreme Court just unanimously told a lower court judge to STFU and GTFO. Judge Laura Watson, who was elected to her position in 2012, was summarily ousted from the bench for shady conduct that took place before her judgeship commenced. [Sun Sentinel] * The ABA postponed making a decision on whether it'll approve a merger between Hamline Law and William Mitchell Law. Not to worry, everything will be okay. Come on, as if the ABA would let a failing law school completely crash and burn. [MPR News] * We mentioned this week that Hank Greenberg won his A.I.G. bailout suit, but we didn't get around to the part where Davis Polk got quite the judicial spanking from an "irritated" judge -- and the firm wasn't even named as a defendant. [DealBook / New York Times] * Uh oh. It looks like Ellen Pao just got "powed." Judge Harold Kahn has tentatively ruled that Pao must pay about $276,000 in trials costs to Kleiner Perkins. (Special thanks go out to ATL commenter Paul Harvey for this clever little quip.) [Digits / Wall Street Journal] * Micah Green, a prominent lobbyist at Squire Patton Boggs, is headed for greener pastures at Steptoe. He's the latest rainmaker to leave, which makes us wonder if the firm will be satisfied with only being able to make it drizzle. [PowerPost / Washington Post]
The distribution of aging lawyers is trending upwards, but firms may still have to rethink their insistence on mandatory retirement and succession planning.