National Law Journal

Are Workers Having A Good Supreme Court Term?

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:43:12 EST

On this podcast edition of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy Hoover interviews Gupta Wessler attorney Jennifer Bennett about her recent unanimous victory at the high court on behalf of a delivery driver in Colorado facing forced arbitration.

U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Refuses to Curb SEC's Disgorgement Powers

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:05:39 EST

Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the high court, said the SEC can seek disgorgement orders in cases where regulators cannot clearly identify a victim of a fraud scheme, or quantify how much money was lost.

Supreme Court Says No Right to Jury Trial Over FCC's Nonbinding Fines

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:39:24 EST

The ruling comes after the FCC conceded that its so-called forfeiture orders don't actually have legal teeth until the agency brings a collection suit before a federal judge, at which point the companies would be entitled to a trial by jury under the Seventh Amendment.

'Enough is Enough': DOJ Asks 9th Circuit to End Flores Settlement on Migrant Child Detention

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:17:42 EST

The settlement, memorialized in a consent decree, requires that children be held in “safe and sanitary facilities and released from federal custody “without unnecessary delay to a guardian or state-approved program for dependents.

SEC Moves to Lift 'Gag Rule' Language from Proposed Musk Settlement

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:20:47 EST

In addition to addressing questions raised by U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan, this week's filings proposed revising the agreement to align it with a recent SEC rule change.

Crowell Moves to Redeveloped Building For Smaller DC Footprint, Aligning with 'Expectations of Modern Workforce'

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:31:06 EST

While its new home at 600 Fifth Street has a smaller footprint, firm leaders noted the office has a more efficient floor plan, including single-size attorney offices and upgraded technology.

Ex-Morrison & Foerster Contract Attorney Revives Race Bias, Wrongful Termination Suit Against Firm

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:51:05 EST

Junius J. Joyner III initially sued MoFo in 2019, alleging he was subject to racism and wrongfully terminated from the firm's Washington, D.C. office.

The 2026 NLJ 500: Top Five Cities

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:01:01 EST

Be sure to check out this year's leading cities!

The 2026 NLJ 500: Ranking the States

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:00:52 EST

Be sure to take a look at this year's top ranking states.

The 2026 NLJ 500: First Year Salaries

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:00:45 EST

Check out the newest addition to our survey, the top salaries for some of the largest NLJ 500 firms.

The 2026 NLJ 500: Which Firms Grew and Shrunk the Most?

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:00:34 EST

These firms grew or shrunk the most by headcount or percentage during 2025.

The 2026 NLJ 500: Ranked by Head Count

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:59:59 EST

The NLJ 500 is the National Law Journal's survey of the 500 largest law firms in the United States covering the previous calendar year.

Head Count Growth Further Slowed For the NLJ 500, Amid Economic and Political Constraints

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:59:59 EST

In 2025, the total number of attorneys at NLJ 500 firms rose 2.5% in 2025, compared with 5.5% in 2024.

There Are Fewer First-Year Associates—But Don't Blame AI (Yet)

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:59:59 EST

At the largest 100 firms in the country, the total number of first-year associates stayed essentially flat between 2024 and 2025, while the average size of first-year classes continued dipping. Observers credit rate pressure and overcapacity, and anticipate AI having a sharper impact in coming years.

From the Courtroom to the Campaign Trail: Boies Schiller Partner Chairs Husband's Run for D.C. Council Seat

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:29:59 EST

Boies Schiller Flexner partner Kenya Davis has been putting her persuasion skills to work canvassing voters in the run-up to the June 16 election.

As Top Partner Pay Eclipses $40M, Law Firms Increase Bonus Pools, Decrease Transparency

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:59:59 EST

"There's more people than ever before earning those very high levels of income,” said Blane Prescott, managing shareholder at MesaFive, who counsels firms on compensation.

1st Circuit Hears Drugmakers' Preemption Challenge to Maine Contract Pharmacy Law

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:20:04 EST

“This appeal concerns Maine's effort to use state law to impose additional obligations on drug manufacturers who participate in the federal 340B discounted drug pricing program," said Jessica Ellsworth, an attorney for Novartis. "The state law appeared for the first time nearly 35 years into this program's operation.

Norton Rose Hires Eversheds Sanctions Leader

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:47:48 EST

Ginger Faulk led the U.S. and global sanctions practices at her former firm.

NJ Entertainment Lawyers Eye Opportunities as Showbiz Spotlight Falls on Garden State

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:05:50 EST

The Garden State has become a hot spot for major film and television production companies lured by the presence of generous tax incentives, and entertainment attorneys say a shift in the practice area is either already happening or may be waiting in the wings.

Florida Becomes 1st State to Sue OpenAI. Lawyers Say It Won't Be the Last

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:29:09 EST

"This is a major event in the regulation of AI," said Berger Singerman partner Alejandro Miyar, who is not involved in the case. "There has been a lot of discussion about how it should be regulated. Not a lot of people have done it."

For Lawyers, AI May Increase Work Negotiating Contracts

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:14:03 EST

Some attorneys report even higher billable hours from what was previously standard contract drafting and negotiating because of clients who have security and data concerns from a vendor's use of AI.

Theranos' Balwani Asks Supreme Court for New Trial, Claims Prosecutorial Misconduct

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:17:44 EST

Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, the former lover of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, petitioned the Supreme Court to review his conviction for multiple counts of fraud for deceiving investors about the promise of the company's ballyhooed blood-testing technology.

The Trump DOJ Is Right to Settle the Agri Stats Case

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:59:59 EST

Information exchanges are not inherently unlawful under the Sherman Act. Courts have long recognized that many forms of information sharing can enhance market efficiency, improve forecasting, reduce volatility, and increase transparency.

Divided DC Circuit Blocks Defense Department From Expelling Transgender Service Members

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:31:42 EST

Judge Robert Wilkins, writing for the 2-1 majority, said the policy “appears to be driven by a bare desire to harm a politically unpopular group.

Law Firms Are Using AI as Strategy Tool, Not for Reliable Forecasts of Litigation Outcomes

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:06:15 EST

Attorneys are using the predictive functions of AI to corroborate or identify potential holes in their thinking about litigation strategy.

Supreme Court Seeks Solicitor General's View of Robinhood's Appeal of Alleged IPO Omissions

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:02:48 EST

The high court called for D. John Sauer's view on an appeal from stock trader platform Robinhood Markets, which is facing an investor suit over its $2 billion initial public offering in 2021.

CFTC Opens Door to Crypto Perpetual Futures in US

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:32:20 EST

Unlike traditional futures contracts, perpetual futures have no fixed expiration date, allowing investors to hold onto positions indefinitely. Perps offer around-the-clock trading and are highly leveraged, sometimes allowing investors to trade up to 100 times the amount of money they invested.

Former DOJ Lawyer Who Defended Trump's Big Law EOs Joins Holtzman Vogel

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:47:30 EST

Abhishek Kambli, who most recently served as lead counsel for the Trump administration in the Big Law executive order legal battle, has joined Holtzman Vogel as a partner.

Supreme Court Takes Up Pro Se Prisoner Appeal

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:21:46 EST

Prisoner William Maxwell, who has since secured Supreme Court counsel, filed his own petition for review to the high court last August.

Cravath Adds DOJ National Security Attorney

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:44:59 EST

Michael Patrick Daly will join several former government officials in Cravath's Washington, D.C. office.

Arguing Class Actions: Apex Witnesses and Defendant Misdirection

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 05:59:59 EST

Arguing Class Actions is a monthly column for the National Law Journal.

Federal Judge Presses DOJ on Whether Trump's $100K H1B Fee is Unconstitutional Tax

Fri, 29 May 2026 20:32:00 EST

“What makes something a regulatory payment as opposed to a tax? asked U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of the District of Massachusetts.

Esports Company's Bid to Arbitrate Consumer Class Action Fails as SCOTUS Rejects Cert Petition

Fri, 29 May 2026 18:12:55 EST

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider defendant AviaGames' petition to review the denial of its motion to compel arbitration in a federal consumer class action, which accused the mobile gaming company of rigging the outcomes of its online games through the deployment of computer bots.

Reversing IP Litigation Trend, Federal Appeals Court Reinstates $82 Million Verdict Against Ford, Orders New Trial

Fri, 29 May 2026 15:06:28 EST

In Versata Software v. Ford Motor, the Federal Circuit held that trade secret plaintiffs may seek unjust enrichment damages based on a defendant's gains from misappropriated technology, not just the cost of a licensing deal. The court reinstated an $82 million jury verdict and ordered a new trial, potentially exposing Ford Motor Co. to up to $1 billion in additional damages.

Pharma's Deal Boom Is Fueling Demand for M&A Lawyers

Fri, 29 May 2026 13:54:34 EST

Many large pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to acquisitions rather than relying solely on internal research and development efforts to build their drug pipelines. That shift is shaping what legal departments need from their lawyers, said Beth Long, managing partner of the Philadelphia office of Major, Lindsey & Africa.

SEC Moves to Scrap Biden-Era Climate Disclosure Rule

Fri, 29 May 2026 13:40:59 EST

The rule would have mandated broad disclosures of climate-related information in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including board oversight of climate issues, internal carbon pricing and financial effects from severe weather events.

Legal Battles Shaping Over Data Centers: Here's What to Expect

Fri, 29 May 2026 13:22:05 EST

"To some extent that's the truth about the data centers," attorney Stuart Lieberman said. "Nobody wants them, and yet everybody wants to use ChatGPT."

Supreme Court Term Limits Are Not a Cure-All: They Are Extremely Unwise if Enacted by Statute

Fri, 29 May 2026 07:59:59 EST

If we are going to redesign the Supreme Court, we should be honest about what the reform actually fixes—and what new problems it creates.

Skadden's Jeremy London on the Mission to 'Evolve and Improve'

Fri, 29 May 2026 06:59:33 EST

The nonequity tier, which the firm created in recent months, helped Skadden boost the number of partner promotions this year. The firm also aims to be "participants in the lateral market," London said.

Ethics Experts Ask: Could Judge's Affair, Lying Warrant Impeachment Inquiry?

Thu, 28 May 2026 17:23:27 EST

University of Indiana Maurer School of Law professor Charles Geyh expressed reservations about whether the judge's conduct rises to an impeachable offense but said a public—rather than private—reprimand was warranted.

Defense Attorneys Must Be Allowed to Argue Pretext Under 'Batson,' High Court Holds

Thu, 28 May 2026 16:09:13 EST

"After a prosecutor asserts race-neutral reasons for a peremptory strike, the defense counsel must at least have an opportunity to argue that the asserted race-neutral reasons were not the actual reasons—that is, the reasons were pretextual," Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the 5-4 majority.

Target Taps Former Kimberly-Clark Legal Chief as New CLO

Thu, 28 May 2026 15:02:36 EST

Grant McGee succeeds Amy Tu, who was among two Target executives ousted last June.

Legal Ops Has a New AI Mandate: Show the Money

Thu, 28 May 2026 13:44:25 EST

For Alyse Wilkinson, senior director and certified risk manager at WSP, ROI has to speak the language of the business. She said her team used AI prompts to help the CFO find legal spend data more quickly.

Truck Drivers Need Not Cross State Lines to Be 'Interstate' Workers, Supreme Court Rules

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:22:06 EST

"At least sometimes, a worker who transports goods on an intrastate leg of an interstate journey can qualify for Section 1's [arbitration] exemption without satisfying either of those criteria," Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the unanimous court.

Supreme Court Limits Compassionate Release for Defendants

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:17:55 EST

The U.S. Supreme Court issued two decisions Thursday narrowly reading the federal compassionate release statute that allows reduced sentences for criminal defendants for "extraordinary and compelling reasons."

Amid Flurry of FDA Warning Letters, Failure to Plan Is Prescription for Pain, Attorneys Say

Wed, 27 May 2026 19:32:14 EST

"I hate to be rudimentary for those who've been in this business for a long time, but I often have clients that don't understand that FDA enforcement...is law enforcement," said attorney David Graham.

Former SG Prelogar Discusses Tenure, First Supreme Court Argument as Private Lawyer

Wed, 27 May 2026 18:44:42 EST

Elizabeth Prelogar, former President Joe Biden's U.S. solicitor general, discusses her move back to Cooley, assembling firearms for argument prep and what it was like arguing her first U.S. Supreme Court case as a private lawyer.

Jewish Students Urge 3rd Circuit to Revive Title VI Antisemitism Lawsuit Against UPenn

Wed, 27 May 2026 18:31:48 EST

Amit Vora, arguing for the plaintiffs, responded the students must show that the university knew of the harassment and responded inadequately. They need not show that Penn itself harbored discriminatory animus in how it responded to antisemitic incidents, he added.

What Exactly Is an AI-Native Law Firm?

Wed, 27 May 2026 16:25:48 EST

A growing number of new firms are calling themselves "AI-native," but what that term means depends on who you ask.

Trump Wants Florida Judge Removed From BBC Case

Wed, 27 May 2026 14:59:40 EST

The president's lawyers argue the judge's past role in another one of his lawsuits "creates an appearance of impropriety." The BBC, meanwhile, says this is an attempt to delay providing financial records sought in discovery from the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust.

9th Circuit Upholds Order Pausing Some DEI Grant Cuts for UC Research

Wed, 27 May 2026 00:10:29 EST

A three-judge panel said the researchers are likely to succeed on their claim that the government discriminated based on viewpoint in terminating the grants, in violation of the First Amendment right to free speech.

EPA's Forever Chemical Rollback Complicates Compliance, Regulatory Lawyers Say

Wed, 27 May 2026 09:47:08 EST

Industry eschews uncertainty, said Armstrong Teasdale partner Tim Bergère. And what the Trump administration is doing is, they're creating some uncertainty among the regulated community."

Legal Professionals Increasingly See AI as a Job Generator

Wed, 27 May 2026 09:29:59 EST

Ironclad's 2026 State of AI in Legal report finds that many legal professionals have an optimistic outlook on AI's impact on the job market despite the uncertainty around AI's long-term impact on employment in the U.S.

Lateral Associate Hiring Outpaced Entry-Level Hires in 2025

Wed, 27 May 2026 08:59:59 EST

"If you're not thinking of your senior talent strategy right now, you are falling behind," Firm Prospects CEO Adam Braveman said.

Partner Pay Spreads Moderate for Am Law 100, as Comp Packages Grow and Equity Ranks Thin

Wed, 27 May 2026 05:59:59 EST

More firms are setting pay packages starting at $20 million to $25 million for top equity partners. As Big Law firms create bigger pay packages for their star performers, pay ratios tend to spread more.

Uber Backs Federal Legislation to Thwart California Liability Initiative

Tue, 26 May 2026 19:25:08 EST

U.S. Rep. Vince Fong , R-Bakersfield, said in a late-night hearing that his bill targets "frivolous" car crash lawsuits. Plaintiffs groups say the language threatens sexual assault lawsuits brought by Uber passengers.

Supreme Court Chooses Not to Weigh NFL's Demand for Arbitration in Coach's Bias Lawsuit

Tue, 26 May 2026 17:40:28 EST

The NFL and three pro football teams sought to overturn an appeals court ruling that they couldn't force arbitration of a racial discrimination suit brought by Brian Flores, a Black man. who had been fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2022 despite back-to-back winning seasons, Flores has accused the league of systemic discrimination in its hiring and promotion practices.

Supreme Court Won't Let Florida Sue California, Washington Over 'Sanctuary' Laws

Tue, 26 May 2026 14:45:05 EST

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Florida's attempt to pursue a lawsuit against California and Washington claiming those states are failing to enforce federal immigration standards.

101 & Counting: Hogan Lovells' Jessica Ellsworth Reflects on Oral Argument Milestone

Tue, 26 May 2026 14:25:29 EST

"The best advice that I have gotten is to advance from thinking of an argument as an opportunity to tell the court why you are right to instead think of it as an opportunity to listen to the court and hear where the court has questions and try to be in more of a listener mode."

Shooting Outside North Carolina Courthouse Leaves Fox Rothschild Attorneys With 'Non-Life-Threatening' Wounds

Tue, 26 May 2026 13:46:38 EST

The suspect made her first court appearance Tuesday morning in Raleigh after being charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder.

Announcing the Finalists for the 2026 Elite Trial Lawyers

Tue, 26 May 2026 13:17:31 EST

We are pleased to unveil the finalists and honorees for The National Law Journal Legal Awards highlighting the top litigation and appellate work from the past year.

'A Catastrophic Failure to Communicate': NTSB Hearings Highlight UPS Plane Crash Problems, Lawyers Say

Tue, 26 May 2026 00:46:51 EST

The National Transportation Safety Board held a hearing on what caused a UPS cargo plane to crash on Nov. 4, 2025, while taking off in Louisville, Kentucky.

Supreme Court Ends Immigration Judges' Lawsuit, Chastises Fourth Circuit

Tue, 26 May 2026 11:54:51 EST

"Federal courts are not 'roving commissions,' licensed to 'sally forth each day looking for wrongs to right,'” the high court said. "The court of appeals lost sight of those principles here."

The Era of Subsidized AI Tokens Is Ending. Where Does That Leave Law Firms?

Tue, 26 May 2026 04:59:59 EST

"No one knows how much lawyers are going to consume,” said one Am Law 100 CIO.