Law.com

NYC Proposes First-of-Its-Kind Automated Customer Service Chatbot Regulation

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:33:57 EST

The chatbot rule would require businesses to provide timely and reasonable customer service in addition to offering customers access to a human representative if that service falls short.

Former MIT Professor Wins $6M Defamation Verdict Against Colleague Who Accused Him of Sexual Harassment

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:33:11 EST

The jury, composed of seven women and six men, unanimously awarded David Sabatini $6 million in damages, plus prejudgment interest, after determining Kristin Knouse had defamed him and interfered with his career.

Pace University Names Texas A&M Law Dean as Next President

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:26:42 EST

Texas A&M University School of Law Dean Robert “Bobby Ahdieh has been named Pace University's ninth president, effective Jan. 1.

Inside Jones Day's Fintech Startup Accelerator

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:00:24 EST

Fewer than 10% of applicants were accepted to this week's event, where Jones Day partners and institutional clients will bolster the next generation of fintech players.

Weil Meets with Partners Over Merger Plans

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:49:56 EST

Sources close to Weil identified Willkie as one of Weil's top merger candidates, but it's not clear if those talks are ongoing. Weil has also approached other firms.

Lawyer? Attorney? Katie Zacharia Episode Raises Ethics Questions About a Professional Title

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 11:21:46 EST

California law says falsely holding oneself out as eligible to practice law is a crime punishable by jail time. But would anyone really prosecute the former White House press secretary?

Law Firm Workloads Are Under Threat as Legal Departments Do More With AI

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:29:59 EST

As in-house teams cut down on the work they're sending to outside counsel, law firms are passing on AI-driven savings and looking at new billing models.

Another Talc Trial Opens as J&J Gets Support for $5.8B Settlement

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:29:53 EST

The trial, in Massachusetts' Suffolk County Superior Court, involves a plaintiff with mesothelioma, not ovarian cancer, which is the subject of Johnson & Johnson's settlement.

Weil Planning to Merge

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:05:52 EST

Sources indicated that any Weil merger would include a firm with a large national or international presence with Texas offices and an interest in building out in New York.

The Week in Data Oct. 19: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:21:41 EST

Catch up on the latest data from across the Law.com newsroom, including why the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office lost 50 lawyers last year.

Arizona Supreme Court Approves the States' First Non-Accredited Law School

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:48:08 EST

The Arizona Supreme Court created standards so that Grand Canyon University's new law school graduates will be able to sit for the bar following graduation.

What If We're Thinking About The Future of Law All Wrong?

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:43:16 EST

Hear how industry leaders are taking a new approach to planning for disruption in the industry.

Law Firms Should Start Building Their Own AI Capability

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 14:49:31 EST

Buying a third-party legal AI product for a defined task may look simpler financially and operationally, and often will be. Partners should still seriously explore building an internal AI capability rather than allowing purchased products to become the firm's entire AI strategy.

Fourth Circuit Vacates Wage-and-Hour Class Certification Due to Existence of Individualized Inquiries Despite Uniform Policy

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 14:42:59 EST

The decision emphasizes that Rule 23 requires evidence that the same liability issues can be resolved classwide, not merely that employees share a common compensation practice.

Apple Recruits Another Meta Legal Exec, This Time to Lead Global Litigation

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:59:23 EST

The appointment reunites Scott Tucker with Jennifer Newstead, who spent more than six years as Meta's chief legal officer before leaving for Apple earlier this year. She succeeded Kate Adams as Apple's top lawyer in March, taking responsibility for both legal and government affairs.

Judge Rejects DOJ's Motion to Disqualify Susman Godfrey in ABA Suit

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:42:17 EST

The Trump administration sought to disqualify the Houston-founded trial firm from representing the ABA in litigation against the government on the ground it violates disciplinary rules.

How I Made Partner: 'Be True to Yourself and Self-Reflect,' Says Claudia Tobler of Selendy Gay

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"Be true to yourself and self-reflect. If you're unhappy or something feels off, take the time to figure out what you actually want. If you do want to make partner, understand why. Think about what gives you real satisfaction, what makes you happy, and where you want to focus your energy. Then pursue it with confidence."

When AI Agents Trigger a Crisis: The New Communications Playbook

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:05:27 EST

How do you communicate when you know the harm before you know its cause? For law firms, it comes up both when advising a client and when explaining an incident of their own.

Big Law's $3,000-An-Hour Problem

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:59 EST

The price of legal firepower keeps rising, but client appetite to pay is waning. Who'll blink first?

New England Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Joan Lukey, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:27:36 EST

The New England Legal Awards honored attorneys and legal professionals at a Boston awards ceremony Oct. 8.

Chicago Attorneys Attempted to Intervene With Dispensary Exec's Subpoena, NY Judge Rules

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:00:43 EST

"Defendants, after consultation with opposing counsel, could have moved to quash or modify the subpoena," Castel wrote. "They did not [do] so. Instead, the Senior General Counsel of their Company endeavored to shape the response and compliance of the subpoenaed individual."

'Radical Rewrite': Solicitor General Asks Supreme Court to Upend Legal Challenges to Rules

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:52:55 EST

U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer has asked the justices to limit the power of federal courts to "vacate" new government regulations on a nationwide basis—a position some justices previously described as "radical" and "extreme."

Litigation Trends to Watch: Claims Surge Over Amazon Resales, Marketing Texts and Law Firm Data Breaches

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:40:31 EST

Businesses are targeting Amazon resellers that list used or returned products as "new."

How We Made Practice Group Chair: 'Commitment to Listening and Observing,' Say Maeve O'Connor and Michael Schaper of Debevoise

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"Practice leadership is fundamentally about people, so aspiring practice leaders should prioritize relationships—with clients and with colleagues in their practice and across the firm. Building relationships, in turn, requires a real commitment to listening and observing so that you can both develop a vision for the future and then get others to join in."

For Encrypted Data, “Q-Day Is Coming — Here Are Seven Steps to Prepare

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:21:56 EST

As quantum machines become more powerful, today's uncrackable encryption schemes may become trivial to break. Opinions vary as to how soon that moment, so-called “Q Day, will arrive, but the threat is real.

8 States Sue OpenAI Over ChatGPT's Alleged Risks to Children

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:31:33 EST

The states accuse OpenAI of hiding ChatGPT's alleged risks to children. They filed parallel suits under consumer protection and product liability laws.

Pa. County Pursues Climate Change Tort Suit on Appeal Against National Backdrop

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:16:19 EST

The Bucks County case was initially tossed over lacking subject matter jurisdiction. A U.S. Supreme Court case pursuing state tort claims could determine the trajectory of it and numerous others filed nationwide.

Six Flags Faced Injury Lawsuits in California Before Georgia Man's Death on Roller Coaster

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 17:59:20 EST

More than 100 people have retained attorneys to sue Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California over brain injuries they suffered while on the X2, with three cases already filed.

Law Firm Disrupted: Why Some Big Law Leaders Outlast Corporate CEOs by Years

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:34:49 EST

Law.com chatted with several Am Law 200 leaders, who are either winding down or have ended their tenures after at least a dozen years, to discuss the benefits of playing the long game.

California Sues to Keep ICE Out of State Courthouses

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:25:32 EST

The lawsuit, the 100th filed by California against the current Trump administration, alleges that ICE's courthouse arrests violate both common law and the 10th Amendment.

Hacked: Cybersecurity Breach Disrupts Federal Court Operations

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:06:09 EST

A system that produces and transmits bankruptcy notices for all federal bankruptcy courts around the country has been the target of a cyberattack.

DOJ Warns ABA of 'Monopoly' Over Part-Time Faculty Restrictions

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:11:05 EST

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward sent the ABA's council of legal education a letter warning that one of its accreditation benchmarks may prevent adjunct professors from competing against full-time faculty to teach first-year law school students.

Could This Pa. Suit Challenging Mandatory School Tech Be a Template for Nationwide Litigation?

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:58:56 EST

In one of the first lawsuits of its kind, Pennsylvania parents are challenging a school district's mandate that students use internet-connected devices, as states nationwide restrict student technology use.

Employment Outcome Disparities Persist for 2025 Law Grads, Particularly in Lawyer Roles

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:20:45 EST

NALP's latest J.D. jobs report shows a slight decline in employment for 2025 law graduates, with persistent disparities in jobs and pay across racial, ethnic and parental-education groups.

US Judge Orders Plaintiffs' Lawyer to Disclose 'Financial Interests' in Paraquat Lawsuits

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:41:46 EST

U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel, who is overseeing 6,600 paraquat lawsuits in the Southern District of Illinois, told Allen Smith of The Smith Law Firm that she was concerned only 49 of his 750 clients were participating in a proposed settlement: "I want to be sure the decisions are made by the right people."

How Law Firms Are Strategizing for Consumption-Based AI Pricing

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:11:23 EST

With legal tech companies potentially switching from seat-based to consumption-based pricing, firms are beginning to think about how to keep the cost of AI down.

1 in 5 Lawyers Rate Their Mental Health as 'Fair' or 'Poor,' Illinois Study Finds

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:46:57 EST

Nearly 27% of lawyers surveyed by the Illinois Lawyers' Assistance Program said they have daily or weekly feelings of stress regarding work, and 66% believe their workplaces harm their mental health, physical health or overall wellness and would consider leaving.

Robinson & Cole Adds Former Mass. False Claims Division Chief to Boston Office

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:54:13 EST

"The federal enforcement landscape has been evolving at a rapid pace over the past couple of years, and I expect that will continue," Crafts told Law.com. "Clients want to understand how changes in enforcement priorities may affect their operations and what steps they can take to proactively assess risk."

When Facial Recognition Is Only a Lead: Build the Record

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:12:27 EST

People v. Torres offers a timely New York reminder: An algorithmic candidate and a witness identification are different events, and litigators should be able to reconstruct both.

Critical Mass With Law.com's Amanda Bronstad: Firms Behind Norfolk Derailment Settlement Hit With Malpractice Suits, LA Judge Mulls Postponing Billion-Dollar Wildfire Trial

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:35:17 EST

Malpractice lawsuits have been filed against more than 20 plaintiffs' lawyers involved in a $600 million class settlement over Norfolk Southern's 2023 derailment in Ohio.

How I Founded a Law Firm: 'A Love for the Law Is Key,' Says James McManis of McManis Faulkner

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"It's not easy, but it is very satisfying. You can't be concerned about the 'perks.' A love for the law and love for clients is key. I have always believed the law is a service profession: how can you help people?"

Associates Are On the Front Lines of AI Use. For Those Opting In, Promise Trumps Fear

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 05:59:59 EST

A number of associates who are rolling up their sleeves told Law.com that legal AI has been a benefit to their work—a counterpoint to Law.com data revealing that many midlevels view technology replacing humans as the biggest threat to their jobs.

Uber Clears Standing Hurdle in RICO Suit Against Simon & Simon, Medical Providers

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:44:47 EST

The court ruled that insurance payments doesn't strip Uber of its ability to seek damages for an alleged fraudulent injury-claims scheme.

'A Second Betrayal'?: 10 Lawsuits Accuse Plaintiffs' Firms Behind $600M Norfolk Settlement of Malpractice

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:49:22 EST

Among the firms named in the lawsuits are Grant & Eisenhofer, Morgan & Morgan and Motley Rice, who represented hundreds of residents and businesses impacted by the 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

Overworked and Overlooked - How Work Allocation Shapes Associate Retention and Firm Performance

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:25:34 EST

Join us to explore how better resource management helps law firms balance workloads, improve staffing decisions, and strengthen associate development and retention

A New Strategic Framework in the AI Era: Mapping Future Business Models of Law

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:16:26 EST

Pathways: The Future of the Business of Law 2040—developed in partnership by Law.com, the TLTF Fund, Harvey and leaders across the industry—pressure-tested the legal industry business model and developed a map that allows organizations to have more agency over the future they want to see.

How I Founded a Law Firm: 'Establish Your Reputation Long Before You Open,' Says Jeremy Ben-David of Caldera Law

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"Develop relationships and establish your reputation long before you open your doors. Great lawyers do not necessarily become successful founders. Running a law firm is ultimately about people: clients, colleagues, and referral sources."