Law.com

The Death of Lockstep, Explained

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:06:57 EST

In this week's Legal Speak episode, law.com senior editor Christine Simmons discusses the end of the lockstep compensation era with Mesa Five's Blane Prescott.

University of Texas at El Paso Forges Ahead With Law School Plans

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:00:57 EST

The University of Texas at El Paso plans to seek legislative approval and funding in 2027 for a school focused on international, immigration and cross-border law.

TopDog Law Wants 500 Attorneys and a Presence in the Courtroom

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:13:34 EST

"Because of our brand and the demand we see around the country, we think we are in a prime spot to become one of those national firms that can take the insurance companies on head-to-head," firm founder James Helm said.

Meta Settles Social Media Addiction Claims, Leaving Snap as Sole Defendant

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:33:44 EST

Meta's agreement with plaintiffs sets the stage for the first social media addiction trial solely against Snap Inc., the owner of Snapchat.

How I Made Partner: 'Bring Positivity to Every Interaction,' Says Ruxandra Osgood of Pond Lehocky

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"Show your firm you are there for their long-term success. Be a team player, bring positivity to every interaction, and demonstrate your dependability—especially during challenging times and transitions."

Massachusetts Cannabis Repeal Vote Would Trigger Financial Fallout for Industry, Experts Say

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:14:49 EST

Ryan Dominguez, of Stop the Repeal, says Question 8 could close most of the state's licensed market, leave owners without bankruptcy protection and send more than 20,000 workers to unemployment if Massachusetts voters approve the measure Tuesday.

Weil's Sudden Dissolution Prompts Talent Feeding Frenzy

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

One candidate reported 25 solicitations from firms on Thursday alone, according to a recruiter. But the outlook for early career associates, lawyers in the U.S. on H-1B visas, and business professionals is not nearly as promising.

Monsanto Wins First Roundup Trial Since SCOTUS Invalidated Key Claim

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 20:57:32 EST

A Missouri jury returned a defense verdict for Monsanto within hours after closing arguments on Thursday.

State Attorneys General Seek Repeal of Corporate Transparency Act Rule Change

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 20:28:51 EST

The complaint claims a recently passed rule exempting roughly 99.9% of corporate entities previously subject to the Corporate Transparency Act violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

Zillow Agrees to Pay $212.5M to End Investor Class Action

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:12:16 EST

Lead counsel for a class of Zillow investors said the deal—reached in a case over its failed home-flipping business—could be the largest single securities settlement ever reached in the Seattle-based federal court.

How I Made Practice Team Leader: 'Make Inclusion a Real Priority,' Says Justin Murphy of BakerHostetler

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"Be transparent, listen carefully and make inclusion a real priority. If you focus on building a positive, effective team culture, the leadership piece tends to follow."

Law Schools Scramble to Assist Students Displaced by Weil Dissolution

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:43:38 EST

The dissolution of Weil Gotshal & Manges impacts a wide range of law school students from the classes of 2026 through 2028.

What Law Firms Can Learn From Putting Summer Associates at the Center of AI Innovation

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:10:59 EST

Bass, Berry & Sims created a nine-week AI Lab where summer associates identified real workflow problems through attorney interviews before designing AI solutions, resulting in working prototypes that are now being used in client work.

Weil Working With Big Law Firms to Place Associates, Trainees Following Plan to Dissolve

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:08:56 EST

Exclusive: The potential rescue deals come after Weil, Gotshal & Manges' management committee recommended the partnership pursue an "orderly wind-down" in a meeting on Wednesday.

'A Sad Day': Legal Industry Reacts to Weil's Rapid Turn

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 22:34:19 EST

"This is a sad day for our legal profession, as Weil is one of the most venerated law firms of the last 50 years," the leader of one fellow Am Law 100 firm said.

The 'Public Deserves ... the Truth': Lawyers Take Aim at Roblox, Discord Over Forced Arbitration

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:59:08 EST

Attorneys in the multidistrict litigation in California's Northern District pushed back against efforts by Roblox, an online video game, and Discord, a messaging app, to arbitrate the claims of six minors selected as bellwether plaintiffs.

Life Sciences Trio Brings 20 Years of Teamwork to Honigman's New Boston Office

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:00:26 EST

The trio worked together at Womble Bond Dickinson and bring significant intellectual property knowledge to Honigman as the firm expands its life sciences practice.

Weil Management Committee Opts to Dissolve Firm

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:09:27 EST

"Following a careful review of strategic alternatives, the Firm's Management Committee has recommended to the partnership that the Firm pursue an orderly wind-down," the firm said in a statement.

Critical Mass With Law.com's Amanda Bronstad: Meta Hit With $25B Judgment; MDL Judges Becoming More Diverse

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:07:41 EST

Also: Federal judges of color made up 38% of those assigned to multidistrict litigation last year, the highest in a decade, according to Law.com data.

US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein of Manhattan Federal Court Dies at 92

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:24:17 EST

Hellerstein oversaw the United States' narcoterrorism conspiracy case against ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

'This Isn't the End of It': Will $25B Judgment Against Meta Hold Up on Appeal?

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:31:21 EST

Meta is likely to raise due process and other constitutional issues on appeal, which could end up before the New Mexico Supreme Court or U.S. Supreme Court, experts told Law.com.

How I Made Practice Group Chair: 'Create an Environment Where People Feel Empowered,' Says Vassi Iliadis of Hogan Lovells

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"What I have learned is that effective leadership is far more about listening than directing. It is about creating an environment where people feel empowered to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and innovate. My role is not to have every answer; it is to bring together the right people, ask the right questions, and create the conditions for great ideas to emerge."

Weil's Journey: What the Data and the Market Say

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 20:14:03 EST

For all the acceleration of late, changes have come over time for the prominent Am Law 100 firm.

Harvard Law, DePaul Law Receive Record $30M+ Donations

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:41:36 EST

Alumni, both 1976 graduates, donated historic gifts to the law schools this week.

Federal Reserve Must Scrap 21-Cent Cap on Debit Card Swipe Fees, US Appeals Court Says

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:27:01 EST

The Federal Reserve had improperly factored in banks' fixed costs when deciding the maximum they could charge to process debit transactions, according to the Eighth Circuit.

Plaintiff Law Firms Pay First-Years $131K on Average, With Raises and Bonuses Highly Variable

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:59:59 EST

Only about 49% of the respondent firms had a structured or lockstep pay raise structure, and 21.5% had no official policy.

Tylenol Maker Accuses Plaintiffs' Lawyer of Using Sanctions Appeal to Reassign MDL

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:03:02 EST

Kenvue urged a US appeals court to uphold sanctions against Ashley Keller, accusing him of improperly using the appeal as a “strategic opportunity to seek reassignment of multidistrict litigation alleging Tylenol causes neurodevelopmental disorders.

Weil's Tough Decisions in Path Ahead

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 21:23:31 EST

Firms in Weil's position have few options. Merger or no merger, Weil's current form is risky.

How I Made Practice Group Chair: 'Think of It as Relationship Development, Not Business Development,' Says Andrea Griswold of Skadden

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"While all of these skills matter, to me, business development is the most important. I think of it as relationship development, not business development. You don't expect a dinner with a prospective client to turn into a matter. You have to consistently deliver excellent work, build trust over time, and maintain credibility and relationships—both with the clients and with government—to earn a seat at the table when important matters arise."

Retired Mass. Judge Faces Discipline for Jailing, Holding Public Defender in Contempt

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:14:35 EST

The attorney was handcuffed and placed in a holding cell with leg restraints at the Fall Rivers District Court for more than five hours before the judge withdrew the contempt finding and ordered his release, the complaint said.

From Disclosures to Prohibitions: The New Legal Landscape on the Use of Consumer Data for Personalized Pricing

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:55:59 EST

Three states—Maryland, Connecticut, and New Jersey—have enacted laws banning or restricting companies from using personal data for personalized pricing, with the FTC signaling potential enforcement and other states likely to follow. While these laws share the goal of regulating surveillance pricing, they differ significantly in their definitions, scope, covered entities, permitted exceptions, and enforcement mechanisms, creating a complex patchwork of requirements for businesses to navigate.

Under Client Pressure to Save Time with AI, Law Firms Face Verification Challenge

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

Time spent verifying AI outputs is cutting into efficiency gains for some Big Law associates.

Litigation Trends: Cases Surge After Medicare Fraud Crackdown. Plus, AI-Powered Pricing Tools Spur Antitrust Claims.

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:06:11 EST

Joshua Kushner's health insurance company wants to claw back commissions.

Texas A&M Law Grads Score Historic Pass Rate for July Bar Exam

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:38:08 EST

Texas A&M University School of Law broke a record for first time bar passage rates during July's administration of the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE).

Plaintiffs Can Move for Sanctions Against Chicago Attorneys for Subpoena Interference, Judge Rules

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:35:17 EST

An agent of the Chicago attorneys defied a court order and sent information to a subpoena recipient of which "every element ... was false," according to the plaintiffs.

9/11 Family's Malpractice Claim Against Kreindler & Kreindler Survives Over $13K Recovery on $43M Judgment

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:17:47 EST

The lawsuit centers on whether the firm should have obtained final judgments and submitted applications to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (VSSTF) before a February 2020 deadline.

How I Made Law Firm Leadership: 'Always Anticipate the Next Steps,' Says Kerry Price of Bass, Berry & Sims

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"Always anticipate the next steps beyond what it is you're asked to do. Being proactive and a problem solver is almost always welcomed by the people that you're working with and for. Just doing your job is baseline. What else can you do to move projects forward to think about something in a different way?"

Weil and Willkie Call Off Merger Talks as More Partners Leave

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:08:42 EST

Drew Tulumello and Chantale Fiebig are the latest leadership departures from Weil.

How to Transition Clients In Smaller Firms When Succession Planning

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 08:23:20 EST

A well-planned client transition protects the trust you spent years building, gives your successor a stronger foundation, and helps clients feel cared for rather than simply handed off.

2 Reagan-Appointed Judges Still Dominate Casebooks. What About Newer Judges?

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:44:59 EST

"It's incredibly hard to get into the casebooks, in part because it is just like a Christmas playlist," said University of Virginia School of Law professor Mitu Gulati.

Law Firm Disrupted: Clients Want Allies—Not Adversaries—in the Pricing Revolution

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:58:24 EST

If the pressure law firms and legal departments are feeling comes from the same source, shouldn't that align them?

'A Botch Job': 5th Circuit Reassigns Case After Judge Misused AI to Draft Ruling

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:18:40 EST

"Given the embarrassment of the AI hallucinations and mistakes of law in the two TROs and the preliminary injunction, it would be an understandable—though obviously unjust—temptation for the judge to want to find a way to prove that, even with correct law and fact, his initial view should prevail," Judge Jerry Smith wrote for the appellate court.

MDL Judges Are Becoming More Diverse: Law.com Data Shows 38% Assigned Last Year Were Nonwhite

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:10:22 EST

Only 62% of MDL judges were white in 2025, and 32% of those were white men, who made up less than half for the first time in 2018, according to Law.com data.

As Exits Continue, Weil Works on Merger Deal, Tells Partners to Carry On

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:49:28 EST

Sources say the next few weeks are crucial, as Weil attempts to close a deal for a firm that just last year generated $2.077 billion in revenue and $5.593 million in profits per partner.

Legal Tech Providers Embrace Integrations in the Agentic AI Era

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:39:57 EST

In the legal tech world, it's all connected. Or at least it's getting there.

Weil Management Committee Member Zalka Plans Move to Paul Weiss

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:31:56 EST

The firm continues to see prominent departures as it looks for a path forward via a merger.

Illinois Judges are Using AI Tools, Misuse Scenarios Yet to be Tested

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:59:59 EST

"Even a very professional, high-end product can still produce inconsistent results. You have to be aware of that, as a judge, sycophancy is a real side of most AIs. They're looking at language to see what it believes you want, and it tries to prove that to you," a recently retired Illinois judge told Law.com.

Billable Hours and Lawyer Stress Have Long Been Intertwined. Can AI Provide a Solution?

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:05:10 EST

“If AI allows attorneys to complete certain tasks in a fraction of the time they previously required, the question becomes how we compensate lawyers for the value they provide, rather than simply the hours it takes them to provide it," said one Big Law associate.

The Week in Data Oct. 22: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 05:59:59 EST

Catch up on the latest data from across the Law.com newsroom, including rising legal talent in Texas and New England.

Meta Hit With $25B Judgment After New Mexico Judge Finds 'Systematic Pattern of Deception'

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 15:42:06 EST

At a press conference on Wednesday, New Mexico Attorney General Rau l Torrez said the award was the “one of the single largest, if not the largest single state verdict against a company in U.S. history and a “clear warning against Big Tech, including other social media and artificial intelligence companies.

Midsize Firms Embrace Outside Hires for C-Suite, Freeing Top Lawyers for Revenue Generation

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:07:20 EST

Experts say business management expertise and the need for lawyers to bill hours make professional staff worth the overhead increase.

Critical Mass With Law.com's Amanda Bronstad: Judge Orders Financing Disclosures in Hundreds of Paraquat Cases, OpenAI Hit By 8 State Suits & Novel Class Action

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 11:29:59 EST

A federal judge in the paraquat multidistrict litigation ordered a second lawyer to explain why his clients aren't participating in a proposed settlement.

How I Founded a Law Firm: 'A Good Deed Can Impact Someone's Life,' Says Rob Nestico of Kisling Nestico & Redick

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

"I wish I would have known sooner how much a good deed can impact someone's life. Do as much as you can, as early as you can."

Legal Educators Raise Concerns Over Law Degree Portability, Standardization as ABA Awaits DOE Decision

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:59:59 EST

Experts say the pending DOE decision regarding ABA Council accreditation poses no immediate crisis, but they warn that states abandoning the council's accreditation could disrupt legal education oversight and portability of degrees.

Trump's ‘Not Very Nice' Remarks About Justices Show Court's Independence, Kagan Says

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 19:39:35 EST

“That's why the president, sometimes, has not very nice things to say about the court and its decisions and about some of my particular colleagues because the court, of course, has pushed back," Kagan said Tuesday.

US Judge in Roundup MDL Calls for Amici to Provide Briefing on SCOTUS Impact

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:39:50 EST

An order from U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, of the Northern District of California, sought to resolve whether the Supreme Court's June 25 ruling in Monsanto v. Durnell wiped out all lawsuits over Monsanto's Roundup.

Tennessee Supreme Court Rejects PE Law Firm Ownership

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:50:35 EST

"From our perspective, the Tennessee order is a positive development," said Nesheba Kittling, senior vice president of loss prevention for the Attorneys' Liability Assurance Society.

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?

Freshfields Reveals Plan to Take on Wall Street's Legal Giants

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:59:59 EST

A year into the job, Konrad Gro ller is binding Freshfields' continental offices into a single European offering called EU Connect, betting on the firm's home advantage as U.S. rivals push in and dozens of Freshfields European partners depart.

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.