Business of Law

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AI Terms, 'Coffee Badging' Among Top New Words In Law

Burton's Legal Thesaurus recently announced this year's top new words in law, with entries like "coffee badging" and "hot-tubbing" joining the echelons of 2022's "meme stock" and 2023's "hallucination" as the thesaurus brings to light some of the most novel terms and talking points for lawyers in 2024.

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'Twice The Pace': 2024 Was A Busy Year For Law Firms

Even as mergers and acquisitions activity has remained relatively "soft," large and midsize law firms have experienced a substantial increase in demand over the last year at twice the historic average rate of increase, according to the co-author of a Thursday report on U.S. law firm financial results.

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Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q3

A promotion to partner or election to practice group chair means a slew of new responsibilities and also lots of well-deserved recognition. Law360 reveals the list of attorneys whose commitment to legal excellence earned them highly coveted spots in the law firm leadership ranks. Find out if your old legal friends — or rivals — moved up in the third quarter of the year.

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The 2024 Prestige Leaders

Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.

January 01, 2025
5 Big Questions For White Collar Enforcement In 2025

White-collar lawyers are bracing for potentially seismic shifts in government enforcement as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House with a sweeping new set of priorities and a squadron of tech gurus and political allies to carry them out.
January 01, 2025
The Top 5 High Court Cases To Watch This Spring

The U.S. Supreme Court justices will return from the winter holidays to tackle major First Amendment questions and several administrative law disputes — all arising from the Fifth Circuit — that could further change how federal agencies promulgate rules and defend them.
January 01, 2025
Trump Begins 2nd Term With At Least 45 Judge Seats To Fill

Incoming President Donald Trump will take office Jan. 20 with 45 seats on the federal bench to fill. Currently, there are 34 empty seats on U.S. district and circuit courts and 11 pending vacancies due to announced retirements and plans to take senior status, three of which opened on Dec. 31 and another that opens Jan. 2.
January 01, 2025
Legal Ethics Matters To Watch In 2025

After an eventful 2024, industry experts are looking ahead to what might be the big topics in legal ethics in the new year, including the ethics implications of artificial intelligence and ethics opinions that may be relevant to attorneys in the incoming second Trump administration.
January 01, 2025
The Hottest Topics Appellate Attys Are Tracking In 2025

Appellate lawyers in 2025 should probably stock up on coffee and expect some all-nighters — numerous high-profile appeals, a new presidential administration and a new framework for legal challenges to regulations suggest it'll be an uncommonly tumultuous trip around the sun.
January 01, 2025
What's Keeping Law Firm Leaders Up At Night In 2025

Law firms have experienced rapid change and growth in recent years, and 2025 will likely be no different. Firm leaders told Law360 Pulse they are bracing to respond quickly to a number of different opportunities likely to arise in the new year.
January 01, 2025
NJ Cases To Watch In 2025: Power Broker, Pollution Cleanup

This year, litigators in New Jersey and beyond will be watching the state's prosecution of power broker George Norcross and his close associates for the alleged wide-ranging RICO conspiracy to obtain Camden waterfront properties and the millions of tax credits that come with the lots.
January 01, 2025
Connecticut Cases To Watch In 2025: Ethics, Mergers & Actors

A suit over McCarter & English LLP's municipal loan advice and a Yale-owned heath network's legal battle over a beleaguered acquisition deal are just two multimillion-dollar cases that will keep Connecticut courts busy next year.
December 28, 2024
Trump Seeks High Court's Pause Of TikTok Sale-Or-Ban Law

President-elect Donald Trump has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to freeze the impending deadline for TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company or face a nationwide ban, suggesting his new administration could negotiate a deal that would end the need for the congressional mandate.
December 23, 2024
Anti-Laundering Law Is Likely Constitutional, 5th Circ. Rules

The Fifth Circuit on Monday lifted a lower court's nationwide block of a federal corporate transparency law, ruling in an unpublished order that the federal government made a "strong showing" that it could successfully defend the law's constitutionality.
December 23, 2024
Biden Vetoes Bill To Add New Judgeships

President Joe Biden vetoed a bill Monday that would have added more federal judgeships, despite the judiciary's plea that more seats on the bench are needed desperately.
December 23, 2024
'Tragedy To Farce': Menendez Makes 3rd New Trial Bid

Former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and two co-defendants, convicted of bribery in July, have made a third push for a new trial in Manhattan federal court, contending that the government's latest admission of an evidence gaffe bolstered their case.
December 23, 2024
Trump Taps Ex-Homeland Security Atty As DOJ Chief Of Staff

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Chad Mizelle, who formerly held top legal roles at Trump's Department of Homeland Security and is married to Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Kathryn K. Mizelle, as chief of staff at the Department of Justice.
December 23, 2024
Alston & Bird, Arnold & Porter Unveil Associate Bonuses

Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP and Alston & Bird LLP told associates Monday they'd be receiving year-end bonuses that meet the prevailing scale for large law firms set by Milbank LLP in November — as long as they meet certain billable hours requirements, according to media reports.
December 23, 2024
New Jersey US Atty Resigning Before Trump Returns

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger of the District of New Jersey announced Monday that he was resigning, making him the latest appointee of President Joe Biden to make departure plans ahead of the incoming Trump administration.
December 23, 2024
Thompson Coburn Data Breach Plaintiffs Aim To Consolidate

Plaintiffs seeking restitution from Thompson Coburn LLP over a data breach filled a motion Friday to consolidate the group's eight proposed class actions, as well as appoint three attorneys to interim class counsel over the potential master case.
December 23, 2024
McElroy Deutsch Beats Former Exec's Malicious Claim

McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP got a claim for malicious prosecution against it dismissed without prejudice in litigation against its former business development director, who the firm accused of embezzling millions from it.
December 23, 2024
Attys Get A Third Of $1.3M Settlement With Legal Data Co.

A Kansas federal judge has awarded counsel one-third of a $1.3 million settlement in a class action against data and professional services company UnitedLex Corp. that allegedly exposed 200 gigabytes of sensitive information during a March 2023 data breach.
December 23, 2024
House Report Says Gaetz Paid For Sex, Accepted Gifts

Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz regularly paid women for sex, including with one 17-year-old girl, used illicit drugs and accepted a trip to the Bahamas in excess of permissible gift amounts, according to a report released Monday morning by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics.
December 23, 2024
3 Ways Associates Can Survive An Average Annual Review

You're a rock star associate in your fourth or fifth year trying to make partner, and you just got an average review after previously receiving high marks. Although it's tempting to panic, experts say it's possible to come back after such setbacks by being proactive.
December 20, 2024
In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.
December 20, 2024
Another Texas Judge Exits X's Advertising Boycott Suit

The second Texas judge to oversee litigation filed by Elon Musk's X Corp. accusing the World Federation of Advertisers and others of conspiring to withhold advertising revenue from the company has recused himself from the case.
December 20, 2024
Girardi's Mental Health To Be Evaluated At NC Federal Prison

A California federal judge said Friday she will order Tom Girardi to receive a psychiatric evaluation at a North Carolina federal correctional facility after she recently delayed his wire fraud sentencing to determine if he should be committed to a medical facility instead of prison due to his dementia diagnosis.
December 20, 2024
High Court Bar's Future: Williams & Connolly's Sarah Harris

Sarah M. Harris of Williams & Connolly LLP never planned on being a U.S. Supreme Court advocate, or even an appellate one. She stumbled upon that career path after realizing her initial goal of becoming a national security or government lawyer wasn't the right fit.
December 20, 2024
Litigator On The Roof: The Acting, Singing Mass. Solicitor

The top appellate lawyer in the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General will be ringing in the new year by performing a comical cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, the latest show in a lengthy side career in music.

Expert Analysis

An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
This Year's Insights On Attorney Well-Being

With the legal industry increasingly grappling with attorney burnout, depression, anxiety, stress and substance use disorders, Law360 guest experts proposed solutions this year ranging from mental health first aid training to exercises that build flexible optimism.
New Strategies For Enhancing Firm Culture

How can law firms work toward retaining legal talent and meeting business goals? This year, Law360 guest commentary dove into tips like embracing cognitive diversity and conducting so-called stay interviews.
The Latest Legal Writing Tips

In 2024, Law360 guest experts provided advice for improving many kinds of legal writing — explaining how attorneys can use syllogistic reasoning, emulate master chefs, and clean up drafts produced by generative artificial intelligence tools.
2024 Pointers On Persuading Jurors

In a year where nuclear verdicts continued to proliferate, Law360 guest commentary focused on how trial attorneys can better select and connect with jurors, offering strategies for identifying anti-corporate sentiments and tactics to land one’s closing argument.
Associate Issues In The 2024 Spotlight

Law360 guest writers provided insights on a range of issues affecting associates this year, from the challenges of training new lawyers in the era of artificial intelligence, to nonfinancial factors that junior attorneys should consider before accepting a job offer.
Cybersecurity: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

From the CrowdStrike failure to the plethora of new and sometimes tricky regulatory requirements, to early decisions interpreting cyberinsurance coverage, guest authors broke down the implications of the biggest cybersecurity developments this year.
AI Questions: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

As the legal discourse surrounding artificial intelligence shifted from theoretical to concrete this year, guest commentary focused on the proliferation of new AI-related litigation, enforcement actions and best practices, while tracking the judiciary’s experimentation with generative AI.
ESG And DEI: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

In their commentary on ESG and DEI topics this year, Law360 guest authors discussed Project 2025’s potential impact, the rise of greenwashing litigation, strategies for fostering employee retention amid a shaky regulatory landscape, and more.
Election Impact: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

Donald Trump's election win initiated a deluge of predictions for the incoming administration, with Law360 guest writers covering key policy areas such as immigration, tax, energy, labor and competition, plus potential congressional themes and investigations.
Noncompetes: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

Employee noncompete issues took center stage this year, as Law360 guest writers covered everything from state-level enforceability trends and alternative methods for protecting business interests, to a National Labor Relations Board ruling and the Federal Trade Commission’s attempted ban.
The Most-Read Access To Justice Guest Articles Of 2024

Law360 guest commentary addressed several emerging access to justice issues this year, including growing case backlogs, a dearth of legal services in rural communities and amendments to long-standing sentencing policies.
The Most-Read IP Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

Double-patenting was one of the top intellectual property topics tackled in Law360’s Expert Analysis section this year, along with the intersection of copyright law and artificial intelligence, case distribution in the Western District of Texas, and more.
The Most-Read Employment Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

Readers were drawn to employment law commentary on a range of 2024 developments, including the U.S. Supreme Court's Title VII ruling, impactful activity from the National Labor Relations Board, and state legislation targeting employee noncompete agreements.
The Most-Read Securities Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

This year, popular securities guest article topics included controversial Delaware court decisions and their legislative aftermath, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s focus on emerging industries amid struggles to implement its rulemaking agenda.