California Pulse


  • iStock-2187096855.jpg

    Here's Where Mid-Law Leaders Will Be Focused In 2025

    Mid-Law leaders entering 2025 say that they are optimistic about the new year but also focused on potential challenges, such as the rise of generative artificial intelligence tools, succession planning and ensuring that any growth they are experiencing is sustainable.

  • iStock-2172394786.jpg

    Fed. Court Reforms Face Long Odds Amid GOP Control In '25

    Some modest reforms to the federal courts may be enacted in the coming years, but major changes championed by Democrats and judicial reform activists are likely "dead in the water" now that Republicans will be controlling Congress and the White House in 2025, reform advocates say.

  • iStock-2160750172.jpg

    Lit Finance Enters '25 On Solid Ground Amid Disclosure Push

    The $15 billion U.S. litigation finance industry has come a long way in recent years, but demands for more transparency from pro-business groups and the defense bar could present a significant challenge in the year ahead.

  • iStock-1494570707.jpg

    Calif. Law Firms Gear Up For Newsom-Trump Showdown In '25

    In the highly anticipated standoff between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the incoming Trump administration, Golden State law firm leaders expect 2025 to deliver plenty of opportunities for attorneys to become involved in litigation on both sides of the coming legal battles.

  • iStock-2186729480.jpg

    The Biggest Cases At State Supreme Courts In 2025

    Abortion access, education funding and mandatory prison sentences are among the high-profile issues on state supreme courts' dockets in 2025, as attorneys and activists increasingly turn away from the U.S. Supreme Court and instead look to the states to protect certain constitutional rights, experts say.

  • iStock-2171455404.jpg

    These Issues Will Be Top Of Mind For Small Firms In '25

    As the calendar turns from 2024 to 2025, small-firm attorneys and solo practitioners across the U.S. are facing a constellation of new and old issues, from dealing with new regulations to confronting the longstanding challenges of keeping a small business alive.

  • 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 39 empty seats on U.S. district and circuit courts and 6 pending vacancies due to announced retirements and plans to take senior status, three of which opened on Dec. 31 and another that opened Jan. 2.

  • iStock-1409417258.jpg

    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.

  • iStock-981323312.jpg

    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.

  • iStock-1180321075.jpg

    Public Faith In State Courts Up As Trust In Fed. Courts Sinks

    Public confidence in state courts seems to be rising at the same time that trust in the federal courts and overall judicial system is plummeting, according to recent surveys that paint drastically divergent pictures of people's faith in state and national judicial systems.

  • 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.

  • jan-dogs.png

    Sheppard Mullin Pet Calendar Nets Nearly $11K For Charity

    Sheppard Mullin's New York office has launched a firmwide holiday pet calendar — featuring not only cats and dogs but also a donkey, peacocks, some lizards, a few guinea pigs and three little soccer-playing fish — that has raised nearly $11,000 for charity.

  • katya-headshot.png

    Lessons In 'Value-Centered Lawyering' From Atty Turned Prof

    Katya Cronin, a professor at George Washington University Law School and former BigLaw attorney, argued in a recent academic paper that law schools need to do more to encourage students to examine their personal values and pursue legal careers in line with them.

  • Danya Perry.jpg

    What 2024 Looked Like For 4 Small Firms

    A lot can happen in a year for small firms. Law360 Pulse caught up with four, some just getting started and others with long legacies, to talk about what their 2024 looked like.

  • Patton_Jen_25677.jpg

    Foley & Lardner's New COO Wants To 'Champion' Firm Culture

    As Jen Cafferty Patton moves up from chief talent officer to chief operating officer at Foley & Lardner LLP, she says she is prioritizing keeping the firm’s people-focused culture strong for both employees and clients.

  • retouched Magic before sunrise.jpg

    How DC Students Help Blank Rome Spread Holiday Cheer

    In a tradition stretching back just over a quarter century, Blank Rome LLP taps into the Washington, D.C., community by hosting a competition for students at a local arts-focused high school to submit designs for the annual holiday card sent out to the firm’s thousands of clients.

  • iStock-1296674681.jpg

    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.

  • jennamooney.jpg

    New Davis Wright Exec Talks 'Running The Business' Of Firm

    After more than two decades as an employment attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Jenna Mooney has taken on the role of its second-in-command with a focus on running the business of the firm.

  • Biden_66017.jpg

    Biden Exceeds Trump's Record On Judges By One

    The U.S. Senate confirmed on Friday the last two judicial nominations from President Joe Biden, making his total of lifetime judicial appointments 235, just one over President Donald Trump's 234.

  • f64377_1128d774392a42d89150dc4176feb86a~mv2_d_3840_1440_s_2.jpeg

    Approach The Bench: What Judges Had To Say This Year

    Jurists weighed the benefits of partisan elections, praised innovations in telehearings and worried about the future of the profession in nearly a dozen interviews with Law360 this year.

  • Adam Abramowitz and Phillip Maroc

    FisherBroyles Adds Corporate, Tech Partners In Two Cities

    FisherBroyles LLP has hired a longtime Stein Sperling Bennett De Jong Driscoll PC attorney and a former Workday director and privacy counsel, who are joining the firm's teams in Washington, D.C., and Palo Alto, California, as partners, the firm has announced.

  • Hwangdaesung_.png

    Baker McKenzie Names 18 New Partners In North America

    Baker McKenzie announced the promotion of 18 North American-based attorneys to partner, a slight increase from last year but still significantly lower than in previous years.

  • iStock-2153471752.jpg

    How Law Firms Are Reinvesting 2024's Near-Record Profits

    U.S. law firms are set to close out 2024 with near-record increases in revenue and profits, according to industry surveys. Here, a look at how seven law firm leaders are planning to reinvest the windfall.

  • iStock-1352089732.jpg

    MoFo, Irell Latest Firms To Unveil Competitive Bonuses

    Morrison Foerster LLP and litigation boutique Irell & Manella LLP have joined a chorus of firms announcing associate bonuses that meet or exceed the BigLaw standard for associate bonuses this year, with MoFo offering up to $218,200 and Irell handing its lawyers as much as $175,000.

  • karam-natalie-24525-web.jpg

    Cooley Capital Markets Pro Joins Sidley In California

    Sidley Austin LLP has grown its capital markets offerings in California with the addition of a Cooley LLP attorney as the firm sees demand growth in equity transactions.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the California Pulse archive.
×

Law360

Law360 Law360 UK Law360 Tax Authority Law360 Employment Authority Law360 Insurance Authority Law360 Real Estate Authority Law360 Healthcare Authority Law360 Bankruptcy Authority

Rankings

NEWLeaderboard Analytics Social Impact Leaders Prestige Leaders Pulse Leaderboard Women in Law Report Law360 400 Diversity Snapshot Rising Stars Summer Associates

National Sections

Modern Lawyer Courts Daily Litigation In-House Mid-Law Legal Tech Small Law Insights

Regional Sections

California Pulse Connecticut Pulse DC Pulse Delaware Pulse Florida Pulse Georgia Pulse New Jersey Pulse New York Pulse Pennsylvania Pulse Texas Pulse

Site Menu

Subscribe Advanced Search About Contact