Each week NALP provides a summary of news articles of interest to legal career professionals.

For news in the public interest arena, see the news digest from Samuel Halpert, NALP's Director of Public Service Initiatives, at www.psjd.org.

June 2, 2023

1. "Law Firms Boost Parental Leave as Some Workers Remain Skeptical," 06.01.23.
   Bloomberg Law reports on some recent moves to expand parental leave policies and make them gender-neutral but notes, "some attorneys worry they risk career advancement if they take all of it."
   
   
   1. "Law Firms Must Normalize Working Parenthood to Retain Talent," 06.01.23.
      This Bloomberg Law op-ed argues that firms also need to look at policies and assumptions related to new parents returning to the workplace after their parental leave.
      
      
2. "Cultivating Successful Multigenerational Legal Teams," 06.01.23.
   Practical Law outlines steps to help organizations "foster a culture of collaboration in a multigenerational workforce, including how to leverage generational differences, address generational biases, and reimagine mentorship and training programs."
   
   
3. "The Other Talent War: Professional Development Isn't Just for Lawyers Anymore," 06.01.23.
   The American Lawyer reports, "Law firms have invested in competitive compensation packages for business managers, one of many indicators of raising the profile of nontimekeeping staff in the legal industry."
   
   
4. "Lawyer's AI Blunder Shows Perils of ChatGPT in 'Early Days'," 05.31.23.
   Bloomberg Law looks at some of the issues related to using artificial intelligence, noting that "Advances in technology are no substitute for checking work."
   
   
   1. "Here's What Happens When Your Lawyer Uses ChatGPT," 05.27.23.
      The New York Times has more. (Subscription required.)
      
      
   2. "Some Law Schools Already Are Using ChatGPT To Teach Legal Research And Writing," 06.01.23.
      ABA Journal reports, "Legal writing faculty…agree that ChatGPT writing can model good sentence and paragraph structure. But some fear that it could detract from students learning good writing skills." (Subscription required.)
      
      
   3. "Stellar or so-so? ChatGPT bar exam performance sparks differing opinions," 05.31.23.
      Reuters reports on claims that "GPT-4's bar exam performance that put it in the 90th percentile of test-takers has likely been overstated, and that the chatbot actually lands in the neighborhood of the 68th percentile of real test-takers — a conclusion the original researchers reject."
      
      
   4. "ChatGPT Tempts Big Law Despite AI Accuracy, Data Privacy Worries," 06.01.23.
      Bloomberg Law takes a deep dive on artificial intelligence tools, noting that some firms have restricted or banned their use and concluding, "Clients and others in law are going to continue experimenting with how to apply generative AI, so it's crucial that attorneys learn the benefits and pitfalls of the technology now."
      
      
5. "LegalEdge: How to Make Partner/Develop as a Lawyer," 05.31.23.
   A law firm partner, writing in Daily Report, provides "tips, broken down by stages of practice, for developing as an attorney, which could help maximize the chances of making partner."
   
   
6. "Legal Tech vs. the Billable Hour: Experts Weigh In," 05.31.23.
   Legaltech News looks at varying opinions on "where the billable hour currently stands and its prospects for future survival."
   
   
7. "Biglaw Firm Delays Start Date For First-Year Associates In Certain Practice Groups," 05.31.23.
   Above the Law reports that Fenwick & West has deferred start dates for incoming associates in some practice areas.
   
   
8. "Diversity Improving at Law Firms, but Forces Are Working Against Those Efforts," 05.31.23.
   The American Lawyer reports on their 2023 Diversity Scorecard: "Diversity advancements face roadblocks amid anti-DEI laws and the possible end of affirmative action. Law firm diversity professionals are looking to defend and continue those gains."
   
   
   1. "The 2023 Diversity Scorecard: Ranking Law Firms on DEI," 05.31.23.
      View the scorecard chart here.
      
      
9. "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Are Often Overlooked in DEI," 05.31.23.
   Minority Corporate Counsel Association President Jean Lee, writing for Bloomberg Law, looks at MCCA data and notes, "While AAPI attorneys are hired at fairly high rates relative to our population share, we are noticeably underrepresented at the partner level. In fact, the partner to associate ratio is lower for AAPI lawyers than it is for either Black or Hispanic attorneys. Successful by some measures, we are still hitting a hard ceiling. And we are not always empowered to be part of the movements to break it."
   
   
10. "Newly Revamped GRE to Take Less Than 2 Hours, ETS Says," 05.31.23.
    Law.com reports that testing company ETS will deploy a shorter version of the GRE exam starting in September.
    
    
    1. "GRE Building A Better Test...But Is It Still A Good Test For Law Schools?" 05.31.23.
       Joe Patrice at Above the Law considers the changes and whether they are relevant to law schools.
       
       
11. "Work Shift: Are Work From Anywhere Weeks the New Summer Friday?," 05.30.23.
    Bloomberg's Work Shift newsletter offers tips for creating a plan for "work from anywhere" weeks.
    
    
12. "The Black Guide To Law School Rankings Are Out...With A Twist," 05.30.23.
    Above the Law reports on the 2023 edition of the Black Guide to Law School from Lawyers of Color (LoC), noting that this year, "instead of a ranking foisting a subjective methodology on top of the data, LoC took the most relevant information from the mandatory 509 reports filed with the ABA and published it. As LoC put it, 'We are marking this as the end of the rankings era.'"
    
    
13. "Why Is Big Law Growing When Demand Is Dropping?," 05.30.23.
    This analysis from The American Lawyer looks at the growth in attorney head count and the reasons behind it, from planned expansion to lower attrition rates.
    
    
14. "Strapped Legal Departments Finding Savings by Shifting Litigation to Smaller Law Firms," 05.30.23.
    Law.com reports on a new study that shows "the percentage of litigation work that law firms with fewer than 250 lawyers received from Fortune 50 companies has soared from 56% in 2018 to 79% now."
    
    
15. "In Battle for Billable Hours, Not Coming in Will Cost Some Associates Their Jobs," 05.30.23.
    The American Laywer reports on the "growing tension between associates and partners along fault lines of hourly commitments and return-to-office policies," highlighted by a recent American Lawyer survey that showed partners "had no problem abandoning associates who they felt deserted the firm by pushing back on returning to the office."
    
    
    1. "Associates Apparently Won't Have Jobs For Long If They Don't Return To The Office," 05.30.23.
       Above the Law weighs in.
       
       
16. "Firms Linking Associates' In-Office Attendance To Bonuses," 05.30.23.
    Law360 reports, "As return-to-office initiatives are proving less successful than hoped, some law firms are explicitly connecting associates' eligibility for year-end bonuses with their in-person attendance." (Subscription required.)
    
    
17. "A&O-Shearman Combo Is Just the First Domino in the Merger Rally," 05.28.23.
    This Law.com editorial predicts that the merger of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling will be "the domino that starts the merger rally."
    
    
18. "Under Pressure: Associates See More Demands, Less Slack," 05.26.23.
    Law360 reports, "While salaries for law firm associates have reached unprecedented heights, the financial rewards have come with pressure to meet expectations." (Subscription required.)
    
    
19. "Instilling DEI Into A Law Firm's Identity," 05.26.23.
    In this episode of The Jabot podcast, Above the Law's Kathryn Rubino interviews NALP member Marlon Lutfiyya about "the importance of a firm's commitment to individual development and DEI initiatives."
    
    
20. "Mintz Chief Wants Partners to Lead Associates Back to Office," 05.26.23.
    Bloomberg Law reports on Mintz Levin's more "flexible" approach, noting that the firm "is hesitant to impose strict attendance mandates on junior lawyers, especially if the firm's partners are still largely working remotely."
    
    
21. "Skadden to Mandate 4 Days in Office," 05.25.23.
    The American Lawyer reports that Skadden will be "returning to four days a week in the office, beginning after Labor Day."
    
    
    1. "Skadden Forces Lawyers Back to Offices Four Days Per Week," 05.25.23.
       Bloomberg Law also reports on this.
       
       
    2. "'You Didn't See Your Kids Before The Pandemic, You Shouldn't Expect To See Them Now,' Says Elite Law Firm Partner," 05.25.23.
       And Above the Law has some opinions.
       
       

May 26, 2023

1. "BigLaw firm lays off 47 business services employees," 05.25.23.
   ABA Journal reports, "Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has laid off 34 employees across its U.S. offices and another 13 employees overseas."
   
   
   1. "Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Cuts 47 Staff Globally, Citing Excess Capacity in Secretarial and Administrative Roles," 05.25.23.
      The American Lawyer has more.
      
      
2. "Big Law's 'Era of the Storm' Gives Powerful a Chance to Strike," 05.25.23.
   Bloomberg Law's Roy Strom analyzes the current period of disruption: "After years of out-performance, a handful of large, diversified firms are far better equipped than smaller rivals to withstand a market lull."
   
   
3. "Law Firm Mergers, Pitched as Benefitting Clients, Also Can Bring Headaches, Conflicts," 05.25.23.
   The American Lawyer looks at some of the complications of merges, including "new conflicts, administrative hassles and cultural tensions."
   
   
4. "Developmental Musings From a Midcareer Young Lawyer," 05.24.23.
   Writing in The Legal Intelligencer, a mid-career lawyer offers six lessons he has learned.
   
   
5. "Female Expats on Why They Left Paul Weiss, Hogan, Paul Hastings,"05.24.23.
   Writing for Bloomberg Law, Vivia Chen interviews some female partners who left Big Law as she examines the trend.
   
   
6. "Law Firm Hiring From DOJ and FTC Slows, Amid Uncertainty in Big Law," 05.24.23.
   The National Law Journal reports on data from Leopard Solutions showing that fewer attorneys were hired from federal agencies into law firms so far this year, noting that "the supply of veteran government attorneys willing to leave for law firms has paled in comparison to 2021 and early 2022 when the job market was more lucrative."
   
   
7. "NCBE Releases Content Scope for NextGen Bar Exam," 05.25.23.
   Law.com reports, "The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) has published the content scope for the NextGen bar exam — set to launch in 2026 — marking the latest milestone in the development of the new exam."
   
   
   1. "A new bar exam is coming. Here's what it will test," 05.25.23.
      Karen Sloan at Reuters also reports on the new bar exam.
      
      
   2. "ANALYSIS: Much-Needed Bar Exam Reform Is Finally Coming," 05.24.23.
      A majority of respondents to Bloomberg Law's recent survey said that the bar exam in its current form isn't a reliable test to measure competency to practice law. Stephanie Pacheco considers whether "NextGen" will be the solution.
      
      
   3. "Planned structure of new practice skills questions shared by National Conference of Bar Examiners," 05.25.23.
      ABA Journal also has details of what the new bar exam will look like.
      
      
8. "Morgan & Morgan Launches $2 Million Summer Associates Program," 05.24.23.
   The National Law Journal reports that plaintiffs bar firm Morgan & Morgan has launched its first summer program, which the firms intends as "a pipeline for top legal talent entering plaintiffs work."
   
   
9. "The mobile lawyer: knowing oneself and sizing up opportunities," 05.23.23.
   Major, Lindsey & Africa's Ronald Wood, writing for Reuters, offers "perspective on life and practice in a number of private law firm environments — small offices, medium firms and large firms — for those who may be reflecting on whether their current position remains the best home for them and their practice, for the long term."
   
   
10. "Smaller but Mightier: The 2023 Am Law 200 Outperforms Larger Firms," 05.23.23.
    Law.com reports, "In an expected year of regression after a fiscal 2021 that is consistently called an 'anomaly,' the Am Law 200 firms (those ranked from No. 101-200) posted a collective 4.1% revenue growth in 2022, easily outpacing the 2.7% gains the Am Law 100 firms had, while also besting the first 100 in revenue per lawyer, profits per equity partner and most other financial metrics used to measure success."
    
    
    1. "Are Second Hundred Firms the New 100?," 05.23.23.
       The American Lawyer reports on the "growing number of partners and clients [who] have relocated to Second Hundred and midsize law firms as a respite from the high legal costs and business development challenges of the Am Law 100."
       
       
    2. "Despite Market Uncertainty, Am Law 200 Firms Are Poised for Growth," 05.23.23.
       The American Lawyer reports, "Mergers, group hires and new office launches are all on the road map for Am Law 200 firms as they look to take advantage of opportunities in secondary and tertiary markets."
       
       
    3. "The Law Firm Disrupted: What Extreme Profit Margins Tell Us About the Am Law 200," 05.25.23.
       Law.com's Law Firm Disrupted column looks at the variety of business models in the "Second Hundred."
       
       
11. "Is A.I. Coming for the Lawyers?," 05.23.23.
    In the latest episode of the Law Pod UK podcast, "Richard Susskind discusses the present and the future for solicitors, barristers and even the judiciary, in the presence of Artificial Intelligence."
    
    
12. "A look at Paul Hastings' viral 'no exceptions, no excuses' presentation missteps," 05.23.23.
    This opinion piece in ABA Journal takes a close look at both the infamous Paul Hastings slide that was leaked several weeks ago and the firm's response.
    
    
13. "AI Guidance Ups Ante for Employers Trying to Avoid Bias Claims," 05.23.23.
    Bloomberg Law reports on new guidance issued last week by the EEOC and notes, "legal and AI experts say they now expect companies to reevaluate their use of AI for employment decisions and perhaps ditch the technology entirely until they have a body of case law to lean on. "
    
    
14. "A Three-Step Process For Leaders Considering RTO and Other Divisive Issues," 05.23.23.
    In The American Lawyer's Fully Human Lawyer column, "coach Lauren Krasnow explores the best ways law firm leaders can manage the variety of strong opinions on return-to-office policies."
    
    
15. "ChatGPT4 Passes the CPA Exam, But It's Not Yet an Accountant," 05.22.23.
    You may be glad to hear that the robot overlords are focusing on more than the legal industry, as Bloomberg law reports that "ChatGPT4 averaged a score of 85.1% across all sections of four major accounting exams and passed them all."
    
    
16. "Legal Mergers Rise on Firms' Desire to Take on Biggest Rivals," 05.22.23.
    Bloomberg Law looks at this year's mergers and notes that "law firm consolidation has ramped up in 2023 as big and middle-size players worry about losing share to industry giants."
    
    
17. "Law Firm Partner Hourly Rates Rose Last Year at Biggest Clip in at Least a Decade," 05.22.23.
    Corporate Counsel reports, "Hourly rates for law firm partners jumped 4.5% in 2022, driven in part by law firms' fears of profitability losses from inflation and a drop in M&A activity, according to a report from the e-billing platform LexisNexis CounselLink" and notes that it is largest increase since 2013.
    
    
    1. "Where Are Partner Billing Rates Surging the Most in Big Law?," 05.24.23.
       The National Law Journal parses out which practice areas and geographic regions had the biggest changes.
       
       
18. "Second Delaware Law School Set to Open This Fall," 05.22.23.
    Law.com reports, "Delaware is poised to gain a second law school when the Wilmington University School of Law opens this fall."
    
    
19. "Ahead of the Curve: Some Law Schools Are Happy About the US News Rankings," 05.22.23.
    Law.com's Christine Charnosky looks at the updated rankings from the viewpoint of schools that rose in position.
    
    
20. "More First-Year Deferrals Likely as Firms Grapple With Dormant Corporate Practices, Large Incoming Class Sizes," 05.22.23.
    The American Lawyer predicts that "more law firms are likely to defer the start dates of their first-year associates ahead of incoming classes this fall in an effort to keep current associates busy without having to make more cuts."
    
    
21. "Shearman & Sterling to Merge with Allen & Overy," 05.21.23.
    The American Lawyer reports, "Shearman & Sterling and Allen & Overy plan to merge, the firms said on Sunday in a joint announcement, adding the new firm will be called Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, or A&O Shearman for short."
    
    
    1. "A&O Shearman Needs 75% Partnership Approval to Get Merger Done," 05.22.23.
       Law.com International reports, "Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling need to obtain the approval of 75% of each of their partnerships before they can proceed with their proposed merger, which was announced on Sunday. On a call with Law.com International, the senior partners of both firms said they are highly confident that their respective partnerships will vote in favor of the merger."
       
       
    2. "A&O Shearman merger would be a blockbuster, but maybe not a harbinger," 05.22.23.
       Reuters also has this story, but predicts that "eagerness or anxiety inspired by the news won't be enough to spark a major wave of supersized law firm combinations, industry experts said, even as merger activity seems to have accelerated with the passing of the pandemic."
       
       
    3. "A 'Huge Threat': Why A&O's Rivals Fear Being Leapfrogged in the US," 05.24.23.
       Law.com International reports, "Some insiders at Freshfields, Clifford Chance and Linklaters are inclined to play down the impact of A&O's proposed merger with Shearman — but others concede it could lead to refreshed approaches to the U.S. market."
       
       
    4. "The Allen & Overy-Shearman Merger and the End of the Magic Circle Era," 05.25.23.
       Commentary in Law.com International looks at the impact this merger will have on Asian markets.
       
       
    5. "Perfect Match or Desperate Deal? Rivals and Insiders on the A&O Shearman Merger," 05.25.23.
       Further analysis from Law.com International.
       
       
22. "State Bar to Pursue Licensing Alternative to Traditional Bar Exam," 05.19.23.
    The Recorder reports, "[California] State bar leaders on Friday voted to pursue the creation of an alternative pathway to becoming a licensed lawyer in California that does not include passing the notoriously difficult bar exam."
    
    
    1. "California moves a step closer to developing its own bar exam," 05.19.23.
       Reuters reports, "The Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California on Friday endorsed a plan for the state to begin developing its own bar exam to test federal and California law instead of using an overhauled version of the national bar exam that is set to debut in 2026."
       
       
    2. "Proposal for bar exam bypass should be pursued further, California bar trustees say," 05.23.23.
       ABA Journal also reports on this story.
       
       
23. "The New Bar Exam Puts DEI Over Competence," 05.19.23.
    This op-ed in The Wall Street Journal bemoans the planned "NextGen" bar exam and especially its focus on diversity, fairness, and inclusion. (Subscription required.)
    
    
    1. "Woke Mob Rewriting The Bar Exam Or Something, According To Judge," 05.22.23.
       Above the Law reacts.
       
       
24. "Lifetime Achievement, Law Firm: Chris Boyd, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati," 05.19.23.
    Legaltech News profiles Chris Boyd after his 2023 Legalweek Lifetime Achievement Award.
    
    
25. "CLOC 2023 Takeaways: Generative AI, Job Generation and the Future of CLM," 05.19.23.
    Legaltech News provides a summary of issues covered at the recent Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) Global Institute, including generative artificial intelligence (AI), as well as "discussions around the challenges of change-management, record retention and GC tech buy-in."
    
    
    1. "Legal Ops' Path to the Future Is Paved With Generative AI, Teamwork," 05.24.23.
       Legaltech News reporter Stephanie Wilkins outlines her top takeaways from CLOC Global Institute.
       
       
26. "Layoffs are hitting HR and DEI teams at a disproportionately high rate. Here's why companies need generalists to thrive," 04.19.23.
    This opinion piece in Fortune argues for the necessity of HR and DEI professionals and their impact on company culture.
    
    
27. "London-Based Clyde & Co Implements 26-Week Paid Parental Leave," 05.19.23.
    Law.com International reports, "Clyde & Co has rolled out a new parental leave policy which will enable staff to take six months of fully paid leave, a policy which the firm has described as 'gender-blind.' The offering is available to both mums and dads, regardless of whether they are the primary child carer or not, as well as those adopting, according to a firm statement."
    
    
    1. "Top Biglaw Firm Offers Enhanced Parental Leave Program With Up To 26 Weeks Paid Leave," 05.19.23.
       Above the Law also has the story.
       
       
28. "Five Tips for Navigating Firm Life as a New or Young Lawyer," 05.17.23.
    The Legal Intelligencer's Young Lawyer Editorial Board has these "five tips to assist young lawyers as they navigate the complexities of working in a firm environment."
    
    

May 19, 2023

1. "The Attorney Well-Being Issue," May 2023.
   The May issue of Law Practice Today is dedicated to mental health and well-being, with articles on topics such as chronic stress, time management, EQ, equity and inclusion, and even "Nine Reasons Why More Lawyers Should Play Golf."
   
   
2. "Mental health initiatives aren't curbing lawyer stress and anxiety, new study shows," 05.19.23.
   ABA Journal reports on the 2023 ALM and Law.com Compass Mental Health Survey of the Legal Profession, noting the rise in frequency of many markers of stress and anxiety: "About 71% of the nearly 3,000 lawyers surveyed this year said they had anxiety, which represents a 5% increase from 2022, according to The American Lawyer. About 38% said they dealt with depression, an increase of 35% from last year. Additionally, the number of lawyers who struggled with another mental health issue more than doubled."
   
   
3. "Meet the Law Firm Leader Who's Out About His Own Mental Health," 05.19.23.
   Vivia Chen at Bloomberg Law profiles a managing partner who is open about his own mental health struggles and is working to "make it easy to seek help and get rid of the stigma."
   
   
4. "Fear or FOMO: Big Law Split on How to Boost Office Attendance," 05.18.23.
   The American Lawyer looks at the different approaches firms are taking toward remote work, noting that some firms are instituting punitive measures around returning to the office, while "A strong majority of lawyers want some form of remote work, including both partners and associates."
   
   
5. "Calif. Bar Exam Fails to Accommodate Test Takers' Disabilities, Complaint Alleges," 05.18.23.
   The Recorder reports, "An administrative complaint filed with the Department of Justice claims the State Bar of California has engaged in 'systemic disability-based discrimination' by failing to adopt adequate policies that accommodate test takers with disabilities."
   
   
6. "Law School Rankings: The Good News, the Bad News and the Ultimate Proof That It Is Flawed," 05.18.23.
   In this op-ed in The National Law Journal, George Washington University Law School Dean Alan B. Morrison argues that "the dramatic shifts in methodology for the overall rankings prove beyond a doubt that the premise of the endeavor — that these are objective measures — is fatally flawed."
   
   
7. "The Law Firm Disrupted: This Job in Big Law is Getting Tougher," 05.18.23.
   Law.com's Law Firm Disrupted column looks at the difficult decisions that CEOs must make.
   
   
8. "Don't Scapegoat Robots to Protect the Lawyer Monopoly on Services," 05.18.23.
   This Bloomberg Law op-ed argues that use of artificial intelligence might help solve the access to justice problem: "[T]he US desperately needs innovative solutions that create new ways for individuals to vindicate their legal rights without a lawyer — and yes, that includes responsible use of AI."
   
   
9. "Mental Health, Law School, And Bar Admissions: Eliminating Stigma And Fostering A Healthier Profession," 05.18.23.
   TaxProf Blog highlights a comment from Arkansas Law Review which discusses the part that law school plays in lawyer mental health, noting that "mental health issues often begin in law school — an environment that often fosters low self-esteem, distrust of peers, and disillusionment about the law."
   
   
10. "'There's a Lot of Backlog to Address': Why Mental Health in the Legal Profession Is Getting Worse," 05.18.23.
    The American Lawyer has this in-depth analysis of Law.com's fourth annual Mental Health Survey, which shows that "unexplored trauma from the pandemic coupled with emerging issues of economic uncertainty and billable pressures are combining to hinder mental health improvements in law firms."
    
    
    1. "Mental Health by the Numbers: An Infographic Mapping the Legal Industry's Well-Being," 05.18.23.
       An infographic with key data points from the Law.com Mental Health Survey.
       
       
    2. "Law Firms Are Seeking Mental Health Solutions Together," 05.18.23.
       The American Lawyer reports, "Amid a persistently high number of lawyers with depression in Big Law, law firms are increasingly seeking mental health solutions together through industrywide cooperation, while firms are also exploring their own well-being approaches for lawyers and staff."
       
       
11. "In-House Attorneys Responding to Survey Say They're Anxious, Exhausted," 05.18.23.
    Corporate Counsel reports, "In-house lawyers are feeling anxious and overwhelmed, according to a survey Law.com and ALM Intelligence conducted."
    
    
12. "Statehouses, Not Student Activists, Are the Real Threat to Free Speech," 05.17.23.
    This opinion piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education argues that "Fixating on [the] drama at Stanford Law leads us astray." (Subscription required.)
    
    
13. "Too Much Work Causes Legal Department Burnout, But It's Not That Simple," 05.17.23.
    Corporate Counsel reports on a session from the CLOC Global Institute conference: "Unmanageable workloads are a leading cause of, but not the sole reason for, legal team burnout, a workplace stress consultant said."
    
    
14. "Law schools should take on students' mental health and substance use from day one," 05.17.23.
    David Jaffe, writing in ABA Journal says, "Whether we like to admit it or not, students are often socialized into a drinking culture in law school, if not before."
    
    
15. "Small Law, Big Pay: Small Firms Lure Talent With Hefty Raises," 05.17.23.
    Law360 picks up NALP's salary data from last week: "The calculus for associates is shifting when it comes to the age-old debate between joining a small firm or BigLaw, according to legal recruiters, and one major factor that's muddying the math is a narrowing of the historic gap in compensation between the two." (Subscription required.)
    
    
16. "Dechert Becomes the Latest Firm Caught in Boom-and-Bust Hiring Cycle," 05.17.23.
    The American Lawyer reports on the recent round of Big Law layoffs: "Recent layoffs at Dechert are the latest in a series of downsizing efforts by Big Law firms to fit staffing levels to demand, following workforce cuts at a range of other firms with premium practices."
    
    
17. "Financial Irregularities, Undisclosed Business Ties and More: Lateral 'Red Flags' Grew During Pandemic," 05.16.23.
    The American Lawyer reports, "Warning signs pertaining to lateral candidates have increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research by a firm providing prehire due diligence for law firms."
    
    
18. "New Data Shows Law School Admission Rate Increased in 2022 for First Time in 7 Years," 05.16.23.
    Law.com reports on data from AccessLex Institute showing that "the admission rate increased for the first time in seven years, but dismal data continues for enrollment, admittance and graduation rates for minorities."
    
    
    1. "AccessLex Institute 2023 Legal Education Data Deck," 05.17.23.
       TaxProf Blog has a link to the full AccessLex deck.
       
       
    2. "Minorities, Women Still Lag Behind In Law School Admissions," 05.17.23.
       Law360 also picks up this story. (Subscription required.)
       
       
19. "A Note to Leaders in Law Firms: This is How You're Thwarting Diversity Efforts," 05.16.23.
    This commentary from Amie Santos in The American Lawyer points out that "the needle has barely moved, and the work is often left to diversity professionals to carry forward with limited resources, reduced buy-in as the work grows harder and scaled back teams" and offers insights from the perspective of a diversity professional.
    
    
20. "Big Law Lawyers Are on TikTok. Their Firms Are Conflicted," 05.16.23.
    Bloomberg Law reports, "The first generation of associates who spent their college and law school years with access to TikTok are now joining the professional world, but no consistent policies have emerged among the largest law firms about employees' use of the video sharing platform."
    
    
21. "GCs Are Receiving More of Their Pay in Bonuses, Exacerbating Gender Gap," 05.16.23.
    Corporate Counsel reports on a new study from Major, Lindsey & Africa that shows "The growing emphasis on bonuses reflects legal chiefs' growing stature in the C-suite. But the greater subjectivity of bonuses may help explain why men are getting larger ones than women."
    
    
22. "The Case for Deferring First-Years," 05.16.23.
    In this opinion piece in The American Lawyer, the author makes the case for deferring incoming associates (and associates accepting those deferrals), arguing, "A functioning pipeline requires not just strong numbers of junior associates moving up through the pyramid but also that these associates be getting 2,000 hours a year of substantive experience as they progress. In down markets, securing this experience is a severe challenge."
    
    
    1. "The Return Of The Dreaded Biglaw Deferral Is Now Being Praised By Industry Insiders," 05.16.23.
       Above the Law reacts.
       
       
23. "Will Boycotts and Bad Press Put a Dent in the US News Rankings' Reputation?," 05.15.23.
    In this Law.com Ahead of the Curve column, Christine Charnosky looks at "whether the U.S. News law school rankings will remain influential despite widespread public boycotts by dozens of schools."
    
    
24. "Diversity Spending Is Banned in Florida's Public Colleges," 05.15.23.
    The Chronicle of Higher Education reports, "Public colleges in Florida will soon be prohibited from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs after Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed a much-discussed piece of legislation into law on Monday. The new law also bans colleges from offering general-education courses that 'distort significant historical events,' teach 'identity politics,' or are 'based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States.'" (Subscription required.)
    
    
    1. "DeSantis defunds diversity programs at Florida public colleges," 05.15.23.
       Reuters reports, "The legislation restricts how gender and race are taught on campuses, requiring such lessons to be reviewed by the university trustees to prevent programs that 'distort significant historical events' or teach 'identity politics,' the governor said."
       
       
25. "US law firm leasing rebounds, but offices shrink," 05.15.23.
    Reuters reports, "Two of the largest U.S. law firm leases signed in the first quarter of 2023 involved big firms downsizing their headquarters in major cities, according to commercial brokerage Savills Inc, as many law firms shrink their physical footprints."
    
    
26. "Attacks on Diversity Plans, Funding Put Colleges in a Legal Bind," 05.15.23.
    Bloomberg Law takes an in-depth look at legislation (both enacted and proposed) related to DEI programs and notes, "How quickly and severely the new laws will upend campuses remains unclear."
    
    
27. "Large Lateral Moves Are Raising the Competitive Ante for Law Firms," 05.15.23.
    Law.com looks at the risks and rewards of the lateral group hiring trend.
    
    
28. "Amid Multiplying Law Firm Layoffs, Associates are Getting Anxious," 05.14.23.
    Law.com International has this story about the pressures felt by associates in U.S. firms abroad.
    
    
29. "Why Some Companies Are Saying 'Diversity and Belonging' Instead of 'Diversity and Inclusion'," 05.13.23.
    The New York Times takes a look at some of the reasons behind changing terminology. (Subscription required.)
    
    
30. "Gen Z Lawyers Would Trade Some of Their Pay for These Benefits," 05.12.23.
    The American Lawyer reports that a recent survey showed "Gen Z lawyers were even more united than millennials in choosing more time off (62%). They similarly chose a flexible work schedule (60%) and a reduction in billable hours (41%), according to a report this week from Major, Lindsey & Africa titled Gen-Z: Now Influencing Today's Law Firm Culture."
    
    
    1. "Big law firms fall out of fashion with idealistic Generation Z," 05.10.23.
       A related Financial Times story that we missed last week. (Subscription required.)
       
       
    2. "Younger Attys Valuing Work-Life Balance Over Making Partner," 05.10.23.
       "Less than 1 in 4 law students and young associates see making partner at a law firm as their primary career goal, as the importance of maintaining a work-life balance grows for Generation Z," reports Law360. (Subscription required.)
       
       
31. "David Lat on What That Viral Paul Hastings Presentation Says About All of Us," 05.12.23.
    This episode of Law.com podcast Legal Speak features David Lat discussing the now-infamous leaked Paul Hastings slide, "why this leaked internal presentation caused such debate within the legal community and what it indicates about generational conflict and shifting attitudes toward work in Big Law."
    
    
32. "Law students can take 50% of classes online, with ABA rule change," 05.12.23.
    Reuters reports that the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted "to increase its limit on distance education courses from one-third of a student's total credits to half," matching the accreditation standards set by the U.S. Department of Education.
    
    
33. "ABA Council Hits Pause on Making Law Schools Test-Optional," 05.12.23.
    Law.com reports that on Friday, "The American Bar Association's Section of Legal Education and Admissions decided to hit pause on whether to make law schools test-optional after hundreds of deans expressed their concerns."
    
    
    1. "ABA pauses move to nix LSAT requirement," 05.12.23.
       Reuters also reports that ABA put a hold on plans to eliminate the LSAT requirement for law school admissions.
       
       
34. "Opening up the bar? Concord Law wants grads to take Indiana bar exam, but Hoosier leaders raising concerns," 05.10.23.
    The Indiana Lawyer reports on the debate in Indiana over who can take the state's bar exam.
    
    

May 12, 2023

1. "First-Year Associate Salaries Increase Sharply Since 2021," 05.10.23.
   On Wednesday NALP released the 2023 Associate Salary Survey. You can read the press release here.
   
   
   1. "$200K is median base pay for new associates, thanks to market pressure from talent wars, NALP says," 05.10.23.
      ABA Journal
      
      
   2. "Did the Talent Wars Doom the Lifestyle Firm?," 05.10.23.
      The American Lawyer
      
      
   3. "Starting Lawyer Salaries Are Up Regardless Of Firm Size," 05.10.23.
      Law360
      
      
   4. "The Biglaw Salary Wars Increased First-Year Associate Salaries Across The Legal Profession," 05.10.23.
      Above the Law also has this story AND made it their Trivia Question of the Day.
      
      
2. "Looming SCOTUS Ruling May Have Chilling Effect on Big Law Diversity Efforts," 05.11.23.
   The American Lawyer reports, "The U.S. Supreme Court this summer is widely expected to overturn affirmative action, a finding that would reverberate through legal departments and law firms at a time many observers already are frustrated with the slow pace of progress in increasing diversity."
   
   
3. "Law Firm Leadership in the Crosshairs," 05.11.23.
   Law.com's Barometer newsletter looks at recent law firm leadership changes, succession planning (or lack thereof), and what it means for the future.
   
   
4. "O'Melveny's Return-to-Office Plans Prioritize Flexibility," 05.11.23.
   The American Lawyer reports on O'Melveny's flexible schedule.
   
   
5. "Husch Blackwell's Biggest Office Is Virtual, Bucking Big Law," 05.11.23.
   Bloomberg Law's Roy Strom reports, "Husch Blackwell has gone all-in on the remote work model. The firm says it's proving to be a differentiator. It's helped recruit lawyers from firms that were less accommodating, allowed the firm to retain lawyers whose lives benefited from staying at home with young families, and it's bringing the firm more work from clients in cities that previously would have required an expensive office roll-out."
   
   
6. "End of the Billable Hour? Law Firms Get On Board With Artificial Intelligence," 05.11.23.
   The Wall Street Journal joins the chorus around the impact of artificial intelligence on the legal profession, arguing, "The incorporation of AI could also change the profession's revenue model. Some firms and legal observers acknowledge that the billable hour could become passé if the tools could cut down on the need for some associate work." (Subscription required.)
   
   
   1. "The decline of time-based law firms," 05.10.23.
      And Jordan Furlong weighs in on his blog, noting that "People have been prophesying the arrival of law firm killers for decades" and predicting, "The biggest threat generative AI poses to law firms is that it will disintermediate lawyers from many legal solutions. In doing so, it will empower end users and invert demand for legal services."
      
      
7. "Equity Partner Productivity Falls Most Amid Q1 Rises in Revenue, Dips in Demand," 05.11.23.
   The American Lawyer reports, "Citi's Q1 2023 report shows firms leveraged strong inventory coming out of 2022, but will need to focus on collections in second quarter to keep the momentum going."
   
   
8. "Students, Meet the Superego," 05.10.23.
   In this opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed, author Mark Edmundson looks at what Freud called the superego and argues that acknowledging and understanding this force "inside all of us that does not like us much" could help students find better mental health and well-being.
   
   
9. "63 Law Schools Boycotted US News Law School Rankings," 05.10.23.
   The National Law Journal reports, "according to U.S. News' embargoed survey, only 67.8% of law schools submitted data, meaning nearly one-third did not."
   
   
   1. "The 2023-24 US News Rankings Are Out and Official," 05.11.23.
      Law.com reports on the newly released rankings.
      
      
   2. "Revamped US News law school rankings yield major shifts," 05.11.23.
      Karen Sloan's take at Reuters.
      
      
   3. "Big shifts in U.S. News & World Report law school rankings. Here's why," 05.11.23.
      Karen Sloan at Reuters looks at the "revamped methodology that placed greater emphasis on graduate employment and bar pass rates."
      
      
   4. "U.S. News Releases Its Latest, Disputed Rankings of Law and Medical Schools," 05.11.23.
      And The New York Times. (Subscription required.)
      
      
   5. "What the New 'U.S. News' Law-School Rankings Reveal About the Rankings Enterprise," 05.11.23.
      The Chronicle of Higher Education muses on what it all means. (Subscription required.)
      
      
10. "Hybrid Working Schedule 'Here to Stay,' Littler Survey Shows," 05.10.23.
    Bloomberg Law reports, "Just over 70% of US employers surveyed use the hybrid working model, according to a report released Wednesday by labor and employment firm Littler Mendelson PC. Although some employers have a mix of workers on hybrid and in-person schedules, just 16% said they fully require in-person work."
    
    
11. "Gen-Z Less Interested in Big Law and Traditional Law Firm Paths," 05.10.23.
    The American Lawyer reports, "Among law school students who said they want to work at a firm after they graduate, about 39% said they wanted to go to a Big Law firm — a roughly 20% drop since 2020, according to a report on Gen-Z lawyer preferences from Major, Lindsey & Africa, published this week."
    
    
    1. "Survey Reveals Gen Z Lawyers and Law Students Shifting Away from BigLaw Career Appeal ," 05.10.23.
       JD Journal also picks up this story, focusing on the tendency of this generation to prefer work that aligns with their values and noting, "law firms must adapt to the changing priorities and values of Gen Z lawyers and law students if they hope to attract and retain top talent. This may include offering more work-life balance and flexibility and opportunities to do meaningful work that aligns with their social and moral values."
       
       
    2. "Big Law Career Draw Falls for Students Since 2020, Firm Says," 05.10.23.
       Bloomberg Law also reports on the MLA report, noting that "Only 23% of Gen-Z survey participants see themselves pursuing law firm partnership as a long-term career goal."
       
       
    3. "Gen Z Isn't Chasing the Brass Ring, and That's a Long-Term Crisis," 05.11.23.
       Law.com's The Law Firm Disrupted column takes an in-depth look and argues that the current state of the economy "leaves very little room for navigating a long-term crisis — how to cultivate the next generation of partners and leaders of the firm."
       
       
12. "Ahead of the Curve: How Law Schools Are Trying to Counter 'Multifaceted Societal Inequities'," 05.09.23.
    Law.com's Christine Charnosky reflects on last week's article showing "multifaceted societal inequities" (that story here, if you missed it last week) and reports on "various ways in which law schools and their outside partners are seeking to level the playing field for current and prospective students."
    
    
13. "Law firm associate attrition and hiring ease but remain well above pre-pandemic levels: report," 05.09.23.
    Canadian Lawyer reports on the NALP Foundation's newly-released Update on Associate Attrition, which shows that "The 2021 associate attrition rate of 26 percent fell to 20. While the numbers were close to even for male and female associates — 20 and 19 percent — the attrition rate for people of colour was 'notably higher,' at 26 percent."
    
    
14. "Dechert to Cut Global Workforce by 5%," 05.09.23.
    The American Lawyer reports, "Dechert has become the latest firm to cut attorneys and staff, confirming Tuesday that it had started a process it expects to impact approximately 5% of its global workforce."
    
    
15. "With LSAT poised for elimination, law deans call for compromise," 05.09.23.
    Reuters' Karen Sloan reports that a group of law school deans is working to prevent the elimination of the LSAT for law school admission: "The deans' proposal represents a compromise between the existing rule, which lets schools admit up to 10% of the class without such scores, and the ABA's plan to eliminate the standardized test requirement altogether by 2025 in a bid to give schools more flexibility in how they choose students."
    
    
16. "Study Reveals How Pedigree of Law Schools, Law Firms Influence In-House Pay," 05.09.23.
    Corporate Counsel takes a look at a recent study from recruiting firm BarkerGilmore and reports, "Beyond highlighting big-picture trends, including that companies pulled back on bonuses last year, the study took a rare look at the extent to which the pedigree of law schools and law firms shape in-house pay."
    
    
    1. "Gender pay gap persists at GC-level, report finds," 05.05.23.
       Legal Dive reports on the same BarkerGilmore study and focuses on the gender pay gap of 5%, also noting, "Bonus pay was the area in which there was the greatest disparity between men and women general counsel."
       
       
17. "After Turnover at Lewis Brisbois, Are More Abrupt Exits on the Horizon for Law Firm Leaders?," 05.08.23.
    This analysis from The American Lawyer looks at some recent Big Law leadership shakeups and highlights "the threat that lateral churn presents to law firms' stability," adding "law firms are also challenged by the consensus-driven nature of their typical business model."
    
    
18. "Intersection Of Race And Lawyer Discipline Gaining Attention," 05.08.23.
    From Law360: "Often recognized but rarely addressed directly, racial disparities in disciplinary actions — such as which groups are most often targeted by complaints and how outcomes differ — are one key to improving the profession's stubbornly low representation of black lawyers, advocates say."
    
    
19. "Data Shows Mansfield Firms Are Adding Diverse Leaders Much Faster," 05.08.23.
    The American Lawyer reports, "Researchers from two universities say data science backs the need for DEI innovation and measurement, leveraging Mansfield as a prime example."
    
    
20. "Leaders, Sharing Your Own Mental Health Story Can Help You Become a Better Ally ," 05.08.23.
    In Harvard Business Review, author Kelly Greenwood argues, "When leaders of all levels share their personal stories, it reduces stigma and normalizes the ups and downs of being human — especially as a high-performing professional."
    
    
21. "Law firm financials heading in the right direction, report finds," 05.08.23.
    Karen Sloan at Reuters reports, "The Thomson Reuters Institute's Law Firm Financial Index — which tracks key financial metrics across 170 large and midsize law firms — rose 14 points in the first quarter of 2023, representing the first increase since the second quarter of 2021."
    
    
    1. "Firms Still Down, But Taking Divergent Paths to Recovery," 05.08.23.
       The American Lawyer looks at the latest Thomson Reuters Law Firm Financial Index and reports on different strategies used by midsize firms vs. Am Law 100 firms.
       
       
    2. "Law firms see a "bifurcated recovery" with strengths and challenges varying by firm size," 05.10.23.
       ABA Journal also reports on this story.
       
       
22. "Law Schools Shouldn't Blame 'U.S. News' for Their Own Moral Choices," 05.05.23.
    This letter to the editor from the Dean of University of Georgia School of Law, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, argues that "Blaming U.S. News only distracts the public from holding law schools responsible for their own moral choices — including their choice to increase the cost of attendance, to worsen the student-debt crisis and to become less accessible to low-income students." (Subscription required.)
    
    
    1. "Dean Rutledge: Law Schools Shouldn't Blame U.S. News For Their Own Moral Choices," 05.08.23.
       TaxProf Blog summarizes Dean Rutledge's letter.
       
       
23. "Why Law Firms Need 'Unique' Systems for Feedback," 05.05.23.
    This podcast episode from The American Lawyer looks at the use of feedback tools to "help attorneys feel invested in and connected to each other."
    
    
24. "Pass Rate on California's February Bar Exam Dips Below 33%," 05.05.23.
    The Recorder reports, "Fewer than one in three applicants who sat for California's February bar exam passed, according to figures released Friday night by the state bar."
    
    
25. "Can the Legal Industry Keep the 20,000 Jobs Gained Since Early 2020?," 05.05.23.
    The American Lawyer asks the question on everyone's mind.
    
    
26. "Women Lawyers Want Better Work-Life Balance, Proper Support From Firms," 05.05.23.
    The National Law Journal reports, "Women lawyers leave Am Law 200 firms for 'thoroughly depressing' reasons, such as a lack of support from the firm in providing maternity leave or child care and the stress of meeting billable-hour targets, a new survey from legal intelligence provider Leopard Solutions finds. The concerns are so deep that only 58% of the nearly 200 Am Law 200 women lawyers who participated in the survey would recommend a legal career to their daughter."
    
    
    1. "1980s-Style Sexism Still a Drag on Women in Big Law," 05.12.23.
       Vivia Chen at Bloomberg Law reflects on the Leopard Solutions survey and asks, "Are women on an upswing? Or are they stuck and miserable as ever?"
       
       

May 5, 2023

1. "More Companies Are Giving Mom and Dad Equal Paid Parental Leave," 05.04.23.
   Bloomberg reports, "The number of companies ditching paid maternity and paternity leave for gender neutral parental leave is growing. Of the largest firms in the US, 9% offer at least 12 weeks off for all new parents, regardless of their gender and caregiving role." (Subscription required.)
   
   
2. "LexisNexis Enters the Generative AI Fray with Limited Release of New Lexis+ AI, Using GPT and other LLMs," 05.04.23.
   Bob Ambrogi, writing for LawSites, reports on announcements by LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters (Westlaw) about new products incorporating artificial intelligence.
   
   
3. "AccessLex: Latest ABA Bar Passage Data Reflects 'Multifaceted Societal Inequities'," 05.04.23.
   Law.com reports on commentary from Aaron N. Taylor, executive director of AccessLex Institute, about "why he believes…imbalances still exist and what the future might hold for racial disparities amongst bar exam-takers."
   
   
4. "Women Lawyers Still Face Obstacles In Reaching Partnership," 05.03.23.
   Law360 reports, "Female attorneys still face significant obstacles in advancing their careers, with the path to partnership and management positions in particular remaining a steep climb, according to a Wednesday report by legal industry data provider Leopard Solutions." (Subscription required.)
   
   
5. "Here Are the Many Reasons Why I Love Lawyers," 05.03.23.
   Cobb County State Court Judge Jane Manning, writing in Daily Report, provides a list of positive attributes of lawyers, including "Lawyers are smart. Lawyers have common sense. Lawyers are compassionate."
   
   
6. "More than 200 General Counsel Call for Additional Legal Aid Funding," 05.03.23.
   Corporate Counsel reports, "More than 200 general counsel from major corporations — including Amazon, Comcast, Ford, GE and AT&T — have called on Congress to increase funding for pro-bono civil legal aid."
   
   
7. "Young Lawyers Want Ted Lasso as Their Leader, Not Bobby Knight. Will They Get Them?," 05.03.23.
   The American Lawyer interviews Dr. Larry Richard and others about leadership styles and reports, "What people want in their leaders and the way they want leaders to communicate has been changing and it's been accelerated by the pandemic as well as generational differences, legal consultants said. If firms want to avoid negative publicity, they need to understand the changing workplace dynamics and motivations of newer attorneys."
   
   
8. "Looking Ahead: Tips for Rising 3Ls," 05.03.23.
   This piece in Law.com outlines steps for preparing to take the bar exam, advising students to "carve out some time now to learn what to expect over the next year and take control of the process so you can budget your time, energy, and expenses accordingly."
   
   
9. "Big Law Surprisingly 'Strong' so Far in 2023, but More Cuts Could Be on the Way," 05.02.23.
   The American Lawyer reports on the Wells Fargo Q1 report, noting, "The biggest Big Law firms have grown revenue and headcount so far in 2023 … [but] more cuts could be on the way if demand doesn't improve."
   
   
   1. "US law firms added few lawyers in Q1 as demand, productivity dropped — Wells Fargo," 05.02.23.
      Reuters also reports on the Wells Fargo report, noting, "a 1.5% drop in demand, calculated as the number of hours lawyers billed. Firms among the 50 highest-grossing U.S. law firms saw a 2% drop compared to the first quarter of 2022, the report said. The average number of hours lawyers billed in the first quarter of 2023 was down 6% from the same period last year, from 1,634 to 1,536 hours."
      
      
   2. "Big Law Attorney Billing Rate at 15-Year Low, Wells Fargo Says," 05.02.23.
      Bloomberg Law's Roy Strom also reports on this story: "Demand fell 1.5% from the year-ago period while the number of lawyers rose nearly 5%, according to the survey."
      
      
10. "AI Could Reduce Billable Hours. But Is That Really a Bad Thing?," 05.02.23.
    This analysis in The American Lawyer argues that artifical intelligence "is a threat to the billable hour, but it also offers the opportunity to get out of low-value work and meet latent demand from clients."
    
    
11. "Law firms and corporate law departments find strategic partners in ALSPs," 05.01.23.
    Reuters looks at the recent growth of alternative legal service providers and says, "Once regarded as last-minute stand-ins for overflow commodity work, alternative legal services providers (ALSPs) have quickly become strategic partners to both law firms and corporate law departments. And as ALSPs continue to mature, their outside perspective, ability to select and implement technology to drive efficiency, and commitment to improving outcomes by improving processes has helped them carve out a unique role in the legal services marketplace."
    
    
12. "EY Failed Split Gives Break to US Law Firms Fearing Competition," 05.01.23.
    Bloomberg Law reports, "Ernst & Young's scuttling of a plan to spin off its consulting business and much of its tax practice gives breathing room to US law firms who fear new competition from big accounting operations."
    
    
13. "Law schools face an inflection point with diversity, equity and inclusion," 05.01.23.
    This opinion piece by Josh Blackman in ABA Journal argues, "Institutions must choose whether to allow DEI to erect their own fiefdoms that will tower over a school's academic mission."
    
    
14. "Will U.S. Firms Start to Open Locations in India?," 04.30.23.
    The American Lawyer looks at the possibility of market liberalization in India and makes a few predictions for the future of law practice there.
    
    
15. "Young Lawyers Are Willing to Sacrifice Their Comp for These Benefits," 04.28.23.
    The American Lawyer reports on a recent survey of associates indicating many would give up some salary for other benefits such as more flexibility and lower billable hour requirements, noting "Now more law firms are creating additional paths to partnership with lower hours requirements."
    
    
16. "Big Law Mistakenly Shrinks Partner Ranks to Look More Profitable," 04.27.23.
    In Bloomberg Law's Big Law Business column, Roy Strom looks at the reasons behind the shrinking equity partnership class at law firms and argues, "A steady increase in the size of an equity partnership, simply put, is a reliable measure of a healthy firm."
    
    
17. "Associate Training and Development at Stake as Deal Demand Falls," 04.27.23.
    The Law.com Barometer newsletter predicts, "If the continued drop in dealwork plays out for the rest of 2023, there may be lasting repercussions for associates and their law firms — beyond the drop in profits. Each class will not benefit from the training their peers above them had, even if firms conduct layoffs to winnow down associate class sizes."
    
    
18. "Employers Trying New Ways To Push Workers Back To The Office," 04.27.23.
    This podcast episode from The Wall Street Journal looks at how and why employers are incentivizing workers to come back to the office.
    
    
19. "The problem with valuing resilience as a skill in the workplace," 04.26.23.
    This piece in Quartz argues that the idea of resilience has been oversimplified and misused and that it "puts too much pressure on people to be able to put up with everything and anything their boss expects of them."
    
    
20. "Buffered From the Highest Highs and Lowest Lows, Midmarket Firms Outpaced the Am Law 100 in Revenue, Profit Growth ," 04.26.23.
    Analysis from Law.com Pro shows, "Early results indicate that midsize firms outperformed their Am Law 100 counterparts in 2022, with higher year-over-year revenue and profitability increases."
    
    
21. "Smaller Firms Score Talent As BigLaw Downsizes," 04.26.23.
    Law360 reports, "As the nation's largest law firms conduct layoffs and scale back hiring, small and midsize firms are taking advantage of the moment to add big firm lawyers in increasing numbers, according to statistics provided by legal data company Firm Prospects LLC." (Subscription required.)
    
    
22. "Big Law Capital Markets Is Dead. Long Live Capital Markets Work.," 04.26.23.
    Law.com reports, "Law firm capital markets practices have slowed to a crawl in the last year, with work in IPOs and SPACs plummeting amid a broader drop in deal activity. And there's growing concern those trends will continue through 2023."
    
    
23. "North Dakota Just Enacted a 'Specified Concepts' Bill. Here's What It Says," 04.25.23.
    The Chronicle of Higher Education reports, "A bill banning mandatory diversity training at public institutions of higher education in North Dakota was signed into law on Monday. The new law will prevent institutions under the control of the State Board of Higher Education from mandating noncredit diversity training." (Subscription required.)
    
    
    1. "DEI Legislation Tracker," 04.28.23.
       Trying to keep track of which states are restricting DEI efforts? The Chronicle of Higher Education provides this running list "tracking legislation that would prohibit colleges from having diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or staff; ban mandatory diversity training; prohibit institutions from using diversity statements in hiring and promotion; or prohibit colleges from using race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in admissions or employment." (Subscription required.)
       
       
    2. "College DEI Bans Are Showing Up in Republicans' State Budgets. Not Everyone Is on Board," 05.02.23.
       The Chronicle of Higher Education also has this piece reporting on differing viewpoints even within the Republican party, but noting, "'We're watching the crazy legislation, but if institutions are essentially voluntarily complying, well then it doesn't matter if the bill didn't pass,' one expert said." (Subscripition required.)
       
       
24. "ABA legal education section releases employment data for graduating law class of 2022," 04.25.23.
    The ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar released their most recent employment outcomes.
    
    
    1. "For 2022 law grads, bar-pass-required jobs increase, while JD-advantage positions decrease," 04.25.23.
       ABA Journal reports on their data.
       
       
    2. "ABA Employment Outcomes Show Modest — but Slower — Growth," 04.25.23.
       Law.com reports on the recently released ABA employment data: "The American Bar Association released employment data Tuesday for the graduating law class of 2022, which shows positive growth for the second consecutive year but at a slower pace than last year. The actual number of full-time, long-term Bar Passage Required or J.D. Advantage jobs increased by 888 (+3%) year-over-year as compared to last year."
       
       
    3. "New lawyer hiring was up in 2022. Will 2023 law grads be so lucky?," 04.25.23.
       Reuters' Karen Sloan also reports on the ABA data, noting, "It remains to be seen if that increase in hiring will be sustained for the law class of 2023. Law firms have seen a significant slowdown in demand over the past year and a handful have laid off associates or delayed the start dates of incoming associates."
       
       
    4. "Employment Ticks Up For New Law School Grads, ABA Says," 04.25.23.
       Law360 reports, "Employment outcomes for new law school graduates have improved and the proportion in high-quality jobs is trending upward, according to a new study from the American Bar Association." (Subscription required.)
       
       
    5. "These law schools aced the job market in 2022," 04.27.23.
       Karen Sloan reports that "Nearly 78% of last year's new juris doctors found employment that requires bar passage within 10 months of leaving campus" and provides data on which law schools had the most employed graduates.
       
       
    6. "Howard Beats Yale, But Is BigLaw Hiring Really Changing?" 04.28.23.
       Law360 reports, "For the first time since the American Bar Association began collecting data on law school employment outcomes, Howard outpaced Yale in terms of BigLaw placements last year."
       
       
    7. "Large U.S. law firms love hiring from these schools," 04.28.23.
       Karen Sloan reports on which law schools sent the most 2022 graduates into jobs at large law firms.
       
       
    8. "These law schools sent the most grads to federal clerkships," 05.01.23.
       Karen Sloan takes a look at what this year's ABA data says about federal clerkships and notes, "relatively few law graduates have the opportunity to snag those jobs. The latest ABA data shows that just 3% of the 36,078 law graduates in 2022 are clerking for federal judges" and that one-third of those clerkships come from just 10 law schools.
       
       
    9. "These law schools are tops for government and public interest jobs," 05.02.23.
       Karen Sloan reports on which schools send the most graduates into government and public service employment: "CUNY's government and public interest placement rate was 21 percentage points higher than the University of New Mexico School of Law, the school taking the No. 2 spot for such jobs." Lewis & Clark Law School, University of Dayton School of Law, and the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law round out the top five.
       
       
25. "Class Year Adjustments Underscore Lingering Skills Gap Among Associates," 04.24.23.
    Law.com reports, "As the legal industry adjusts to an employer-driven market for talent, some law firms are hesitant to conduct layoffs, instead opting for more subtle adjustments to their associate ranks."
    
    
26. "Georgia Judicial Salaries Seen as Unfair to All, Study Indicates," 04.24.23.
    Daily Report looks at a recent survey of Georgia superior court judges, reporting, "Of 187 superior court judges surveyed, 81% reported that they believe current compensation rates discourage lawyers from joining their circuit benches."
    
    
27. "Where Are All the Financial Regs Lawyers? Big Law Has a Need for More," 04.24.23.
    The American Lawyer reports that "Demand currently outweighs supply for a small pool of financial regulation lawyers, as banks need to make sense of an environment that's evolving rapidly."
    
    
28. "Bound to a Higher Standard: How a Lawyer's Personal Life Can Affect Their Professional Life," 04.24.23.
    This Daily Report opinion piece discusses the impact your personal life can have on your professional life, including on admission to the bar.
    
    
29. "Irregular hours could be detrimental to solo lawyers' mental health, new Clio report says," 04.24.23.
    ABA Journal reports on data from Clio's 2023 Legal Trends for Solo Law Firms report that shows "A majority of solo lawyers want flexibility to set their hours, but working irregular and extended hours could come at the expense of their mental health." (Subscription required.)
    
    
30. "Grit and growth mindset boosts work of teams, new ABA report finds," 04.24.23.
    ABA Journal has more on the ABA's Grit Project, which found that "About 97% of its respondents agree that when working with gritty, growth mindset-oriented teams, the quality of work produced is excellent." (Subscription required.)
    
    
31. "Associate Lateral Moves Drop 66% As Firms Pivot To Partner-Focused Growth Mode," 04.21.23.
    Law.com reports that lateral associate moves dropped dramatically but lateral partner moves increased in the first quarter of 2023 compared with last year, and notes, "The divergence in lateral activity between lawyer tiers suggests a hiring strategy focused on rainmaking partners at a time of financial constraint, industry analysts said."
    
    
32. "Elite Law Schools Boycotted the U.S. News Rankings. Now, They May Be Paying a Price.," 04.21.23.
    The New York Times outlines the ongoing situation. (Subscription required.)
    
    
    1. "College Rankings Are in Trouble. Do Students Care?," 04.24.23.
       The Chronicle of Higher Education looks at student opinions and use of college rankings and finds that most of the students they interviewed (mostly undergraduates) had gotten the message that college fit was more important than rankings, but notes "The trust students put in their school counselors and other voices around them, and their continued use of program rankings, suggested they still wanted an arbiter of quality — something that felt more objective and expert than figuring it out on their own. Rankings, fraught as they are, can fit the bill." (Subscription required.)
       
       
    2. "Ahead of the Curve: Will the US News Rankings Ever Be Viewed the Same Again?," 05.01.23.
       Law.com's Christine Charnosky writes about the ongoing rankings battle.
       
       
33. "Associate hiring and attrition remain above average in 2022, new NALP Foundation report says," 04.21.23.
    The NALP Foundation released its latest Update on Associate Attrition report and ABA Journal picks up the story, noting that "the overall associate attrition rate was 20% in 2022, compared to 26% in 2021. However, the foundation noted that 26% of associates of color continued to leave their firms at higher rates than their peers last year."
    
    
34. "Seven Questions — A Conversation with NALP'S Nikia Gray," 04.21.23.
    The Bar Examiner magazine features this interview with NALP Executive Director Nikia L. Gray.
    
    

April 21, 2023

1. "To Mandate or to Suggest? Law Firms Weigh Hybrid Policy Approaches," 04.20.23.
   This analysis from The American Lawyer looks at law firm approaches to hybrid work, in-person mandates, and whether remote work is a temporary trend, noting that in many cases "mandates are correlated with worse attendance and policy compliance."
   
   
2. "University of California Berkeley law school rolls out AI policy ahead of final exams," 04.20.23.
   Reuters reports that Berkeley Law is among the first law schools to develop a policy on student use of generative artificial intelligence, seeking "to find a balance that allowed some but not all uses" and noting that "eventually major legal search tools such as Westlaw and Lexis will incorporate that technology."
   
   
3. "More Millennial Lawyers Now Say They Want to Make Partner," 04.20.23.
   The American Lawyer reports, "A report this week from Major, Lindsey & Africa and Above the Law on millennial lawyers' perspectives found nearly 45% of associates said they would like to make partner at their firms, a 'significant' shift from the last survey in 2021, when 23.5% said they would like to make partner."
   
   
   1. "Millennial Lawyers Want To Have A Life And Be Partner," 04.18.23.
      Law360 reports, "Millennial attorneys appear to want it all. Work-life balance is one of their two highest priorities, alongside compensation, and a growing portion of them say they want to make partner, according to the results of a survey published Wednesday." (Subscription required.)
      
      
4. "US News Delays Release of Law School Rankings Indefinitely," 04.19.23.
   Law.com reports, "After U.S. News & World Report pushed back the release of its much-anticipated 2023-24 'Best Law Schools' last week, it has delayed it once again — this time indefinitely" in light of discrepancies or inaccuracies in the data they used.
   
   
5. "EY Remains Intact for Now, But Big 4 Still Pose Long-Term Competitive Challenges to Law Firms," 04.19.23.
   The American Lawyer takes an in-depth look at last week's story about the status of EY and the potential threat of the Big Four accounting firms to the legeal profession, noting they "have several potential advantages over traditional law firms, according to industry observers, including efficiency, the embrace of technology and the ability to institutionalize client relationships."
   
   
6. "The Office Has Gotten Better for Interaction, but Worse for Individual Work," 04.19.23.
   The American Lawyer reports on a new survey showing that "while shared workspaces have become better for interaction and learning since the COVID-19 pandemic, most employees still spend most of their time there working alone, and offices are becoming less effective environments for that kind of focused work — as well as for working virtually."
   
   
7. "28% of lawyers in this state considered leaving the profession because of mental health, burnout or stress," 04.18.23.
   ABA Journal reports on a recent survey from the New Jersey State Bar Association showing "Forty-nine percent of surveyed lawyers in New Jersey have reported moderate to high levels of burnout, a percentage that is nearly twice as high as the level of burnout in the general U.S. working population."
   
   
8. "Can Rates Make Up for Expense Growth Much Longer?," 04.18.23.
   This analysis from Law.com looks at the tension between law firm revenue and expenses, including salaries and technology, noting, "Large law firms became more expensive to operate and less profitable in 2022, despite growing in terms of revenue and head count. While equity partners took home less money, associate and nonequity partner compensation continued to rise. Rate increases managed to keep gross revenue in the black as demand slid by nearly 2%."
   
   
   1. "Midsize Firms Take 'Aggressive' Stance on Rate Increases. Can They Collect On Those Bills?," 04.20.23.
      Law.com Pro reports, "Midsize law firms are feeling the pressure from inflated talent costs to take an aggressive stance on raising hourly billing rates this year. But maximizing the realization of these higher fees will require lawyers to deliver services that justify the rate increases."
      
      
9. "Don't You Just Hate Writing Cover Letters?," 04.18.23.
   NALP member Jill Backer, of Ave Maria Law School, provides advice on writing effective cover letters in Daily Business Review.
   
   
10. "A Step Back, But Still Ahead? An Analysis of The 2023 Am Law 100," 04.18.23.
    Law.com's analysis of the legal market indicates, "While 2022 was a return to reality, 2023 may be the real challenge."
    
    
11. "Cadwalader Makes Cuts in Associate and Business Professional Ranks," 04.18.23.
    The American Lawyer reports on Cadwalader's cuts resulting from their annual review process.
    
    
12. "BYU Offers Expanded 'Boot Camp-Style' Academies for 2023," 04.18.23.
    Law.com reports, "Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School has nearly doubled its 'boot camp-style' academies for its 1Ls with the addition of five new offerings this year."
    
    
13. "Associate Attrition Rate Down In '22, But Numbers Still High," 04.18.23.
    Law360: "Following historic high levels of associates leaving their firms and equally strong hiring rates recorded in 2021, numbers in both areas declined in 2022, although they still remain above average, according to a [NALP Foundation] report released Tuesday." (Subscription required.) Read the NALP Foundation's press release here.
    
    
14. "Gritty Teams Help Retain Women Lawyers," 04.18.23.
    Law360 reports on a new ABA report that finds that team experiences have a huge influence on whether women stay or leave their jobs, and explores how law firms, organizations and leaders can best promote grit and growth mindset in teams. (Subscription required.) Find the ABA report here.
    
    
15. "A Lesson for Colleges on Student Mental Health: Try New Things on a Small Scale," 04.17.23.
    Improving student mental health is as complex as raising a child, said one expert in this article in The Chronicle of Higher Education about what colleges can do to help students with mental health challenges. (Subscription required.)
    
    
16. "Step into the Innovation Lab," 04.17.23.
    Legal Management — The Magazine of ALA has this story on legal innovation labs in law firms and law schools.
    
    
17. "Japanese Law Firms Grow US Investments With Weak Economy at Home," 04.17.23.
    Bloomberg Law reports, "Japanese law firms are opening offices in New York and San Francisco as growth opportunities become harder to find in their home country."
    
    
18. "Authenticity Drives Profit: Supporting Diversity in Law Firms," 04.17.23.
    This op-ed in The Legal Intelligencer argues, "Authentic law firms do not require attorneys to check their true selves (their hometowns, race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, marital status, parental status, to name a few) at the door before sitting down at their desk."
    
    
19. "Big Law Sees Growing Revenue in Environmental Law as Biden Administration Prioritizes Climate Action," 04.17.23.
    The American Lawyer reports on growth in the environmental law sector.
    
    
20. "Can Big Law Offices in Secondary Markets Succeed on Talent Alone? Salt Lake Offers Clues," 04.17.23.
    The American Lawyer analyzes prospects for Big Law success in Salt Lake City.
    
    
21. "Biglaw Associates' Buying Power: Exploring Salary Disparities & Cost Of Living In Major US Cities ," 04.14.23.
    Above the Law has this article (sponsored content) that takes a close look at associate salaries and cost of living, and that also cites NALP's Class of 2020 Buying Power Index.
    
    
22. " Managing Generations Y and Z: Motivating, Recruiting and Retaining Tomorrow's Workforce," 04.10.23.
    This opinion piece in Corporate Counsel looks at the five generations currently in the workplace and asks, "How can you better communicate with, engage, and inspire all of these audiences?"
    
    
23. "Creating an Inclusive Practice — or Conference Session," 03.28.23.
    We missed this in March, but Law Practice Today has this article with tips on how to intentionally create a more inclusive environment in your workplace.
    
    

April 14, 2023

1. "What Does It Take To Get Lawyers Back In the Office?," 04.14.23.
   The American Lawyer reports on a new survey that shows "A plurality of legal industry workers in a survey from global design and architectural firm Gensler has said they'd come back to the office at least one more day per week if their firm provided their 'ideal' mix of work experiences."
   
   
2. "EY Steps Back, And Big Law Can Sigh in Relief," 04.13.23.
   Law.com's The Law Firm Disrupted column shares the news that EY will not be splitting its auditing and consulting arms into two entities, a move that some had feared would make the firm a major competitor in legal services.
   
   
3. "Law Schools Should Abandon Merit-Based Scholarships," 04.13.23.
   This op-ed in The Chronicle of Higher Education argues that "U.S. News' ranking methods have encouraged the neglect of low-income students. (Subscription required.)
   
   
4. "90% Through The Fall 2023 Law School Admissions Season: Applicants Are Down -3.7%, With Biggest Decline (-8.0%) In The 150-154 LSAT Band," 04.13.23.
   TaxProf Blog parses LSAC data on applications.
   
   
5. "Am Law 100 Firms Reconsider the 'Givens' in Their Expense Budgets," 04.13.23.
   This analysis from The American Lawyer takes a look at the "cost-benefit analysis of spending on travel and in-person meetings" versus remote work, as well as other cost-control measures.
   
   
6. "Elite Biglaw Firm Goes Out Of Its Way To Reassure First-Year Associates Their Jobs Are Safe," 04.13.23.
   Above the Law reports that Milbank is trying to reassure their young associates, noting "It might seem like non-news, since the status quo remains in place, but it reflects an understanding of what folks are going through."
   
   
7. "Making Diversity Stick Is a Challenge for Higher Ed. New Research Suggests Ways to Get There," 04.12.23.
   The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on "A pair of new papers studying how to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in medical schools and medical-residency programs tries to bridge that gap, offering administrators across higher ed ideas for change that might stick." (Subscription required.)
   
   
8. "Law firm Shearman & Sterling lays off more staff," 04.12.23.
   Reuters reports, "Shearman & Sterling confirmed on Wednesday that it is conducting a new round of staff reductions, joining other U.S. law firms that have shed business professional roles in the past few months."
   
   
9. "Florida Bar Passage Rate Falls 7 Percent," 04.12.23.
   Above the Law reports that "the most recent Florida bar passage rate sunk seven points. That puts the state's bar passage rate at its lowest point in 15 years."
   
   
10. "First-time bar pass rate for Black candidates below 58%, ABA data shows," 04.11.23.
    The ABA released bar passage data this week, and the ABA Journal reports, "Black candidates continue to have the lowest first-time test-taker pass rate, which was 57% in 2022, compared with 61% in 2021."
    
    
    1. "ABA releases new report on bar pass data by race, ethnicity, gender," 04.11.23.
       Read the ABA's press release here.
       
       
    2. "First-Time Bar Pass Rates: 83% For Whites, 57% For Blacks," 04.12.23.
       TaxProf Blog parses out some of the results.
       
       
    3. "Racial disparities in bar exam scores worsened in 2022," 04.12.23.
       More on this from Reuters.
       
       
11. "The Economic Lever That Brings Nonequity Partners Down," 04.11.23.
    Law360 reports, "While nonequity partners are satisfied with their jobs overall, finances appear to be a sticking point, in particular the way their firms handle leverage, according to the results of Law360 Pulse's Lawyer Satisfaction Survey." (Subscription required.)
    
    
    1. "How Happy Are Attorneys At Work?," 04.11.23.
       More on the Law360 survey: "Despite enduring tropes about the BigLaw grind, U.S. lawyers are pretty content with their professional lives, giving high marks in a new survey for firm paychecks, billable hour targets and harmonious work cultures." (Subscription required.)
       
       
    2. "Lawyers report high level of satisfaction with their jobs, but stress remains an issue, survey finds," 04.12.23.
       ABA Journal also reports on this survey, noting that "Eighty-three percent of surveyed attorneys report they are stressed at least some of the time, but 71% of the lawyers would not switch careers if given a chance for a do-over."
       
       
12. "Overhauled US News & World Report rankings leave top law schools largely unchanged," 04.11.23.
    Reuters reports, "In a surprise move, U.S. News on Tuesday released the top 14 schools on its latest law and medical school rankings. The big reveal comes one week ahead of the planned release of the full rankings, which cover all 199 American Bar Association-accredited law schools."
    
    
    1. "After Tumultuous Five Months, US News Releases Preliminary Rankings for T14 Law Schools," 04.11.23.
       Law.com also reports on this story, noting, "The T14 preliminary rankings — as U.S. News reported in its announcement won't be considered final until published in its entirely on April 18 — include five ties, including a three-way tie."
       
       
    2. "Amid rankings revolt, U.S. News teases new list of law, medical schools," 04.11.23.
       More from The Washington Post.
       
       
    3. "Yale Law Still No. 1 on U.S. News & World Report's Rankings Despite Leading Revolt," 04.11.23.
       More from The Wall Street Journal. (Subscription required.)
       
       
    4. "U.S. News Releases New Rankings for Top Law and Medical Schools, Despite a Boycott," 04.11.23.
       And from The New York Times. (Subscription required.)
       
       
    5. "U.S. News Law School Rankings Preview Is Here: Major Shakeup Or Much Ado About Nothing?," 04.11.23.
       And of course, Above the Law weighs in as well.
       
       
13. "Cooley Delays Start Date for Next Crop of First-Year Associates," 04.11.23.
    Bloomberg Law breaks the news of delayed start dates for incoming associates.
    
    
    1. "Cooley Deferred Its Incoming Class. Will Others Jump on the Bandwagon or Hold the Line?," 04.11.23.
       The American Lawyer also reports this story and asks the question on everyone's mind, noting "The moves also call into question whether other firms will take similar steps. Industry consultants and recruiters had mixed views," and concluding that "firms are exercising caution and making more individualized decisions in 2023."
       
       
14. "3 Ways Associates Can Rebound After A Layoff," 04.10.23.
    Law360 has tips for associates recovering from a layoff. (Subscription required.)
    
    
15. "What Happens When ChatGPT Gets It Wrong?," 04.10.23.
    Law.com's Ahead of the Curve columnn takes a look at various instances of false biographical information created by ChatGPT, comparing it to the game Two Truths and a Lie and concluding, "When AI gets the facts wrong, the effects can be far-reaching and long-lasting."
    
    
16. "'The Impact of College Diversity,'" 04.10.23.
    Insider Higher Ed has this Q&A with Elizabeth Aries, author of The Impact of College Diversity: Struggles and Successes at Age 30.
    
    
17. "Is Gun Violence Scaring Off International Students?," 04.10.23.
    Inside Higher Ed reports, "in recent years fears about gun violence and personal safety have eclipsed other perceived drawbacks of studying in the U.S."
    
    
18. "More states reconsider how to license lawyers," 04.10.23.
    Reuters reports, "Maine is pondering a move to allow some aspiring lawyers to take the bar exam without going to law school, joining four other states with so-called apprenticeship programs."
    
    
    1. "'Desperate for lawyers,' Maine considers alternative path to law license," 04.11.23.
       ABA Journal reports that "Maine lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow aspiring lawyers to skip law school if they study under a supervising attorney for two years."
       
       
19. "A.I. Is Coming for Lawyers, Again," 04.10.23.
    The New York Times points out that this is not the first time pundits have predicted that lawyers' jobs will be taken over by artificial intelligence and asks, "Will the pessimists finally be right?" (Subscription required.)
    
    
20. "US legal jobs decline for first time in six months," 04.07.23.
    Reuters reports on the latest Department of Labor job stats.
    
    
21. "Finding Your Obi-Wan: The Importance of Mentorship in Furthering the Young Lawyer's Career," 04.07.23.
    This op-ed from The Legal Intelligencer discusses the importance of mentoring and notes, "Developing confidence, skills and judgment, establishing career goals and building a successful practice can all be enhanced by such a relationship."
    
    
22. "First-Year Associates Caught in the Crosshairs of Big Law's Latest Layoffs," 04.07.23.
    The Recorder reports on the impact of layoffs on first-year associates.
    
    
23. "Leadership Training for Lawyers Is Time Well Spent," 04.06.23.
    The author of this op-ed in The Legal Intelligencer argues that "Major law firms now offer starting salaries as high as $200,000 a year and hire the best and brightest from good law schools; however, there is no guarantee that the new hires will have any leadership ability. The job of the senior partners of the firm is to recognize leadership talent in their attorneys, and to cultivate it."
    
    
24. "Making Law Review Is Career Gold. NYU Students Want Cash Too," 04.06.23.
    Bloomberg Law reports on the petition from members of NYU Law Review and other journals asking for hourly pay or academic credit, and notes that the long-standing assumption that the experience is the compensation "restricts the career benefits of law review membership to those who can afford to work for free, a group that is less diverse than the student body at large."
    
    
25. "Big Law Layoffs are Resulting in Problematic Severance Agreements for Job-Hunting Lawyers," 04.06.23.
    As layoffs become more common again, The American Lawyer looks at severance agreements and notes "many associates have been caught between their former firm's demand for staying quiet about being let go and their prospective future firm's demand for transparency."
    
    
26. "'You Are Online 24/7': Why a Paul Hastings Presentation Went Viral and What It Says About Law Firm Culture," 04.05.23.
    The American Lawyer reports on how one slide from an internal presentation ended up as "a viral event in which questions about law firm culture, workplace behavior and the importance of tone in professional communications came to the forefront."
    
    
    1. "'I'm Aghast': Viral Paul Hastings Presentation Garners Strong In-House Reaction," 04.07.23.
       Corporate Counsel shares a variety of reactions from in-house attorneys — some were appalled, some were amused, none of them were surprised.
       
       
    2. "Associate's Slide Highlights 'Reinforcement of Culture' Doesn't Only Come From Top," 04.10.23.
       The American Lawyer has a followup to this story that focuses on the importance of leadership training.
       
       
    3. "The Paul Hastings Associate Presentation Wasn't That Offensive," 04.11.23.
       Vivia Chen at Bloomberg Law weighs in: "We all know the life of a Big Law associate is often nasty, brutish, and short, so why all this shock and awe over these 10 rules? Probably because it destroys the fantasy that work/life balance is somehow feasible in Big Law."
       
       
27. "Paralegals Flocking to Legal Ops, But They're Often Shortchanged on Pay," 04.05.23.
    Law.com reports that paralegals are moving into the legal operations arena and notes that "Despite their paralegal experience, this cohort is paid dramatically less than legal ops professionals with other backgrounds."
    
    
28. "At U.S. Supreme Court, 'serial' clerks are more the norm, study finds," 04.05.23.
    Karen Sloan at Reuters reports on a new study that shows "The path to a coveted U.S. Supreme Court clerkship has gotten longer over the past two decades."
    
    
29. "Law firm layoffs spread as cooling economy keeps clients wary," 04.05.23.
    Reuters reports on firm layoffs, noting, "Many law firms raced to hire lawyers in 2021 and early 2022 to keep up with booming global dealmaking demand. But the market has shifted amid rising interest rates, high inflation and recession fears."
    
    
30. "The Law Firm Mid-Market Is a Thing," 04.04.23.
    The American Lawyer has this analyis of the law firm mid-market.
    
    
31. "Desperate for Next Generation of Lawyers, Legal Departments Must Offer 'Meaningful Impact'," 04.04.23.
    Daily Report has this story about attracting and retaining younger lawyers, noting "stunts such as no-meeting Mondays or free-pizza Fridays aren't what win over millennials and Gen Zers. Instead, what they want is integrity and transparency."
    
    
32. "Gunderson Lays Off 10% of Attorneys and Staff," 04.04.23.
    Law.com reports, "Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian laid off 10% of its attorneys, paralegals and staff in its U.S. offices in response to current macroeconomic and market conditions."
    
    
    1. "Silicon Valley's Gunderson Lays Off Attorneys Across Offices," 04.04.23.
       Bloomberg Law also has this story.
       
       
    2. "Biglaw Firm Lays Off 10% Of Its Workforce, May Defer Incoming Associates," 04.04.23.
       And Above the Law adds the dreaded "D" word.
       
       
33. "After Pandemic Hiatus, LSAC to Offer In-Person Option for LSAT," 04.03.23.
    Law.com reports that LSAC will offer the LSAT in person again this year, as well as allowing "the option of taking the LSAT in a test center or continuing to take it remotely."
    
    
    1. "Online? In-person? LSAT takers will soon have a choice," 04.04.23.
       Karen Sloan at Reuters also reports on this story.
       
       
34. "Conservative judges extend clerk boycott to Stanford after disrupted speech," 04.03.23.
    Reuters reports on continuing fallout from the situation at Stanford Law.
    
    
    1. "At American law schools, a fresh fuss over freedom of speech," 04.05.23.
       The Economist has their take on the issue of free speech at law schools.
       
       
    2. "At Stanford Law School, the Dean Takes a Stand for Free Speech. Will It Work?" 04.09.23.
       More coverage from The New York Times. (Subscription required.)
       
       
35. "Q1 Saw a Major Reshuffling of Law School Leadership," 04.03.23.
    In Law.com's Ahead of the Curve column, Christine Charnosky writes, "So far this year, I have written 16 stories about 18 deans who are either incoming or outgoing. Last year, during the same time period, I wrote only two such stories."
    
    
36. "Large Law Firm M&A Returned With A Bang In First Quarter," 04.03.23.
    "After nearly three years during which large law firm combinations practically dried up, the industry's appetite for big acquisitions returned and even exceeded pre-2020 levels during the first quarter of 2023," reports Law360. (Subscription required.)
    
    
37. "Big law firms quicker to merge in 2023 so far, report shows," 04.03.23.
    Reuters reports on new data that shows "There were at least as many large law firm mergers completed in the first quarter of 2023 than in all of 2022."
    
    
38. "As Big Law Merger Momentum Continues, Armstrong Teasdale Combines With Chicago Boutique," 04.03.23.
    Law.com reports, "Law firm mergers are on an upswing across the legal industry this year, particularly ones motivated by geographic expansion."
    
    
39. "Does Law School Have to Suck? (Part 2)," 04.03.23.
    Part 2 of this series in The National Law Journal explores "the insidious effects of the culture of competition, and its connection to loneliness and lack of student preparation."
    
    
    1. "Does Law School Have to Suck? (Part 3)," 04.06.23.
       Part 3 looks at the first year of law school and concludes that we all "need to take a hard look at the traditions, institutions and assumptions that turn idealistic and ambitious students into stressed-out and cynical lawyers with disproportionate rates of depression and substance abuse. We all must reckon with the ways that our profession is structured to create hurdles to success for traditionally underrepresented groups in the profession."
       
       
40. "Kirkland & Ellis Lays Off Associates Across US Offices," 04.03.23.
    Bloomberg Law reports, "Kirkland & Ellis has let go of some of its associates across US offices following mid-year performance reviews that took place last week. A spokesperson for Kirkland told Bloomberg Law that these cuts 'were not layoffs.'"
    
    
    1. "Kirkland's Latest Cuts Targeted Even Busy Associates," 04.03.23.
       The American Lawyer also has this story.
       
       
    2. "Kirkland Scores Another Record Financial Year, Conducts 'Not Layoffs' Anyway," 04.05.23.
       Above the Law has this story as well.
       
       
41. "What I wish I'd learned in law school," 04.01.23.
    ABA Journal interviewed practicing lawyers about the best advice they received and what they wish they had learned. (Subscription required.)
    
    
42. "It's the End of the Weekend as We Know It," 03.31.23.
    The Wall Street Journal reports on the rise of weekend work, noting that "employees acknowledge that work-filled weekends are the trade-off for hybrid office time and flexible schedules that allow for midmorning gym workouts, afternoon school pickups, dog walks and grocery-store runs." (Subscription required.)
    
    
    1. "Weekend Work Is on the Rise," 04.06.23.
       This five-minute WSJ podcast discusses "how working on the weekend became the norm and what it means for work-life balance."
       
       
43. "In Talent Tug-of-War, Law Firms Make Surgical Cuts and Future Investments," 03.31.23.
    The American Lawyer reports, "Dragged down by overcapacity, some firms continue to trim the associate ranks. But many still plan to pull in more junior lawyers because no one wants to end up with a hole in their ranks when the next deal boom comes along."
    
    

March 31, 2023

1. "Does Law School Have to Suck?," 03.30.23.
   The director of Fordham Law School's Office of Professionalism writes this op-ed in The National Law Journal, in which she discusses law schools' role in the larger mental health crisis in law and argues "Student suffering is built into the structure of legal education because the market for lawyers demands it. The legal profession needs to stop perpetuating the norms that make anxiety, depression, and substance abuse so prevalent among lawyers and law students."
   
   
2. "Colorado will license paraprofessionals to perform limited legal work," 03.30.23.
   ABA Journal reports, "The Colorado Supreme Court has approved a new rule that allows licensed nonlawyer paraprofessionals to perform limited legal work in some divorce and child-custody matters."
   
   
3. "The Great Resignation and the Great Return: Young Lawyers Take Note," 03.29.23.
   This op-ed piece in The Legal Intelligencer is written by a young lawyer who notes, "The Great Resignation and the Great Return are two sides of the same coin, reflecting the changing legal landscape and the importance of work-life balance and workplace culture. Law firms that can adapt to these changes are more likely to retain their talent and attract new employees."
   
   
4. "U.S. News shakeup has law schools reading rankings tea leaves," 03.23.23.
   Karen Sloan at Reuters writes about the anticipation around the upcoming release of U.S. News rankings based "solely on data publicly available through the American Bar Association as well as reputational survey scores collected by U.S. News."
   
   
   1. "The Ranking Battle in Higher Ed," 03.28.23.
      This podcast from The Wall Street Journal delves into the history and the future of the U.S. News rankings.
      
      
5. "US push to end lawyer mental health disclosures extends to New Jersey," 03.29.23.
   Reuters reports that New Jersey is considering whether to remove mental health information from the state's bar application, quoting the state bar president: "Instead of contributing to a reluctance to seek mental health assistance, we should be championing efforts of bar applicants and attorneys to seek the help they need as early as possible."
   
   
6. "AI systems like ChatGPT could impact 300 million full-time jobs worldwide, with administrative and legal roles some of the most at risk, Goldman Sachs report says," 03.28.23.
   At the beginning of this week, Goldman Sachs released a report on the impact of artificial intelligence on job tasks which says, "roughly two-thirds of current jobs are exposed to some degree of AI automation while generative AI could substitute up to a quarter of current work," Business Insider reports, noting that "The Goldman report highlighted US legal workers and administrative staff as particularly at risk from the new tech."
   
   
   1. "'This Is a Rocket Ship': How Generative AI Will Transform Legal Departments," 03.31.23.
      The view from the client side in this Corporate Counsel piece that says, "while it's difficult to predict exactly how changes will play out, they say legal departments likely will maintain and grow their workforces but in some cases scale back their reliance on pricey outside counsel."
      
      
   2. "Legal Industry Reacts to Goldman Sachs Generative AI Report: Keep Calm and Panic," 03.30.23.
      Legaltech News provides their commentary on the Goldman Sachs report.
      
      
   3. "Should ChatGPT Be In Law School?," 03.30.23.
      TaxProf Blog features a piece from TechLaw Crossroads that argues, "The great lawyer of the future will marry their talents and knowledge with the abilities of computers so that they can both do what they do best. Law schools need to devote themselves to preparing students to be those great lawyers."
      
      
   4. "Generative AI Could Automate Almost Half of All Legal Tasks, Goldman Sachs Estimates," 03.29.23.
      Law.com's take on this story.
      
      
   5. "AI Puts Nearly Half Of Legal Jobs At Risk," 03.29.23.
      Reporting from Law360 as well. (Subscription required.)
      
      
7. "Early Reports: 2023 Am Law 200 Financials," 03.28.23.
   For those following the ups and downs of law firm financials, The American Lawyer has this running list of their reporting on how law firms fared in 2022.
   
   
   1. "Am Law 200 Firm Leaders Aren't Sweating Double-Digit Profit Drops. Here's Why," 03.28.23.
      Law.com reports, "For some [firms], the dip was a necessary consequence of spending more on travel for much-delayed in-person meetings. For others, 2022 was the right time to invest in growth aimed at generating long-term rewards."
      
      
   2. "What Goes Up Must Come Down: NY Firms Come Back to Earth After Record 2021," 03.30.23.
      The American Lawyer reports, "New York firms took a tumble in 2022, with many showing double-digit drops in revenue and PEP."
      
      
8. "Being a Parent Can Also Make You a Better Lawyer — Here's Why," 03.28.23.
   In this Bloomberg Law op-ed, Starbucks corporate counsel director Brittany Johnson says, "parenthood taught me skills and provided perspective that improved my work and relationship with my legal career."
   
   
9. "As Microcredentials Boom, Employers' Hiring Platforms Fumble," 03.28.23.
   Inside Higher Ed reports that many hiring platforms have trouble handling and interpreting non-traditional professional experience and educational achievements.
   
   
10. "Law Firms Must Nurture and Support the Next Generation of Lawyers," 03.27.23.
    The author of this op-ed at Bloomberg Law argues, "Today's incoming associates often embrace a consumer mindset, and come prepared with a checklist of specifications they expect from their employers," and offers steps law firms can take to attract and retain the new generation.
    
    
11. "Substance Abuse CLE Program Helps Lawyers and Law Firms Get Better at Getting Help," 03.27.23.
    The American Lawyer reports on "the top-down push to destigmatize conversations about addiction," with some firms even offering CLE credit to lawyers that participate in training on addiction.
    
    
12. "Big Law Does Mid-Market Firms 'Huge Favor' By Stepping Away From Routine Legal Work," 03.28.23.
    The Law.com Pro Mid-Market newsletter reports, "By backing away from low-rate and routine legal work and centering business around the most profitable transactions and bet-the-company disputes, Big Law firms have given midsize firms a chance to embed themselves in clients' legal departments to forge long-lasting relationships."
    
    
13. "Ahead of the Curve: Examining Student Protests and the Right to Free Speech," 03.28.23.
    In response to student protests at several law schools, Law.com's Christine Charnosky explores the question "Should law students who protest 'controversial' speakers at their campuses be applauded for exercising their right to free speech — or disciplined for infringing on that right as it applies to others?"
    
    
    1. "More Commentary On The Disruption Of A Federal Judge's Speech At Stanford Law School (Part 3)," 03.27.23.
       TaxProf Blog has excerpts and links to several pieces related to the situation at Stanford. He continues to post updates.
       
       
    2. "The Most Profound Loss on Campus Isn't Free Speech. It's Listening," 03.30.23.
       The New York Times has this op-ed that argues, "universities can do a better job of preventing one form of speech from inhibiting another. The harder task, but perhaps the more important lesson, will be teaching students not to want to do so. They shouldn't avoid opportunities to hear other perspectives…." (Subscription required.)
       
       
14. "1 in 4 Prospective Students Ruled Out Colleges Due to Their States' Political Climates," 03.27.23.
    The Chronicle of Higher Education has this story on the impact of states' political and legal climates on higher education, reporting "One in four students said they ruled out institutions due to the politics, policies, or legal situation in the state where the college was located. Students who identified as LGBTQ+ reported rejecting institutions for these reasons at a higher rate than did students who identified as straight." (Subscription required.)
    
    
15. "Explainer: What happens if the US Supreme Court bans affirmative action?," 03.27.23.
    Reuters lays out the history of affirmative action policies in higher education, the current cases before the Supreme Court, and the possible outcomes.
    
    
16. "1 Dean to Lead Rutgers Law for First Time Since 2015 Merger of Campuses," 03.24.23.
    New Jersey Law Journal reports, "For the first time since Rutgers Law School merged the Camden and Newark law schools, one dean will oversee both campuses."
    
    
17. "For Services Partially Rendered? Firms Get Creative on Fee Arrangements," 03.24.23.
    The American Lawyer reports that "even as inflation levels off and the U.S. economy continues to stave off recession, firms and clients are continuing to lean on things like portfolio pricing, busted-deal and success-fee arrangements in their transactional work."
    
    
18. "Insights in Action: Corporate law departments find their outside firms' innovation lagging, but there may be little incentive to change," 03.24.23
    Reuters reports on data from Thomson Reuters Market Insights showing that "while law departments are generally satisfied with their outside firms, they believe firms' overall innovation is lacking compared to other performance indicators."
    
    
19. "Lateral Hiring Cooled, But Have Associates Gotten The Memo?," 03.23.23.
    Law 360 reports, "Large law firms have slowed down their lateral associate hiring, with many firms finding themselves overstaffed after a widespread hiring mania the past few years. However, recruiters say it's taking a while for reality to hit among many associates who came up during boom times." (Subscription required.)
    
    

March 24, 2023

1. "Lateral Associate Hiring Market Cools in 2022, But Partner Moves Outpace 2021," 03.22.23
   This week NALP released new research from our Survey on 2022 Lateral Hiring, showing that lateral associate hiring fell in 2022 but lateral partner hiring stayed strong. You can read the press release, preview the upcoming April Bulletin+ article, and watch a short video with highlights on the NALP website.
   
   
   1. "Hot market for U.S. law firm associates cooled in 2022, report shows," 03.22.23.
      Karen Sloan picks up the story for Reuters.
      
      
   2. "Lateral hiring dropped last year, fueled by decline in associate market, NALP report says," 03.22.23.
      ABA Journal also featured the research.
      
      
   3. "Cooling Lateral Associate Market Good News For Small Firms," 03.22.23.
      More from Law360. (Subscription required.)
      
      
   4. "Wake Up Call: Associate Hires Plunge, Partner Hires Rise in 2022," 03.23.23.
      And Bloomberg Law.
      
      
   5. "The Lateral Associate Market Took A Real Hit Last Year," 03.23.23.
      And Above the Law made it their Trivia Question of the Day.
      
      
2. "Beth Wilkinson's Insider View of Women In — and Out — of Big Law," 03.24.23.
   Over at Bloomberg Law, Vivia Chen has an interesting interview with a woman who left the partnership of a Big Law firm to start her own boutique practice.
   
   
3. "Bans on Public-College Diversity Offices Wouldn't Affect Just State Funding," 03.23.23.
   The Chronicle of Higher Education takes a look at proposed bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on college campuses and notes that states' crusades against campus' diversity efforts could disrupt private and federal dollars, too. (Subscription required.)
   
   
4. "Be Alert to These 3 Disruptions in the Legal Industry," 03.23.23.
   The American Lawyer calls out three specific disruptors that were discussed at the Legalweek conference: alternative legal service providers, artificial intelligence, and career paths that bypass the traditional six-year partner track.
   
   
5. "The Law Firm Disrupted: An Overcapacity Postmortem of Cooley," 03.23.23.
   Law.com's Law Firm Disrupted column has this analysis of the "overcapacity predicament that roiled the legal industry late in 2022" and cites NALP's data on fall 2022 recruiting.
   
   
6. "Sobering Data? Survey Finds Less Law School Drinking," 03.23.23.
   Bloomberg Law reports that fewer law school-sponsored social and networking events involve alcohol than in the past.
   
   
7. "Women In Law Are Driving An Entirely New Practice Model," 03.23.23.
   Above the Law has an article about distributed law firms — written by a distributed law firm, but still an informative piece.
   
   
8. "Stanford Law Dean: Associate Dean Steinbach Placed on Leave After Disrupting Judge Duncan's Speech," 03.22.23.
   Law.com reports on the fallout from the Stanford student protests, including the public letter from Stanford Law Dean Jenny Martinez.
   
   
   1. "Stanford Law official who admonished judge during speech is on leave, dean says," 03.22.23.
      Karen Sloan at Reuters has more.
      
      
   2. "Stanford Law won't discipline student protesters, but puts diversity dean on leave," 03.22.23.
      The Washington Times has picked up the story of the kerfuffle at Stanford.
      
      
   3. "After 'disruptive heckling,' Stanford Law requires free speech session, notes associate dean's leave," 03.23.23.
      More in ABA Journal.
      
      
   4. "Free Speech (or Not) at Stanford," 03.23.23.
      And The New York Times has this summary which includes links to additional commentary from a variety of sources. (Subscription required.)
      
      
   5. "Diversity and Free Speech Can Coexist at Stanford," 03.23.23.
      The Wall Street Journal has an op-ed by Dean Tirien Steinbach sharing her side of the story. (Subscription required.)
      
      
9. "Employee Retention and Expanded Recruitment Pipeline Crucial to Law Firm Hiring Strategy," 03.22.23.
   The American Lawyer summarizes a Legalweek panel discussing the Great Resignation, talent retention, and employee satisfaction.
   
   
10. "'Sisterhood' of bar association leaders emerges as women take top posts," 03.22.23.
    Reuters reports "In the latest sign of demographic change in the U.S. legal profession, nearly all of the major American bar associations for underrepresented groups has [sic] a woman president this year," and notes "Their prevalence highlights the progress female lawyers have made in recent years, say the women leading those groups, even as they caution that challenges remain."
    
    
11. "'Stand in Your Truth,' Actor LeVar Burton Tells Lawyers at Legalweek," 03.22.23.
    Actor LeVar Burton spoke at the Legalweek conference, reports The American Lawyer. Speaking on diversity and representation, he commented, "We all need to feel seen and recognized in the stories that the culture puts forth. Without that reflection of our self-image, it is difficult to grow up with a healthy image of one's self. When you don't have to think about whether or not you're seeing yourself reflected in the popular culture, that's privilege."
    
    
12. "Growth, Depth, Cohesion: Fox Rothschild's New Chief Growth Strategist Outlines Her Agenda," 03.21.23.
    The American Lawyer reports on Fox Rothschild's "newly created position of chief growth strategist."
    
    
13. "US News Announces Release Date for 2023-2024 Graduate School Rankings Following 42 Law School Withdrawals," 03.21.23.
    Law.com reports that this year's U.S. News rankings will be released on April 18, noting "many are anticipating how the rankings will pan out since at least 42 law schools have made public statements about no longer participating in the rankings."
    
    
    1. "The Unraveling of the U.S. News College Rankings," 03.21.23.
       The Wall Street Journal has an in-depth piece on the history leading up to the "rebellion." (Subscription required.)
       
       
    2. "Law School Deans See Through The U.S. News Rankings Bluster," 03.23.23.
       More from Georgetown Law Center Dean William Treanor on the TaxProf Blog.
       
       
14. "When Old Habits Die Hard: A Comment On Sander And Steinbuch's 'Mismatch And Bar Passage'," 03.21.23.
    TaxProf Blog has a counterpoint to the Richard Sander piece from last week which notes "several conceptual and methodological mistakes previously identified in the empirical literature on mismatch analyzing the BPS data are present in [their] study of school-specific data, thereby calling into question [their] conclusion."
    
    
15. "Mitchell Hamline Law School Dean To Step Down After Four Years To 'Focus On His Own Well-Being'," 03.21.23.
    TaxProf Blog picks up a story from Twin Cities Pioneer Press reporting that "The dean of the Mitchell Hamline School of Law plans to step down when his contract expires in June 2024."
    
    
16. "Japanese Law Firms Move Quickly Into Global Markets," 03.20.23.
    Law.com International reports that Japanese firms are expanding into "such far-flung locales as Indonesia, Paris and New York…at a time when market saturation has deepened" in Japan.
    
    
17. "Law schools try texting to monitor students' mental health," 03.20.23.
    Reuters reports that at least five U.S. law schools are experimenting with a service that texts law students each week to have them rate their feelings on questions ranging "from academics and personal relationships to sleep quality and financial stability. Students respond on a scale of one to 10, with answers in the mid-to-low range triggering a list of available resources, outreach by a law school staff member, an automatic call from a crisis counselor, or all three."
    
    
18. "Herrick, Feinstein Names First Female Executive Chair," 03.20.23.
    New York Law Journal reports, "Belinda Schwartz was tapped to lead Herrick, Feinstein as executive chair, making her the firm's first female executive chair."
    
    
19. "New Keker Leader Sees Pro Manager Freeing Up Law-Practice Time," 03.20.23.
    Bloomberg law reports on a rising "trend to have professional managers work under law firm leaders and boost the quality of management. The arrangements are designed to boost firm efficiency, bolster bottom lines and free up time for the attorneys to focus on legal work."
    
    
20. "Big Law's Latest Growth Strategy? Expanding in Complementary Markets," 03.20.23.
    The American Lawyer reports "Several Am Law 200 law firms are lately expanding into multiple locations at the same time. Law firm leaders say that growing in one market can be used to propel another, especially in complementary markets."
    
    
21. "How GPT-4 Mastered the Entire Bar Exam, and Why That Matters," 03.17.23.
    Legaltech News has analysis of the advancements in GPT technology from earlier versions to the most recent.
    
    
22. "Why Law Firms Are Hosting Poker Nights for Attorneys," 03.17.23.
    This Law.com podcast features Ellen Leikind, the founder and CEO of PokerDivas, who discusses "how she started the organization to teach women how to play poker, so they'd no longer be excluded from the sport du jour in Corporate America."
    
    
23. "How Lawyers Can Make Wellness A Habit At Work," 03.17.23.
    Law360 reports "Legal department staffers can be advocates of employee well-being for all other departments within a corporation, a top lawyer for tech protection company Likewize said during a webinar on how corporate lawyers can integrate wellness into their everyday work lives." (Subscription required.)
    
    
24. "Why DEI efforts are not helping women get ahead — and what needs to change so they do," 03.17.23.
    Fast Company has this piece by the authors of Beyond Bias: The PATH to End Gender Inequality at Work, arguing that "very few organizations have made meaningful progress toward increasing the proportion of women in their senior leadership ranks, much less building truly inclusive workplace cultures" and providing seven decision-making techniques organizations can use to advance change.
    
    
25. "4 Ways To Reboot Your Firm's Stalled Diversity Program," 03.16.23.
    Law360 notes, "After decades of patiently exploring diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives, most law firms have failed to achieve any appreciable progress. What does it take to make meaningful change?" (Subscription required.)
    
    
26. "Here's Why 'Quiet Quitting' Won't Catch On In BigLaw," 03.10.23.
    An older article from Law360: "As the legal industry grapples with workplace burnout exacerbated by the pandemic, a phenomenon called 'quiet quitting' has been on the rise in law firms. Here's why experts say it won't be catching on in BigLaw." (Subscription required.)
    
    
27. "Mental Health and Well-Being Challenges in Law Firms," 03.01.23.
    The March issue of Practical Law — The Journal has this in-depth "expert Q&A on the current climate of mental health in law firms and strategies to create a more mentally healthy workplace."
    
    

March 17, 2023

1. "Change the Conversation About Wokeness, Othering, and Belonging," 03.17.23.
   The author of this Bloomberg Law opinion piece asks "What can company leaders do to reverse the trajectory of othering and foster belonging and inclusion in the workplace?"
   
   
2. "5-minute breathing exercises can improve your mood and reduce anxiety," 03.16.23.
   Not exactly "news," but this Washington Post article explains how breathing exercises can reduce anxiety and help improve your well-being in just five minutes a day.
   
   
3. "How can law schools with history of bar pass issues get their rates above 75%," 03.16.23.
   ABA Journal provides some possible tactics for law schools to improve their bar passage rates.
   
   
4. "Data on about 6,500 law students proves my mismatch theory, shows racial-preference harm, law prof says," 03.16.23.
   ABA Journal reports "A controversial law professor has said data on about 6,500 law students at four law schools provides strong support for his 'academic mismatch' theory — that law students with lower qualifications than their peers fall behind and have worse outcomes in a learning environment geared toward better-qualified students."
   
   
   1. "Sander: Law-School 'Mismatch' Is Worse Than We Thought," 03.17.23.
      More on this from TaxProf blog.
      
      
5. "New York trims rule for would-be lawyers to disclose police run-ins," 03.16.23.
   Reuters reports "New York's courts will no longer require aspiring lawyers to reveal all encounters with law enforcement as part of their application to practice law, in a change court officials said would improve diversity in the profession."
   
   
6. "Lowenstein Lays Off 16 Business Professionals in Multiple Offices," 03.16.23.
   The National Law Journal reports "most of the layoffs affected business development and staff recruiting positions."
   
   
7. "Prepare for Work Reshuffle Between Big Law, ALSPs: A Chat With Legalweek Speaker Vedika Mehera," 03.15.23.
   Legaltech News interviews a law firm innovation adviser, who discusses "what areas of legal technology she's keeping an eye on, how advancements in technology will further disrupt the relationship between Big Law and ALSPs and what innovation looks like in 2023."
   
   
8. "Everyone Talks About Their Law Firm's 'Culture,' But Is It Possible to Measure It?" 03.15.23.
   This piece in The American Lawyer discusses corporate culture and notes "culture analyses are becoming more relevant to the legal industry as law firms integrate business functions that resemble their corporate clients in other sectors."
   
   
9. "Purposeful Action by Associates Can Create Firm Culture in the Age of Hybrid," 03.15.23.
   The Legal Intelligencer has this opinion piece by a law firm associate, who argues "The firm culture from which I benefited greatly as a junior attorney can be replicated with the hybrid model, but it will need to be a targeted hybrid approach that relies on more deliberate and purposeful input and action by associates, partners and administrators alike to create what 'the best of both worlds' looks like for each firm."
   
   
10. "In Developing Alternatives to Bar Exam for Admission, Oregon Seeks Bar Member, Public Comment on Drafted Rules," 03.15.23.
    Law.com reports that Oregon is looking at "two new ways to become members of the bar: a supervised apprenticeship and a 'rigorous' experiential curriculum offered through the state's law schools, according to an Oregon State Bar posting."
    
    
11. "Judges Want 'Disruptive' Law Students Flagged to Employers," 03.15.23.
    Bloomberg law reports on an article in which "Two federal appeals court judges say law schools should consider informing potential employers if students participate in protests that disrupt speakers on campus."
    
    
12. "Bar exam score shows AI can keep up with 'human lawyers,' researchers say," 03.15.23.
    Reuters reports on new developments in artificial intelligence: "GPT-4, the upgraded AI model released this week by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, scored 297 on the bar exam in an experiment."
    
    
    1. "Accountable AI Is Here to Stay, and Big Law Has Taken Notice," 03.15.23.
       The American Lawyer reports "The AI craze has not only reinforced Big Law's interest in top-notch regulatory and privacy expertise, but it has also underscored the wide-reaching implications of the technology across industries and geographic boundaries, and spurred a series of unique, client-tailored offerings."
       
       
    2. "Inside GPT-4: 'AI Displaces Tasks, Not Jobs' in the 'New Age' of Legal Practice," 03.15.23.
       Legaltech News reports on a recent webinar about AI and notes "while the latest evolution of generative AI may very well be one of the most significant developments for the legal industry in years, experts urged the audience to put a pin in the panic button: a tool, no matter how cool, is still a tool and it should be treated as such."
       
       
    3. "PwC Introduces AI Chatbot for 4,000 Lawyers to Speed Up Work," 03.15.23.
       Bloomberg Law reports "PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has introduced a chatbot service for its lawyers, joining the ranks of professional services firms using artificial intelligence to boost productivity."
       
       
    4. "Generative AI Is Impressive, But the All-Too-Familiar 'Sticker Shock' May Be Coming," 03.16.23.
       Legaltech News talks with an expert who argues that while "generative AI is a remarkable innovation in computing, it is not a silver bullet …. But the marketing around it, and perhaps the susceptibility of some consumers to such promotion, set the stage for an unfortunate result: 'It's just not going to meet the expectations [vendors] have built up.'"
       
       
    5. "GPT-4 Beats 90% Of Aspiring Lawyers On The Bar Exam," 03.17.23.
       TaxProf Blog summarizes the paper that started this Chat-GPT news cycle. Of note: "On the MBE, GPT-4 significantly outperforms both human test-takers and prior models, demonstrating a 26% increase over ChatGPT and beating humans in five of seven subject areas."
       
       
13. "Gen Z Attorneys Are Here. Is The Legal Industry Ready?" 03.15.23.
    Law360 writes about the newest generation of lawyers: Gen Z attorneys are here — and they're more empathetic, skeptical, and purpose-driven than past generations. How law firms, companies, and public agencies adapt will shape their success and Gen Z's own future in the legal workforce for decades to come, experts say.
    
    
14. "Will Remote Work Give Mid-Law A Recruiting Edge?," 03.14.23.
    Law360 looks at remote work options as a possible perk: "As some attorneys make career decisions based on remote work options, recruiters say Mid-Law firms may be able to use the situation to pick off high-quality talent from the bigger players — if these firms are willing to offer the flexibility candidates are looking for."
    
    
15. "How to Rethink and Encourage Attorney Well-Being in Firms," 03.14.23.
    In this opinion piece from Bloomberg Law, Suffolk Law Professor Shailini Jandial George offers "concrete steps organizations can take to improve lawyer well-being."
    
    
16. "S.C. Lawmakers Discussed Going After Colleges' Diversity Efforts. Things Got Heated," 03.14.23.
    The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on another state considering "the possibility of eliminating funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts from the state's public colleges — highlighting the debates to come as Republican-controlled state legislatures further scrutinize higher ed's spending on diversity."
    
    
17. "NYU Law Students Demand Compensation For Work On Law Journals," 03.14.23.
    TaxProf Blog picks up a story from Washington Square News reporting that "Students at NYU's School of Law are demanding compensation for their work on student-run journals."
    
    
18. "Ahead of the Curve: How to Choose a Law School," 03.13.23.
    Law.com's Christine Charnosky writes, "In light of all the U.S. News & World Report rankings controversy that we've been mired in over the past four months — 42 law schools refusing to cooperate with the rankings, which has branched off to medical schools and even into some undergraduate schools deciding to pull out from participating in the rankings — as we compiled the data and crunched the numbers last week, it got me thinking about how I might go about choosing a law school if I were planning to pursue a J.D."
    
    
19. "Workplace AI Vendors, Employers Rush to Set Bias Auditing Bar," 03.13.23.
    Bloomberg Law takes a deep dive on bias in artifical intelligence, reporting that a "survey from the Society for Human Resource Management showed that 79% of employers use AI for recruitment and hiring, and now increased compliance requirements are on the horizon," with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission signaling that AI-related bias will become a target for EECO enforcement.
    
    
20. "Seto: 2022 First-Time Bar Pass Performance Of California Law Schools, Controlling For 25th Percentile LSATs," 03.13.23.
    This TaxProf Blog op-ed explores "the extent to which California law schools add value to their students most at risk, the bottom quarter of their classes by LSAT."
    
    
21. "Big Law Continues to Favor Transfers Over Entry-Level Associates," 03.13.23.
    The American Lawyer has more coverage of last week's Leopard State of the Legal Industry report, noting "Big Law firms are continuing to lean more toward lateral associates than entry-level hires, doubling down on a trend that's been taking shape for at least the last five years."
    
    
22. "Why Georgetown Law Quit the U.S. News Rankings," 03.12.23.
    Georgetown Law Center Dean William Treanor explains his reasoning in leaving the U.S. News rankings in this Wall Street Journal letter to the editor. (Subscription required.)
    
    
23. "Baker & Hostetler Becomes Inaugural Sponsor of Georgetown Law's Pipeline Program," 03.10.23.
    Law.com reports "Baker & Hostetler is the inaugural law firm sponsor of Georgetown University Law Center's RISE pipeline program."
    
    
24. "Amar: What Law Schools Rankings Can Learn From College Sports Rankings," 03.06.23.
    TaxProf Blog summarizes two blog posts by University of Illinois College of Law Dean Vikram David Amar comparing the U.S. News school rankings to rankings of college sports teams.
    
    

March 10, 2023

1. "Law Firm Profitability and Learning from the Past," 03.10.23
   The author of this Law.com opinion piece argues "Future partners will be identified, developed, and elected from the associate ranks, so they truly represent the future of the firm. Reducing the number of associates from which to choose future partners is a risky undertaking."
   
   
2. "How to Avoid the Layoff List and Become a Must-Keep Associate," 03.10.23
   Executive coach Lauren Krasnow, writing in The American Lawyer has tips for young laywers on building their brand and showing their value to the firm.
   
   
3. "The Time Is Now: Eliminating the LSAT for the Sake of Diversity," 03.09.23
   In this opinion piece in the New York Law Journal, Craig Boise, dean of Syracuse University College of Law, and Blank Rome counsel Alan Feigenbaum, argue that "removing the LSAT requirement for getting into law school can eliminate barriers to achieving genuine diversity in the legal profession."
   
   
4. "Another law dean takes top college post with Barnard hire," 03.09.23
   Reuters reports "At least three longtime U.S. law school deans have been named to liberal arts college presidencies in recent weeks."
   
   
5. "AI Was Supposed to Help Improve Diversity; Now It's Being Regulated for Bias," 03.09.23
   The Law.com Barometer newsletter explores both sides in the "growing consensus that AI can both aid and inhibit efforts to be more inclusive in hiring, and that the focus needed to shift to understanding tools' bases for decision-making."
   
   
6. "Climate group turns focus to law schools as energy industry 'pipelines'," 03.09.23
   Reuters reports on a law student group calling on law schools "to steer fewer students into high-paid law and lobbying jobs serving fossil fuel companies, and instead boost financial aid and assistance for students pursuing alternative careers."
   
   
7. "Corporate Diversity Pledges Fizzle Amid Layoffs, GOP Backlash," 03.09.23
   Bloomberg Law reports "many of those hired — largely people of color — to diversify the workplace have been let go over the past year amid ongoing layoffs as a cost-cutting measure [and] employers have cut DEI roles at a higher rate than others."
   
   
8. "Two geese were lonely — so they were matched for a blind date," 03.08.23
   This feel-good story in The Washington Post — about matchmakers for geese — may be the smile you needed today.
   
   
9. "The 19th Century Called — It Wants its Law School Curriculum Back," 03.08.23
   This opinion piece in Legaltech News explores the legal profession's resistance to adopting new technologies and aruges that "law schools will fail their students if they do not prepare them for the coming Law 4.0 era."
   
   
10. "'I Haven't Handed Out a Business Card in Years': Is it Time for Lawyers to Upgrade?," 03.08.23
    Daily Business Review takes a look at changes to business cards, noting "Attorneys use business cards almost more than any other profession in America" (second only to Realtors). One lawyer sees that changing, but notes that some lawyers don't want to change.
    
    
11. "To Improve DEI Outcomes, Firms Must Address Pitches and Work Allocation, Consultants Say," 03.08.23
    The American Lawyer discusses reasons the progress of diversity in the legal profession has been slow (citing stats from NALP's most recent Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms) and says "firms that have made more substantive progress said they've done so by taking a more systematic approach of integrating functions like work allocation, performance reviews and client pitches into their DEI goals."
    
    
    1. "Meet the Black Women Leading Illinois Law Schools," 02.23.23
       Also citing info from NALP's diversity report, this blog post from 2Civility is a bright spot.
       
       
12. "Can Law Firms Hold the Line on Layoffs and Billing Rates in 2023?," 03.08.23
    The American Lawyer reports on the Leopard State of the Industry Report, noting that "in spite of layoffs that have already hit Big Tech and their law firms, 'the economy has remained stubbornly optimistic.'"
    
    
    1. "Law Firms Can Grow in 2023 by Picking Their 'Pockets'," 03.06.23
       This editorial in The American Lawyer looks at this week's Leopard State of the Industry Report, discusses last year's "recalibration," and notes that some firms "say they've already experienced success, often in the form of double-digit revenue growth, in-part by leveraging geographic niches."
       
       
    2. "Firms Laying Off Associates Have Misread The Market ," 03.09.23
       Above the Law's Joe Patrice provides his analysis of the market and the Leopard report.
       
       
13. "NALP: Larger Law School Class Of 2024 Faces Tightening Job Market Following Dip In Summer Associate Hiring," 03.08.23
    TaxProf Blog picks up NALP's Perspectives on 2022 Law Student Recruiting report.
    
    
14. "Am Law 100 Firm Partners With Clients to Promote More Women to Leadership," 03.07.23
    The American Lawyer reports "Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has announced a new program aimed at improving the leadership communications skills of women lawyers, with the goal of promoting more women equity partners at the firm and advancing the careers of lawyers at clients' legal departments."
    
    
15. "Tracking Generative AI: How Evolving AI Models Are Impacting Legal," 03.07.23
    If you're trying to keep up with the ChatGPT discussion, Legaltech News has this running compilation of AI stories.
    
    
    1. "Can ChatGPT help law students learn to write better?" 03.06.23
       ABA Journal interviews legal writing faculty about our favorite topic. Most agree that the chatbot can model good sentence and paragraph structure, but some worry that it could keep students from learning good writing skills. (Subscription required.)
       
       
    2. "Colleges (And Law Schools) Are Rushing To Respond To ChatGPT," 03.09.23
       TaxProf Blog picks up a story from The Chronicle of Higher Education exploring the differing opinions on ChatGPT among academics.
       
       
16. "Diversity Statements Are Under Fire. Here's What They Are and How They're Used," 03.07.23
    Several states are taking aim at the use of diversity statements in hiring, and The Chronicle of Higher Education has this explainer.
    
    
17. "What happened to companies' commitment to DEI?," 03.06.23
    Fast Company's "The New Way We Work" podcast interviews Wema Hoover, a global diversity, equity, and inclusion expert, who notes that "many companies may be trimming DEI roles because they never took it seriously to begin with."
    
    
18. "Re-examining Ableism in Law School, From a Wheelchair," 03.06.23
    Christine Charnosky, writing for the Law.com Ahead of the Curve column, takes a first-hand look at disability and ableism in society and in law school.
    
    
19. "ABA Reinstates Accreditation for 4 Law Schools," 03.06.23
    Law.com reports that "Four law schools that the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association concluded were not in compliance with ABA standards are now deemed back in compliance."
    
    
20. "'Is This It?' When Success Isn't Satisfying," 03.06.23
    The Wall Street Journal discusses redefining success and finding true satisfaction in your work (hint: the secret is not necessarily in your paycheck).
    
    
21. "Pulling Back the Veil on Law Firm Power Dynamics," 03.06.23
    Law.com Managing Editor David Gialanella looks at the issue of transparency across all facets of law firm management, from compensation to client communication, and argues, "perhaps transparency extends one of the good things to come out of COVID — the 'open and honest' conversations with leadership that were promised and hopefully delivered.."
    
    
22. "Defending Its Rankings, U.S. News Takes Aim at Top Law Schools," 03.03.23
    The New York Times provides a thorough summary of the most recent developments in the debate surrounding U.S. News rankings.
    
    
    1. "U.S. News Lashes Out At Law Schools That Don't Want To Play Their Silly Little Rankings Game Anymore," 03.07.23
       Above the Law provides their take on the situation, with links to analysis you may not have seen yet, and notes that U.S. News "isn't the only source for comprehensive law school data. And U.S. News can (and will) continue ranking law schools based on the publicly available data collected by the American Bar Association."
       
       
23. "California Bar Exam — The Nightmare Continues," 03.02.23
    Above the Law offers their take (and some background) on what's happening with the California bar exam.
    
    
24. "Racial Bias Persists in Hiring. Firms and Companies Must Step Up.," 03.03.23
    This opinion piece from Bloomberg Law "evaluates where diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts fall short and the necessity of amplifying successes of people of color to encourage broader and inclusive hiring."
    
    
25. "Office Mandates. Pickleball. Beer. What Will Make Hybrid Work Stick?," 03.02.23
    The New York Times reports on the in-person/hybrid/remote quandary that employers are still experimenting with: "Business leaders are in a phase of trial and error that comes with staggering stakes. They are figuring out how many days to call employees back to the office, and on top of that how strictly to enforce their own rules." (Subscription required.)
    
    
26. "King & Spalding Cracks $2B Threshold," 03.02.23
    Daily Report has the story of King & Spalding's year-end financials: "Revenue grew by 10.5%, hitting $2.02 billion. Meanwhile, the firm also set a new record for profitability, increasing profits per equity partner by 8.1% to hit $4.727 million. All told, the firm has doubled revenue and net income over the past seven years, according to chairman Robert Hays."
    
    

March 3, 2023

1. "Entry-Level Law Firm Recruiting Activity Holds Steady, With More Offers Made Prior to OCI," 02.27.23.
   At the beginning of the week, NALP released Perspectives on 2022 Law Student Recruiting, which reports that "the 2022 law firm recruiting season was an interesting one." You can read the press release and the full report here.
   
   
   1. "Law firms dial back summer associate hiring amid legal market slowdown," 02.27.23. (Reuters)
   2. "Law Firms Extend Fewer Summer Offers as Recessionary Concerns Grow," 02.27.23. (The American Lawyer)
   3. "Firms' Entry-Level Hiring Expected To Dip After Steady '22," 02.27.23 (Law360)
      
   4. "Biglaw Firms Made Fewer Summer Associate Offers This Fall," 02.27.23. (Above the Law)
      
   5. "Dip in summer associate hiring at firms is bad omen for larger class of 2024, NALP says," 02.28.23. (ABA Journal)
      
      
      
2. "Alena Allen to Become First Black Dean of LSU Law," 03.02.23.
   Law.com reports "Alena Allen is set to return to her home state of Louisiana to become the first Black dean of the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center."
   
   
3. "The Tumult in Am Law 200 Ranks Will Create Lasting Lessons," 03.02.23.
   The Law.com Barometer newsletter looks at emerging patterns in law firm financial performance, notes that "the last year may serve as a correction of sorts in the legal industry," and concludes that "2022 was not just a blip of shifting financial [fortunes] for the Am Law 200."
   
   
4. "Another Law School Dinged on Accreditation Standard Regarding Diversity of Faculty and Staff," 03.02.23.
   ABA Journal reports that Baylor University School of Law has been found out of compliance. (Subscription required.)
   
   
5. "'A Feeling of Loneliness': This Law Student Wants to Disrupt the 'School to Attorney Pipeline'," 03.02.23.
   Daily Report has the story of a law student at Emory University School of Law who is working to increase diversity, and especially enrollment of Black male students, by "calling attention to a decrease in law school enrollment and attendance by Black males."
   
   
6. "U.S. News, Department Of Education, And Law Schools Take The Gloves Off In Rankings Battle," 03.02.23.
   TaxProf Blog has a thorough summary of this week's raging debate over the U.S. News rankings, with links to articles and opinion pieces from Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and more.
   
   
   1. "The U.S. News Rankings Drama And The Future Of Legal Education," 02.22.23.
      This episode of David Lat's podcast, Original Jurisdiction, features Dan Rodriguez, former dean of the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, and Anna Ivey, former admissions dean at the University of Chicago Law School, discussing the rankings debate along with the future of legal education more generally.
      
      
7. "Beyond Excess Capacity, Pooled Services and Automation Expedite Staff Layoffs," 03.02.23.
   The American Lawyer notes "in February, layoffs hit law firm business professionals harder than they hit attorneys in the Am Law 100, and the reasons firms gave for the cuts indicate that more people in administrative roles may be at risk of layoffs due to firms' long-term push for efficiency."
   
   
8. "When Our Stress Becomes Dangerous," 03.01.23.
   Patrick Krill, writing in The American Lawyer discusses his recent study that looks at factors that lead to suicidality in lawyers and examines why lawyers are "at least twice as likely as the general working population to experience suicidal ideation."
   
   
9. "Dozens of Law Firms Grew Their Equity Partner Tier, Even as Profits and Demand Plummeted," 03.01.23.
   The American Lawyer reports that "the number of law firms with a growing equity partnership — and some of the sharp gains in these equity ranks — stand out in an environment of slower demand within Big Law, demand trends that began in 2022."
   
   
10. "75% Through The Fall 2023 Law School Admissions Season: Applicants Are Down -3%, With Biggest Decline (-7%) In The 165-169 LSAT Band," 03.01.23.
    Paul Caron of TaxProf Blog parses LSAC data on law school applications.
    
    
11. "Law firm leaders express the benefit of strategy, culture & adaptability to weather these uncertain times," 03.01.23.
    Reuters reports on a roundtable in which managing partners discussed how they are addressing the challenges that are arising from an uncertain market.
    
    
12. "How A.I. Can Help," 03.02.23.
    The New York Times has this explainer on ChatGPT and artifical intelligence (A.I.), which reminds us that "artificial intelligence already pervades our lives, powering voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, unlocking phones with facial recognition and auto-completing sentences in emails" and notes "questioning how A.I. could replace jobs in the future misses a more urgent point: The platform is changing how people work right now." (Subscription required.)
    
    
    1. "In an AI World, Let Disability Access Lead the Way," 03.01.23.
       The rush to impose new barriers to prevent cheating with AI could disproportionately hurt students with disabilities, Martin Stanberry, Jack Bernard and Joseph Storch write in Inside Higher Ed.
       
       
    2. "ChatGPT as an Assistive Technology," 03.01.23.
       This opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed argues that "ChatGPT has tremendous potential as an assistive technology for faculty and students with ADHD."
       
       
    3. "ChatGPT, Friend or Foe?," 02.27.23.
       Law.com Compass offers some analysis of ChatGPT, concluding, "AI is here to stay. Firms should be laying the groundwork now for its wider implementation. This also comes with the need to be mindful of the ongoing cyber-security implications of such technology as well as its impact on internal talent pipelines."
       
       
    4. "Beware of 'Technological Myopia,' Richard Susskind Says About GPT-3.5," 02.23.23.
       Legaltech News interviews Richard Susskind, a legal tech expert and futurist and author of Tomorrow's Lawyers, "about the famous GPT-3 models, about the immense potential they hold for how legal services will be provided and, of course, about how lawyers must prepare themselves for these changes if they hope to have successful careers in the near future."
       
       
13. "The Latinx Guide to Graduate School," 03.01.23.
    Inside Higher Ed interviews Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales and Magdalena L. Barrera, authors of The Latinx Guide to Graduate School.
    
    
14. "This is the real cost of cutting diversity programs," 02.28.23.
    Fast Company takes a look at the impact of the economic recession and argues that "To immediately cut [DEIB initiatives] at the first sign of economic hardship is a signal to employees that they were actually just as performative as the black squares posted across social media."
    
    
15. "What Makes Leadership Development Programs Succeed? ," 02.28.23.
    The authors of this Harvard Business Review article "determined that [leadership development] initiatives can substantially boost personal growth and wellbeing — but only when implemented correctly. To address this gap, the authors share seven research-backed strategies to help program designers address common pitfalls and build experiences that actually drive real, positive, lasting impact."
    
    
16. "Will Bans on Diversity Offices Pass Legal Muster?," 02.28.23.
    The Race on Campus newsletter from The Chronicle of Higher Education, looks at efforts in various states to eliminate DEI offices and programming and asks, "will these various efforts, if enacted, survive the legal challenges that could follow?" (Subscription required.)
    
    
17. "Following Rule Change, Law Firm Leaders Must Stand Up to Bullying Partners," 02.27.23.
    Law.com International reports "U.K. law firm leaders will soon be required to challenge bullies within their firms as part of incoming Solicitors Regulation Authority rules."
    
    
18. "California panel wants state to keep bar exam but design its own test," 02.27.23.
    Reuters reports that a Commission on the Future of the Bar Exam "failed to reach a consensus on establishing an alternative pathway to licensure that does not involve a bar exam" but instead "voted Monday to circulate draft recommendations that include the state designing its own licensing test instead of using the new national bar exam being developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners."
    
    
19. "ABA Data: First-Time Aggregate Bar Passage Rates Drop," 02.24.23.
    Law.com reports on new ABA data showing that "First-time takers in 2022 achieved an aggregate 73.87% pass rate (78.33% with diploma privilege), which is approximately a 2-percentage point decrease over the comparable 80.28% pass rate (with diploma privilege) for 2021."
    
    
    1. "U.S. bar exam pass rate drops for first-time takers," 02.28.23.
       Reuters also reports on this story and notes "The ABA said it plans to release additional data next month on bar pass rates broken down by race and gender."
       
       
    2. "ABA Section of Legal Education releases comprehensive report on bar passage data," 02.24.23.
       Read the ABA press release here.
       
       
20. "Law Firms Boost Fixed and Contingency Fees Amid Uncertain Economy," 02.23.23.
    The American Lawyer reports "Law firms have been negotiating more fixed and contingency fee arrangements with their clients in the last year or so, firm leaders and consultants say, amid a desire for certainty amidst an unsteady economy, along with a pick-up in litigation and Big Law's growing pricing acumen."
    
    
21. "Early Reports: 2023 Am Law 200 Financials," 02.21.23.
    For anyone keeping track of the law firm financial results, The American Lawyer has their articles collected in this location.
    
    

February 24, 2023

1. "Attorney Compensation: Flush With Cash or Pulling Back?," 2.24.23
   Lawyer compensation isn't crashing, but it's coming back to reality, notes Andrew Maloney in The American Lawyer.
   
   
2. "Orrick's 2023 Partner Class Includes Remote, Flex Work Attys," 2.23.23
   Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP has promoted 23 attorneys to partner, including a sizable contingent who either work remotely or have flexible hours, the firm announced this week, according to Law360's Modern Pulse.
   
   
3. "Law Firms and Clients Worry Pandemic-Era Lawyers are Undertrained," 2.23.23
   The weekly update from the Law.com Barometer newsletter on the trends, disruptions, and shifts in the legal profession.
   
   
4. "As Business Functions Gain Prominence, Leaders Seek to Strike 'Nonlawyer' From Vocabulary," 2.22.23
   "Law firms are evolving to look more like businesses ... and businesses do not define people by what they are not," Brown Rudnick COO Jennifer Korff tells The American Lawyer.
   
   
5. "Law Firms Mix Hiring, Firing to Protect Profits Amid Uncertainty," 2.21.23
   Firms are cutting people who are "cost centers," notes Bloomberg Law's Meghan Tribe. Hiring is tied to areas of strategic growth.
   
   
1. "Big Law Rates In This Economy? Midsize and Specialized Firms Poised to Gain Market Share in 2023," 2.21.23
   Law.com reports that for years, rising costs in practices such as litigation have driven work away from Big Law and toward midsize and specialized firms. However, skyrocketing rates followed by economic uncertainty since 2020 have pushed the phenomenon to other practices as well. Labor and employment, intellectual property, and middle-market M&A are all trending toward midsize firms in 2023, according to market data and firm leader anecdotes.
   
   
6. "All You Need to Know About the Lateral Hiring Market in 2023," 2.21.23
   Placement professionals from around the country highlight what lateral talent wants, who is hiring, what practices are hot, who is getting signing bonuses or guarantees, what challenges firms will face, and opportunities for success in 2023 as part of an analysis in The American Lawyer.
   
   
7. "Delaware lowers bar pass score, eases path for lawyer licensing," 2.21.23
   Reuters reports that Delaware's top court lowered the score required to pass the state's bar exam and adopted other changes to lawyer licensing requirement in the state, which is a major hub for business litigation.
   
   
1. "Delaware Adjusts Bar Admission Requirements, Aiming to Attract Talent to State," 2.21.23
   According to Law.com, changes include offering the bar exam in both February and July beginning in 2024, reducing the number of essay questions on the exam from eight to four, and cutting down the length of required clerkships from 21 weeks to 12.
   
   
8. "Do Law Schools Need the LSAT? Here's How to Understand the Debate.," 2.18.23
   The New York Times notes that one part of the American Bar Association is trying to drop the test requirement for law schools, while another has voted to retain it – and both sides say diversity is the reason. (Subscription required.)
   
   
1. "ABA will try yet again to eliminate LSAT rule," 2.17.23
   The ABA's policymaking body voted earlier this month to retain the standardized admission test requirement. But another arm of the organization wants schools to have more room to innovate, reports Karen Sloan of Reuters.
   
   
2. "ABA Council Votes a Second Time to Allow Law Schools to Become Test-Optional," 2.17.23
   Law.com explains that it was back to the drawing board for the American Bar Association's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar as it once again voted to make law school test-optional.
   
   
3. "Legal Ed will resubmit proposed elimination of admissions-test standard and consider increasing distance ed credits," 2.17.23
   ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward reports on the ABA Council vote.
   
   
9. "ABA Council Sends Proposal to Increase Distance Learning to Notice & Comment," 2.17.23
   During its meeting last week Phoenix, the ABA Council voted unanimously to advance the proposed changes to Standard 306, which would allow J.D. programs to offer 50% or fewer credits – versus the current one-third credits – via distance education without having to seek Council acquiescence under the U.S. Department of Education rules, notes Law.com.
   
   
10. "Smaller Firms Face Burnout Amid Staff Shortages," 2.17.23
    Legal staff are facing burnout and stress as staffing shortages leave them doing more administrative work, according to a new survey of workers mainly at law firms under 100 workers as reported in Law360 Pulse.
    
    
11. "Remember When Jumping In-House was the 'Easy Option'...," 2.14.23
    ALM International asks, with law firms adopting better working practices and in-house lawyers being increasingly "exposed to all the harshness of the corporate world," could we see the work-life pendulum swing?
    
    

February 17, 2023

1. "Productivity, Profitability Decline in 2022, While Expenses Outpace Revenue Growth," 2.16.23
   In Citi Global Wealth at Work Law Firm Group's survey of full-year 2022 financials, a clearer picture emerges of the impact economic shifts had on firms last year. Law.com reports that the fourth quarter brought some tough news in some respects and softened the blow of other factors seen earlier in the year.
   
   
1. "'We Knew It Would Get Worse Before It Got Better': Law Firm Profitability Index Hits New Low," 2.14.23
   An editorial from Law.com's Andrew Maloney notes that law firms can see some signs of improvement, including moderating expenses and transactional demand that remains above pre-pandemic levels. But a shaky economy in 2023 could put that in jeopardy.
   
   
2. "Law firms' demand slump deepened at the end of 2022. Is a rebound coming?," 2.14.23
   A new report on law firms' fourth quarter financials is mostly grim. But researchers see reasons to hope that demand for legal services will pick up, according to Reuters.
   
   
3. "Market Uncertainties Didn't Slow Down Lateral Partner Moves in 2022. Will they in 2023?," 2.14.23
   New Law.com Compass data on 2022 partner trends show robust hiring, but even more departures. Law firm leaders detail what to expect in 2023.
   
   
4. "Law Firms Will 'Drill Down' on Taming Expenses in 2023," 2.7.23
   Firm costs actually dropped by the end of 2022, partly because firms were more frugal in staffing and pay. Law firms will continue to be vigilant on expense growth in 2023, analysts tell The American Lawyer.
   
   
2. "Stress Due To Understaffing Plagues Midsized Firms, Survey Finds, But Professionals See Relief In Tech," 2.16.23
   Writing for LawSites, Bob Ambrogi analyses a survey of lawyers, paralegals, and administrative support professionals at midsized law firms. The survey found nearly three-quarters report feeling stress, burnout, or being overwhelmed in the past year, and that understaffing is a leading cause, with 92% saying their firms have been impacted by staffing or resources shortages.
   
   
3. "Is There An Expertise Crisis On The Horizon?," 2.16.23
   Remote work may have stifled young lawyers' development, causing some to ask whether pandemic-era associates are not as well trained as they should be, according to a Law.com article.
   
   
4. "Pay Attention to State Pay Transparency Laws When Posting Jobs," 2.16.23
   Bloomberg Law notes that more states are enacting pay transparency laws to further equity among applicants and employees and require more detailed job postings. Stinson's Ashley Dillon and Molly Keppler survey the laws and the compliance impact on employers.
   
   
5. "This Law Firm Sued Its Former Associates for Missing Their Billable Hour Targets – And Won," 2.16.23
   "It's a good system for people that want to work hard, and want to put in the time," one of the firm's founding partners told Law.com.
   
   
6. "Are U.K. Law Firms Also Going to Make Job Cuts?," 2.15.23
   Writing for The American Lawyer, Paul Hodkinson notes that U.S. firms' tougher stance on layoffs could start to influence the London legal scene.
   
   
1. "Law Firms Turn to Layoffs Amid Slowing Demand," 2.13.23
   Some large law firms, citing economic headwinds and slowing demand, are tightening their belts by shrinking their attorney ranks and eliminating professional staff, according to the Wall Street Journal. (Subscription required.)
   
   
2. "Legal Ops Teams Targeted For Layoffs Amid Cost-Cutting Efforts," 2.13.23
   While some companies looking to cut costs have targeted legal ops positions, experts warn that such an approach could backfire in the future.
   
   
3. "Procopio Lays Off 3% of Attorneys and Staff, Citing Continued Economic Headwinds," 2.13.23
   San Diego-based Procopio confirmed to Law.com layoffs this week impacting 3% of its workforce. The layoffs were attributed to an underwhelming performance in 2022 and continued uncertainty in 2023.
   
   
7. "Is the Talent War Over?," 2.15.23
   For several years, talent had a rare edge over management, notes an analysis piece in The American Lawyer. That era is coming to an end. But management isn't totally in the driver's seat.
   
   
8. "As Law Firms Push Aggressive Rate Increases, Clients Have Room to Negotiate," 2.15.23
   Some rate increases last year were "shocking at the high end," according to a new rate report covered in The American Lawyer, noting about 15% of Am Law 100 firms increased their rates between 10% and 20%.
   
   
9. "The LSAT controversy underscores a fundamental inconsistency," 2.15.23
   An opinion piece in The Washington Post argues that the LSAT controversy underscores a fundamental inconsistency. "Either the test fairly assesses the characteristics necessary for legal reasoning or it doesn't. If it doesn't, then the issue isn't the test, or even the students, but the way law is taught."
   
   
1. "Ahead of the Curve: Might Law Schools Still Become Test-Optional?," 2.13.23
   Law.com's Christine Charnosky digs into the failed vote by the American Bar Association's House of Delegates to allow law schools to become test-optional and ponders what's next.
   
   
10. "Stressed, lonely, overworked: What new study tells us about lawyer suicide risk," 2.15.23
    Reuters reports on the results of a new peer-reviewed study in international journal Healthcare.
    
    
1. "Stress and overwork linked to lawyers' suicidal thoughts, study says," 2.14.23
   More on the Healthcare study from Reuters' Karen Sloan, who notes that high stress was the single biggest predictor of suicidal thoughts for lawyers. Men and younger lawyers were also more likely to report suicidal thoughts.
   
   
2. "Highly Stressed Lawyers 22 Times More Likely to Consider Suicide, Study Finds," 2.13.23
   Dan Roe, reporting for The American Lawyer elaborates on the Healthcare study. Lawyers are more than twice as likely as the general adult population to have thoughts of suicide, according to the study. Feelings of overcommitment and stress were strong predictors of suicidal ideation. Law firms have so far focused on helping lawyers cope with stress rather than reducing unnecessary sources of stress, noted a study co-author.
   
   
11. "As More Law Firms Leverage ChatGPT, Few Have Internal Policies Regarding Its Use," 2.15.23
    For Todd Corham, the chief information officer at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, internal policies about ChatGPT are unnecessary, in part, he tells Legaltech News, because "we really shouldn't have to write a policy on using good judgment."
    
    
1. "ChatGPT and AI Will Advance Efficiencies in the Legal Industry," 2.10.23
   In an article for Bloomberg Law, Olshan partners Thomas Kearns and Michael Passarella analyze ChatGPT and other AI tools and their potential to streamline law firm document searches and daily tasks, noting the importance of balancing use benefits with compliance.
   
   
2. "DoNotPay's Downfall Put a Harsh Spotlight on AI and Justice Tech. Now What?," 2.10.23
   The very public fall from grace of DoNotPay has the legal community split on whether it damaged the access to justice cause or cast an important light on the access to justice problem, despite the outcome.
   
   
12. "How a nonlinear workday might help you get more done," 2.14.23
    It's about working according to your natural energy levels, and not forcing yourself to be productive, explains a Fast Company article.
    
    
13. "Arizona and Utah Opened the Door, But Firms Remain Skeptical of Alternative Business Structures," 2.14.23
    Litigation funders are eager to make equity investments in law firms, but partner resistance and regulatory uncertainty present major obstacles, notes The American Lawyer.
    
    
14. "Everyone is Talking About 'Belonging.' What does it really mean?," 2.13.23
    It's everywhere. College T-shirts, notepads, and posters proclaim, "You Belong!" Higher-ed associations offer training on how to increase students' sense of belonging, and philanthropies are encouraging colleges' efforts with grants. Inside Higher Ed explores the meaning of belonging and how it is playing out for law students.
    
    
15. "What Happens to Law Firms if Lawyers Don't Think They Need Them?," 2.13.23
    The pandemic has bolstered legal market free agency by weakening the bonds many lawyers had with their firms, notes an analysis piece in The American Lawyer. While some firm leaders are struggling to adapt, some legal industry observers said that shift in dynamics is something that law firm leaders should embrace. One thing that firms can do to strengthen their organizational glue is reemphasize that every worker is valued and can do meaningful work.
    
    
16. "Why Are Students So Disengaged?," 2.13.23
    Inside Higher Ed reports on a new survey by Wiley that noted one-fourth of students said they would be more invested in their courses if they learned in a way that emulated their future careers.
    
    
17. "The Series: The Lawyers Are Not All Right," 2.13.23
    The full series from Law.com examines how workers and the workplace have been altered coming out of the pandemic, the challenges for law firm leaders, and what firms can do to successfully navigate the new dynamics.
    
    
18. "Examples of Real World Legal Innovation At Work," 2.13.23
    In The American Lawyer, in-house consultant Susan Hackett and legal marketing consultant Deborah Farone offer examples of what happens when the industry focuses on small tweaks, collaboration with colleagues and clients, and adds in a dash of empathy.
    
    
19. "Which Races Should We Count?," 2.13.23
    Insider Higher Ed notes that President Joe Biden proposes that people from the Middle East and Northern Africa should get a category in the Census, plus changes for Latinos. Both changes will decrease the count of white people.
    
    
20. "The Duties and Dilemmas of Law Firm Associates," 2.13.23
    ALM's Daily Report provides some tips addressing how law firm associates can be mindful of their unique duties as they navigate the early stages of their careers.
    
    
21. "Watch Out, Big Law – Gen Z Is Coming to Town!," 2.10.23
    Bloomberg Law's Vivia Chen focuses on Generation Z in a recent column. "This generation has its own quirks and unique goals. But are they different enough to change the legal profession?" she asks.
    
    
22. "Law Has a Race Problem and Too Few People Care," 2.10.23
    Added to the widespread apathy is a growing resistance to change, and Black lawyers are noticing, writes The London Lawyer.
    
    
23. "Big Law Is Gaining Ground in New Markets Inch-by-Inch This Year," 2.10.23
    Several law firms have opened new offices this year a partner or two at a time, according to The American Lawyer. Husch Blackwell, Reed Smith, and Dorsey & Whitney have announced new offices this year using such an approach. Going in small rather than wholesale allows firms to be selective about partners and practices.