California Pulse


  • Jay-Z's Claims Against Buzbee May Get Trimmed, Judge Says

    A California state judge said Tuesday that he's inclined to toss Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's extortion claims against personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee and some, but not all, of the rapper's defamation allegations stemming from a now-abandoned rape lawsuit.

  • sidley.png

    Sidley Brings On Dentons Consumer Safety Pros In Calif.

    Sidley Austin LLP continues expanding its West Coast team, announcing it is adding a pair of Dentons consumer products safety litigators as partners in its San Diego and Los Angeles offices. 

  • iStock-1351073970.jpg

    Kirkland Regains Top Spot in 2024 Performance Ranking

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP surged back to the top of legal market intelligence provider Leopard Solutions' annual Law Firm Index released on Tuesday with a perfect score for the year, while last year's leader Latham & Watkins LLP slipped to fourth place.

  • Calif. Bar Touts Reduction In Racial Disparity In Atty Discipline

    The State Bar of California has reported what it calls "significant" shifts toward equity in attorney discipline in the five years since a watershed study showed a decades-long trend of disparity, including that Black male attorneys were more than three times as likely to be placed on probation or disbarred compared to their white counterparts.

  • iStock-1337125120.jpg

    Apple, Deere Stand Up For Diversity At Annual Meetings

    The pro- and anti-diversity corporate battles are heating up this week, as Apple Inc. shareholders on Tuesday rejected a proposal to abolish its inclusion and diversity program, while Deere & Co. has managed to convince pro-diversity investors to trust it and withdraw their proposal. 

  • iStock-1391970126.jpg

    Law Firms Walk DEI Tightrope Amid Political Pressure

    Law firms that once led the charge on diversity initiatives now find themselves walking a tightrope, balancing their long-standing commitments to diversity with shifting corporate priorities and political pressure stemming from the Trump administration's efforts to curtail such programs.

  • iStock-1419996380.jpg

    Law Firm Leasing Reaches Highest Level Since Before COVID

    Law firms in the United States have broken through years of pandemic-related uncertainty about market conditions and the need for office space to record the highest volume of lease activity in more than five years, according to newly released data.

  • Sarah-London-scaled.jpg

    Girard Sharp Adds Atty From Lieff Cabraser In San Francisco

    The former leader of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP's fertility practice has joined Girard Sharp as a partner in San Francisco, according to a Tuesday announcement.

  • 2_up_Duane Morris.png

    Duane Morris Adds Former Federal Prosecutors In NY, Calif.

    Duane Morris LLP has expanded its trial practice group with a pair of former federal prosecutors coming aboard in San Francisco and New York.

  • 'It Was An Accident': Judge Denies Shooting Wife On Purpose

    A California judge who shot his wife to death in their living room following an argument took the stand in his murder trial Monday, fighting hard to maintain his composure while explaining to jurors that his Glock discharged accidentally when he tried to set it down on the coffee table.

  • ryan-lapine.jpg

    Venable Litigator Jumps To Steptoe In California

    Steptoe LLP continues growing its West Coast team, announcing Monday it is bringing in a Venable LLP commercial trial lawyer as a partner in its Los Angeles and San Francisco offices.

  • Meaghan ThomasKennedy.png

    Apple Antitrust Ace Returns To Latham In Bay Area

    Latham & Watkins LLP announced Monday that it has welcomed back an attorney who was working as in-house counsel for Apple to bolster its antitrust and competition practice and enhance its efforts to handle monopolization cases.

  • Reinstein_Leif_highrez.jpg

    Ex-Sheppard Mullin Media Atty Joins O'Melveny In Calif.

    An entertainment attorney with expertise representing stakeholders on all sides of deal negotiations has moved his practice recently to O'Melveny & Myers LLP's office in the Los Angeles area after more than six years with Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP.

  • ABA Suspends Law School DEI Standards Until Summer

    The American Bar Association has announced that it is holding off on enforcing its diversity and inclusion standards for law schools in light of recent executive orders by the new presidential administration.

  • iStock-1168499500.jpg

    Squire Patton Boggs Promotes 17 To Partnership

    Squire Patton Boggs LLP said Monday it has elevated 17 of its lawyers to partnership and three to principal across 13 of the firm's global offices.

  • Massullo_Chair_D.jpg

    Former Top San Francisco Judge Joins Signature Resolution

    Signature Resolution, the Southern California-based alternative dispute resolution service, is expanding its services in Northern California, announcing the opening of a San Francisco office and bringing in a former San Francisco Superior Court presiding judge as one of its neutrals.

  • Quinn Emanuel-Backed Clients Join Eaton Fire Litigation Fray

    Southern California Edison on Friday was hit with yet another lawsuit over the destructive Eaton Fire, this time by an Altadena family represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, the largest firm yet to get involved in the litigation.

  • 'I Shot Her To Death:' Video Shown Of Judge After Killing Wife

    Prosecutors showed a video to jurors Friday of a California judge at the police station following his arrest for shooting his wife, where he's seen sobbing, cursing and saying, "My son is going to hate me forever, and she's dead. I shot her to death."

  • California Justices Accept Court Reporter Shortage Case

    The California Supreme Court has accepted a case that aims to address the state's court reporter shortage by mandating the use of electronic recording when court reporters are unavailable.

  • 9th Circ. Revives Atty's Ownership Claims Over Calif. Winery

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Friday revived an attorney's ownership claims over a California winery, finding factual disputes over an alleged oral agreement with the winery's former owner require a trial, while also upholding a jury's verdict that found a breach fiduciary duty claim against the attorney that awarded no damages.

  • iStock-1377391840.jpg

    Psychedelic Law Community Copes With Industry Ego Death

    After emerging as a hot-ticket practice a few years ago, the psychedelic law sector has encountered some recent setbacks as progress toward loosening state and federal restrictions on mind-altering substances has stalled. But while several psychedelic boutiques have folded, attorneys say that the small community of lawyers passionate about this area of law aren't going anywhere.

  • Law360 Pulse Spotlight On Mid-Law Work

    Law firm Davis Graham's handling of a suit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on behalf of Denver Public Schools and Adams and Reese LLP's handling of a $495 million timber sale lead this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from Feb. 7 to Feb. 21.

  • legal-malpractice.jpg

    Paul Hastings Seeks To End GenapSys Malpractice Action

    Paul Hastings LLP has moved for summary judgment in a malpractice action from GenapSys Inc., saying the case is barred because the genomic sequencing company failed to disclose its possible claim until after confirmation of its bankruptcy plan.

  • Frances Mosley.png

    WilmerHale Corporate Ace Joins DLA Piper In California

    DLA Piper has added a former WilmerHale attorney to strengthen its corporate practice, including bolstering its service to clients in the life sciences and healthcare industries.

  • iStock-1179976609.jpg

    Law Firms Chart New Leadership Paths In Changing Times

    As law firms grow larger and more tech-driven, law firm leaders are shifting their focus more on embracing technology, refining communication strategies and building stronger personal brands to guide their firms through changes, an upcoming white paper found.

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

Expert Analysis

  • What I Wish Law Schools Taught Women About Legal Careers Author Photo

    Instead of spending an entire semester on 19th century hunting rights, I wish law schools would facilitate honest discussions about what it’s like to navigate life as an attorney, woman and mother, and offer lessons on business marketing that transcend golf outings and social mixers, says Daphne Delvaux at Gruenberg Law.

  • 4 Ways To Break Down Barriers For Women Of Color In Law Author Photo

    Female lawyers belonging to minority groups continue to be paid less and promoted less than their male counterparts, so law firms and corporate legal departments must stop treating women as a monolithic group and create initiatives that address the unique barriers women of color face, say Daphne Turpin Forbes at Microsoft and Linda Chanow at the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.

  • Opinion

    We Need More Professional Diversity In The Federal Judiciary Author Photo

    With the current overrepresentation of former corporate lawyers on the federal bench, the Biden administration must prioritize professional diversity in judicial nominations and consider lawyers who have represented workers, consumers and patients, says Navan Ward, president of the American Association for Justice.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Retire Without Creating Chaos? Author Photo

    Retired attorney Vernon Winters explains how lawyers can thoughtfully transition into retirement while protecting their firms’ interests and allaying clients' fears, with varying approaches that turn on the nature of one's practice, client relationships and law firm management.

  • Why I Went From Litigator To Law Firm Diversity Officer Author Photo

    Narges Kakalia at Mintz recounts her journey from litigation partner to director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the firm, explaining how the challenges she faced as a female lawyer of color shaped her transition and why attorneys’ unique skill sets make them well suited for diversity leadership roles.

  • For Asian American Lawyers, Good Mentorship Is Crucial Author Photo

    Navigating the legal world as an Asian American lawyer comes with unique challenges — from cultural stereotypes to a perceived lack of leadership skills — but finding good mentors and treating mentorship as a two-way street can help junior lawyers overcome some of the hurdles and excel, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Coping With Secondary Trauma From Pro Bono Work Author Photo

    As the need for pro bono services continues to grow in tandem with the pandemic, attorneys should assess their mental well-being and look for symptoms of secondary traumatic stress, while law firms must carefully manage their public service programs and provide robust mental health services to employees, says William Silverman at Proskauer.

  • How Firms Can Benefit From Creating Their Own ALSPs Author Photo

    As more law firms develop their own legal services centers to serve as both a source of flexible personnel and technological innovation, they can further enhance the effectiveness by fostering a consistent and cohesive team and allowing for experimentation with new technologies from an established baseline, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Modernizing Legal Education Through Hybrid JD Programs Author Photo

    Amid pandemic-era shifts in education, law schools and other stakeholders should consider the wide geographic and demographic reach of Juris Doctor programs with both online and in-person learning options, and educators should think through the various ways hybrid programs can be structured, says Stephen Burnett at All Campus.

  • How BigLaw Can Mirror Small Firm Attorney Engagement Author Photo

    BigLaw has the unique opportunity to hit refresh post-pandemic and enhance attorney satisfaction by adopting practices that smaller firms naturally employ — including work assignment policies that can provide junior attorneys steady professional development, says Michelle Genet Bernstein at Mark Migdal.

  • Ditch The Annual Review To Boost Attorney Job Satisfaction Author Photo

    In order to attract and retain the rising millennial generation's star talent, law firms should break free of the annual review system and train lawyers of all seniority levels to solicit and share frequent and informal feedback, says Betsy Miller at Cohen Milstein.

  • How Attorneys Can Narrow LGBTQ Gap In The Judiciary Author Photo

    Lawyers can take several steps to redress the lack of adequate LGBTQ representation on the bench and its devastating impact on litigants and counsel in the community, says Janice Grubin, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee at the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York.

  • Employers Must Heed Rising Attorney Stress And Alcohol Use Author Photo

    Krill Strategies’ Patrick Krill, who co-authored a new study that revealed alarming levels of stress, hazardous drinking and associated gender disparities among practicing attorneys, highlights how legal employers can confront the underlying risk factors as both warnings and opportunities in the post-COVID-19 era.

  • Lawyers Can Get Ready For Space Law To Take Flight Author Photo

    While international agreements for space law have remained relatively unchanged since their creation decades ago, the rapid pace of change in U.S. laws and policies is creating opportunities for both new and veteran lawyers looking to break into this exciting realm, in either the private sector or government, says Michael Dodge at the University of North Dakota.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: What Makes A Successful Summer Associate? Author Photo

    Navigating a few densely packed weeks at a law firm can be daunting for summer associates, but those who are prepared to seize opportunities and not afraid to ask questions will be set up for success, says Julie Crisp at Latham.

×

Law360

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

Rankings

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

National Sections

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

Regional Sections

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

Site Menu

Subscribe Advanced Search About Contact