California Pulse


  • Calif. State Bar Is Immune From Atty's ADA Suit, 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday declined to revive an attorney's claims alleging the California State Bar violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not granting extra time to respond to disciplinary action based on outstanding debt, finding the bar, as an arm of the state, is entitled to sovereign immunity.

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    Meet The Judge Who Blocked Trump's LA Troop Deployment

    The California federal judge who on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard to quell Los Angeles protests against his immigration policy is a respected and fair jurist with a particular dexterity managing complicated multidistrict litigation, according to attorneys.

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    Filling The Gaps: How GC Communities Advocate For Others

    As general counsel continue to see their role evolve, some are relying more heavily on professional organizations like the L Suite and Ready Set GC that are looking to create communities for legal leaders seeking advice and recommendations, and aiming to become more successful strategic business partners.

  • Peter Rho

    Nelson Mullins Adds Smith Gambrell's Korea Leader In LA

    Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP has hired the former leader of Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP's Korea practice to bolster its corporate, mergers and acquisitions, entertainment transaction, and other services.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    The Institute for Justice, Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP, Spears & Filipovits LLC and attorney Lisa Lambert lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Constitution's supremacy clause cannot shield the federal government from Federal Tort Claims Act suits.

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    Tyson & Mendes Leaders On New Defense Litigation Strategy

    Insurance defense firm Tyson & Mendes LLP announced plans to release a book in the fall detailing its new "Apex" legal strategy to combat nuclear verdicts that focuses on minimizing juror anger throughout a trial.

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    7 Willkie Partners Join Cooley Over Trump EO Deal

    Seven partners have left Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, including both managing partners of the firm's San Francisco office, to join Cooley LLP, reportedly over their former employer's decision to strike a deal with the Trump administration related to a potential executive order.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry had another action-packed week as lawyers took on new roles and law firms expanded their practices. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Calif. Judge Named New Leader Of Duke Law Judicial Institute

    A California federal judge set to retire at the end of the year has a new job lined up as head of a judicial institute at Duke University School of Law.

  • Avenatti Sheds 3 Years After 9th Circ. Orders Resentencing

    A California federal judge on Thursday resentenced disbarred attorney Michael Avenatti to just over 11 years in federal prison for filching millions of dollars from his clients' settlement funds, reducing a 14-year sentence overturned by the Ninth Circuit and leaving Avenatti with about eight years left after time served.

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    Firms Seek Luxury Or Stay Put In Tight Real Estate Market

    A reduction in new construction and office vacancy has led more firms to renew their office leases in recent years, while others are spending significantly more than the original asking price on leasing new luxury offices, according to a recent report.

  • Calif. Justices OK More Bar Exam Proposals After Fiasco

    The California Supreme Court on Wednesday approved more measures to address the widespread problems that arose during the administration of the February bar exam, which includes a provisional license program for applicants who failed or withdrew from the exam. 

  • Attys For Disney Streaming Customers Vie To Lead Settlement

    Days after announcing that they've reached a settlement with Disney, live TV streaming customers are looking to appoint Yavar Bathaee from Bathaee Dunne LLP to serve as the lead counsel in their proposed antitrust class action against the company over ESPN carriage agreement fees.

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    Keker Awards $100K To Diversity Scholars

    San Francisco-based Keker Van Nest & Peters LLP is contributing to the legal education of several California law students, announcing Tuesday it has awarded a total of $100,000 in scholarship funds to four 2025 Diversity Scholar recipients.

  • Insurer Says Law Firm Mishandled Pesticide Exposure Suit

    An insurer is claiming it is owed at least $625,000 from a law firm hired to defend a poultry farm against a suit over toxic pesticide exposure, alleging in federal court that it was forced to settle the suit above policy limits due to the firm's negligence and malpractice.

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    How Raines Feldman Is Building An 'Anti-Burnout' Culture

    Los Angeles-based firm Raines Feldman Littrell LLP has spent years using a number of strategies to build a more supportive culture and combat burnout, from giving attorneys greater control over their hours to events like meditation and stress management workshops.

  • Judiciary Panel Advances New Rules On Amici, AI, Subpoenas

    The federal judiciary's top policy panel Tuesday propelled revamped rules regarding numerous hot legal topics, including artificial intelligence, "dark money" groups bankrolling amicus briefs and the subpoena powers of courts and defense counsel.

  • 9th Circ. Says Legal Co.'s $1.7M Chase Check Suit Is Too Late

    The Ninth Circuit affirmed a California federal court's ruling dismissing a suit by legal support company Nationwide Legal against JPMorgan Chase, saying its suit claiming Chase Bank acted negligently when it allowed a Nationwide Legal employee to deposit fraudulent checks was time-barred.

  • Farella Braun Wins Partial Fee Award In FDIC Dispute

    A California federal judge has awarded Farella Braun & Martel LLP around $10,000 in attorney fees for the work its lawyers did for the bankrupt parent of Silicon Valley Bank, finding the receiver for the bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., failed to comply with discovery orders.

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    Office Snapshot: Sheppard Mullin's New Digs In Downtown LA

    Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP was founded in downtown Los Angeles nearly a century ago, so when its office lease there was expiring at the end of last year, the firm knew it wouldn't go very far. In fact, it just moved two blocks away to a fresh space at California Plaza.

  • John B. Scherling

    Retired San Diego Judge Joins JAMS

    The alternative dispute resolution service JAMS has expanded its mediation team, announcing this week that it has added a former San Diego County Superior Court judge as a neutral.

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    AI Helping Legal Professionals Tackle Feelings Of Burnout

    The majority of surveyed legal professionals think that using AI has helped reduce feelings of burnout at work, according to contract management platform Ironclad's second annual State of AI in Legal report released Tuesday.

  • FEMA Dodges Atty's Bias And Retaliation Suit, For Now

    A California federal judge dismissed an attorney's lawsuit alleging two federal agencies fired her after she complained that a male colleague harassed her, saying the excessive length and repetitiveness of her claims makes an adequate response a "practical impossibility." 

  • Bob Stupar

    BCLP Real Estate Finance Pros Join Kilpatrick In Atlanta, SF

    Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP is boosting its real estate finance team, announcing Monday it is bringing in two Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP attorneys, one of them returning to Kilpatrick as a partner in Atlanta, the other joining as counsel in San Francisco.

  • Alibaba Wants Patent Suit Axed Over Atty's 'Extreme' Conduct

    Cloud products and services company Alibaba Cloud US LLC has moved to dismiss a patent suit against it by Cooperative Entertainment Inc. as a sanction for "extreme" conduct by its attorney, which continued after he was referred to a disciplinary committee.

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Expert Analysis

  • Series

    My Nonpracticing Law Job: Legal Commentary Ghostwriter Author Photo

    Wayne Pollock at Copo Strategies shares how he went from overworked Am Law 50 associate to owner of a legal thought leadership ghostwriting service, and provides four lessons for anyone who might be considering launching a business within the legal industry.

  • Ask A Mentor: As Trials Grow Rarer, How Do I Hone My Skills? Author Photo

    Gary Parsons at Brooks Pierce offers advice for young lawyers seeking trial experience in an environment where fewer cases make it to trial, including how to build their reputations, set their expectations and pick the right firm.

  • Talking Mental Health: Managing Depression As A Co. Founder Author Photo

    New Era ADR co-founder Collin Williams discusses his journey navigating a clinical depression diagnosis, how this experience affected his leadership style, and what the legal industry can do to better support attorneys with mental health conditions.

  • Series

    My Nonpracticing Law Job: Career And Wellness Coach Author Photo

    Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea shares how she went from BigLaw partner to legal industry career and wellness coach, and explains how attorneys can use their capabilities, knowledge and professional networks to pursue coaching themselves, or bring refreshed meaning and purpose to their current roles.

  • Series

    Talking Mental Health: Tackling Stress As A Practice Leader Author Photo

    Constance Rhebergen at Bracewell discusses how she handles the stress of being a practice chair, how sources of stress have changed in the legal industry over the past decade and what law firms can do to protect attorney mental health.

  • Making Legal Cents: Engaging A Remote, Evolving Workforce Author Photo

    In the face of a dispersed and changing workforce with Generation Z entering the scene, law firms should consider some practical strategies to revitalize their cultures, provide meaningful mentorship and safeguard their knowledge bases, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • How Firms Can Effectively Evaluate Their Summer Associates Author Photo

    One of the most effective ways firms can ensure their summer associate programs are a success is by engaging in a timely and meaningful evaluation process and being intentional about when, how and by whom feedback should be provided, say Caroline Cimei and Erica Fine at Shutts & Bowen.

  • Series

    Talking Mental Health: Life As A Lawyer With OCD Author Photo

    Kelly Hughes at Ogletree discusses what she’s learned in the 14 years since she was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, recounting how the experience shaped her law practice, what the legal industry and general public get wrong about the disorder, and how law firms can better support employees who have OCD.

  • 3 Innovative Ways AI May Be Used In Legal Practice
    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
    Author Photo

    Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly be used by outside counsel to better predict the outcomes of litigation — thus informing legal strategy with greater precision — and by clients to scrutinize invoices and evaluate counsel’s performance, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Roundup

    My Nonpracticing Law Job Author Photo

    Not every law degree leads to a law practice. In this Law360 Pulse series, former practicing attorneys share the stories of how they went from practicing corporate law to using their knowledge and background to carve out a nontraditional career path in the legal industry.

  • Series

    My Nonpracticing Law Job: Librarian Author Photo

    Lisa A. Goodman at Texas A&M University shares how she went from a BigLaw associate who liked to hang out in the firm's law library to director of a law library herself in just over a decade, and provides considerations for anyone interested in pursuing a law librarian career.

  • Legal Briefs Can Benefit From Cleaned Up Case Citations Author Photo

    Federal courts have recently been changing the way they quote decisions to omit insignificant details and string cites, and lawyers should consider adopting this practice to enhance the readability of their briefs — as long as accuracy stays top of mind, says Diana Simon at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.

  • 5 Best Practices For Firms Designing DEI Programs Author Photo

    Nikki Lewis Simon, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Greenberg Traurig, discusses best practices — and some pitfalls to avoid — for law firms looking to build programs aimed at driving inclusion in the workplace.

  • Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs Author Photo

    Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, now at Greenberg Traurig, offers strategies on writing more effective appellate briefs from her time on the bench.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Do I Juggle Billables And Other Activities? Author Photo

    While involvement in internal firm initiatives can be rewarding both personally and professionally, associates' billable time requirements don’t leave much room for other work, meaning they must develop strategies to ensure they’re meeting all of their commitments while remaining balanced, says Melanie Webber at Fisher Phillips.

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