California Pulse


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    When Firms Hire Before Grades, What Drives Decisions?

    For some law students, the race for summer associate jobs is ending before their grades are even posted. As firms continue to move hiring earlier, recruiters say decisions are increasingly being made with limited academic information, shifting the focus toward experience, connections and perceived fit.

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    What Students Want In A Summer Associate Job

    Office locations and available practice areas were the top considerations for prospective summer associates, with Kirkland & Ellis LLP retaining its position as the most coveted destination, according to Law360 Pulse's 2026 Summer Associates Survey.

  • Health Co. Wants Kirkland Off IP Case For 'Cardinal Sin'

    A healthcare company suing medical technology company Commure Inc. over alleged trade secret theft has said Kirkland & Ellis LLP should be disqualified from representing Commure because the healthcare company had tried to retain Kirkland prior to filing the suit and shared confidential information before anyone asked who the defendant was going to be.

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    AI Won't Totally Replace Outside Counsel, In-House Leaders Say

    Law360 Pulse asked attendees and speakers at the 2026 CLOC Global Institute in Chicago last week whether in-house legal departments will rely less on outside law firms when they use artificial intelligence tools. Here is what they had to say.

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    Is Social Media Harm The 'New Tobacco' For Mass Torts?

    After a series of early wins for plaintiffs who say they were harmed by social media companies’ addictive platforms, some are drawing similarities to the era of Big Tobacco litigation when the defendants’ pockets were deep and the products appeared ubiquitous, but the possible rewards from the mass tort bar’s foray into the digital realm come with unique challenges.

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    Quinn Emanuel Remembers Harry Olivar After Fatal Crash

    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP is remembering longtime partner and national securities practice chair Harry A. Olivar Jr., after he and his stepson, David Jackson, died in an automobile accident in central Georgia. Olivar was 62.

  • Calif. Bar Is Latest To Approve 'NextGen' Bar Exam For 2028

    The State Bar of California's board of trustees announced last week that it voted unanimously to adopt the National Conference of Bar Examiners' NextGen Uniform Bar Exam, starting in July 2028, as recommended by the Committee of Bar Examiners, following the calamitous rollout of its own exam last year.

  • Artist's Atty Owes Disney $475K Sanctions In 'Moana' IP Case

    An attorney representing an animator who unsuccessfully alleged that The Walt Disney Co.'s "Moana" lifted his Polynesian adventure story must pay more than $475,000 in sanctions, a California federal judge ruled, saying he "acted recklessly" by pursuing trade secret misappropriation claims premised on a forged document.

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    ABA Section Votes To Scrap Law School DEI Standards

    The American Bar Association's legal education section on Friday voted to eliminate its requirements that law schools show a commitment to diversity in their student body in order to remain accredited, a policy that has been under fire since a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down affirmative action in higher education.

  • Lender Vouches For Blank Rome In Cannabis Dispensary Suit

    A lender is urging a California federal court to deny an attempt to disqualify Blank Rome LLP from representing it in the company's fraud lawsuit over a $1.6 million loan for a cannabis dispensary, arguing the request is simply an attempt to delay litigation.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and Haynes Boone lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal courts that have sent disputes to arbitration have jurisdiction to confirm or vacate subsequent awards.

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    Ferguson Braswell Founder Shares Firm's '2.0' Vision

    Texas-based Ferguson Braswell Fraser Kubasta PC, which now goes by FBFK Law Firm, recently announced it has completed a redesign of its website as part of its overall long term strategy dubbed "FBFK 2.0."

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    Girardi Trial Judge Josephine Staton To Take Senior Status

    The California federal judge who sentenced disgraced trial attorney Tom Girardi to prison for wire fraud last year has announced that she'll be taking senior status in the fall, allowing President Donald Trump to appoint her successor.

  • California Senate Confirms New State Bar Director

    The California State Senate confirmed longtime statewide courts administrator Laura Enderton-Speed as the state bar's new executive director Thursday, clearing the way for her to take on the unenviable task of rebuilding trust in an organization whose controversies culminated with the botched administration of last year's February bar exam.

  • Colorado Passes Bill Banning Fee Sharing With Nonlawyers

    The Colorado Legislature has approved a bill to bar attorneys and law firms operating in the state from sharing fees and revenue with non-attorney-owned firms, known as alternative business structure firms, making Colorado the latest state to tamp down the practice.

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    Kilpatrick Lands Calif. Patent Litigation Duo From Reed Smith

    Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP has expanded its patent litigation team in San Francisco with the addition of two partners from Reed Smith LLP.

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    Littler Names First-Ever Wellness Director

    Littler Mendelson PC has created a new role for one of its employment and labor law shareholders to develop and implement programs that support the mental, physical and emotional health of all firm employees.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry marked mid-May with another busy week as BigLaw firms expanded their practices and presence across the country. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Ballard Spahr Chair Elected To Second Term

    Peter V. Michaud has been elected to a second three-year term as chair of Ballard Spahr LLP and will steer the firm through the end of 2029, Law360 Pulse has learned.

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    Plaid Recasts Legal Team As Top Lawyer Takes Adviser Job

    Plaid has reshuffled its legal team, including giving additional duties to a former top federal banking official who was appointed by the Trump administration, as the financial technology infrastructure firm's top lawyer transitions to a senior adviser role.

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    Pierson Ferdinand Cybersecurity Litigator Joins Clark Hill

    Clark Hill PLC announced Thursday that an experienced cybersecurity and privacy litigator has joined the firm's San Francisco office from Pierson Ferdinand as a partner.

  • Calif. Judge Admonished For Disparaging Pro Se Litigants

    A California state judge in Los Angeles has been publicly admonished for repeatedly "displaying poor demeanor" toward self-represented small claims litigants, including making disparaging remarks, interrupting litigants and walking out of the courtroom in the middle of proceedings.

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    Meta's Legal Ops Chief Predicts Decline Of Billable Hour

    Meta's global head of legal operations predicts that the billable hour will be the exception, not the rule, in five years, telling a packed room of legal ops professionals at an annual conference this week that he is already asking law firms for fixed-fee agreements for their work.

  • Judge Says LegalForce Must Pay $93K After Losing TM Suit

    A California federal judge on Wednesday ordered LegalForce RAPC Worldwide PC to pay nearly $93,000 in fees and costs to the company that operates LawFirms.com, finding the case to be exceptional because LegalForce alleged facts it knew were false and took steps to obscure other facts that showed its case was meritless.

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    $5M Dip In Stock Awards Drops Nvidia GC's Comp To $14.3M

    As Nvidia Corp., which currently has the highest market valuation of any corporation at $5 trillion, boasted of its 65% revenue growth in fiscal year 2026, the man responsible for navigating its legal challenges saw his compensation drop by $5 million, according to a recent securities filing.

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Expert Analysis

  • Law And Disorder: How To Tackle A Key Burnout Syndrome Author Photo

    Impostor syndrome prevails as a main root cause of attorney burnout, but sufferers can equip themselves with a series of practice tips that build confidence through evidence, not emotion, to address the mindset behind this damaging condition, says Jonathan Cohen at PNY.

  • What GCs Value Most: 7 Ways To Build Client Relationships Author Photo

    Today's general counsel expect outside lawyers to show interest, relevance and value long before there is a live matter to address, including by engaging with attorneys at every level of the company and dispensing free advice thoughtfully, says Andrew Dick at The L Suite.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Start Early In Your Career Author Photo

    Having the courage to embark on your legal business development strategy early in your career allows you to sooner reap the rewards of a strong network, which in turn can increase the momentum of referrals over the course of your career, says Kristin Housh at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Enthusiasm Is Legal Leadership Differentiator In AI Era Author Photo

    As the legal profession navigates changes driven by artificial intelligence and broader pressures, leaders should consider behavioral research-backed strategies to translate enthusiasm into tangible results for team performance, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Weighing Opportunities, Risks Of PE Investment In Law Firms Author Photo

    Though law firms and private equity firms appear to be strange bedfellows, such combinations may offer opportunities for ailing midsize firms — which must be weighed against risks to culture, brand and growth prospects, say directors at FTI Consulting.

  • 3 Forces Reshaping The Legal Buyer-Seller Relationship Author Photo

    This year's Buying Legal Council Conference highlighted three emerging forces in how buyers and sellers operate in the legal ecosystem — artificial intelligence, data and preferred panels — and organizations would be well advised to combine them into an integrated framework for transparency, performance and collaboration, says Matthew Prinn at RFP Advisory Group.

  • 5 Steps For GCs To Drive Generative AI Experimentation Author Photo

    As legal departments face mounting pressure to do more with less, general counsel should lead a structured process for adopting generative artificial intelligence tools to transform productivity, manage risk and align with enterprise priorities, says Maesea McCalpin at Gartner.

  • How Attys Can DIY Their Own System For Professional Growth Author Photo

    Amid law firm layoffs of business development staff, lawyers cannot depend solely on their firms to foster their professional growth, and must instead create their own initiatives for building community, says Lana Manganiello at Practice Growth Partner.

  • The Augmented Lawyer: In-House, Outside Counsel AI Collabs Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence changes the dynamic between in-house and outside counsel, both internal and external legal teams must thoughtfully reimagine how to mutually leverage AI tools to collaborate and deliver successful outcomes, say Karineh Khachatourian at KXT Law and Diane Honda at Redis.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Do I Adjust To In-House After BigLaw? Author Photo

    Sirisha Gummaregula at QuisLex offers advice on navigating the challenges that come with taking on an in-house counsel role after leaving law firm life, including learning your company's business goals and leading with empathy and collaboration.

  • Adapting Legal Thought Leadership To An AI World Author Photo

    As potential clients with legal questions increasingly rely on summaries generated by artificial intelligence, attorneys must rethink their content strategy to make sure AI chatbots and search overviews cite their thought leadership, say Ioana Good and Adrien Maines at Promova and Nancy Myrland at Myrland Marketing.

  • 10 Practical Tips For Attorneys Navigating High-Profile Cases Author Photo

    Complex corporate litigation now often unfolds under the glare of a parallel trial in the court of public opinion, requiring attorneys to adopt a cohesive strategy for legal filings, leadership communications and narrative control, says Monica Smith at Integer PR.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Tailor Your Personal Style Author Photo

    In an industry where competition for clients is fierce, a thoughtful approach to personal style can give you the confidence to walk into any room and own it, the magnetism to make connections that matter, and the tools to highlight your deeper professional values, says Leslie Berkoff at Moritt Hock.

  • What GCs Value Most: 7 Tips For Landing The Client Pitch Author Photo

    In today’s competitive legal market, successful attorneys treat the pitch process with general counsel like the beginning of a relationship, not a one-off sale — showing up with curiosity, commercial awareness and the ability to engage in a meaningful way from the start, says Andrew Dick at The L Suite.

  • Making Legal Cents: Strategy That Stays In Motion Author Photo

    Instead of lurching between year-end strategic planning season and springtime panic mode, firms need a framework that helps them identify what clients and the market need throughout the year, and then actually adjust course, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

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