DC Pulse


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    Legal Rates Surge Moderates, But Pressure Remains High

    As legal departments face mounting pressure to manage costs, increases in hourly billing rates from law firms appear to be moderating, with the first few months of 2025 presenting a snapshot of this reality, according to a recent report from Wolters Kluwer's ELM Solutions.

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    The Top In-House Hires Of August

    Legal department hires in the last month included high-profile appointments at the Association of Corporate Counsel, GE Vernova, and a California legal legend joining an AI startup named Anthropic. Here, Law360 Pulse looks at some of the top in-house announcements from the past few weeks.

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    Moldova's Anti-Corruption Chief Returns To Jones Day

    The top anti-corruption prosecutor for the Republic of Moldova, who supervised the investigation and prosecution of more than 700 anti-corruption matters there, has returned to the U.S. and Jones Day, the firm where she started her legal career nearly a decade ago, Jones Day announced Tuesday.

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    Pillsbury Continues International Trade Growth With DOJ Alum

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is continuing the rapid expansion of its international trade team, announcing Tuesday that it has hired a former U.S. Department of Justice attorney who most recently served as the chief of the National Security Division's export control section.

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    HHS Office Of Inspector General Leader Joins Arnold & Porter

    A longtime attorney with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, who was nominated to be inspector general of the U.S. Department of Commerce by former President Joe Biden, has joined Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, the firm announced Tuesday.

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    Ex-Sen. Cory Gardner Takes Reins Of Cable Biz Group NCTA

    Former Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner was named Tuesday as the new president and CEO of cable industry group NCTA – The Internet & Television Association.

  • Judge Newman's Suspension Extended Once Again

    Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's suspension from hearing cases was extended by another year on Friday, in a unanimous opinion by the appeals court's 11 other judges.

  • JAG Corps Sent To DC To Fill 'Critical Vacancies'

    Military attorneys are being sent to prosecute crimes in Washington, D.C., as the Trump administration seeks to beef up prosecutions in the nation's capital as part of the federal surge of law enforcement.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Sullivan & Cromwell LLP leads this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Fifth Circuit vacated a pair of Biden-era regulations aimed at bolstering transparency in the short-selling market.

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    Judges Split On Moving Marshals Into Judiciary

    Federal judges disagree about the necessity of a proposal to move the U.S. Marshals Service out from under executive branch control over fears that President Donald Trump may order marshals to stop protecting federal judges who rule against him or not to enforce those judges' orders.

  • DOJ Swears In 3 New Board Of Immigration Appeals Members

    The Executive Office for Immigration Review announced Friday that three new Board of Immigration Appeals members — Sheila E. Gallow, Marcos Gemoets and Kathleen K. Volkert — were sworn in during a ceremony on Thursday.

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    Scores On July Bar Exam Rise Amid Dip In Test Takers

    The number of examinees passing the multistate bar exam in July continued to gain momentum, with near record highs seen this summer over the past 12 years, according to an announcement from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

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    PETA Foundation Taps Longtime CLO As Inaugural COO

    The PETA Foundation announced Thursday that Jeffrey Kerr, a lawyer whom the group calls the "longest-serving chief legal officer of any animal protection organization," will become its first-ever chief operating officer at the start of September.

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    Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q2

    A promotion to partner or election to practice group chair means a slew of new responsibilities and also lots of well-deserved recognition. Law360 reveals the list of attorneys whose commitment to legal excellence earned them highly coveted spots in the law firm leadership ranks. Find out if your old legal friends — or rivals — moved up in the second quarter of the year.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    BigLaw firms announced a slew of new hires this week as the legal industry sees August recede in the rearview mirror. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • Amid Firings, DOJ Opens Temp Judge Eligibility To Any Atty

    A new final rule that took effect Thursday removes prior restrictions on who can be a temporary immigration judge, opening the positions to any attorney and waiving the requirement for immigration law experience while the Trump administration continues firing permanent judges.

  • Wash. Sen. Opposes Full-Term Role For State's New US Atty

    The newly installed interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington at this juncture has not been nominated for the full-term role, but one of the state's Democratic senators is already vowing to prevent his confirmation.

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    In Their Words: Will AI Kill The Billable Hour?

    The rising use of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow attorneys to get work done faster is creating tension with the traditional model of billable hours. Here, six legal leaders give their take on whether AI will eliminate the billable hour.

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    MoFo Hires Chief Information Officer From Boston Consulting

    Morrison Foerster LLP has hired a longtime Boston Consulting Group executive, who the firm said in a Thursday announcement will implement its digital and artificial intelligence strategies and will be responsible for its digital transformation initiatives.

  • Tucker Ellis Names 2 Cleveland Attorneys As Practice Leaders

    Tucker Ellis LLP announced Thursday that a pair of experienced Cleveland-based attorneys have been named the firm's newest practice leaders.

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    First Chief PTAB Judge Remembered As Industrious Leader

    Colleagues and loved ones of James Donald Smith — the first chief judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board who died this spring — remembered him as a superb leader, talented violist and dear friend at a memorial service on Saturday that featured a reading of a letter from former President Barack Obama.

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    Law Firm Real Estate Report

    Several law firms in the Mid-Atlantic region experienced a busy month of office moves in August, with New Jersey in particular seeing a number of relocations.

  • DC Judicial Vacancy Crisis Could Be Easing Soon

    The White House is in the process of finalizing some judicial nominees for the vacancy-plagued Washington, D.C., local courts, an issue that has been highlighted by the federal government's takeover of D.C. law enforcement and the surge of National Guard troops to the nation's capital.

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    Adams & Reese Aviation Team Adds Former FAA Atty

    A regulatory attorney who focused on emerging technologies at the Federal Aviation Administration has joined Adams & Reese LLP, the firm announced this week.

  • Anderson Kill Rehires Atty In DC After Time At Hunton

    Anderson Kill has rehired an attorney from Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, who is rejoining the Washington, D.C., team as a shareholder to continue working on insurance recovery matters, the firm has announced.

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Expert Analysis

  • 5 Questions Firms Must Ask For Successful Lateral Integration Author Photo

    To ensure that lateral partners effectively integrate their books of business, firms should design a structured transition plan based on a few fundamentals, from tracking the right data to implementing meaningful incentives, says Lana Manganiello at Practice Growth Partner.

  • Goldilocks Solution: Why The 4-Day Office Week Is Just Right Author Photo

    As law firms continue to wrestle with return-to-office policies, many are being pulled toward one or the other of two extremes: the rigidity of a five-day in-office schedule and the laissez-faire approach of a flexible three-day hybrid model — but a four-day in-office workweek may be the sweet spot, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • As Attys Adopt Generative AI, 3 Elements Should Be Cardinal Author Photo

    As the legal world increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence, lawyers and firms must develop and utilize strong prompting skills, keep a pulse on forthcoming tech evolutions, and remain steadfast to ethical obligations, say Michele Carney at Carney & Marchi and Marty Robles-Avila at BAL.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises Author Photo

    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Prioritize Connections Author Photo

    One reason business development in the legal industry seems so mysterious is because human relationships are so complex, but lawyers can reorient their thinking in two important ways to drive the process of connecting with new colleagues and contacts, say Jamie Lawless and Angela Quinn at Husch Blackwell.

  • Overcoming US Law Firms' Hesitancy To Enter Indian Market Author Photo

    Successful private equity exits with strong returns have solidified India's buyout market as an increasingly attractive destination for future investments, offering compelling reasons for the U.S. legal community to overcome its caution on the country's markets, says Vaishali Movva at Eimer Stahl.

  • Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Make A Plan For The Year Author Photo

    While firms are busy allocating resources and assessing client demand, individual attorneys should use the start of the year to slow down and create a personal business plan, which can be accomplished with a few steps, say Elizabeth Gooch, Teri Robshaw and Chris Newman at McDermott.

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    Talking Mental Health: Caring For Everyone As A Firm Leader Author Photo

    Reid Phillips at Brooks Pierce discusses how he manages the pressure of running a law firm, how sources of stress in the legal industry have changed over the past decade, and what firm leaders should do to help manage burnout and mental health issues among employees.

  • How Firms Can Use LinkedIn To Aid Marketing Efforts In 2025 Author Photo

    LinkedIn has several features law firms can use to showcase their capabilities and thought leadership to reach prospective and existing clients, including the Event and Live features, says Sofia Millar at Reputation Ink.

  • Talking Mental Health: Managing Emotions In Trauma Cases Author Photo

    Nikki Hurtado at The Ferraro Law Firm discusses what motivates her to represent victims of catastrophic injuries, how she copes with the emotional toll of such cases, and what other attorneys taking on similar cases can do to protect their mental well-being.

  • Strategies For Successful Law Firm Mergers In 2025 Author Photo

    Law firms are expected to continue consolidating in the year to come, and because these mergers require a different kind of playbook, firm leaders must carefully consider office culture nuances, professional services economics and talent retention strategy before any merger, say directors at FTI Consulting.

  • Making Legal Cents: Winning More Work In A Crowded Market Author Photo

    In a market where clients have more options, tighter budgets and higher expectations, firms must figure out how to differentiate themselves without discounting their rates, and several practical strategies for pitching, pricing and early-engagement communication can help, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Best Practices For Implementing Firm Revenue Cycle Roles Author Photo

    Law firm revenue cycles are becoming more complex and time-consuming, but hiring dedicated revenue cycle personnel can help streamline the process and reduce the burden on attorneys, says Christine Indiano at Harbor Global.

  • Tips For Constructing Your Small-Law Exit Strategy Author Photo

    By initiating planning and processes to evaluate personal retirement goals and firm value early, longtime solo practitioners and small-firm owners can unlock a range of possibilities and potential buyers, setting up for a profitable exit and a rewarding transition, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Tips For Persuasive Briefs Beyond The Argument Section Author Photo

    When crafting an appellate brief, the focus for most lawyers is the argument section, but other sections also offer strategic opportunities to shape the court's perception of the case and favorably frame the issues, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

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