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We asked this year's cohort about the most valuable lessons they learned during their summer associateship. Here are some tips they have to pass on to the students who have yet to land a coveted spot or are ready to embark on a career in law.
More and more, law firms are bypassing the traditional schedule for on-campus interviews in their search for summer associates. Firm leaders who oversee recruiting for these programs spoke with Law360 Pulse about where they stand on timing and what law students can do to secure a summer placement that works best for their career.
BigLaw firms have again set the bar high with their summer associate programs this year, earning high praise from participants who cited the increased opportunities for courtroom experiences, pro bono work, and comprehensive mentorship and networking support.
A year after the sudden departure of Norton Rose Fulbright's worldwide CEO, the firm announced a permanent reshuffling of its global management structure, formally putting regional managing partners in charge of coordinating the firm's international business.
Corporate legal departments continue to face rising hourly rates from law firms, but rate changes have varied across industries, and the first four months of 2024 present a snapshot of these varying average rate increases, according to a recent report from Wolters Kluwer's ELM Solutions.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur has asked a Texas federal court to investigate potential sanctions against Jackson Walker LLP for its failure to disclose a relationship between a firm partner and a federal judge, also telling the court he would recuse himself from any proceedings involving the ethics breach.
Alternative dispute resolution service JAMS is making changes at the top, announcing Monday that its longtime president will move up to become CEO and its current chief financial officer's duties will expand to include chief operating officer.
International law firm Dentons has attorneys in Europe testing a generative artificial intelligence tool for contract automation, the firm said Monday.
Winston & Strawn LLP announced Monday it has expanded its tax offerings with the addition of an experienced attorney from Squire Patton Boggs LLP in Texas.
Luminance Technologies Ltd. continued its push into the United States with the legal artificial intelligence company opening an office in Dallas on Monday.
Paul Hastings LLP announced Monday that it has continued its expansion in the Lone Star State with the addition of a financial restructuring partner in Dallas who came aboard from Sidley Austin LLP.
A Texas federal judge said Thursday that a funding company that lent $20 million to a law firm accused in a proposed class action of conspiring to deceptively solicit hurricane victims should be dropped as a defendant.
The legal industry marked the end of summer with another action-packed week as BigLaw snagged new talent and lawmakers sought an increase in federal judgeships. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.
A Houston judge declined to take up allegations that a government prosecutor participated in a case against a Texas surgeon while her law license was suspended, denying the doctor's show cause motion in a brief order Thursday.
Nearly half of the participants in a survey examining the impact of artificial intelligence said they support regulation around the technology's use in the legal profession, according to a recently released report from the International Bar Association and the Center for AI and Digital Policy.
Though the death of Chevron deference has opened a door to attacking administrative decisions, the expected uptick in litigation probably won't threaten to clog federal courts, numerous administrative law experts told Law360.
Latham & Watkins LLP expanded its Houston office this week with an engineering, procurement and construction specialist with experience in energy and infrastructure joining as a partner from King & Spalding LLP.
Covington & Burling LLP and Pisanelli Bice PLLC lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Nevada Green Party's request to have Jill Stein's name reinstated on the state's presidential ballot Friday.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas and U.S. District Judge Lance Africk of the Eastern District of Louisiana announced this week that they are taking senior status in the coming months.
Baker Botts LLP's deep Texas roots allowed it to secure impressive courtroom and transactional wins over the last year, including successfully fighting off a more than $100 million trade secrets case against a Houston-based energy technology company and landing billions of dollars in transactional deals across the corporate and tax sectors.
Months after hiring former Baker Botts attorney Greg Dillard to lead its catastrophic accident response team, BakerHostetler has announced the hire of two more attorneys from the firm as counsel in Washington, D.C., and Houston.
A Texas surgeon facing criminal charges for giving patient data to a media outlet regarding gender-affirming care provided to minors accused the government's lead prosecutor of taking the case while she had a suspended law license, a blunder the attorney called an unintentional error on Thursday.
Beck Redden LLP has a powerful presence across all Texas courts, as demonstrated by its successful representation of Southwest Airlines in a pivotal case involving cyber insurance at the Fifth Circuit, and its ability to secure summary judgment for an ExxonMobil subsidiary in a breach-of-contract suit before the Southern District of Texas.
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has bulked up its litigation group with a partner in Dallas who previously served as head of commercial litigation at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.
Average U.S. law firm revenue rose at a historic clip during the first half of 2024, but law firm financial experts are predicting a further influx of business for midsize and large firms primarily as a result of increased transactional activity following Wednesday's interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve.
Law firms looking to streamline matter management should consider tools that offer both employees and clients real-time access to documents, action items, task assignee information and more, overcoming many of the limitations of project communications via email, says Stephen Weyer at Stites & Harbison.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can I Successfully Switch Practices?Associates who pivot into new practice areas may find that along with the excitement of a fresh start comes some apprehension, but certain proactive steps can help tame anxiety and ensure attorneys successfully adapt to unfamiliar subjects, novel internal processes and different client deliverables, say Susan Berson and Hassan Shaikh at Mintz.
Amid demands from clients and prospective hires for greater sustainability efforts, law firms should think beyond reusable mugs and create programs that incorporate clear leadership structures, emission tracking and reduction goals, and frameworks for reporting results, says Gayatri Joshi at the Law Firm Sustainability Network.
Associates may hesitate to take on the added commitment of pro bono matters, but such work has tangible skill-building benefits, so firms should consider compensation and leadership strategies to encourage participation, says Rasmeet Chahil at Lowenstein Sandler.
The pandemic has likely exacerbated the prevalence of problem drinking in the legal profession, making it critical for lawyers and educators to address alcohol abuse and the associated stigma through issue-specific education, supportive assistance and alcohol-free professional events, says Erica Grigg at the Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program.
Opinion
Lawyers Have Duty To Push For Immigration Court ReformAttorneys must use their collective voice to urge federal lawmakers to create an Article I immigration court outside executive branch control, helping address the conflicts of interest, political influence and lack of adjudication consistency that prevent migrants from achieving true justice, say Elia Diaz-Yaeger and Carlos Bollar at the Hispanic National Bar Association.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can 1st-Year Attys Manage Remote Work?First-year associates can have a hard time building relationships with colleagues, setting boundaries and prioritizing work-life balance in a remote work environment, so they must be sure to lean on their firms' support systems and practice good time management, say Jenny Lee and Christopher Fernandez at Kirkland.
Attorney team leaders have a duty to attend to the mental well-being of their subordinates with intention, thought and candor — starting with ensuring their own mental health is in order, says Liam Montgomery at Williams & Connolly.
As law firms begin planning next year's summer associate events, they should carefully examine how choice of venue, activity, theme, attendees and formality can create feelings of exclusion for minority associates, and consider changing the status quo to create multiculturally inclusive events, says Sharon Jones at Jones Diversity.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Do I Negotiate Long-Term Flex Work?Though the pandemic has shown the value of remote work, many firms are still reluctant to embrace flexible working arrangements when offices reopen, so attorneys should use several negotiating tactics to secure a long-term remote or hybrid work setup that also protects their potential for career advancement, says Elaine Spector at Harrity & Harrity.
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.
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 JudiciaryWith 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?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.
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.