California Pulse


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    ABA Gives Symbolic Support For Law School DEI Standards

    In a split vote, American Bar Association House of Delegates members on Tuesday elected to uphold a rule requiring law schools to demonstrate DEI standards, but then followed up with a vote allowing another path to removing the standards, in an effort to avoid the Trump administration's threat to strip the ABA of accreditation authority.

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    Gunnercooke Expands To West Coast With Calif. Partner Hire

    U.K.-based law firm Gunnercooke LLP announced Monday that it has hired its first California-based attorney, giving it a formal presence on the West Coast to complement existing offices in Chicago and New York.

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    ABA To Assess Aggressive BigLaw Campus Recruitment

    The American Bar Association's policymaking body on Monday approved a resolution sponsored by law students seeking reprieve from increasingly early BigLaw recruitment drives and clarified rules regarding client confidentiality and prosecutorial responsibility, some of the first votes taken on day one of its annual meeting.

  • Judge Denies Bid To Oust Kirkland From Trade Secret Feud

    A California federal judge has denied a healthcare software company's attempt to disqualify Kirkland & Ellis LLP from representing Commure Inc. in a trade secret lawsuit, ruling that the plaintiff failed to prove that information it disclosed during a prospective client consultation was materially harmful enough to warrant disqualification.

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    What To Know About Initial Rollout Of NextGen Bar Exam

    The NextGen Bar Exam, which is replacing the uniform bar exam across most of the United States, has been successfully administered for the first time in nine jurisdictions July 28-29 and was canceled in Washington state due to technical difficulties.

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    Legal Workplaces Create More Stress For Female Lawyers

    Female lawyers report being more stressed out than their male counterparts, and the reasons they give for that stress largely revolve around structural workplace factors, according to an American Bar Association report released Monday.

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    McGovern Weems Adds Name Partner, West, From Dechert

    The New York firm formerly known as McGovern Weems LLP announced Monday that it has hired another name partner, the former head of Dechert LLP's enforcement and investigations team.

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    Cleary Adds Litigators From White & Case, Orrick

    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP said Monday that it has added two partners to its litigation practice in Washington, D.C., and California, one from White & Case LLP and the other from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

  • Law360 Names 2026's Top Attorneys Under 40

    Law360 is pleased to announce the Rising Stars of 2026, our list of more than 160 attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.

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    ABA House Of Delegates Resolutions To Watch

    The American Bar Association is holding its annual conference in Chicago this year, and next week the organization's policymaking body will be tackling a wide range of topics, like student loan reform and establishing a commission to fight antisemitism.

  • Law360 Pulse Spotlight On Mid-Law Work

    Bass Berry and Potter Anderson's work on an investors' suit against Cars.com leads this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from July 17 to 31.

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    Sundance Elevates GC To COO Ahead Of Festival Venue Shift

    Sundance Institute, the nonprofit in charge of running the Sundance Film Festival, announced that its general counsel has been elevated to the role of chief operating officer ahead of its planned move to Colorado.

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    NetApp's Admin And Legal Chief Earned $6.6M Last Year

    The chief administrative officer for NetApp Inc., a data management and software company, earned a total compensation of $6.6 million in fiscal year 2026, according to a recent securities filing.

  • Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Two Texas personal injury firms lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions for their work securing a $604 million verdict against a freight broker and logistics company for their roles in a deadly 2021 highway collision.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry ended July with another busy week as firms doled out associate bonuses and BigLaw shops expanded their bench of talent. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Lionsgate Studios GC Sees Pay Rise $1.75M To $4.5M

    Lionsgate Studios' top attorney received a roughly $1.75 million raise to $4.5 million after leading the entertainment company's separation from Starz and guiding transactions around its hit Michael Jackson biopic, according to a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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    ABA Eyes Nixing School DEI Standards To Sway Trump Admin

    The American Bar Association is poised next week to eliminate the first of multiple diversity-related law school standards, a controversial move that it hopes will allow it to remain an accreditor despite an uncertain outcome in the face of a Trump administration increasingly wary of the association's role in legal education.

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    Former Calif. Assistant US Atty Joins Hueston Hennigan In LA

    An experienced trial lawyer who most recently spent nearly a decade as an assistant U.S. attorney with the Central District of California has joined Hueston Hennigan LLP's Los Angeles office as of counsel, the firm announced.

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    Kaufman Dolowich Hires O'Hagan Meyer Partner In LA

    Kaufman Dolowich has hired a Los Angeles labor and employment lawyer, who is joining as a partner to defend employers in complex litigation, the firm recently announced.

  • Law Firm Real Estate Report

    Florida was a hotbed of law firm office activity in July, with at least five firms either opening new locations or moving teams to new spaces.

  • Advocacy Group Says Law Firm Fellowship Program Biased

    A legal advocacy group said Thursday it had lodged U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charges against a nonprofit and law firms including Jones Day, White & Case and Morgan Lewis, claiming Muslim and Middle Eastern students were getting unlawful preference in a fellowship program.

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    Vinson & Elkins Sees AI Usage Uptick After First Hackathon

    Vinson & Elkins completed its first artificial intelligence hackathon in June, called the V&E GenAI Cup, to generate more staff excitement about AI and gather new ideas for projects.

  • 9th Circ. Vacates Orrick Win In Stock Transfer Deal Dispute

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday reversed a lower court's finding that Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP can't be held liable in a battle over a stock transfer agreement gone awry, ruling that California law does allow a party to the transfer to pursue equitable indemnity in the case.

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    DOJ Suit Shows Bar Battles Have Reached New Fronts

    The legal effort seeking to outlaw mandatory bar associations has made little progress in the courts recently. But some lawyers say the challenges have made it easier for the Trump administration and some state legislatures to oppose legal regulators.

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    Former Zoom, EBay Atty Joins Cardlytics As CLO

    The new chief legal officer at Cardlytics Inc. sees data privacy and increasingly complex government regulations as among his biggest challenges when he joins the company on Monday next week.

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Expert Analysis

  • Biz Dev Impostor Syndrome May Actually Be Good Judgment Author Photo

    Attributing lawyers’ sense of unease with business development to self-doubt or weakness may misidentify an important source of discomfort — a keen intuition that an ask isn’t yet appropriate for the relationship — and lead to advice that ultimately backfires, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Can I Handle Unproductive Feedback? Author Photo

    Maggie Potter at Segal McCambridge offers advice for associates who receive unproductive criticism from superiors and tips for gently pushing back with an eye to growth and efficiency.

  • How To Prep As Private Equity Starts Investing In Law Firms Author Photo

    Law firms eyeing legal services organization models, which allow outside capital to support nonlegal business functions while preserving lawyer ownership, can prepare for the expansion of private equity investment in the area by balancing commercial objectives and compliance imperatives, say attorneys at Rivkin Radler.

  • What Legal Leaders Can Learn From Marine Corps Principles Author Photo

    The small-unit leadership principles that are foundational to the U.S. Marine Corps experience — from tight feedback loops to top-down tactfulness — offer a blueprint for addressing leadership gaps that persist in the legal profession, says Edet Nsemo at Tucker Ellis.

  • Venture Capital Practices Can Improve Law Firm Lateral Hiring Author Photo

    As law firms pursue increasingly ambitious growth goals in a competitive market for talent, they should consider supplementing traditional lateral hiring due diligence with practices inspired by the venture capitalist framework, says Henry O’Connor at Jones Walker.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2026 Author Photo

    After a pivotal year for the legal industry, lawyers and their clients face an evolving litigation finance landscape in 2026 that will be shaped by developments ranging from new policies governing patent lawsuits to the reemergence of appellate monetization funding, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Think Like A Waiter Author Photo

    To convert casually interested restaurant patrons into satisfied, repeat customers, a good waiter relies on four service-oriented habits that proactive attorneys can borrow to cultivate lasting client relationships, say attorneys at Maynard Nexsen.

  • 6 Strategies To Set Up New CCOs For Success Author Photo

    As demand for chief compliance officers rises among a growing range of complex issues, organizations looking to hire and retain top-notch CCOs can adopt a series of strategies including defining success metrics and allowing the CCO to build a team, says Cara Bain at Major Lindsey.

  • Making Legal Cents: How Firms Can Navigate 2026 Trends Author Photo

    From the adoption of artificial intelligence infrastructure to increasing client attrition, a number of trends will likely define the legal industry in 2026, and law firms will need to strategically lean into these shifts to gain a competitive advantage, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

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    Notes From A Partner-In-Charge On Integrating Lateral Talent Author Photo

    When done thoughtfully through three strategies, bringing laterals into the fold can propel growth and create significant business opportunities that enhance the law firm's cultural fabric, says James Sullivan, leader of Alston & Bird's New York office.

  • The Augmented Lawyer: Drafting As AI Alters Admin Of Law Author Photo

    As generative artificial intelligence tools become embedded in mainstream legal practice, they are reshaping the administration of law itself, from how experts document and validate their work to how joint defense teams operate, demanding a new level of contractual clarity and operational discipline, says Karineh Khachatourian at KXT Law.

  • How Attorneys Can Plan Now For Biz Dev Success In 2026 Author Photo

    As the year winds down and the pace of work slows, attorneys should reflect on what did and didn’t work to generate business in 2025, and start mapping out their 2026 business development plan now to set themselves up for success, says Ezra Crawford at Crowell.

  • How Firms Can Retain Rainmakers, Now And All Year Long Author Photo

    Though firm leaders feel the most urgency about retaining rainmakers now, during compensation season, effective retention strategies are preemptive and year-round efforts anchored in meaningful support, tactical execution and credible follow-through, says Tom Orewyler at TO Comms.

  • What GCs Value Most: 7 Ways To Earn Clients' Trust Author Photo

    Trust is the foundation of any great client relationship, but it isn’t built overnight or maintained passively — rather, counsel must consistently show up in small but important ways to become the trusted partner clients rely on when judgment matters most, says Andrew Dick at The L Suite.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Make An Onboarding Plan Author Photo

    The investment required for a personalized client onboarding plan is minimal, but the return on investment — measured in client satisfaction, relationship strength and longevity, client referrals, and other business development opportunities — can be extraordinary, says John Reed at Rain BDM.

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