DC Pulse


  • Justices Won't Block 5th Circ. Order On Child's Removal

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday denied an emergency application to stay a Fifth Circuit decision that would allow an asylum-seeker's 7-year-old daughter to be deported to Venezuela.

  • Ex-CFPB Enforcers Launch Consumer Litigation Project

    Three former enforcement attorneys of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have joined the advocacy group Protect Borrowers as senior fellows to launch a new litigation project focused on the "weaponization of corporate power that is plunging working people into financial crisis."

  • House Looks To Undo Sens.' Ability To Sue Over Phone Info

    House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that House Republicans will be introducing stand-alone legislation to repeal a provision tucked into the government funding package the Senate passed Monday that would allow Republican senators investigated by special counsel Jack Smith to sue for damages.

  • Justices Fret Over Giving Judges More First Step Act Power

    The U.S. Supreme Court raised concerns Wednesday about spurring a flood of compassionate release motions from prisoners if it allows judges to have wide discretion to find "extraordinary and compelling reasons" to pare down sentences for criminal defendants under the First Step Act.

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    Hilgers Graben Revamps Leadership Structure, Changes Name

    Hilgers Graben PLLC said Tuesday that the commercial litigation and discovery counsel services firm has new leadership and a shortened name that reflects both its current status and future goals.

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    Where Are Top Firms Bringing On The Most New Partners?

    Lateral partner hiring data for the last five years paints a surprisingly static portrait of where top law firms are making the most hires, even as they warm up to secondary and tertiary legal markets.

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    Baker McKenzie Accuses Ex-Atty Of Playing 'Cat And Mouse'

    An ex-associate at Baker McKenzie's Washington, D.C., office has been accused by her former employer of playing a "cat and mouse game" to avoid getting served a defamation complaint filed in October by the office and its managing partner.

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    McDermott Exploring Selling Stake To Private Equity

    McDermott Will & Schulte on Wednesday acknowledged it is fielding interest from private equity investors, a development that underscores how some of the legal industry's largest players are considering moving to a nontraditional business model.

  • Ex-Energy Department General Counsel Joins Torridon Law

    The general counsel of the U.S. Department of Energy during President Donald Trump's first term has joined Torridon Law PLLC, a Washington, D.C., boutique launched in 2022 by Trump's former Attorney General William Barr and former Facebook general counsel Ted Ullyot.

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    Crowell & Moring's Asia IP Practice Co-Leader Joins Pillsbury

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has hired the co-head of Crowell & Moring LLP's Asia intellectual property specialty practice, the firm said in an announcement this week.

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    Longtime Bracewell Partner Joins White & Case In DC

    A former Bracewell LLP partner who spent nearly 16 years there advising clients on the regulatory aspects of energy infrastructure transactions and on related matters has joined White & Case LLP's Washington, D.C., office as a partner, the firm has announced.

  • Texas Pick Among 3 Formally Tapped For District Court Seats

    President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday three nominees for federal judgeships in Texas, Arkansas and Alaska, which have been anticipated for a few weeks.

  • IP Law Daily Columnist Starts New Copyright Litigation Firm

    A D.C. attorney with BigLaw chops who has spent more than four years writing a daily column on U.S. copyright law for Intellectual Property Law Daily has hung out his own shingle.

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    Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attorneys From 76 Firms

    The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2025 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing significant achievements in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.

  • Trump, Ill. Debate 'Regular Forces' In National Guard Case

    President Donald Trump invoked the founders' distrust of standing armies in a bid to convince the U.S. Supreme Court he can deploy National Guard troops to Chicago for immigration enforcement, but Illinois and the city contend the use of guardsmen is intended as a backup plan. 

  • Senate Committee To Investigate Impeachment Of Judges

    The Senate Judiciary Committee will have a hearing next week to consider impeachment of "rogue" federal judges, according to an announcement on Monday.

  • Justices Doubt GEO's Immunity Claim In Forced Labor Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday appeared reluctant to adopt GEO Group's interpretation of an 85-year-old ruling as extending immunity to contractors facing lawsuits, as the private prison operator stands accused of forcing immigrant detainees to clean a detention facility. 

  • 'Legal Fiction' May Doom Rastafarian's Haircut Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court appeared to doubt Monday that a Rastafarian could hold Louisiana prison guards personally responsible for allegedly violating his religious rights when they forcibly shaved off his dreadlocks, with the justices splitting ideologically over whether a federal law gave the guards enough warning about their potential liability. 

  • Judge To Review Grand Jury Materials In Comey Indictment

    A Virginia federal judge said he would review grand jury materials in camera to see if any privileged information was used to secure the indictment of ex-FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying to Congress.

  • Ex-Judges, US Attys Urge Axing 'Political' Indictment Of NY AG

    A bipartisan group of former federal judges and U.S. attorneys on Monday threw their weight behind New York Attorney General Letitia James' bid to dismiss the indictment accusing her of mortgage fraud, rebuking the appointment of interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan and slamming the prosecution's apparent political motivations.

  • FTC Dem Tells Justices Case Law Supports Her Reinstatement

    Fired Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter has argued that in taking up her appeal over President Donald Trump's decision to remove her before her term was up, the U.S. Supreme Court is really mulling whether it has "gotten it wrong for the last 90 years."

  • Gov't Can Support Anti-Abortion Group In NJ Subpoena Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday granted Solicitor General D. John Sauer's request to file an amicus brief and participate in oral argument in an anti-abortion pregnancy center's bid to revive its challenge to a subpoena from the New Jersey attorney general demanding information about its donors.

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    Squire Patton Launches Veterans Business Resource Group

    Squire Patton Boggs LLP announced Monday a new business resource group aimed at connecting employees with military service backgrounds, with a kickoff event planned for Veterans Day.

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    Shutdown Deal Funds Justices' Security, Public Defender Pay

    The government funding agreement reached in the Senate on Sunday includes funding for public defenders, some of whom haven't been paid since July, and security for U.S. Supreme Court justices.

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    Cole Schotz Moves DC Office To K Street

    Months after planting a flag in the nation's capital, Cole Schotz PC has relocated to 1875 K Street NW, a move it says solidifies its presence in the D.C. market, according to a Monday announcement.

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Expert Analysis

  • 6 Strategies For Navigating Legal Leadership Transitions Author Photo

    Amid uncertainty in the legal job market, attorneys who are considering a transition to a leadership role must fundamentally reimagine their approach to value creation and develop a new set of skills, say Stacy Bratcher at Cottage Health and Michael Watkins at Genesis Advisers.

  • The Augmented Lawyer: Crafting Responsible AI Policies Author Photo

    As the legal industry increasingly looks to impose responsive guardrails for artificial intelligence use, firms and organizations’ internal use policies, outside counsel guidelines and vendor contracts can address confidentiality and data retention concerns in several ways, say attorneys at KXT Law.

  • 6 Ways To Build Pro Bono Culture If You Lack Dedicated Staff Author Photo

    Firms can develop a strong pro bono culture without hiring dedicated professionals through strategies like demonstrating active involvement by leadership, tailoring volunteer tasks to individual professional development needs and building trusted partnerships within the legal aid community, says Stacy Zinken at Paladin.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Extend Your Content's Life Author Photo

    Attorneys often limit the impact of their thought leadership by letting their content languish after initial publication, but through four easy strategies for retooling existing content, they can maximize its reach and further their business development goals, says Jillian McKenna at Verrill Dana.

  • Why Law Firm Leaders Should Care About Student Debt Crisis Author Photo

    ​​​​​​​As the student debt crisis evolves under changing federal policies, firms that proactively address the burden will have significant advantages in recruiting and retaining the best young lawyers, says Brian Kabateck at Kabateck.

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    Talking Mental Health: Encouraging New Attys To Find Joy Author Photo

    Rudene Haynes at Hunton discusses her experiences as a hiring partner, common sources of stress that newer attorneys face and steps that law firms can take to protect their attorneys' mental health and encourage personal life fulfillment.

  • Fla. Bar's Cyber Incident Response Plan Sets Precedent Author Photo

    The incident response plan developed by the Florida Bar's cybersecurity and privacy committee might not seem all that consequential, but it's a long overdue framework that could go a long way toward protecting the highly sensitive data law firms handle — and could even set a model for other professional organizations to follow, says Chris Boehm at Zero Networks.

  • Why Attorneys Should Write About Justices' Minority Opinions Author Photo

    Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s searing dissents this past term serve as a reminder for attorneys to analyze U.S. Supreme Court minority opinions in their thought leadership for three key reasons, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • 3 Business Development Lessons From Mozart's 'Magic Flute' Author Photo

    Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” offers a useful framework for attorneys to build relationships and develop new business, inspired by Prince Tamino’s curiosity, courage and consistency, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • 5 Ways Legal Teams Can Use KPIs To Quantify Their Value Author Photo

    As in-house legal departments are increasingly expected to do more with less, developing a thoughtful framework to measure key performance indicators can help them both maximize and demonstrate their contribution to business success, say co-founders at New Era ADR.

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    Defining The Culture For A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    We co-founded The International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators to connect leading trial lawyers, litigation experts and academics, and our experience has shown that embracing opportunity, responding fearlessly to market realities, and relentlessly defining the organization’s culture have all been integral to success, say Stéphane Bonifassi, Lincoln Caylor and Elizabeth Ortega.

  • 5 Emerging Themes Shaping Lateral Partner Moves This Year Author Photo

    A few key trends have arisen in partners’ lateral movements in the first half of 2025, reflecting a legal market defined by macroeconomic uncertainty, shifts in firm structures and rising scrutiny of firm affiliations, say legal recruiters at Macrae.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Be A Mentor Or Mentee Author Photo

    Mentorship is a powerful tool for business development when both mentors and mentees approach their relationships with strategic purpose, ensuring professional success while supporting broader business goals, say Angela Liu at Dechert and Jessica Lewis at WilmerHale.

  • 4 Biz Dev Steps For Attys Who Don't Know What They Want Author Photo

    Junior attorneys are increasingly expected to start building books of business while they are still figuring out their long-term career goals, but a few pointers can help young lawyers develop business even when they’re uncertain about their future direction, says Lana Manganiello at Practice Growth Partner.

  • Protecting Client Funds From Cyberattacks Author Photo

    As cyberattacks on law firms continue to escalate, bar associations, law firms and individual lawyers must all take steps to protect client funds in attorney trust accounts — from imposing cyber hygiene mandates to reimagining malpractice coverage — because once that money is gone, it’s generally gone for good, says Michael Epstein at The Epstein Law Firm.

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