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California Pulse


  • McDonald's Inks Confidential Deal In $10B Race Bias Suit

    McDonald's has reached a confidential settlement with film and television executive Byron Allen's companies resolving a $10 billion suit claiming the fast food chain discriminates against Black-owned media companies in its advertising expenditures, according to an announcement made Friday.

  • Calif. State Bar Is Immune From Atty's ADA Suit, 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday declined to revive an attorney's claims alleging the California State Bar violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not granting extra time to respond to disciplinary action based on outstanding debt, finding the bar, as an arm of the state, is entitled to sovereign immunity.

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    Meet The Judge Who Blocked Trump's LA Troop Deployment

    The California federal judge who on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard to quell Los Angeles protests against his immigration policy is a respected and fair jurist with a particular dexterity managing complicated multidistrict litigation, according to attorneys.

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    Filling The Gaps: How GC Communities Advocate For Others

    As general counsel continue to see their role evolve, some are relying more heavily on professional organizations like the L Suite and Ready Set GC that are looking to create communities for legal leaders seeking advice and recommendations, and aiming to become more successful strategic business partners.

  • Peter Rho

    Nelson Mullins Adds Smith Gambrell's Korea Leader In LA

    Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP has hired the former leader of Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP's Korea practice to bolster its corporate, mergers and acquisitions, entertainment transaction, and other services.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    The Institute for Justice, Mitchell Shapiro Greenamyre & Funt LLP, Spears & Filipovits LLC and attorney Lisa Lambert lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Constitution's supremacy clause cannot shield the federal government from Federal Tort Claims Act suits.

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    Tyson & Mendes Leaders On New Defense Litigation Strategy

    Insurance defense firm Tyson & Mendes LLP announced plans to release a book in the fall detailing its new "Apex" legal strategy to combat nuclear verdicts that focuses on minimizing juror anger throughout a trial.

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    7 Willkie Partners Join Cooley Over Trump EO Deal

    Seven partners have left Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, including both managing partners of the firm's San Francisco office, to join Cooley LLP, reportedly over their former employer's decision to strike a deal with the Trump administration related to a potential executive order.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry had another action-packed week as lawyers took on new roles and law firms expanded their practices. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Calif. Judge Named New Leader Of Duke Law Judicial Institute

    A California federal judge set to retire at the end of the year has a new job lined up as head of a judicial institute at Duke University School of Law.

  • Avenatti Sheds 3 Years After 9th Circ. Orders Resentencing

    A California federal judge on Thursday resentenced disbarred attorney Michael Avenatti to just over 11 years in federal prison for filching millions of dollars from his clients' settlement funds, reducing a 14-year sentence overturned by the Ninth Circuit and leaving Avenatti with about eight years left after time served.

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    Firms Seek Luxury Or Stay Put In Tight Real Estate Market

    A reduction in new construction and office vacancy has led more firms to renew their office leases in recent years, while others are spending significantly more than the original asking price on leasing new luxury offices, according to a recent report.

  • Calif. Justices OK More Bar Exam Proposals After Fiasco

    The California Supreme Court on Wednesday approved more measures to address the widespread problems that arose during the administration of the February bar exam, which includes a provisional license program for applicants who failed or withdrew from the exam. 

  • Attys For Disney Streaming Customers Vie To Lead Settlement

    Days after announcing that they've reached a settlement with Disney, live TV streaming customers are looking to appoint Yavar Bathaee from Bathaee Dunne LLP to serve as the lead counsel in their proposed antitrust class action against the company over ESPN carriage agreement fees.

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    Keker Awards $100K To Diversity Scholars

    San Francisco-based Keker Van Nest & Peters LLP is contributing to the legal education of several California law students, announcing Tuesday it has awarded a total of $100,000 in scholarship funds to four 2025 Diversity Scholar recipients.

  • Insurer Says Law Firm Mishandled Pesticide Exposure Suit

    An insurer is claiming it is owed at least $625,000 from a law firm hired to defend a poultry farm against a suit over toxic pesticide exposure, alleging in federal court that it was forced to settle the suit above policy limits due to the firm's negligence and malpractice.

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    How Raines Feldman Is Building An 'Anti-Burnout' Culture

    Los Angeles-based firm Raines Feldman Littrell LLP has spent years using a number of strategies to build a more supportive culture and combat burnout, from giving attorneys greater control over their hours to events like meditation and stress management workshops.

  • Judiciary Panel Advances New Rules On Amici, AI, Subpoenas

    The federal judiciary's top policy panel Tuesday propelled revamped rules regarding numerous hot legal topics, including artificial intelligence, "dark money" groups bankrolling amicus briefs and the subpoena powers of courts and defense counsel.

  • 9th Circ. Says Legal Co.'s $1.7M Chase Check Suit Is Too Late

    The Ninth Circuit affirmed a California federal court's ruling dismissing a suit by legal support company Nationwide Legal against JPMorgan Chase, saying its suit claiming Chase Bank acted negligently when it allowed a Nationwide Legal employee to deposit fraudulent checks was time-barred.

  • Farella Braun Wins Partial Fee Award In FDIC Dispute

    A California federal judge has awarded Farella Braun & Martel LLP around $10,000 in attorney fees for the work its lawyers did for the bankrupt parent of Silicon Valley Bank, finding the receiver for the bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., failed to comply with discovery orders.

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    Office Snapshot: Sheppard Mullin's New Digs In Downtown LA

    Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP was founded in downtown Los Angeles nearly a century ago, so when its office lease there was expiring at the end of last year, the firm knew it wouldn't go very far. In fact, it just moved two blocks away to a fresh space at California Plaza.

  • John B. Scherling

    Retired San Diego Judge Joins JAMS

    The alternative dispute resolution service JAMS has expanded its mediation team, announcing this week that it has added a former San Diego County Superior Court judge as a neutral.

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    AI Helping Legal Professionals Tackle Feelings Of Burnout

    The majority of surveyed legal professionals think that using AI has helped reduce feelings of burnout at work, according to contract management platform Ironclad's second annual State of AI in Legal report released Tuesday.

  • FEMA Dodges Atty's Bias And Retaliation Suit, For Now

    A California federal judge dismissed an attorney's lawsuit alleging two federal agencies fired her after she complained that a male colleague harassed her, saying the excessive length and repetitiveness of her claims makes an adequate response a "practical impossibility." 

  • Bob Stupar

    BCLP Real Estate Finance Pros Join Kilpatrick In Atlanta, SF

    Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP is boosting its real estate finance team, announcing Monday it is bringing in two Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP attorneys, one of them returning to Kilpatrick as a partner in Atlanta, the other joining as counsel in San Francisco.

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Expert Analysis

  • Advice For Summer Associates Uneasy About Offer Prospects Author Photo

    There are a few communication tips that law students in summer associate programs should consider to put themselves in the best possible position to receive an offer, and firms can also take steps to support those to whom they are unable to make an offer, says Amy Mattock at Georgetown University Law Center.

  • How Law Firms Can Cautiously Wield AI To Streamline Tasks Author Photo

    Many attorneys are going to use artificial intelligence tools whether law firms like it or not, so firms should educate them on AI's benefits, limits and practical uses, such as drafting legal documents, to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving legal market, say Thomas Schultz and Eden Bernstein at Kellogg Hansen.

  • Keys To Managing The Stresses Of Law School Author Photo

    Dealing with the pressures associated with law school can prove difficult for many future lawyers, but there are steps students can take to manage stress — and schools can help too, say Ryan Zajic and Dr. Janani Krishnaswami at UWorld.

  • Can Mandatory CLE Mitigate Implicit Bias's Negative Impacts? Author Photo

    Amid ongoing disagreements on whether states should mandate implicit bias training as part of attorneys' continuing legal education requirements, Stephanie Wilson at Reed Smith looks at how unconscious attitudes or stereotypes adversely affect legal practice, and whether mandatory training programs can help.

  • Ditch The Frills And Start Writing Legal Letters In Plain English Author Photo

    To become more effective advocates, lawyers need to rethink the ridiculous, convoluted language they use in correspondence and write letters in a clear, concise and direct manner, says legal writing instructor Stuart Teicher.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Can I Negotiate My Separation Agreement? Author Photo

    Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey discusses how a law firm associate can navigate being laid off, what to look for in a separation agreement and why to be upfront about it with prospective employers.

  • DoNotPay Cases Underscore Hurdles For AI-Fueled Legal Help Author Photo

    Recent legal challenges against DoNotPay’s "robot lawyer” application highlight pressing questions about the degree to which artificial intelligence can be used for legal tasks while remaining on the right side of both consumer protection laws and prohibitions against the unauthorized practice of law, says Kristen Niven at Frankfurt Kurnit.

  • For The Future Of Legal Practice, Let's Learn From The Past Author Photo

    At some level, every practicing lawyer is experiencing the ever-increasing speed of change — and while some practice management processes have gotten more efficient, other things about the legal profession were better before supposed improvements were made, says Jay Silberblatt, president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

  • Why All Law Firms Should Foster Psychological Capital Author Photo

    Law firms will be able to reap great long-term benefits if they adopt strategies to nurture four critical components of their employees' psychological wellness and performance — hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism, says Dennis Stolle at the American Psychological Association.

  • A GC's Guide To Litigation, Inspired By Sun Tzu's 'Art Of War' Author Photo

    With caseloads and spending increasing, in-house counsel might find themselves called to opine on the risks and benefits of litigation more often, and they should look at five Sun Tzu maxims from the ancient Chinese classic "The Art of War" to inform their approach to any suit, says Jeff Golimowski at Womble Bond.

  • Mentorship Is Key To Diversity In The Legal Industry Author Photo

    Not only can effective mentorship have a profound impact on women and people of color entering the legal field, but it also benefits mentors and the legal profession as a whole, creating a true win-win situation for all involved, says Natasha Cortes at Grossman Roth.

  • ChatGPT Is A Cool Trick, But AI Won't Replace Lawyers Author Photo

    Generative AI applications like ChatGPT are unlikely to ever replace attorneys for a variety of practical reasons — but given their practice-enhancing capabilities, lawyers who fail to leverage these tools may be rendered obsolete, says Eran Kahana at Maslon.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Valuable In IP And Continued Learning Author Photo

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent elimination of a rule that partially counted pro bono work toward continuing legal education highlights the importance of volunteer work in intellectual property practice and its ties to CLE, and puts a valuable tool for hands-on attorney education in the hands of the states, say Lisa Holubar and Ariel Katz at Irwin.

  • Increasing Public Access To Legal Services: A Practical Plan Author Photo

    Recommendations recently issued by a special committee of the Florida Bar represent a realistic, pragmatic approach to increasing the accessibility and affordability of legal services, at a time when the disconnect between the legal profession and the public at large has widened considerably, says Gary Lesser, president of the Florida Bar.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Relay Shortcomings To Associates? Author Photo

    Michael Cohen at Duane Morris discusses the best ways to articulate how an associate is not meeting expectations, and why documentation of performance management is crucial for their growth and protecting the firm from discrimination suits.

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