California Pulse


  • Judge Refuses To Recuse Himself In Ga. Defamation Case

    A Georgia federal judge on Thursday refused to disqualify himself from presiding over a defamation case arising from a family dispute related to a tax preparation business, while also rejecting a bid to transfer the matter to a federal court in California.

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    Calif. Judge To Resign Over Misconduct Amid Office Romance

    A California state judge will resign and be barred from serving on the bench after engaging in misconduct that included pretending to be the lawyer for his judicial secretary with whom he was having an affair, according to a Thursday decision.

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    'Latter-Day Machiavelli' Defamed Calif. Law Firm, Court Told

    California employment law firm Lawyers for Justice PC has filed a suit in state court accusing one of its former clients of defamation in what the firm calls "a scorched-earth crusade against her former attorneys."

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    University Of San Francisco Law Works AI Into Requirements

    The University of San Francisco School of Law said Wednesday that it's begun to incorporate generative artificial intelligence in its legal research, writing and analysis program, a required part of the curriculum for all first-year law students.

  • Juniper GC Earned $3.35M Amid Challenged HPE Merger

    The top lawyer for Juniper Network Inc. earned over $3 million last year as the company was working through a $14 billion attempted merger with Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. that has since been challenged by the Justice Department, according to a securities filing Thursday.

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    DocuSign CLO Saw Comp Rise By $2.1M After Prior Drop

    The chief legal officer for DocuSign Inc., a former attorney with HP and Workday, saw his total compensation jump almost $2.1 million to more than $7 million for the fiscal year ending in January after a decrease in the preceding year, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

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    DiCello Levitt Adds ACTS Law Catastrophic Injury Atty In Calif.

    DiCello Levitt LLP is expanding its West Coast presence, bringing in an Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo LLP catastrophic injury attorney known for his work in sexual abuse litigation, including a recent $4 billion settlement, as a partner in its San Diego office.

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    Sterlington Adds Ex-Loeb & Loeb PTAB Trials Head In Calif.

    International law firm Sterlington PLLC has added a partner who has guided clients in more than 140 proceedings before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board, strengthening its intellectual property practice with the former chair of Loeb & Loeb's PTAB trials practice, the firm announced Wednesday.

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    Duane Morris Employment Pro Joins Frost Brown In San Fran

    Frost Brown Todd LLP announced that an experienced litigator who's spent over a decade working on labor and employment matters has joined the firm's San Francisco office as a partner from Duane Morris LLP.

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    Faegre Drinker Adds Greenberg Traurig Mass Tort Litigator

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has strengthened its product liability and mass torts practice with a San Francisco-based partner who came aboard from Greenberg Traurig LLP, the firm said Wednesday.

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    Legal Staffing Co. Latitude Expands In DC, San Diego, NYC

    National legal recruitment and staffing provider Latitude has recently expanded its roster with three attorneys who will lead the company's new offices launched in Washington, D.C., San Diego and New York City.

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    Elastic's CLO Says AI Won't Replace Legal Judgment

    The legal chief at search artificial intelligence company Elastic told Law360 Pulse during a recent interview about why she thinks AI won't take away from lawyers' professional responsibility to apply judgment.

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    Not A Doughnut Shop: Ex-MoFo Chair Says Firms Need Focus

    As large law firms navigate an increasingly competitive marketplace, former Morrison & Foerster LLP Chair Keith Wetmore says today's firm leaders need a clear vision for what sets their firm apart and avoid trying to be everything to everybody.

  • Clyde & Co. Promotes 25 To Partner In Enlarged Round

    Clyde & Co. LLP said on Wednesday that it has promoted 25 lawyers to its partnership, with its U.K. offices accounting for around half the intake and its business in North America making up more than a third.

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    Sidley Brings On Gibson Dunn M&A Expert In California

    Sidley Austin LLP continues growing its California team, bringing in a Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP mergers and acquisitions expert as a partner in its Century City office.

  • Retiring Calif. Ethics Committee Atty Says Judicial Trust Vital

    Nancy Black, who retires this month as founding counsel to California's Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics, reflected in an interview with Law360 on the wide range of ethical concerns the committee has handled over her 15-year tenure and the group's key role in safeguarding public trust in the courts.

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    Hogan Lovells IP Pro Jumps To Venable In San Francisco

    Venable LLP is expanding its intellectual property team, announcing Tuesday it is bringing in a Hogan Lovells IP litigator as a partner in its San Francisco office.

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    Unfilled Legal Jobs Up Amid Political, Economic Uncertainties

    While hiring demand in the legal sector remains virtually unchanged from last year, more positions are going unfilled, which suggests a growing sense of caution among law firms due to broader economic uncertainty, according to a report released Tuesday by legal data company Leopard Solutions.

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    King & Spalding Lands E-Discovery Ace From Kirkland In LA

    King & Spalding LLP has added an e-discovery attorney from Kirkland & Ellis LLP to its products liability and mass torts practice group to advise clients about information governance and other matters.

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    Will Trump Deals Change BigLaw's Pro Bono Work?

    The nine law firms that struck deals with the Trump administration in an effort to avoid punitive executive orders agreed to perform $940 million worth of free legal services for causes the president supports, but it's unclear how much those commitments will change pro bono practices at some of the nation's biggest firms.

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    From Hello To Hired In 8 Weeks: Lateral Moves Pick Up Speed

    The process of bringing on a lateral partner, once long and arduous, has been shortened and streamlined at many law firms in an effort to gain a leg up on the competition, according to two recruiters at Major Lindsey & Africa.

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    Buchalter Lands 4 White Collar Pros From Steptoe, DOJ

    Buchalter PC is expanding its white collar team, bringing in a former federal prosecutor most recently with Steptoe LLP as a shareholder in its Los Angeles office, plus three of his former colleagues from Steptoe and the Department of Justice. 

  • Earthquake Briefly Interrupts Judge's Retrial In Wife's Killing

    The retrial for an Orange County judge who is accused of drunkenly shooting his wife to death in their home after an argument took a dramatic turn Monday morning when a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Southern California, shaking the courtroom and abruptly interrupting opening statements from the judge's attorney.

  • Bipartisan Trio Urges DOJ To Keep Antitrust Offices Open

    Top members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to rethink its plan to close the Antitrust Division's field offices in Chicago and San Francisco because of their "vital" role in antitrust enforcement.

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    Meet The Munger Tolles Team Fighting Susman Godfrey Order

    The team at Munger Tolles & Olson LLP representing Susman Godfrey in its challenge to an executive order targeting the firm includes a number of litigation partners with experience handling high-profile cases and experience in the U.S. Department of Justice or the White House counsel's office, including the firm's chair and a former U.S. solicitor general.

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Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Ask A Mentor: Is Secondment A Good Career Move? Author Photo

    Kate Driscoll at Morrison Foerster suggests six questions to help candidates evaluate whether a secondment will benefit their career.

  • 3 Trends Reshaping Chief Marketing Officer Appointments Author Photo

    Recent approaches to hiring chief marketing officers demonstrate how firms are reimagining their marketing and business development frameworks to stay competitive and responsive to evolving client needs, says Murray Coffey at M Coffey.

  • Talking Mental Health: Working As A Mom Of An Autistic Son Author Photo

    Sarah Kovit Hanna at Assurant discusses how she balances the demands of her in-house role and the support needs of her son, who was diagnosed with autism, as a single mom, and reflects on how the legal industry can better support caretakers of family members who have special needs.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Can I Maximize My Pro Bono Impact? Author Photo

    Debbie Berman at Jenner & Block offers advice on how attorneys can make a meaningful impact on their communities through pro bono work while enhancing their professional development through strengthened client-facing skills, hands-on experience and more.

  • Series

    My Nonpracticing Law Job: Law Firm Marketer Author Photo

    Liz Bard Lindley at Jaffe PR shares how she went from a family law associate who helped write industry articles to a savvy legal public relations and marketing professional, and offers takeaways for any attorney who might not feel at home in their law practice and is considering alternative career paths.

  • The Case For Keeping The Gas On Deputy GC Compensation Author Photo

    In recent years, the deputy general counsel role has expanded and become increasingly vital in organizations across the globe, and companies should consider a few ways to retain this top talent, including by offering competitive compensation that reflects projected increases, says Heather Fine at Major Lindsey.

  • Talking Mental Health: The View From Life After BigLaw Author Photo

    Life coach and author Wendy Tamis Robbins discusses why she left a career in BigLaw to work in the professional well-being space after finding freedom from anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorders, and highlights two changes the legal industry should implement to address attorneys' mental health.

  • 6 Essential Skills For Summer Associates To Land An Offer
    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    With full-time offer rates at the lowest point since 2012, summer associates must do all they can to distinguish themselves, starting with a few fundamentals — from the importance of asking clarifying questions to being honest about mistakes, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Making Legal Cents: How Law Firms Can Innovate Faster Author Photo

    To meet the demands of an evolving legal market and changing client expectations, law firms must not only embrace innovation, but also find ways to accelerate adoption and mitigate risks in an industry historically resistant to change, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

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