legal profession

  • Theodore Olson, Prominent Conservative Lawyer Dies at 84

    Theodore Olson, a prominent conservative lawyer who played a key role in securing the presidency for Republican George W. Bush in the 2000 election dispute and later successfully advocated for same-sex marriage rights, passed away on Wednesday at age 84, his law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher announced. The firm did not disclose the cause…

  • Senate Democrats Rush to Confirm Judges Before Trump Takes Office

    The Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate launched an urgent effort on Tuesday to confirm as many of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees as possible, aiming to prevent vacancies that Republican Donald Trump could fill if he takes office on January 20. With Republicans poised to control the Senate starting January 3, Senate Democrats began…

  • Judicial Panel to Develop Rules to Address AI-Produced Evidence

    A federal judicial panel on Friday agreed to begin developing rules to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated evidence and address concerns about “deep fakes” in courtrooms. During a meeting in New York, the U.S. Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules decided to move forward with two key initiatives. One will focus on…

  • Trump Readies to Name ‘Fearless’ Conservative Judges in Second Term

    Republican President-elect Donald Trump is set to build on his legacy of reshaping the federal judiciary with nominees who his supporters and critics predict could be even more conservative than the 234 judges he appointed during his first term in office. With Republicans poised to regain control of the Senate, which must confirm judicial nominees,…

  • Trump’s Win Brings New Opportunities, Challenges for Law Firms

    A change in presidential administrations always brings shifts for leading U.S. law firms. Corporate clients seek guidance on adjusting to new regulations and navigating evolving policy and business landscapes. Tuesday’s election saw Republican Donald Trump secure a clear victory, giving the GOP a majority in the U.S. Senate and possibly the House of Representatives. Trump’s…

  • No bar exam? Utah considers it

    Utah is moving forward with a proposal to allow law graduates to become licensed without taking the bar exam, following a trend set by a few other states that have introduced alternative pathways to legal licensure in recent years. On Monday, the Utah Supreme Court unveiled a plan that would enable graduates of American Bar…

  • Law Firms Ride Private Credit Wave as Market Evolves

    The burgeoning private credit market is creating significant demand for U.S. finance lawyers, particularly as recent partnerships between banks and non-bank lenders expand opportunities in this sector. With private credit now a $2 trillion market, non-bank lenders are increasingly filling gaps left by traditional banks, benefiting from less stringent regulatory requirements. Prominent law firms are…

  • Ex-Seattle Mayor Joins Law Firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

    Law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) announced on Wednesday that it hired Jenny Durkan, the former mayor of Seattle and a former U.S. attorney. Durkan will lead BCLP’s U.S. white-collar practice from the firm’s Seattle and Washington, D.C., offices. BCLP opened its Seattle office last year, marking the firm’s first new U.S. office since…

  • New York Bar Exam Pass Rate Highest Since 2013

    New York has joined the growing number of states reporting a higher pass rate on the July 2024 bar exam, with 69% of examinees successfully passing the attorney licensing exam. This figure marks New York’s highest overall pass rate since 2013, showing a 3 percentage point increase from 2023’s 66%, according to the New York…

  • Law School Applicant Numbers Surge, End of LSAT Logic Games is Possible Factor

    This year’s law school admission cycle kicks off with a strong start, showing a 26% increase in applicants for spots next fall compared to last year. Schools also report a 37% rise in the number of applications submitted. Although the Law School Admission Council, which develops the LSAT, anticipates a slowdown in this early surge—most…