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Tech and innovations will simultaneously improve and destabilize the legal industry in a way that is expected to transform the business permanently.
The U.S. Department of Justice in 2026 may continue to face unusual probes from judges skeptical of applying the long-held principle that the government tells the truth about its actions and follows correct procedures, with such litigation possibly slowing down federal courts in the new year.
Mississippi urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to uphold a law allowing state election officials to count mail-in ballots that arrive late but are postmarked by Election Day, arguing a lower court's finding that the law conflicts with federal statutes is inconsistent with the U.S. Code and historical practice.
A Vanderbilt Law School graduate who alleges his former criminal defense attorneys convinced him to take an unjust plea deal for assault in 2009 told a Connecticut court that his legal malpractice claims couldn't have been brought before he received an absolute pardon in 2023 — and as such aren't time-barred.
A three-member panel of Georgia's Judicial Qualifications Commission has recommended a probate judge be removed from the bench over allegations of yearslong case delays, citing a "pattern of improper activity" and its impact on the judicial system.
An Indiana state appellate panel has vacated a $60.7 million jury verdict against Tesla in a suit accusing its employee of negligently hitting a motorcyclist and causing a catastrophic brain injury, saying the trial court judge had an improper private conversation with the deadlocked jury regarding a potential mistrial.
An attorney for Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman said Friday the 98-year-old judge plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after the full D.C. Circuit refused to reconsider a decision affirming the dismissal of her lawsuit challenging her suspension.
A new California law banning alternative business structure fee sharing with out-of-state law firms owned by nonattorneys has been allowed to go into effect after a Los Angeles federal court rejected an attorney's bid to temporarily block its enforcement ahead of the new year.
The Supreme Court of Florida has rejected a proposal from the attorney general's office to allow out-of-state lawyers to work in some state government roles, despite the support it got from the governor's office and others.
Federal judges will continue tackling notable ethics issues in 2026, including a U.S. Justice Department battling former federal prosecutors in court and an immigration justice system in upheaval.
A few far-reaching topics will dominate the appellate practice in 2026, attorneys predict, as appeals courts navigate an ever-growing thicket of Trump administration litigation and thorny questions involving artificial intelligence.
In 2025, President Donald Trump put 20 district and six circuit judges on the federal bench. In the year ahead, a fight over home state senators' ability to block district court picks could make it more difficult for him to match that record.
The U.S. Supreme Court justices will return from the winter holidays to tackle several constitutional disputes that range from who is entitled to birthright citizenship to whether transgender individuals are entitled to heightened levels of protection from discrimination.
An ex-assistant U.S. attorney and two other former Justice Department employees urged a Washington, D.C., federal court on Tuesday to deny the government's motion to dismiss their lawsuit claiming they were unlawfully fired, arguing an internal government employment board isn't appropriate for their cases and is controlled by President Donald Trump.
Advice that McDonald Hopkins LLC gave a Florida hospital manager about potential exposure to criminal prosecution for healthcare fraud is neither privileged nor work product, and so should be handed over to a Blue Cross health insurer being sued for malicious prosecution in Georgia federal court, the insurer said.
New Jersey courts saw some history-making litigation come to a close over the course of 2025, including the largest environmental settlement ever achieved by a single state and the first clergy abuse trial verdict since the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse claims was extended. Another notable development was the state's federal bench exercising a rarely used authority to reject President Donald Trump's pick for interim U.S. attorney.
A number of high-profile cases in 2025 found judges taking on the role of criminal defendants over a wide range of allegations, from murder and sexual assault to corruption and interfering with an ICE arrest.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration cannot deploy National Guard troops into Chicago to aid federal immigration enforcement, saying President Donald Trump didn't show he was permitted to federalize the National Guard under a statute he had relied on.
When news broke this month that former special counsel Jack Smith planned to open a new boutique law firm, it underscored a bigger trend: All year long, elite small firms have proliferated as many federal lawyers left government service and some disaffected attorneys left BigLaw jobs.
The Colorado Supreme Court is set to begin next month the process of selecting a new justice to replace Justice Melissa Hart following her retirement announcement earlier this month, the Colorado Judicial Branch said in a press release Tuesday.
The federal judge who oversaw the criminal case against President Donald Trump over his handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago blocked the release Monday of the final report from former special counsel Jack Smith.
Former CIA Director John Brennan's attorneys asked the chief judge for the Southern District of Florida on Monday to block prosecutors from trying to steer any potential charges against him for investigating Russia's 2016 election interference to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon's courtroom.
A California attorney has pushed back on opposition from California's attorney general and the state's bar association amid his efforts to block enforcement of a ban on fee sharing with out-of-state law firms owned by nonattorneys, arguing the new state law is a "protectionist act, in defiance of the constitution."
The New Jersey Senate confirmed the acting Warren County Prosecutor for the full prosecutor's role as well as approving nearly 20 new Superior Court judges Monday.
A retired prosecutor who protested Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP's deal with the Trump administration has sued New York City and others in federal court, alleging that his First Amendment rights were violated when he was arrested outside the BigLaw firm's headquarters in Manhattan.
This year's Buying Legal Council Conference highlighted three emerging forces in how buyers and sellers operate in the legal ecosystem — artificial intelligence, data and preferred panels — and organizations would be well advised to combine them into an integrated framework for transparency, performance and collaboration, says Matthew Prinn at RFP Advisory Group.
As legal departments face mounting pressure to do more with less, general counsel should lead a structured process for adopting generative artificial intelligence tools to transform productivity, manage risk and align with enterprise priorities, says Maesea McCalpin at Gartner.
Amid law firm layoffs of business development staff, lawyers cannot depend solely on their firms to foster their professional growth, and must instead create their own initiatives for building community, says Lana Manganiello at Practice Growth Partner.
As artificial intelligence changes the dynamic between in-house and outside counsel, both internal and external legal teams must thoughtfully reimagine how to mutually leverage AI tools to collaborate and deliver successful outcomes, say Karineh Khachatourian at KXT Law and Diane Honda at Redis.
Sirisha Gummaregula at QuisLex offers advice on navigating the challenges that come with taking on an in-house counsel role after leaving law firm life, including learning your company's business goals and leading with empathy and collaboration.
As potential clients with legal questions increasingly rely on summaries generated by artificial intelligence, attorneys must rethink their content strategy to make sure AI chatbots and search overviews cite their thought leadership, say Ioana Good and Adrien Maines at Promova and Nancy Myrland at Myrland Marketing.
Complex corporate litigation now often unfolds under the glare of a parallel trial in the court of public opinion, requiring attorneys to adopt a cohesive strategy for legal filings, leadership communications and narrative control, says Monica Smith at Integer PR.
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Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Tailor Your Personal Style
In an industry where competition for clients is fierce, a thoughtful approach to personal style can give you the confidence to walk into any room and own it, the magnetism to make connections that matter, and the tools to highlight your deeper professional values, says Leslie Berkoff at Moritt Hock.
In today’s competitive legal market, successful attorneys treat the pitch process with general counsel like the beginning of a relationship, not a one-off sale — showing up with curiosity, commercial awareness and the ability to engage in a meaningful way from the start, says Andrew Dick at The L Suite.
Instead of lurching between year-end strategic planning season and springtime panic mode, firms need a framework that helps them identify what clients and the market need throughout the year, and then actually adjust course, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
Roundup
Legal Tech Talks
Company founders, attorneys and other professionals working in the legal tech space share their journeys into the industry, challenges they face when working with law firms and legal departments, and common misconceptions about technology.
As some attorneys seek interim roles amid economic uncertainty, big-picture thinking and a few proactive steps can help to turn those short-term assignments into long-term positions, says Amy Vanderhoof at Major Lindsey.
As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly adept at handling entry-level legal tasks, firms and organizations must consider new ways to train and mentor junior attorneys to prepare them for leadership in an AI-integrated profession, say attorneys at KXT Law.
Series
Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Embrace LinkedIn
Attorneys who recognize LinkedIn as a powerful professional platform can gain significant competitive advantages in business development via strategic content creation, meaningful industry discussions and consistent visibility within target markets, says Agatha Mouillet at Horvitz & Levy.
As law firms and in-house legal departments grapple with the uncertainty of evolving tariff policies, attorneys at all career stages should consider how to lean into these shifts to best position themselves for long-term opportunities, says Rena Barnett-Matthews at Attorney Career Coach.