DC Pulse


  • BREAKING: NLRB, MSPB Members To Stay Fired, Justices Rule

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled two fired members of the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board cannot return to work while they challenge President Donald Trump's authority to fire them without cause, handing the president a win in his crusade against a 90-year-old precedent limiting his power to fire employees at independent agencies.

  • Marshals Pick Advances As Dems Seek Move From DOJ

    President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Marshals Service was voted out of committee on Thursday, the same day Democrats introduced legislation to move the agency from the executive to judicial branch to prevent the potential weaponization of the marshals.

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    CBP Search, DHS Emails Both Rattle, Rally Immigration Attys

    Over the last two months, a handful of attorneys have gone public about their unusual interactions with immigration authorities, including receiving emails telling them to self-deport and being temporarily detained by Customs and Border Protection, experiences that have stoked some anxiety among the immigration bar in particular.

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    Ex-DC OAG Leaders Help Hogan Lovells Grow State AG Team

    Hogan Lovells announced Wednesday that it has chosen partner Jason Downs, the former Chief Deputy Attorney General for the District of Columbia, to co-head the firm's State Attorneys General practice alongside the former AG he worked under.

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    Dorsey & Whitney's New Head Kicks Off Role With Momentum

    Peter Nelson, who was recently chosen as Dorsey & Whitney’s new managing partner, joined Law360 Pulse for a conversation about how to build on the firm’s growth of the last several years and what challenges he sees on the horizon.

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    Katz Banks Hires Former Gov't Atty For Worker Advocacy

    A former attorney at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is now senior counsel at Katz Banks Kumin LLP in Washington, D.C., the firm announced, saying she will use her experience to advocate for federal workers navigating changes brought on by the Trump administration.

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    High Court Declines To Narrow Reach Of Federal Fraud Law

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday held that using deceptive means to induce a business transaction may still be a crime even if the defendant doesn't seek to cause economic loss, a departure from earlier decisions that have narrowed the scope of federal fraud statutes.

  • Split Supreme Court Blocks First Religious Charter School

    A deadlocked U.S. Supreme Court left in place Thursday an Oklahoma state court ruling barring the launch of the nation's first religious charter school, leaving open questions about the constitutionality of excluding religious groups from participating in publicly funded charter school programs.

  • Democrats Wary of Nominees' Pledge To Honor Court Orders

    Nominees for top roles at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security fended off questions from Democrats on Wednesday about the Trump administration's willingness to defy court orders and pledged that the White House would at least follow rulings of the Supreme Court.

  • DOGE Seeks High Court's Help In Ducking FOIA Discovery

    The Department of Government Efficiency asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to halt discovery into whether it's an agency subject to Freedom of Information Act requests, arguing a Washington, D.C., federal judge has improperly authorized a "fishing expedition" into the internal workings of a presidential advisory entity.

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    A 'Double Bind' For Law Firms Targeted By Trump

    Some prominent law firms targeted by the Trump administration are already losing attorneys or clients, according to a review of hundreds of motions to withdraw or substitute counsel in federal court. But the worst may be yet to come, should the executive orders — and the lengths firms have gone to avoid them — spur a partner exodus.

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    2025 Law Firm Leasing Begins Strong, Report Shows

    U.S. law firms are on pace to surpass 2024's record-setting leasing activity, ending the first quarter of 2025 with 3.4 million square feet of new or renewed leases throughout the country, according to newly released data.

  • Feds Say Atty Behind Embassy Attack Can't Avoid Restitution

    A Florida attorney who claimed he was unable to pay restitution for felony convictions after he detonated explosives in San Antonio and outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., cannot avoid the $325,000 bill, federal prosecutors told a D.C. federal court.

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    Democracy Forward Adds Another Ex-DOJ Hand

    Legal advocacy group Democracy Forward has added a former deputy associate U.S. attorney general and co-chair of the Supreme Court and appellate practice at WilmerHale to its ranks of former U.S. Department of Justice litigators.

  • Dem Lawmakers Reintroduce Supreme Court Ethics Bill

    Two Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday reintroduced bills in the House and Senate that would require the U.S. Supreme Court to adopt a binding ethics code and create new recusal and disclosure standards for the nine justices.

  • DOJ Watchdog Asked To Probe AG's Trump Media Stock Sales

    Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, on Tuesday urged the U.S. Department of Justice's inspector general to investigate Attorney General Pam Bondi's sale of millions of dollars' worth of shares in Trump Media just ahead of the stock market plunging.

  • Injunction On Trump Order Limited To Perkins, Judge Clarifies

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday clarified the scope of her injunction blocking President Donald Trump's executive order targeting Perkins Coie LLP, explaining that her ruling prohibits the president from directing government agencies to investigate only Perkins Coie's employment practices and not the other BigLaw firms.

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    Foley Hoag Adds Former Obama, Bill Clinton Counsel In DC

    Foley Hoag LLP has added a senior counsel who was a White House counsel for former President Barack Obama and attorney for former President Bill Clinton during his impeachment proceedings, the firm announced Tuesday.

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    Morris Manning Founder Remembered As 'True Visionary'

    John G. "Sonny" Morris, the retired co-founder of Morris Manning & Martin LLP who died Friday, is being remembered as a "true visionary" who steered its growth into a major Southeast firm and a leader who "was an anti-snob."

  • GSA Official Gives Mea Culpa On 'Non-Core' Federal Property

    A top official of the federal government's real estate overseer testified on Tuesday that the administration was a bit rash in publishing a list two months ago with more than 400 "non-core" government properties, including federal courthouses, that it was considering disposing of.

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    Insurers Say Legal Malpractice Costs Keep Outpacing Inflation

    The frequency at which major law firms faced malpractice claims held relatively steady in 2024, but payouts on claims continued to boom at a rate outpacing general inflation, according to this year's legal professional liability insurance survey, with nearly half of insurers surveyed reporting having paid at least one claim over $150 million.

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    Holland & Knight Adds Employment Litigator To DC-Area Office

    Holland & Knight LLP has hired a longtime employment litigator from Quarles & Brady LLP, who joins the firm in Tysons, Virginia, to continue her practice litigating restrictive covenants, business torts and trade secrets.

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    Goldstein Assails 'Radical' DOJ Case, Probe Of 'Sexual Habits'

    In his most forceful attack on tax evasion charges that have roiled the U.S. Supreme Court bar, indicted appellate icon Thomas C. Goldstein is accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of embracing "breathtaking" legal theories and revealing prurient information about him "to bias the grand jury."

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    Bradley Arant's New Litigation Head Shares Guiding Principle

    Anne Marie Seibel, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP's new head of litigation, joined Law360 Pulse for a conversation about the personal connections within the team that are energizing her for the role.

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    BCLP Hires Career Crowell Commercial Atty In DC, Arizona

    Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP has hired a former Crowell & Moring LLP commercial litigator who will split time between the firm's Phoenix and Washington, D.C., offices, and will bring his practice representing companies in high stakes healthcare and antitrust matters to the firm, according to a Monday announcement.

Expert Analysis

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    Building Brand Awareness For A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    I co-founded the Bridging the Gap Scholarship as a way to increase minority representation in BigLaw, and my advice for other legal professionals starting a nonprofit is to focus on building brand awareness early on, and to get comfortable delegating work to a dedicated team, says Imani Maatuka at Sidley.

  • Learn Your Colleagues To Cross-Sell Their Services Fearlessly Author Photo

    Understanding where colleagues in other practice areas shine can help attorneys confidently cross-sell each other's services and bring in business to keep the firm afloat in hard times, says Joe Calve at Calve Communications.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Advertise Ethically Author Photo

    Business development in the legal industry is about building authentic connections and showcasing expertise in a way that reflects reality, and, when done right, it can elevate a practice, establish credibility and bring in clients without risking an ethics violation, says Melody Jackson at Robinhood.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Do I Help After Mental Health Leave? Author Photo

    Molly Ranns at the State Bar of Michigan suggests five ways to smooth a colleague's return to practice after short-term mental health leave, while creating a firm culture that protects employees’ emotional health.

  • Tips For Attracting Stellar CLOs In A Competitive Landscape Author Photo

    Amid a rapidly changing regulatory environment and a fierce market for talent, companies hoping to attract the best chief legal officers must have a strong grasp of their roles’ biggest selling points, and any roadblocks that may prevent them from recruiting the strongest choice, says Heather Fine at Major Lindsey.

  • 'Golden Handcuffs' May Be A Double-Edge Sword For Firms Author Photo

    As law firms increasingly use certain financial incentives to retain partners in a fierce lateral market, managing partners should consider the pros and cons of various deferred compensation schemes, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • The 10-Min. Rule For Building A Business Development Habit Author Photo

    Many lawyers assume that becoming a rainmaker requires a significant investment of time and effort, but the truth is that building a consistent habit of business development can start with just 10 minutes of strategic outreach a day, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • 5 Pointers For Firm Leaders Communicating Tough Decisions Author Photo

    Certain law firm decisions — such as whether to challenge an executive order — cannot be crowdsourced, but leadership can collaboratively communicate these choices using strategies that build trust, reinforce values and preserve cohesion, says John Hellerman at Hellerman Communications.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Create A Succession Plan Author Photo

    ​​​​​​​Conversations around retirement and succession can be understandably difficult, but when attorneys make a plan for the transition early and effectively, they have the opportunity to not only keep work but also increase it, says Jillian McKenna at Verrill Dana.

  • Looking Under The Hood Of The $3,000 Billable Hour Author Photo

    In recent years, top-tier law firms have pushed hourly rates to unprecedented heights, with some partners commanding $3,000 per hour — but this eye-popping number doesn’t tell the full story, as there are numerous caveats and rigorous winnowing along the way, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • Alien Enemies Act Case Could Reshape Executive Power Author Photo

    President Donald Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals raises fundamental questions about statutory interpretation, executive power and constitutional structure, which now lay on the U.S. Supreme Court's doorstep, says Mauni Jalali at Quinn Emanuel.

  • How Law Firms Can Keep Nonequity Partners Happy Author Photo

    Law firms that successfully manage two-tiered partnership do so by creating a culture that treats everyone with respect and by establishing financial incentives outside their base compensation to reward performance, says Carol Morganstern at Major Lindsey.

  • Jurisdiction Argument In USAID Dissent Is Up For Debate Author Photo

    A dissent refuting the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent order directing the U.S. Agency for International Development to pay $2 billion in frozen foreign aid argued that claims relating to already-completed government contract work belong in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims – answering an important question, but with a debatable conclusion, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Leverage Your Atty Bio Author Photo

    If maintained properly, your firm bio can help attract potential clients and create authentic connections, so it's crucial to take steps to write an updated attorney profile that goes beyond a list of credentials, says Raychel Lean at Reputation Ink.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Can I Promote Thoughtful Use Of AI? Author Photo

    Eran Kahana at Maslon discusses how partners can encourage responsible use of artificial intelligence tools within their firms by learning to spot pitfalls common to AI-generated work product and championing firmwide procedures and trainings that address the risks of uncritically relying on this powerful but imperfect technology.

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