Expert Analysis

• Junior Attys Must Beware Of 5 Common Legal Brief Mistakes

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Junior law firm associates must be careful to avoid five common pitfalls when drafting legal briefs — from including every possible argument to not developing a theme — to build the reputation of a sought-after litigator, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.

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  Power To The Paralegals: How And Why Training Must Evolve

  

  Empowering paralegals through new models of education that emphasize digital fluency, interdisciplinary collaboration and human-centered lawyering could help solve workforce challenges and the justice gap — if firms, educators and policymakers get on board, say Kristine Custodio Suero and Kelli Radnothy.

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  Playing Softball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  My time on the softball field has taught me lessons that also apply to success in legal work — on effective preparation, flexibility, communication and teamwork, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

• Why Early Resolution Of Employment Liability Claims Is Key

  

  A former Los Angeles fire chief's recent headline-grabbing wrongful termination suit against the city is a reminder that employment practices liability disputes can present risks to the greater business, meaning companies need a playbook for rapid, purposeful action, says Karli Moore at Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions.

• 8 Steps For Industrial Property Buyers To Limit Enviro Liability

  

  Ongoing litigation over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s designation of PFAS as hazardous site contaminants demonstrates the liabilities that industrial property purchasers risk inheriting, but steps to guarantee rigorous environmental compliance, anticipate regulatory change and allocate cleanup responsibilities can mitigate this uncertainty, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

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  Law School's Missed Lessons: Mastering Time Management

  

  Law students typically have weeks or months to prepare for any given deadline, but the unpredictability of practicing in the real world means that lawyers must become time-management pros, ready to adapt to scheduling conflicts and unexpected assignments at any given moment, says David Thomas at Honigman.

• How Hyperlinks Are Changing E-Discovery Responsibilities

  

  A recent e-discovery dispute over hyperlinked data in Hubbard v. Crow shows how courts have increasingly broadened the definition of control to account for cloud-based evidence, and why organizations must rethink preservation practices to avoid spoliation risks, says Bree Murphy at Exterro.

• More NJ Case Law On LLCs Would Aid Attys, Litigants, Biz

  

  More New Jersey court opinions would facilitate the understanding of the nuances of the state's Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, including on breach of the duty of loyalty, oppression, piercing the corporate veil and derivative actions, says Gianfranco Pietrafesa at Archer & Greiner.

• 9th Circ. Ruling Leaves SEC Gag Rule Open To Future Attacks

  

  Though the Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in Powell v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission leaves the SEC's no-admit, no-deny rule intact, it could provide some fodder for litigants who wish to criticize the commission's activities either before or after settling with the commission, says Jonathan Richman at Brown Rudnick.

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  Writing Musicals Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  My experiences with writing musicals and practicing law have shown that the building blocks for both endeavors are one and the same, because drama is necessary for the law to exist, says Addison O’Donnell at LOIS Law.

• How Fashion, Tech Can Maximize New Small Biz Tax Breaks

  

  Fashion and technology companies, which invest heavily in innovation, should consider taking advantage of provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that favor small businesses, restructuing if necessary to become eligible for expanded research and experimental expenditure credits and qualified small business stock incentives, says Aime Salazar at Olshan Frome.

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  Adapting To Private Practice: From Va. AUSA To Mid-Law

  

  Returning to the firm where I began my career after seven years as an assistant U.S. attorney in Virginia has been complex, nuanced and rewarding, and I’ve learned that the pursuit of justice remains the constant, even as the mindset and client change, says Kristin Johnson at Woods Rogers.

• 7 Document Review Concepts New Attorneys Need To Know

  

  For new associates joining firms this fall, stepping into the world of e-discovery can feel like learning a new language, but understanding a handful of fundamentals — from coding layouts to metadata — can help attorneys become fluent in document review, says Ann Motl at Bowman and Brooke.

• FTC Actions Highlight New Noncompete Enforcement Strategy

  

  Several recent noncompete-related actions from the Federal Trade Commission — including its recent dismissal of cases appealing the vacatur of a Biden-era noncompete ban — reflect the commission's shift toward case-by-case enforcement, while confirming that the agency intends to remain active in policing such agreements, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• How Trump's Space Order May Ease Industry's Growth

  

  President Donald Trump's recent executive order aimed at removing environmental hurdles for spaceport authorization and streamlining the space industry's regulatory framework may open opportunities not only for established launch providers, but also smaller companies and spaceport authorities, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.