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.

• Assessing Legal, Regulatory Hurdles Of Healthcare Offshoring

  

  The offshoring of administrative, nonclinical functions has emerged as an increasingly attractive option for healthcare companies seeking to reduce costs, but this presents challenges in navigating the web of state restrictions on the access or storage of patient data outside the U.S., say attorneys at McDermott.

• Utilizing 6th Circ.'s Expanded Internal Investigation Protection

  

  A recent Sixth Circuit decision in In re: FirstEnergy demonstrates one way that businesses can use a very limited showing to protect internal investigations from discovery in commercial litigation, while those looking to force production will need to employ a carefully calibrated approach, say attorneys at Brownstein Hyatt.

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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.

• Mortality Table Defenses In Actuarial Equivalent Cases

  

  Employee Retirement Income Security Act class action plaintiffs are filing claims against defined benefit pension plans over the actuarial factors used to calculate alternative forms of annuity payments, including by arguing that employers may use mortality tables from the Middle Ages, but several defenses are available to reframe this debate, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

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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.

• And Now A Word From The Panel: Choosing MDL Venues

  

  One of the most interesting yet least predictable facets of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation's practice is venue — namely where the panel decides to place a new MDL proceeding — and its choices reflect the tension between neutrality and case-specific factors, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.

• 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.

• Tips As 6th Circ. Narrows Employers' Harassment Liability

  

  In Bivens v. Zep, the Sixth Circuit adopted a heightened standard for employer liability for nonemployee harassment, which diverges from the prevailing view among federal appeals courts, and raises questions about how quickly employers must respond to third-party harassment and how they manage risk across jurisdictions, say attorneys at Benesch.

• Sales And Use Tax Strategies For Renewables After OBBBA

  

  With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act sharply curtailing federal tax incentives for solar and wind projects, it is vital for developers to carefully manage state and local sales and use tax exposures through early planning and careful contract structuring, say advisers at KPMG.

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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.

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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.