Want to get this daily news briefing by email? Here's the sign-up.

|

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

PLANS – Northeast regional firm Barclay Damon, with 300 lawyers, has announced its plans for reopening, making it one of the first sizeable firms in New York to lay out its strategy moving forward. Christine Simmons reports that the reopening of its 12 locations will allow some lawyers and staff to return to offices, if they choose, but also likely will include a permanent remote work option. The coronavirus pandemic has caused about "10 years of evolution in 10 weeks," says managing partner John Langan.

OPEN – Will other jurisdictions follow the Silver State? Nevada has become the first state to modify its July bar exam to an open-book test this July. As Karen Sloan reports, Nevada joins Indiana and Michigan in the move to an online test, but its unprecedented approach is a concession to the fact that it's difficult to monitor test takers for cheating when they are in their own homes.

ROUGH START – With a merger start date of July 1, Troutman Sanders is cutting pay firmwide for lawyers and staff, effective June 1, following an announcement of similar compensation cuts by its merger partner, Pepper Hamilton, earlier this month. As Meredith Hobbs reports, both firms also said they will defer the start date of their combined first-year associate class from the fall to next January.

TIMING – The chief trial judge for the D.C. federal district court has opened the door for nontrial proceedings in the courthouse to resume by July 15, Jaqueline Thomsen reports. All jury trials are postponed through Aug. 1, but other proceedings in the D.C. courthouse could resume on July 15. That would be just in time for the July 16 date that Judge Emmet Sullivan has set for a hearing on the DOJ's effort to dismiss the criminal information against onetime Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.

|

EDITOR'S PICKS

Trump-Appointed Texas US Attorney Joseph Brown Resigns

'Acrimony Between the Branches': How the Trump Lawsuits Could Shape Future House Legal Fights

|

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

LessFo – Morgan Lewis has brought aboard a four-lawyer private investment funds team from Morrison & Foerster in London. Meganne Tillay reports that the team includes partners Oliver Rochman and Rob Mailer and two associates. Both partners advise sponsors and investors on private investment fund formation, restructuring and fundraising.

|

WHAT YOU SAID

"I really wanted every single student to feel acknowledged for their accomplishment. That's why I took the time to line all the little flags up in alphabetical order and make sure everyone was included."

— Alexandra Lenczewski, recent graduate of Brooklyn Law School, who created a miniature graduation ceremony in the backyard of her parents' home with tiny photos of all 300 of her classmates. A video of the small-scale celebration has since gone viral, landing on Good Morning America, NBC News and elsewhere.

➤➤ Sign up here to receive the Morning Minute straight to your inbox.