Who Benefits From Big Law's Black 'Exodus'?; Roberts Responds to Conservatives' Criticism; Devin Nunes Suing CNN: The Morning Minute

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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

BIG LAW'S BLACK 'EXODUS' - It's no secret that large law firms have long struggled to create a hospitable environment for lawyers of color, leading to glaring diversity deficits. But what is less talked about is how small and midsize law firms can benefit from what attorney Esuga Abaya calls an "exodus" of Black attorneys from Big Law, by providing a sought-after path for advancement. As Ben Seal reports, many smaller firms offer a more navigable rate structure and opportunities for leadership and professional development that are much harder to find in a larger organization. As a result, those firms make themselves highly attractive to talented diverse lawyers who are disenfranchised with their experiences at bigger shops.

CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES' CHIEF CONCERN- The word "respectfully" in a court opinion is kind of like the "no offense" of judicial parlance. When you hear it, you know things are getting a little salty. SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts' conservative colleagues on the court have been tossing "respectfully's" his way a lot recently, as he's sided with the liberal wing three times in the past two weeks, inviting some barbed dissents. But yesterday's ruling blocking a Louisiana abortion clinic law, in which Roberts' was the key vote, saw the chief firing back at criticism, saying Justice Samuel Alito "misunderstands" and Justice Neil Gorsuch "certainly is wrong" about various aspects of the majority opinion. This is about more than tense exchanges, however. As Marcia Coyle writes, Roberts' recent record "may well signal to those colleagues to his right that now more than ever, they cannot take his vote for granted."