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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

REVENGE OF THE ASSOCIATES - As we've mentioned plenty of times before in this space, 2020 put associates through the wringer, as many of them endured pay cuts while partners bogarted their work and their professional development stagnated. But when things start looking up again, they aren't likely to forget how they were treated by their firms when the going got tough. And, as Law.com's Dylan Jackson reports, law firm leaders are now bracing for the backlash that could come once the pandemic begins to subside, more opportunities start to open up and associates once again feel like they can take control of their professional lives. "People are rethinking their priorities," McGuireWoods managing partner Tracy Walker said. "There's probably a lot of built-up angst. Once that pressure is relieved with a light at the end of the tunnel, as we get into the middle of [2021], I think a lot of associates will think, 'What should I do for my career?'"

TECH CROWD - For a lot of legal tech companies, the realization that, through the magic of remote work, they can now hire outside of their existing geographic footprints without having to take on the overhead of a brick-and-mortar office is a game-changer. And that's the problem: the game is changing for everybody, and there can be no strategic advantage when everyone has the same strategy. As Law.com's Frank Ready reports, the expansion to a national—and, in some cases, even global—talent pool will likely mean increased competition for employees and employers alike. And while that's unlikely to deter legal tech companies from remote hiring, it does mean they're going to have to look for any competitive edge they can find. For example, as Jared Coseglia, founder and CEO of Tru Staffing Partners, told Ready: "The speed at which you move on talent when you want them will be, in my opinion, the No. 1 differentiator among employers."

BAD KARMA? - Consumer finance platform Credit Karma was sued Tuesday in New York Eastern District Court over the ADA compliance of its mobile app. The lawsuit, brought by Shaked Law Group, contends that the Credit Karma app denies full access to blind and visually-impaired individuals. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendant. The case is 1:21-cv-00422, Crosson v. Credit Karma Inc. Stay up on the latest deals with the new Law.com Radar.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Tea and Empathy at Big Law By Vivia Chen

Ahead of the Curve: A Multi-Pronged Approach to Diversity and Inclusion By Karen Sloan

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

CREDIT LIMIT? – The recent introduction of a billable hour credit for diversity and inclusion work by Hogan Lovells earned plenty of kudos. The firm announced that up to 50 hours of diversity efforts undertaken by U.S. lawyers will count towards the target of 1,850 billable hours, at which point pro bono hours can be included in a bonus assessment. But, as Law.com International's Varsha Patel reports, not everyone agrees that lawyers should get pro bono credit for their D&I efforts, arguing that the latter threatens to diminish the former. Bill Skirrow, executive director of U.K.-based Pro Bono Community, for example, said that "perhaps D&I should come under the definition of corporate responsibility and not pro bono" and that he would prefer a "cleaner and slightly narrower focus on pro bono." "That would fit our perspective and I'd prefer to see law firms acknowledging that, if they are allocating resources to D&I, then it should not be at the expense of pro bono," Skirrow said.

WHAT YOU SAID

"If the standard is that because people will get upset, we shouldn't do something. Well, there are a lot of things in this country and things in the world where people got upset. But you do what is right because it is right."