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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT? -  After enduring a full school year of their kids' Zoom classes, parents in Big Law (and everywhere else), were hoping for a return to normalcy this upcoming fall. Instead, they are once again stressing about child care, in-person school and whether or not it is safe to allow their children, many of whom are ineligible to be vaccinated, to attend. They're grappling with questions of social development, the ability to learn in a remote environment and, in some areas of the country, whether or not schools are safe. Law.com's Patrick Smith and Dylan Jackson interviewed several lawyer-parents to discuss their concerns and found that while they feel better equipped to handle pandemic-inspired situations such as shifting class schedules for their kids or a lack of child care options, planning for the future is murky and uncertain at best. One Big Law partner summed it up: "As delta has been spreading and catching fire, it feels like it is even harder than the first time around."

DATA DUMPED - It used to be that the few law firms that were disciplined about data management had a leg up on their competition. But as in-house expectations continue to shift, it may soon be the case that those firms that don't track internal data end up in the minority—and ultimately get left behind. At a time when in-house departments are under enormous budgetary pressure and are increasingly requiring some measure of pricing and matter outcome predictability from their outside counsel, it's imperative that firms are able to show, not tell, exactly how much value they're providing. Those that can't, run the risk of getting clipped. But what does all that actually mean? In this week's Law.com Trendspotter column, we look at some real world examples of the types of data clients crave, why they need it and how firms can provide it. Before we dive in, I'm interested to hear from you: Whether you're at a law firm or in-house, give an example of how data has enhanced the law firm-client relationship (or, perhaps, how a lack of data has harmed that relationship). Contact me at [email protected].

ALTERNATIVE FACTS - Holland & Knight filed a civil RICO lawsuit Tuesday in New York Southern District Court against Greenhouse Consultants and other defendants affiliated with the nonprofit Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot. The suit accuses the defendants of mischaracterizing the historical significance of a 10.4-acre real estate parcel in Fishkill, New York in order to block its commercial development by the plaintiffs. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 1:21-cv-06931, Broccoli et al v. Ashworth et al. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar.  

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EDITOR'S PICKS

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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

RAPID REASSURANCE - With a burgeoning fourth COVID wave rolling across Canada, a handful of law firms are participating in a rapid screening program to provide another layer of safety for those going into the office, Law.com's Gail J. Cohen reports. The majority of Canadian law firms are holding steady with a hybrid model, at least until the end of the year. They want to ramp up the numbers of people in their offices while following local health guidelines, but they don't want to make vaccinations mandatory, so a number of firms have launched pilot programs using Creative Destruction Lab's Rapid Screening Program. CDL is a nonprofit organization founded by the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. "We want to have the opportunity for people to be able to come back to the office and feel as safe as possible," Monique Jilesen, a partner at Toronto litigation boutique Lenczner Slaght, told Cohen. "Rapid screening, if it's available, just makes everyone more safe."

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WHAT YOU SAID

"They are all released from prison, and they are hunting their judges down. The judges expect the Taliban will torture, kill them and their families."