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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

PAY TO PLAY? –  National Association of Attorneys General director Chris Toth sent a parting note on his last day of office to state attorneys general and their deputy chiefs accusing a rival organization of acting as a vessel for lobbying groups that represent parties being investigated by state justice departments. The organization, the Conference of Western Attorneys General/Attorney General Alliance (CWAG/AGA), denied the allegations. Bruce Love reports that Toth's final message appears to have highlighted tensions between Democratic and Republican state justice officials.

PROPERTY LAWYERS – Real estate attorneys are taking on more work from clients with distressed assets from rising interest rates and inflation. In response to the increased demand, law firms such as McDermott Will & Emery, Polsinelli, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough and Greenberg Traurig have on-boarded groups of real estate lawyers, Jacob Polacheck reports. For instance, McDermott has seen an estimated 15% increase in billable hours from last year, according to Harris Siskind, the global head of the firm's transactions practice group.

RECORDING A MILESTONE – Law.com's Legal Speak podcast launched as a way to connect with the legal community and to provide guidance on, and analysis of, key developments in the industry. After 200 episodes, the hosts have made memorable connections and learned a whole lot along the way. In this week's episode, fellow podcaster Jon Van Gorp, who is chair of Mayer Brown, shares how the podcast medium has helped the firm maintain its culture during COVID-19. Stay tuned after the interview with Van Gorp, as some of the most familiar voices across the newsroom celebrate the 200th milestone and share their favorite memories from past podcast moments.


EDITOR'S PICKS

How I Made Practice Group Chair: 'I Have Always Been Politely Persistent,' Says Aaron Cutler of Hogan Lovells