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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

SLOW-TUS - With oral arguments out of the way, the U.S. Supreme Court can now start digging itself out from under the hefty pile of cases that still need to be decided—or maybe just go on summer vacation instead. As Law.com's Jimmy Hoover reports, SCOTUS has decided just 14 argued cases so far this term. The court had already resolved 24 argued cases by this time in the two previous terms. That slow output means the justices will have to decide 45 cases, more than three-fourths of their term load, before July if they want to leave in time for their regularly programmed summer break. Among the outstanding cases are those posing deeply divisive questions about affirmative action in college admissions, LGBTQ rights, voting rights and more.

HERE COMES THE SUN? - Law firm capital markets practices have slowed to crawl in the last year, with work in IPOs and SPACs plummeting amid a broader drop in deal activity. And there's growing concern those trends will continue through 2023. Still, as Law.com's Andrew Maloney reports, some dealmakers and firm leaders remain optimistic about the capital markets practice in the long run, even if hiring in some of those practices is slow in the short-term. Generally, Big Law outlooks on capital markets—and deal activity more broadly—will depend on which time horizon you're looking at, said Kent Zimmermann, legal management consultant at the Zeughauser Group. "Everybody agrees the future is bright," said Zimmermann. "It's just—when does that future start?"

ON THE RADAR - Denison Powerlifting Inc. d/b/a United States Powerlifting Association sued two individuals Friday in California Central District Court for alleged defamation, fraud and intentional interference in contractual relations. The suit, filed by Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, claims that social media personality John Dorsey and an associate linked to a rival weightlifting federation posted and circulated defamatory videos accusing the plaintiff of conspiring to cover up sexual abuse and misconduct. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 8:23-cv-00744, Denison Powerlifting Inc dba United States Powerlifting Association v. Dorsey et al. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar.

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