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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

DIVERSITY SCORECARD - If you're someone who generally values advancing diversity in the legal profession until the national lawyer population mirrors its U.S. population, you'll find good news and bad news in the American Lawyer's 2023 Diversity Scorecard, Law.com's Dan Roe reports. The good news is that the nation's law firms are becoming more diverse, according to a survey of more than 200 law firms that asked firms to disclose race and ethnicity in hiring, retention, promotion and departure metrics along with the diversity of leadership. The bad news is these gains still leave Big Law behind the minority totals across the full profession.

DOWN ON THE UPSIDE - Am Law 200 firms, from the elite crowd to more regional shops, have grown their attorney head count, despite slower demand and productivity declines since 2021. More people + less work would seem to be an equation that's less than ideal, so what gives? As Law.com's Andrew Maloney reports, some of that head count growth is likely inadvertent, as the attrition rate slows, while some law firms are also planning longer-term investments to build scale, with specific practice area and geographic growth needs, say firm leaders and analysts. "I think it's that they see their strength and they're recruiting for areas that do have growth, and they just haven't reduced in areas they haven't seen growth. It's not a decision overall to say, 'We wanna continue to grow head count,'" said Owen Burman, managing director for Wells Fargo Legal Group, on the overall growth in head count recently.

ON THE RADAR - Pierce Atwood and the Institute for Free Speech filed a civil rights lawsuit Tuesday in Maine District Court on behalf of Dinner Table PAC, Fight For Freedom PAC and other plaintiffs. The suit targets members of the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices over the state's contribution limit on state legislators regarding political action committees (PACs). According to the complaint, as of Jan. 1, 2023, only four state legislators are permitted to raise unlimited dollars, including the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate and the minority leaders. The complaint contends that the limit violates the First Amendment freedoms of speech and association and seeks to declare the law unconstitutional. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 1:23-cv-00221, Libby et al v. Schneider et al. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Interim Dean of Mercer Law Appointed to Full Deanship By Christine Charnosky