As Coronavirus Spreads, Legal Industry Shifts into Crisis Management Mode
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As Coronavirus Spreads, Legal Industry Shifts into Crisis Management Mode

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March 31, 2020 | News

Coronavirus Complaints Against Feds Start Piling Up in DC Trial Court

Among the recently filed complaints is a lawsuit from Morgan Lewis challenging the treatment of detained immigrant families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
5 minute read
April 01, 2020 | News

UK-Based Fieldfisher Tells Lawyers and Staff to Use 25% of Leave Before End of June

The move comes as the firm anticipates a spike in holiday requests once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
2 minute read
March 31, 2020 | News

New York Court of Appeals Calls for Bar Exam in 'Early September'

The court also authorized Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to explore the possibility of permitting law graduates waiting to take the bar examination or waiting for test results to practice under the supervision of licensed attorneys.
2 minute read
March 31, 2020 | News

COVID-19 Shifts Law Firms' Hiring, Onboarding Process Online—To a Limit

Law firms say they've had to heavily rely on technology as they add new lawyers and staffers to their firms. But there can be challenges in moving the hiring and onboarding process completely online.
3 minute read
March 31, 2020 | News

With Pass/Fail Now the Norm, Outlier Law Schools Face Student Backlash

Law students at Arizona State, University of Georgia and Georgia State are among those pushing campus administrators to adopt mandatory pass/fail grading.
6 minute read
March 30, 2020 | News

Lawyer Who Was Westchester's 'Patient Zero' Is Home From Hospital, Cuomo Says

Lawrence Garbuz, whose condition was earlier deemed critical, was at the center of a large cluster of cases that helped make the New York City region an epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.
3 minute read
March 30, 2020 | News

Womble Lays Off Some Employees, Cuts Lawyer and Staff Pay Amid Pandemic

The trans-Atlantic firm, which has about 550 U.S. lawyers, is temporarily cutting pay and furloughing or laying off some employees.
2 minute read
March 30, 2020 | News

Reed Smith Will 'Slow' Partner Pay in Response to COVID-19 Pressures

The firm said it is holding back pay for both equity and nonequity partners as part of "a cautious approach" to protect its finances.
2 minute read
March 26, 2020 | Analysis

Some Firms Press On With Summers, While Others Wait and See

The coronavirus pandemic and its economic impacts have law firms considering belt-tightening, but it's not yet clear whether many firms will cut or change their summer associate programs.
3 minute read
March 27, 2020 | News

Slaughters, Linklaters Halt Associate Recruitment Amid Pandemic Disruption

Several other firms' recruitment pipelines have been affected by the uncertainty.
2 minute read
March 27, 2020 | News

Fall Bar Exam Added, Fate of July Test Uncertain Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The National Conference of Bar Examiners is giving jurisdictions the option to postpone the July bar exam until the fall, but a growing number of law students want an emergency diploma privilege that will allow them to skip the exam completely.
5 minute read
March 26, 2020 | News

No Bar Exam? That's What 1,000 Law Students Want NY to Declare Amid COVID-19

A state bar task force is considering an emergency diploma privilege for third-year law students—an approach endorsed by more than 1,000 current students.
5 minute read
March 25, 2020 | News

'People Are Pissed': Pass/Fail Grading Controversy Roils Law Schools

The University of Chicago Law School on Tuesday became the first top law school to say it will retain traditional grading for the spring semester, while many peer schools have moved to pass/fail grading.
9 minute read
March 25, 2020 | News

State AGs Urge Trump to 'Fully Utilize' Defense Production Act

The group warned the Trump administration that the nation's health care system needs to increase the number of ventilators and intensive care unit beds.
4 minute read
March 25, 2020 | News

In-House Lawyers to Big Law: Enough Already With the Coronavirus Webinars

"Information overload has already been a problem and this has only made it worse," said Salary.com's top lawyer, Colin Levy.
5 minute read
March 25, 2020

'Snowballed Into a Full-Blown Crisis': Lawyers See Compliance Risks Amid Pandemic Response

The heightened risk of corruption has come as the novel coronavirus has upended everyday life and complicated the work of compliance teams tasked with heading off overseas bribery and other corporate misdeeds.
4 minute read
March 24, 2020 | News

Caught in Limbo: Third-Year Law Students Share Their Stories

Third-year law students at Harvard, Duke and Southern Methodist University discuss the ways COVID-19 has upended their plans and how they are coping.
9 minute read
March 23, 2020 | News

Top Law Schools Say Firms Are Pushing to Delay Summer Associate Hiring

Law firms say they want the delay, in part, because a move to to pass/fail grading for the spring semester will muddy the hiring process. It's also unclear whether firms will even be in a position—or have the need—to dispatch partners to law schools for interviews in late summer.
5 minute read
March 25, 2020 | Commentary

Hello? Do You See Me? Litigating in the Age of Zoom

When U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel of the Southern District of New York presided over online closing arguments in a Voting Rights Act case, the result was somewhere between painful and Abbott-and-Costello funny.
6 minute read
March 24, 2020 | News

California Chief Justice Suspends Trials Statewide for 60 Days

The order also empowered trial courts to adopt any new or amended rules intended to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
3 minute read
March 23, 2020 | News

David Lat Undergoing 'Experimental' Drug Therapy, His Husband Says

"We won't know for a few more days, whether he's going to get better," said his husband, Zachary Baron Shemtob. "We're just waiting and hoping."
6 minute read
March 23, 2020

Sen. Klobuchar's Husband, a Baltimore Law Prof, Tests Positive for COVID-19

The Minnesota Democrat described her husband, John Bessler, as "exhausted and sick but a very strong and resilient person."
4 minute read
March 23, 2020 | News

July Bar Exam Alternatives Under Consideration Amid COVID-19

A group of legal educators are pushing bar examiners to come up with alternative ways to license this year's crop of law grads amid the coronavirus outbreak.
6 minute read
March 20, 2020

Supreme Court's 'Conference Handshake,' a 19th Century Tradition, Takes a Pause

A U.S. Supreme Court spokesperson said Friday the justices are feeling healthy and embracing measures to minimize personal interaction.
4 minute read
March 21, 2020 | News

David Lat Put on Ventilator, in Critical Condition With COVID-19 Infection

The founder of the Above the Law blog was put on a ventilator after "his oxygen levels dropped," according to his husband.
3 minute read
March 20, 2020 | News

Companies, Trade Organizations Seek to Postpone CCPA Enforcement Date

"The undersigned organizations employ millions of individuals who are faced with this crisis and are doing their best to manage their personal and professional lives in the face of uncertain times. Many companies have instituted mandatory work-from-home measures to limit community," reads a letter from companies and trade organizations to California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
3 minute read
March 19, 2020 | News

David Lat, Battling COVID-19, Speaks From Hospital About Fears, Hopes and What People Should Know

Battling the novel coronavirus, Lat said that he's experienced intermittent fever, joint aches, chills, fatigue and coughing for about 12 days, and, since last Sunday, has been pushing through labored breathing that requires him to receive oxygen.
6 minute read
March 20, 2020

New Normal Sets In for White-Collar Lawyers in the Virus Era

"Actually interviewing people as part of an internal investigation, appearing before the government in whatever capacity—that is just not something that lends itself to remote work," a white-collar partner at Quinn Emanuel says.
7 minute read
March 17, 2020

Health & Habeas: A Constitutional Crisis Is Quietly Brewing Amid Coronavirus Chaos

On one hand, attorneys are relieved. They say court closures minimize their own exposure to the coronavirus. But on the other, a gnawing worry tempers that relief.
6 minute read
March 18, 2020 | News

Law Schools Adopt Pass-Fail Grades as They Move Online Amid COVID-19

At least five highly ranked law schools have said they are moving to pass/fail grading this semester—a change that could disrupt the normal law firm summer associate hiring process.
6 minute read
March 18, 2020 | Analysis

Coronavirus Outbreak May Also Put Attorneys at Greater Risk for Cyber Infection

With many law firms working remotely due to the coronavirus, attorneys may be prime targets for hackers and phishing campaigns looking to take advantage of the disruption.
4 minute read
March 18, 2020 | News

New York State Senate Approves Mandatory Paid Sick Leave for Isolated Workers

Workers for a company that employs between 11 and 99 people would be given at least five days of paid sick leave and afforded unpaid leave until the end of a quarantine or isolation period, according to the measure.
3 minute read
March 18, 2020 | News

Summer Associate Hiring Was Strong, but COVID-19 Prompts Uncertainty Ahead

While the latest hiring data from NALP shows that 2019 was a strong year for summer associate hiring, the coronavirus is raising questions about whether those summer programs will take place as expected.
5 minute read
March 20, 2020 | News

Big Law Goes Remote: Updates on Law Firm Closures During the Coronavirus Crisis

Firms across the country are making decisions on whether to keep offices open amid the coronavirus pandemic. We catalog here those firms that have confirmed their plans.
17 minute read
March 16, 2020 | News

That Was Fast. Coronavirus Law Class in the Works

Dan Rodriguez, a professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, is pulling together a online, pop-up class on the legal aspects of the COVID-19 outbreak.
4 minute read
March 17, 2020 | News

As Coronavirus Crisis Deepens, More Courts Abandon In-Person Operations

Federal and state judiciaries in New York, California, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., are among the many across the nation that have been disrupted.
14 minute read
March 13, 2020 | News

How the US Justice Department Is Responding to Coronavirus Threat

In a new court filing Friday, the DOJ corrected an assertion, made earlier in the week, that DOJ attorneys had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. "We are aware of persons in our office in Washington, D.C., who have exhibited symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and have sought medical attention," the government said in the new filing.
7 minute read
March 13, 2020 | News

Investors Sue Norwegian Cruise Lines Over Stock Fallout From Alleged Downplaying of Coronavirus

Amid the coronavirus-induced shock waves that have rocked the cruise industry, a group of investors has sued Norwegian Cruise Line after news articles exposed the company's alleged practice of lying about the severity of the disease in order to keep bookings, which caused the cruise line's stock to tumble.
3 minute read
March 13, 2020 | News

Major Law Firms Rush To Enact Remote Working As Coronavirus Fears Mount

A growing number of law firms are shuttering offices and adopting remote working plans in earnest to ward against the pandemic.
3 minute read
March 13, 2020 | News

Davis Wright Staffer Dies After Showing Flu-Like Symptoms, Firm Closes Washington Offices

The firm is still waiting for more information on the cause of legal assistant Lisa Carney's death, but has closed its offices in Seattle and Bellevue, while asking other offices to begin working remotely Monday.
2 minute read
March 13, 2020

New Jury Trials Postponed in New York, Jury Selection Suspended Until Further Notice

In an attempt to manage traffic in busy areas of courthouses, Marks also suspended civil Trial Assignment Parts and urged that courthouse appearances for conferences be minimized.
5 minute read
March 12, 2020 | Analysis

What Can Be Learned From 'Virtual' Firms as Coronavirus Necessitates Remote Work?

Brick-and-mortar firms weren't built with remote work in mind, say the leaders of distributed firms, so they face obstacles both physical and cultural as more attorneys log in from home to limit the spread of COVID-19.
5 minute read
March 10, 2020 | Q&A

Law Schools Shift Classes Online Amid COVID-19, but Can They Do It Successfully?

Fewer than 10 law schools have J.D. programs that are mostly online, and many law faculty have never taught a distance education class. Syracuse law professor Nina Kohn breaks down how law schools can effectively shift classes online amid in-person class cancellations due to the coronavirus.
8 minute read
March 10, 2020 | News

Here Are the Law Schools Moving Classes Online Amid Coronavirus

Nearly 150 law schools across the country have shifted classes online, or have announced plans to do so.
13 minute read
March 10, 2020 | News

Faegre Drinker Closes All 22 Offices After Potential Coronavirus Exposure

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath appears to be the first large law firm to close all of its offices because of coronavirus concerns.
4 minute read
March 10, 2020 | News

New York Delays Major Opioid Trial Due to Coronavirus Concerns 'Out of an Abundance of Caution'

Attorney General Letitia James said she accepted the decision as a cautionary measure, but she emphasized the importance of starting the trial soon.
3 minute read
March 10, 2020 | News

As Coronavirus Spreads, Some Courts Shutter, Others Carry On

Judicial systems across the nation have implemented a patchwork of policies to deal with the virus, including canceling in-person hearings or requiring litigants to alert the court if they feel ill.
7 minute read
March 09, 2020 | News

They're Stuck on a Ship. But These Broward Residents Are Suing Over Coronavirus Quarantine

Two Florida passengers are stuck on a cruise ship. But their lawyer has filed suit on land.
4 minute read
March 09, 2020 | News

Coronavirus Closures Hit Law Schools at Stanford, Columbia and Several Others

At least seven law schools in New York, California and Washington State have now canceled in-person classes or closed outright amid worries that students and employees could be exposed to COVID-19.
5 minute read
March 05, 2020 | News

Forced Coronavirus Quarantines? Texas Appoints Judges for Emergency Hearings

If infected patients refuse to self-quarantine, there's a legal process to force them into isolation, but it involves courts, judges and hearings.
4 minute read
March 09, 2020 | News

As Coronavirus Shutters Quinn's NY Office, Firms Weigh Remote Work Options

Law firms face a test over how to conduct business effectively with offices closed. But if the virus wreaks enough economic havoc, remote working may be the least of their problems. 
5 minute read
March 06, 2020 | Podcast

Cancellations, Crisis Planning and Clorox: COVID-19 Strikes Legal Community

Law.com journalists—Dylan Jackson, Heather Nevitt, Jack Newsham and Karen Sloan—report on how this rapidly changing situation is upending operations at law firms, law schools and legal departments.
1 minute read
March 08, 2020 | News

Quinn Emanuel Partner Tests Positive With Coronavirus in NY; Firm to Keep Workers Home

The firm did not identify the partner but said he was resting at home with mild symptoms. New York's governor on Saturday declared a state of emergency as cases spread.
5 minute read
March 06, 2020 | Best Practices

Breaking Down the COVID-19 Coronavirus Challenges: A Q&A With MaineHealth Corporate Counsel Elisabeth Belmont

Belmont discusses how in-house counsel at hospitals and health care systems such as her own are responding to the outbreak in the U.S. of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, or should be. She lectures and writes often on emergency preparedness.
7 minute read
March 06, 2020

California Courts Have Epidemic Playbook as Coronavirus Spreads

Judge Joyce Hinrichs of Humboldt County Superior Court, chair of a Judicial Council committee of presiding judges, said the coronavirus is a major topic of discussion among her colleagues. Some federal courts in Washington state were curtailing operations.
5 minute read
March 06, 2020 | News

Coronavirus Courthouse Fallout: Expect More Video Conferences, Telephonic Hearings

What happens if a lawyer comes down with coronavirus right before a hearing or trial in court? Judges are urging attorneys to call in sick, and try using telephone or video teleconferencing hearings instead of making court appearances.
5 minute read
March 06, 2020 | News

Here's What Upcoming Legal Conferences Are Planning in Response to Coronavirus

Most U.S. events over the next few months are progressing as scheduled, though all conference organizers are keeping an eye on the situation.
4 minute read
March 05, 2020 | News

Coronavirus Chills West Coast's In-House Hiring Market Following 2019 Surge

"Employers are still out there and looking to add head count, though in the past month or so that seems to have slowed down a bit compared to the past year," said Lina Guo, a director of in-house recruiting for Major, Lindsey & Africa in San Francisco and Palo Alto.
3 minute read
March 04, 2020 | News

Cancellations Increase as Firms, Legal Groups Face Coronavirus Uncertainty

The American Bar Association cancelled a national event for white-collar lawyers, Baker Botts will hold its partner meeting virtually, and other organizations are reconsidering plans.
4 minute read
March 04, 2020 | News

Big Firms Pitch Coronavirus Task Forces as Client Impacts Spread

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Alston & Bird, King & Spalding, Baker & Hostetler and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan have all created task forces of lawyers to respond to client questions on the coronavirus.
6 minute read
March 04, 2020 | News

New York Law School Cancels Classes Due to Coronavirus, Cardozo Disinfects Premises

Students from both schools had contact with a Midtown lawyer now hospitalized with the coronavirus.
3 minute read
March 04, 2020 | Q&A

Can Coronavirus Victims Sue for Injuries?

John "Jack" Hickey, of Miami's Hickey Law Firm, said that personal injury lawyers would look at whether health care facilities or cruise ships took "all reasonable measures" to prevent exposure to the coronavirus.
3 minute read
March 04, 2020 | Analysis

As Coronavirus Spreads, Some Firms May Struggle to Pivot to Remote Work

As more law firms leverage remote work access to weather the latest coronavirus threats, some can find that going remote isn't all that easy, or safe.
4 minute read
March 03, 2020 | News

Lawyer at Trusts & Estates Firm Is Severely Ill, Others Being Tested for Coronavirus

New York City officials said the 50-year-old attorney worked at Lewis and Garbuz, a trusts and estates law firm in Manhattan that lists six lawyers on its website.
5 minute read
March 03, 2020

Amid Coronavirus, Peking Transnational Law School Closes Brick-and-Mortar, Shifts Online

The school in Shenzhen, the only one in the world to offer both a U.S. law curriculum taught in English and a Chinese Law curriculum, expects to restart classes online this week, using the program at a U.S.-based law school as a guide.
3 minute read
March 03, 2020 | News

Partner and 3 Staffers Test Positive for Coronavirus at Prominent Austrian Law Firm

A partner at Vienna-based firm Wolf Theiss is seriously ill and hospitalized with COVID-19, and three additional employees have tested positive.
2 minute read
March 03, 2020 | Best Practices

The COVID-19 Coronavirus Threat: How Can US In-House Counsel Respond?

The novel coronavirus that apparently originated in China has appeared in the United States, as public health officials said they expected. So what are the steps that U.S. employers and their in-house counsel should be taking now to prepare to minimize legal or financial exposure here?
17 minute read
February 28, 2020 | News

Latham Cancels Global Partners' Meeting in New York, Citing Virus Fears

Latham & Watkins is the latest big firm taking steps to head off potential coronavirus infections.
3 minute read
February 28, 2020 | News

Coronavirus, Election Jitters Have Law Firm Leaders Pondering a Downturn

The virus has rattled the global economy, and the state of the Democratic primary race has unnerved powerbrokers. Are the industry's recent revenue gains in danger?
6 minute read
February 27, 2020 | News

More Big Law Firms Respond as the Coronavirus Continues to Spread Globally

The virus, officially known as COVID-19, has now spread to 47 countries and has infected at least 82,000 people.
7 minute read
February 26, 2020 | News

Paul Weiss Restricts Travel, Orrick Postpones Partner Retreat Over Coronavirus Fears

Major law firms are postponing or canceling events in the U.S. and further limiting international travel as the virus spreads.
4 minute read
February 18, 2020 | News

Notes from China: Keep Calm and Carry On

Law.com International's Hong Kong bureau chief, Anna Zhang, had been visiting her family in mainland China when the coronavirus outbreak occurred. She is still there. She filed this report late last week:
7 minute read
January 27, 2020 | News

International Law Firms Respond to the Coronavirus Outbreak

As the deadly virus spreads, international firms in China are taking steps such as reimbursing taxis for staff to avoid them taking public transport, stepping up cleaning efforts and distributing masks.
5 minute read
February 26, 2020 | News

Amid Coronavirus, French Firms Follow Their Own Counsel

As COVID-19 cases increase, law firms and their clients focus on prevention and planning.
5 minute read
February 25, 2020 | News

Will Insurance Cover the Coronavirus for Clients and Lawyers Traveling?

With continued flight cancellations and imposed travel restrictions, it's important to know what travel insurance covers.
6 minute read
February 24, 2020 | News

Italian Law Firms Curtail Staff Movement Amid Coronavirus Threat

Several large law firms have shut down meeting rooms and are encouraging remote working in Milan, the closest city to the outbreak.
3 minute read
February 06, 2020 | News

Evacuated From Wuhan, Law Prof Is Under 14-Day Mandatory Coronavirus Quarantine

Loyola University New Orleans Law Professor Chunlin Leonhard was supposed to spend the academic year in China as a Fulbright Scholar. But the coronavirus outbreak upended those plans.
5 minute read
February 06, 2020 | News

Dentons Vacates Wuhan Office as Law Firms Restrict Travel to Mainland China

Law firms including Reed Smith and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe have advised all staff to avoid traveling to mainland China
4 minute read
February 21, 2020 | News

How Can Attorneys Improve Community Health Care? It May Be Simpler Than You Think

U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala offers insights into some of the hidden impacts of employer benefits on their workers' health. Oh, and get a flu shot.
4 minute read
January 30, 2020 | News

China's Coronavirus Pushes In-House Teams Into Crisis Management Mode

The legal issues range from potential liability for an employee's exposure and subsequent illness to complying with local Chinese laws governing the situation to assessing the impact of the crisis on contracts requiring the company to manufacture or purchase goods in China.
7 minute read
January 27, 2020 | News

Big Law Is Taking the Coronavirus Outbreak Seriously

The virus has infected 2,827 people and killed 81, according to China's National Health Commission. It's becoming a concern for the legal community that lives and works in China.
4 minute read
February 12, 2020 | Commentary

For Businesses Suffering From Coronavirus Losses, Insurance Coverage May Offer a Remedy

As a hub for international travel and tourism, South Florida businesses are hardly immune from the economic consequences of this epidemic.
6 minute read
February 12, 2020 | News

General Counsel Pondering How to Handle China's Force Majeure Claims

Experts told Corporate Counsel on Wednesday that outside companies and their general counsel have three options: grant the exemption, fight the exemption in court, or try to negotiate a compromise.
4 minute read
February 26, 2020 | Commentary

Coronavirus, Employment Law and You

With the United States bracing itself against the impending onslaught of the 2019 Coronavirus, employers need to focus on prevention and workplace safety, anticipate concerns of employees, implement pro-active procedures, and avoid legal pitfalls.
7 minute read
March 04, 2020 | Update

Infection Spreads to Relatives, Neighbor of NY Attorney Who Visited Miami

Four people in close contact with infected attorney test positive for Covid-19.
3 minute read
March 03, 2020 | News

Coronavirus Quarantine Litigation Heats Up as San Antonio Taps Outside Counsel

The city of San Antonio has tapped outside counsel with Denton, Navarro, Rocha, Bernal & Zech for litigation over the coronavirus quarantine. The city has used the firm's attorneys in the past to defend lawsuits, and handle police and firefighter grievances.
4 minute read
March 17, 2020 | News

Recruiter David Lat, Founding Editor of Above the Law, Tests Positive for COVID-19

Lat announced his test result on Twitter just after midnight Tuesday.
2 minute read
March 16, 2020 | News

Davis Wright: Deceased Staffer Who Had Flu-Like Symptoms Tests Negative for COVID-19

Legal assistant Lisa Carney left the office March 10 with flu-like symptoms and was found dead in her home March 12.
2 minute read
March 16, 2020 | News

Morgan Lewis Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19, Offices Remain Open With Voluntary Remote Work Policy

The firm assured employees that the positive diagnosis does not require the shuttering of an office, per CDC guidelines.
3 minute read
March 16, 2020 | News

Baker Donelson Partner, 45, in Critical Care With COVID-19 in New Orleans

Mark Frilot, a litigator serving clients in the construction industry, was reportedly in good health before contracting the coronavirus.
4 minute read
March 20, 2020 | News

'It's Kind of a Mess': Phone Arguments Get Rocky Debut at DC Circuit During COVID-19 Pandemic

Judge Thomas Griffith said he was locked out of arguments for five to six minutes after he got dropped from the phone conference.
8 minute read