Instant Insights

Following a period of revenue increase and office growth, the legal field is now facing a new challenge: a decrease in demand. Where firms were once seeing immense demand from clients across sectors and geographies, which led to an increase of profits that gave firms the opportunity to grow, are now stalling out.

In the midst of economic headwinds and depressed demand across numerous areas, including tech, corporate and bankruptcy practices, several Big Law firms have begun trimming their ranks and deferring incoming associate classes.

While the past few years have boded well for firm financials, they are continuing to see a decrease as the market levels out to prepandemic standards. From deferrals of incoming associate classes to massive cuts of lawyers and staff, law firms are using layoffs and delays as a way to manage through the market dip.

As firms continue to restructure, we will be keeping up with the changes and trends. Be sure to check back for the most recent layoff and deferral news.

Alex Jones used his show Infowars to spread the lie that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a \'hoax\'. The families of the students and teachers killed have filed multiple defamation lawsuit against Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems. Jones has lost all of his cases by default, and the jury will now decide how much to award the plaintiffs in damages.

Following on the heels of a surprisingly successful pandemic year in 2020, the Am Law 100 hit another gear in 2021. The gains were bigger and more universal than ever before, resulting in the group\'s best financial results in a generation.

The country\'s largest firms collectively grew revenue 14.8%, paced by two titans at the top of the rankings, Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins. The Am Law 100 also boasted 12.5% growth in revenue per lawyer and a 19.4% spike in profits per equity partner.

Those numbers are stunning, but they only tell a small part of the story. How will firms fare when surging demand starts to slow down? Will they invest their extraordinary profits in building for the future? Will client pressure force them to halt the rate increases that have helped drive so much of their growth? In this year\'s Am Law 100 report, we answer those questions and more.

The Global 200 is our ranking of the world's largest firms by revenue, head count and profits per equity partner. This report includes region-by-region analysis of the data, as well as profiles of elite global firms.

The American Lawyer's 2020 Global 200 report features rankings by revenue, head count and profits per equity partner, as well as stories about the state of the legal market around the world.

The United States of Risk Assessment: The Machines Influencing Criminal Justice Decisions

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the legal profession to make huge adjustments as it deals with the global health and economic crisis brought on by COVID-19. In this collection, Law.com International brings you stories about what global law firms, corporate law departments and others in the legal community are doing to adapt to a changing new world.

Chances are your life has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic, whether you’re a partner, associate, in-house counsel, student, professor or legal tech professional. As part of that legal community, you're also resilient, with inventive ways of getting the job done despite very difficult times. In this collection, Law.com reports on what you need to know to keep it all going and how you’re helping others during the crisis. You'll also find a roundup of the latest COVID-19 news affecting legal professionals.

Since a New York lawyer became the second person diagnosed with COVID-19 in the state, law firms, schools and the courts have been taking action to protect attorneys, staff, students and visitors. Here is our coverage of the impact of the pandemic on the legal community in the state, made available for free.