Instant Insights / As Coronavirus Spreads, Legal Industry Shifts into Crisis Management Mode

News

Coronavirus Complaints Against Feds Start Piling Up in DC Trial Court

Jacqueline Thomsen | March 31, 2020

Among the recently filed complaints is a lawsuit from Morgan Lewis challenging the treatment of detained immigrant families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

News

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

Simon Lock | April 01, 2020

The move comes as the firm anticipates a spike in holiday requests once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

News

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

Leigh Jones | March 31, 2020

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.

News

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

Victoria Hudgins | March 31, 2020

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.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 31, 2020

Law students at Arizona State, University of Georgia and Georgia State are among those pushing campus administrators to adopt mandatory pass/fail grading.

News

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

Jack Newsham | March 30, 2020

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.

News

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

Meredith Hobbs | March 30, 2020

The trans-Atlantic firm, which has about 550 U.S. lawyers, is temporarily cutting pay and furloughing or laying off some employees.

News

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

Lizzy McLellan Meganne Tillay | March 30, 2020

The firm said it is holding back pay for both equity and nonequity partners as part of "a cautious approach" to protect its finances.

Analysis

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

Jack Newsham | March 26, 2020

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.

News

Slaughters, Linklaters Halt Associate Recruitment Amid Pandemic Disruption

Meganne Tillay and Krishnan Nair | March 27, 2020

Several other firms' recruitment pipelines have been affected by the uncertainty.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 27, 2020

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.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 26, 2020

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.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 25, 2020

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.

News

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

Ryan Tarinelli | March 25, 2020

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.

News

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

Phillip Bantz | March 25, 2020

“Information overload has already been a problem and this has only made it worse,” said Salary.com's top lawyer, Colin Levy.

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

C. Ryan Barber | March 25, 2020

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.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 24, 2020

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.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 23, 2020

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.

Commentary

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

Jenna Greene | March 25, 2020

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.

News

California Chief Justice Suspends Trials Statewide for 60 Days

Cheryl Miller | March 24, 2020

The order also empowered trial courts to adopt any new or amended rules intended to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

News

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

Jason Grant | March 23, 2020

“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.”

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

Mike Scarcella | March 23, 2020

The Minnesota Democrat described her husband, John Bessler, as "exhausted and sick but a very strong and resilient person."

News

July Bar Exam Alternatives Under Consideration Amid COVID-19

Karen Sloan | March 23, 2020

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.

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

Marcia Coyle | March 20, 2020

A U.S. Supreme Court spokesperson said Friday the justices are feeling healthy and embracing measures to minimize personal interaction.

News

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

Jason Grant | March 21, 2020

The founder of the Above the Law blog was put on a ventilator after “his oxygen levels dropped," according to his husband.

News

Companies, Trade Organizations Seek to Postpone CCPA Enforcement Date

Dan Clark | March 20, 2020

"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.

News

Profile

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

Jason Grant | March 19, 2020

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.

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

C. Ryan Barber | March 20, 2020

“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.

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

R. Robin McDonald Angela Morris | March 17, 2020

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.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 18, 2020

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.

Analysis

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

Frank Ready | March 18, 2020

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.

News

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

Ryan Tarinelli | March 18, 2020

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.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 18, 2020

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.

News

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

ALM Staff | March 20, 2020

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.

News

That Was Fast. Coronavirus Law Class in the Works

Karen Sloan | March 16, 2020

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.

News

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

ALM staff | March 17, 2020

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.

News

How the US Justice Department Is Responding to Coronavirus Threat

C. Ryan Barber | March 13, 2020

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.

News

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

P.J. D'Annunzio | March 13, 2020

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.

News

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

David Thomas | March 13, 2020

A growing number of law firms are shuttering offices and adopting remote working plans in earnest to ward against the pandemic.

News

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

Dylan Jackson | March 13, 2020

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.

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

Jane Wester and Ryan Tarinelli | March 13, 2020

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.

Analysis

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

Dylan Jackson | March 12, 2020

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.

Q&A

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

Karen Sloan | March 10, 2020

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.

News

Here Are the Law Schools Moving Classes Online Amid Coronavirus

Karen Sloan | March 10, 2020

Nearly 150 law schools across the country have shifted classes online, or have announced plans to do so.

News

Faegre Drinker Closes All 22 Offices After Potential Coronavirus Exposure

David Thomas | March 10, 2020

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath appears to be the first large law firm to close all of its offices because of coronavirus concerns.

News

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

Jane Wester | March 10, 2020

Attorney General Letitia James said she accepted the decision as a cautionary measure, but she emphasized the importance of starting the trial soon.

News

As Coronavirus Spreads, Some Courts Shutter, Others Carry On

ALM staff | March 10, 2020

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.

News

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

Michael A. Mora | March 09, 2020

Two Florida passengers are stuck on a cruise ship. But their lawyer has filed suit on land.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 09, 2020

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.

News

Forced Coronavirus Quarantines? Texas Appoints Judges for Emergency Hearings

Angela Morris | March 05, 2020

If infected patients refuse to self-quarantine, there's a legal process to force them into isolation, but it involves courts, judges and hearings.

News

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

David Thomas | March 09, 2020

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. 

Podcast

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

Leigh Jones Vanessa Blum | March 06, 2020

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.

News

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

David Bario Christine Simmons | March 08, 2020

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.

Best Practices

News

Q&A

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

MP McQueen | March 06, 2020

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.

California Courts Have Epidemic Playbook as Coronavirus Spreads

Cheryl Miller | March 06, 2020

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.

News

Coronavirus Courthouse Fallout: Expect More Video Conferences, Telephonic Hearings

Angela Morris | March 06, 2020

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.

News

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

Zach Warren | March 06, 2020

Most U.S. events over the next few months are progressing as scheduled, though all conference organizers are keeping an eye on the situation.

News

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

Phillip Bantz | March 05, 2020

"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.

News

Cancellations Increase as Firms, Legal Groups Face Coronavirus Uncertainty

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | March 04, 2020

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.

News

Big Firms Pitch Coronavirus Task Forces as Client Impacts Spread

Meredith Hobbs | March 04, 2020

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.

News

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

Karen Sloan | March 04, 2020

Students from both schools had contact with a Midtown lawyer now hospitalized with the coronavirus.

Q&A

Can Coronavirus Victims Sue for Injuries?

Amanda Bronstad | March 04, 2020

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.

Analysis

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

Victoria Hudgins | March 04, 2020

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.

News

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

Jack Newsham | March 03, 2020

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.

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

Karen Sloan | March 03, 2020

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.

News

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

Eva von Schaper | March 03, 2020

A partner at Vienna-based firm Wolf Theiss is seriously ill and hospitalized with COVID-19, and three additional employees have tested positive.

Best Practices

News

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

MP McQueen | March 03, 2020

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?

News

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

David Thomas | February 28, 2020

Latham & Watkins is the latest big firm taking steps to head off potential coronavirus infections.

News

Coronavirus, Election Jitters Have Law Firm Leaders Pondering a Downturn

Dan Packel | February 28, 2020

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?

News

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

Dylan Jackson | February 27, 2020

The virus, officially known as COVID-19, has now spread to 47 countries and has infected at least 82,000 people.

News

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

Lizzy McLellan Christine Simmons | February 26, 2020

Major law firms are postponing or canceling events in the U.S. and further limiting international travel as the virus spreads.

News

Notes from China: Keep Calm and Carry On

Anna Zhang | February 18, 2020

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:

News

International Law Firms Respond to the Coronavirus Outbreak

Simon Lock | January 27, 2020

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.

News

Amid Coronavirus, French Firms Follow Their Own Counsel

Anne Bagamery | February 26, 2020

As COVID-19 cases increase, law firms and their clients focus on prevention and planning.

News

Will Insurance Cover the Coronavirus for Clients and Lawyers Traveling?

Autumn Cafiero Giusti | February 25, 2020

With continued flight cancellations and imposed travel restrictions, it's important to know what travel insurance covers.

News

Italian Law Firms Curtail Staff Movement Amid Coronavirus Threat

Varsha Patel | February 24, 2020

Several large law firms have shut down meeting rooms and are encouraging remote working in Milan, the closest city to the outbreak.

News

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

Karen Sloan | February 06, 2020

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.

News

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

Hannah Roberts | February 06, 2020

Law firms including Reed Smith and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe have advised all staff to avoid traveling to mainland China

News

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

Catherine Wilson | February 21, 2020

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.

News

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

Sue Reisinger | January 30, 2020

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.

News

Big Law Is Taking the Coronavirus Outbreak Seriously

Patrick Smith Simon Lock | January 27, 2020

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.

Commentary

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

Walter J. Andrews and Cary D. Steklof | February 12, 2020

As a hub for international travel and tourism, South Florida businesses are hardly immune from the economic consequences of this epidemic.

News

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

Sue Reisinger | February 12, 2020

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.

Commentary

Coronavirus, Employment Law and You

Steven L. Schwarzberg | February 26, 2020

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.

Update

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

Catherine Wilson | March 04, 2020

Four people in close contact with infected attorney test positive for Covid-19.

News

Coronavirus Quarantine Litigation Heats Up as San Antonio Taps Outside Counsel

Angela Morris | March 03, 2020

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.

News

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

Dan Packel | March 17, 2020

Lat announced his test result on Twitter just after midnight Tuesday.

News

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

Dylan Jackson | March 16, 2020

Legal assistant Lisa Carney left the office March 10 with flu-like symptoms and was found dead in her home March 12.

News

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

Dylan Jackson | March 16, 2020

The firm assured employees that the positive diagnosis does not require the shuttering of an office, per CDC guidelines.

News

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

Patrick Smith | March 16, 2020

Mark Frilot, a litigator serving clients in the construction industry, was reportedly in good health before contracting the coronavirus.

News

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

Jacqueline Thomsen | March 20, 2020

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