Category: News Feeds

Chief
Legal
Officers
and
professionals
in
Legal
Operations
are
instrumental
in
steering
organizations’
legal
departments
through
the
complexities
of
their
technology,
governance,
and
productivity
challenges.

As
legal
departments
become
more
complex
and
the
demand
for
streamlined
operations
grow,
these
leaders
face
several
significant
challenges
and
must
prioritize
key
areas
to
drive
success.

Those
areas
include:

• Driving
  Efficiency
  and
  Reducing
  Costs
• Adopting
  and
  Implementing
  Legal
  Technology
• Managing
  Contracts
  and
  Compliance
• Navigating
  Outside
  Counsel
• Addressing
  Cybersecurity
  and
  Data
  Privacy

Download
your
free
copy
of
this
guide
and
get
strategic
insights
to
help
your
firm
excel
in
this
evolving
landscape.

Ed.
note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,

Quote
of
the
Day.

This
combined
group
of
65
lawyers
is
the
largest
class
we’ve
elected
and
promoted
in
Sidley’s
nearly
160-year
history.
We
are
proud
to
recognize
this
group
of
world-class
Sidley
lawyers
with
exceptional
business
acumen
ready
to
lead
in
the
boardroom,
courtroom,
and
in
their
communities.

—

Yvette
Ostolaza,
chair
of
Sidley’s
management
committee,
commenting
on
the
firm’s
combined
class
of
38
new
partners
and
27
new
counsel,
in
a

press
release.
The
bulk
of
the
top
10
Biglaw
firm’s
new
partners
are
based
in
the
U.S.,
aside
from
three
partners
located
in
London.

Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.

In
the
fast-paced
world
of
law,
we
often
find
ourselves
adhering
to
a
well-trodden
path:
graduate
from
a
top
law
school,
land
a
position
at
a
prestigious
firm,
climb
the
ladder,
and
maybe
—
just
maybe
—
become
a
partner.
But
what
if
I
told
you
that
the
traditional
route
is
just
one
way
to
achieve
success
in
our
field?
What
if
there
are
unconventional
strategies
that
could
propel
your
career
in
ways
you
hadn’t
considered?

Recently,
I
had
the
opportunity
to
sit
down
with
Brittany
Becker,
an
in-house
product
and
marketing
lawyer
who
shared
her
unique
perspectives
on
how
to
approach
a
legal
career
differently.
Brittany’s
insights
stem
from
her
diverse
experience
as
a
first-generation
college
student,
a
public
defender,
and
now
a
product
lawyer
in
a
dynamic
industry.
Her
journey
has
been
anything
but
linear,
and
her
advice
offers
fresh,
actionable
strategies
that
can
help
anyone
looking
to
innovate
their
path
in
law.
Here
are
three
of
her
most
compelling
insights.

1.

Treat
Your
Career
Like
A
Product
Development
Cycle

Most
lawyers
think
of
their
careers
linearly:
you
start
as
an
associate,
then
move
to
senior
associate,
then
partner,
and
so
on.
But
what
if
we
borrowed
a
concept
from
the
world
of
technology
and
treated
our
careers
like
a
product
development
cycle?
Brittany
suggests
approaching
your
career
as
if
you
were
launching
a
product.

Think
about
it:
products
are
launched,
tested,
iterated
upon,
and
relaunched
in
better
versions.
Why
not
apply
this
to
your
career?
Start
by
launching
“Version
1.0”
of
yourself.
This
could
mean
experimenting
with
a
niche
area
of
law,
taking
on
a
unique
project,
or
developing
a
new
skill
set
that
isn’t
traditionally
associated
with
your
current
role.

Here’s
the
actionable
part:
every
six
months,
review
your
“product.”
What’s
working?
What
isn’t?
Collect
feedback
from
mentors,
peers,
and
even
clients,
just
as
you
would
gather
customer
feedback
for
a
product.
Then,
make
adjustments.
This
iterative
approach
allows
you
to
continuously
improve,
adapt
to
market
demands,
and
stay
ahead
of
the
curve.

2.

Network
Horizontally,
Not
Just
Vertically

We’ve
all
heard
the
advice
to
network
with
people
above
us:
partners,
senior
counsel,
judges,
and
the
like.
While
that’s
important,
Brittany
emphasizes
the
importance
of
networking
horizontally
with
your
peers
and
even
those
who
are
junior
to
you.
Why?
Because
these
are
the
people
who
will
grow
with
you,
move
into
key
positions
across
the
industry,
and
potentially
become
your
greatest
allies
and
collaborators.

The
key
is
to
see
networking
not
as
a
transaction
but
as
an
opportunity
to
build
genuine,
mutually
beneficial
relationships.
Brittany
recommends
taking
time
to
understand
what
drives
your
peers,
what
challenges
they
face,
and
how
you
can
help.
By
building
these
horizontal
networks,
you
create
a
support
system
that
can
provide
insights,
referrals,
and
collaborations
that
you
won’t
find
by
only
looking
up.

Actionable
insight:
Set
a
goal
to
reach
out
to
at
least
one
peer
and
one
junior
colleague
each
month.
Offer
them
support,
share
resources,
or
simply
have
a
candid
conversation
about
the
challenges
you’re
both
facing.
Over
time,
these
connections
will
become
a
rich
tapestry
of
support
that
can
provide
unexpected
career
opportunities.

3.

Practice
Reverse
Mentorship

We
often
think
of
mentorship
as
a
one-way
street:
experienced
professionals
passing
down
wisdom
to
those
coming
up
the
ranks.
But
Brittany
advocates
for
the
value
of
reverse
mentorship,
where
the
learning
dynamic
is
flipped.
Reverse
mentorship
involves
learning
from
those
who
are
younger,
less
experienced,
or
from
entirely
different
fields.

Younger
colleagues
or
professionals
from
different
industries
bring
fresh
perspectives
that
can
challenge
your
thinking
and
expose
you
to
new
ideas
and
technologies.
In
today’s
rapidly
evolving
legal
landscape,
understanding
trends
like
artificial
intelligence,
blockchain,
and
data
privacy
isn’t
optional
—
it’s
essential.

Here’s
how
you
can
start:
Brittany
suggests
identifying
a
junior
colleague
or
someone
from
a
different
industry
whose
skills
or
knowledge
you
admire.
Reach
out
and
propose
a
mutual
learning
relationship.
You
might
offer
them
insights
into
navigating
complex
legal
frameworks,
while
they
can
introduce
you
to
the
latest
tech
tools
or
social
media
trends.

The
actionable
takeaway
here
is
to
have
at
least
one
reverse
mentoring
session
per
quarter.
This
could
be
a
lunch,
a
coffee
chat,
or
even
a
Zoom
call.
The
goal
is
to
stay
curious
and
open
to
learning
from
anyone,
regardless
of
their
age
or
experience
level.

Conclusion

The
legal
profession
is
changing
rapidly,
and
with
it,
the
definition
of
a
successful
career.
By
thinking
like
a
product
developer,
building
horizontal
networks,
and
engaging
in
reverse
mentorship,
you
can
innovate
your
path
and
find
unique
ways
to
stand
out
and
thrive.

Brittany
Becker’s
journey
is
a
testament
to
the
power
of
embracing
nontraditional
career
strategies.
By
being
adaptable,
open
to
new
experiences,
and
willing
to
redefine
what
a
successful
legal
career
looks
like,
you
can
chart
a
path
that
is
both
fulfilling
and
uniquely
your
own.
So
go
ahead
—
launch
Version
2.0
of
your
career
today.
Who
knows
what
incredible
opportunities
lie
ahead
when
you
dare
to
think
differently?

Olga
V.
Mack


is
a
Fellow
at
CodeX,
The
Stanford
Center
for
Legal
Informatics,
and
a
Generative
AI
Editor
at
law.MIT.
Olga
embraces
legal
innovation
and
had
dedicated
her
career
to
improving
and
shaping
the
future
of
law.
She
is
convinced
that
the
legal
profession
will
emerge
even
stronger,
more
resilient,
and
more
inclusive
than
before
by
embracing
technology.
Olga
is
also
an
award-winning
general
counsel,
operations
professional,
startup
advisor,
public
speaker,
adjunct
professor,
and
entrepreneur.
She
authored Get
on
Board:
Earning
Your
Ticket
to
a
Corporate
Board
Seat, Fundamentals
of
Smart
Contract
Security,
and  Blockchain
Value:
Transforming
Business
Models,
Society,
and
Communities. She
is
working
on
three
books:


Visual
IQ
for
Lawyers
(ABA
2024), The
Rise
of
Product
Lawyers:
An
Analytical
Framework
to
Systematically
Advise
Your
Clients
Throughout
the
Product
Lifecycle
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024),
and
Legal
Operations
in
the
Age
of
AI
and
Data
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024).
You
can
follow
Olga
on



LinkedIn


and
Twitter
@olgavmack.

The
former
president
of
legal
document
management
company
Worldox
has
been
sentenced
by
a
court
in
Arizona
to
120
years
in
prison
after
having
been
found
guilty
of
10
counts
of
possessing
child
pornography.

Raymond
Zwiefelhofer
had
been
president
of
Worldox
since
2009
when
police
in
Tempe,
Ariz.,
arrested
him
on
suspicion
of
possessing
child
porn.
As

I
reported
at
the
time,
the
company
immediately
terminated
him.

A
month
after
the
arrest
and
Zwiefelhofer’s
termination,

Worldox
was
acquired
by
NetDocuments,
another
document
management
software
company.

According
to

news
reports,
Zwiefelhofer
was
a
member
of
the
2×2
Church,
a
secretive
Christian
sect
that
is
alleged
to
have
had
connections
to
widespread
child
sexual
abuse
and
subsequent
coverups.

Zwiefelhofer
maintains
his
innocence.
“I’m
not
guilty,”
he
said
at
his
sentencing
hearing.
“Again,
I
like
to
get
that
–
make
that
clear.”

Maybe
you’re
answering
a
difficult
question
while
on
your
way
to
a
client
meeting,
or
maybe
you’re
navigating
a
court
hearing
that
heads
in
an
unexpected
direction. 

Either
way,
if
you’re
turning
to
a
phone
or
tablet
to
handle
a
legal
task,
it’s
probably
because
you
need
to
address
something
urgent. 

While
ChatGPT
(and
even
Google
search)
can
be
helpful
in
these
types
of
situations,

Lexis+
AI
recently
introduced
something
much
better:
an
industry-first
solution
for
mobile
devices
that
brings
an
authoritative,
verifiable,
legal-specific
AI
assistant
directly
to
wherever
you
are. 

The
Lexis+
AI
mobile
app
allows
you
to
create
solid
first
drafts
of
documents
while
accessing
extensive
legal
research
databases
of
primary
law
while
on
the
road.
Asking
a
quick
legal
question,
or
skimming
a
comprehensive
case
summary
for
the
details
that
matter
most
has
never
been
easier
—
stay
in
the
know
on
the
go.

You
can
instantly
check
for
new
primary
law
and
Practical
Guidance
content
on
mobile
when
you
set
an
alert
on
the
web
and
be
well-informed
with
alerts
results
on
the
Lexis+
AI
mobile
app.

You
can
also
put
that
primary
law
or
Practical
Guidance
content
into
the
Offline
Reading
folder
on
Lexis+
AI
mobile
or
in
Folders
on
the
web
to
continue
reading
while
disconnected
from
the
internet.

The
ability
to
upload
documents
will
be
added
in
the
coming
year
as
well. 

The
app
is
available
in
your
app
store,
and
Lexis+
AI
subscribers
can
access
all
of
its
features
at
no
additional
cost. 

Here’s
a
look
at
what
it
will
provide
you,
anytime
and
anywhere. 

Getting
Started

In
addition
to
its
AI
assistant,

the
new
Lexis+
AI
mobile
app
provides
users
with
access
to
legal
research
for
primary
case
law,
Shepard’s
Citation
Service,
and
LexisNexis’
Practical
Guidance,
among
other
features. 

A
single
login
links
to
your
main
Lexis
account.
This
will
sync
all
of
your
interactions
with
the
Lexis+
AI
assistant
to
the
mobile
app
as
well. 

The
app
opens
with
a
user-friendly
interface
that
allows
you
to
select
your
legal
task. 

Legal
Research

After
a
click
on
“Ask
a
legal
question,”
the
research
interface
is
intuitive:
You
simply
ask
a
question,
and
the

Lexis+
AI
assistant
will
give
you
an
answer.

Its
work
is
supported
by
the
same
authoritative
legal
content
powering
the
desktop
version
of
Lexis+
AI. 

As
the
answers
the
app
provides
are
comprehensive,
scrolling
functionality
allows
you
to
quickly
navigate
the
responses. 

The
response
will
conclude
with
active
hyperlinks
to
the
underlying
source
material,
allowing
you
to
verify
its
guidance
with
one
click.
You
can
also
refine
the
response
with
a
follow-up
question. 

Looking
for
additional
mobile
research?
The
app
provides
robust
resources
for
lawyers,
law
students,
and
knowledge
workers
to
read
primary
law
on
the
go. 

To
access
this
feature,
you
can
simply
minimize
the
Lexis+
AI
assistant
with
a
pull
of
the
thumb. 

This
allows
the
user
to
simultaneously
access
other
legal
research
tools
including
statutes
and
legislation,
administrative
code,
Practical
Guidance,
and
Shepards. 

Follow-Up
Tasks

Once
you
have
your
research
answer,
the
Lexis+
AI
mobile
app
allows
you
to
take
additional
steps.

You
can
copy
the
response
with
a
click,
summarize
the
relevant
case
law
authority,
and
even
generate
a
memo
based
on
the
output. 

If
you’d
like
to
summarize
case
law
authority
related
to
your
question,
the
app
will
bring
up
detailed
case
abstracts
within
seconds. 

Finally,
the
app
can
generate
first
drafts
of
documents
as
well,
directly
on
your
mobile
device. 

Here,
it’s
being
asked
to
draft
a
legal
argument
in
a
real
estate
matter,
but
its
capabilities
extend
to
numerous
types
of
legal
documents.

It
can
craft
a
clause
of
a
merger
agreement
to
shore
up
a
stated
goal,
for
example,
or
it
can
provide
detailed
answers
on
a
particular
legal
question.

A
Game-Changing
Solution

Ultimately,
the
Lexis+
AI
mobile
app
provides
all
users
with
access
to
authoritative
global
content
wherever
they
are
located
—
with
a
speed
comparable
to
Lexis+
AI’s
desktop,
web-based
version. 

Clear
benefits
abound
for
virtually
all
types
of
lawyers. 

Litigators
can
instantly
leverage
AI
to
receive
actionable
insights
from
caselaw
to
guide
their
decision-making.

Transactional
lawyers
can
analyze
contract
clauses,
while
in-house
counsel
can
gauge
whether
a
proposal
would
comply
with
applicable
regulations. 

Lawyers
of
all
stripes
can
leverage
the
generative
capabilities
to
create
strong
first
drafts
—
which
can
easily
be
pasted
into
a
word
processing
app
to
refine
and
finalize. 

And
it
all
comes
with
the
Lexis+
AI
assistant,
available
24/7,
anywhere
you
have
an
internet
connection. 

Want
to
explore
Lexis+
AI’s
benefits
for
your
practice?


You
can
book
a
demo
and
learn
more
here.

Earlier
this
year,
Letcher
County,
Kentucky,
was
rocked
by
the
shocking
shooting
death
of
District
Judge
Kevin
D.
Mullins.
The
same
day
as
Mullins’
death,
Letcher
County
Sheriff
Mickey
Stines
was
arrested
for
the
murder.
And
almost
immediately
rumors
began
swirling
speculating
exactly
what
was
behind
the
crime.

We
know
that
Mullins
and
Stines
ate
lunch
together
the
day
of
Mullins’s
death.
According
to
Kentucky
State
Police
(KSP)
Detective
Clayton
Stamper,
several
other
people
were
in
attendance
at
the
business
lunch,
and
one
overheard
Mullins
ask
Stines
if
they
needed
to
meet
privately
in
his
chambers.

When
Stines
arrived
at
the
judge’s
outer
office
he
told
those
gathered
there
he
needed
to
speak
with
Mullins
alone.
They
went
into
the
judge’s
inner
office
and
shortly
after
shots
rang
out,
and
Stines
surrendered
to
police.

There’s
also
a

disturbing
video
of
the
shooting.
The
surveillance
video
shows
Stines,
moments
before
the
shooting,
using
his
phone
to
call
someone,
then
using
Mullins’s
phone.
Stamper
testified
that
both
calls
were
made
to
Stines’s
daughter,
and
the
daughter’s
phone
number
was
saved
on
the
judge’s
phone.

But,
according
to
Stines’
attorney
Jeremy
Bartley,
misconduct
allegations
against
former
deputy
Ben
Fields
and
Mullins
are
“going
to
be
crucial”
in
Stines’
defense
—
he
has
pleaded
not
guilty
to
murder
of
a
public
official.
Three
days
before
Mullins’
death
Stines
gave
a
deposition
in
a
civil
case
brought
by
Sabrina
Adkins
alleging
women
under
house
arrest
were
extorted
for
sexual
favors
in
exchange
for
more
lenient
treatment.
According
to
the
complaint
in
that
case,
it
all
happened
in
Mullins’s
chambers.

“During
these
meetings,
Defendant
Fields’
behavior
escalated
from
flirtatious
comments
to
forcible
kissing,
to
oral
sex,
to
intercourse
with
Plaintiff,
all
of
which
occurred
at
the
Letcher
County
Courthouse
after
hours,
in
Judge
Mullins’
Chambers,”
the
complaint
says.
“Plaintiff
was
coerced
and
compelled
to
comply
with
Defendant
Fields’
advances
given
Defendant
Fields’
position
of
power,
and
because
she
could
not
afford
to
pay
for
the
ankle
monitor
and
did
not
want
to
return
to
the
Letcher
County
Jail.”

There
was
also
a
criminal
investigation
into
Fields’
actions
(earlier
this
year
he
was
convicted
of
rape,
sodomy,
perjury
and
tampering
with
a
prisoner
monitoring
device).
As

reported
by
Law&Crime,
Adkins
told
investigators
there
is
“videotapes
of
some
stuff
in
the
judge’s
chambers.”
And
that,
“I
seen
Judge
Mullins
having
sex
with
a
girl
…
in
the
judge’s
chambers.”

Adkins’
attorney
Ned
Pillersdorf
told

NewsNation
he
isn’t
surprised
Stines’
defense
is
going
to
involve
the
sexual
extortion
ring
detailed
by
Adkins
because,
“It’s
like
they
were
running
a
brothel
out
of
that
courtroom.”

Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of

The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email

her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter

@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon

@[email protected].

The
winter
holidays
are
just
around
the
corner,
but
Biglaw
firms
still
have
ample
time
to
give
their
associates
the
greatest
gift
of
all:
More
money.
Which
firm
is
the
latest
to
let
its
attorneys
unwrap
cold,
hard
cash?

That
would
be
Sullivan
&
Cromwell.
After
bringing
home
$1,864,290,000
gross
revenue
in
2023,
the
firm
came
in
at
No.
24
in
the
most
recent
Am
Law
100
ranking.
S&C
has
now
spoken
out
on
year-end
bonuses.
The
firm
doesn’t
publish
memos
related
to
compensation,
but
instead
sends
out
individualized
links
to
its
attorneys.
According
to
our
sources,
the
firm
is
following
the
market
and
matching
Milbank’s
generous

year-end
and

special
bonuses.
Here’s
what
the
bonus
scale
looks
like
at
SullCrom:

• Class
  of
  2024
  –
  $15,000
  /
  $6,000
• Class
  of
  2023
  –
  $20,000
  /
  $6,000
• Class
  of
  2022
  –
  $30,000
  /
  $10,000
• Class
  of
  2021
  –
  $57,500
  /
  $15,000
• Class
  of
  2020
  –
  $75,000
  /
  $20,000
• Class
  of
  2019
  –
  $90,000
  /
  $25,000
• Class
  of
  2018
  –
  $105,000
  /
  $25,000
• Class
  of
  2017+
  –
  $115,000
  /
  $25,000

Bonuses
at
the
firm
will
hit
bank
accounts
on
December
23.
Congratulations
to
all
Sullivan
&
Cromwell
associates!

Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
compensation
updates,
so
when
your
firm
announces
or
matches,
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text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus/Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.

And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
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Alerts
(which
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we
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bonus
announcement
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we
publish.
Thanks
for
your
help!

Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

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Enter
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&
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Increase
Alerts.

WASHINGTON
—
 The
House
passed
the
$884
billion
National
Defense
Authorization
Act
for
fiscal
2025
today,
despite
a
sizable
Democrat
contingent
opposing
the
typically
bipartisan
measure
due
to
the
last
minute-inclusion
of
a
transgender
care
ban.

The
bill
was
voted
through
281-140,
with
124
Democrats
and
16
Republicans
voting
against
the
measure.

The
compromise
NDAA

keeps
to
the
budgetary
spending
caps
imposed
by
last
year’s
debt
ceiling
deal,
which
set
a
$895
billion
limit
for
all
national
defense
related
spending
for
FY25.
Some
of
that
spending
is
not
covered
in
the
jurisdiction
of
the
NDAA.

The
focal
point
of
this
year’s
bill
is
a
14.5
percent
pay
raise
for
junior
enlisted
servicemembers
and
4.5
percent
raise
for
all
servicemembers,
as
well
as
a
laundry
list
of
provisions
intended
to
improve
troop’s
quality
of
life
—
a
political
slam
dunk
for
both
sides.
However,
Democrats
were
infuriated
by
a
last
minute
addition
of
language
by
House
Speaker
Mike
Johnson
that
would
ban
Tricare
from
covering
gender
dysphoria
treatments
“that
could
result
in
sterilization”
for
transgender
children
of
servicemembers.

The
House
Armed
Services
Committee’s
top
Democrat,
Washington
Rep.
Adam
Smith,
announced
on
Tuesday
that
he
would
vote
against
the
bill
despite
having
helped
helm
it,
due
to
the
anti-transgender
provisions.

During
a
Saturday
interview
with
Breaking
Defense,
Smith
said
he
would
have
been
in
favor
of
adding
language
to
study
the
effects
of
medical
treatment
for
transgender
minors,
but
that
“it
is
not
debatable
that
there
are
some
minors
with
gender
dysphoria
who
benefit
from
the
treatments
that
this
bill
would
ban.”

“You
are
denying
health
care
to
the
children
of
service
members
that
they
need
to
serve
a
partisan
agenda.
And
I
think
that’s
extraordinarily
problematic,”
he
said.

For
a
larger
rundown
of
the
bill’s
funding
recommendations
and
policy
mandates,
read
this:

What
to
know
about
what’s
in
the
compromise
NDAA 

During
a
press
conference
earlier
today,
House
Minority
Leader
Hakeem
Jeffries
said
he
had
not
taken
an
official
position
on
the
NDAA
and
would
leave
it
for
each
member
to
make
their
own
decision
on
a
case-by-case
basis.
In
floor
speeches
ahead
of
the
bill’s
passage,
most
senior
HASC
Democrats
expressed
support
for
the
bill.

HASC
Chairman
Mike
Rogers,
R-Ala.,
told

The
Hill
on
Tuesday
that
Johnson
did
not
consult
him
about
including
the
care
ban.
Although
Rogers
said
he
agreed
with
the
substance
of
the
language,
he
sees
the
addition
of
the
provisions
as
unnecessary
due
to
the
election
of
President
Donald
Trump.

“My
preference
would
have
been
that
we
just
let
the
president,
on
Jan.
20,
deal
with
these
[culture
issues],”
Rogers
said,
“which
he’s
already
indicated
he’s
going
to
do.”

But
in
remarks
ahead
of
the
vote,
Rogers
said
that
the
bill
represents
a
“bicameral
compromise”
and
that
“each
corner
has
some
wins
and
some
losses.”

The
Republican-controlled
Rules
Committee,
which
set
the
terms
of
the
bill’s
passage
on
Monday,
voted
against
bringing
an
amendment
to
the
floor
that
would
have
allowed
members
to
reverse
the
transgender
care
ban,
as
well
as
another
amendment
that
would
have
given
governors
greater
control
over
the

transition
of
National
Guard
units
to
the
Space
Force.

The
bill
authorizes
$883.7
billion
for
fiscal
year
2025,
including
$849.9
billion
for
Department
of
Defense
programs.
It
also
approves
$33.3
billion
for
national
security
programs
in
the
Department
of
Energy
and
the
Defense
Nuclear
Facilities
Safety
Board
and
$512.4
million
for
defense-related
activities.

The
bill
now
heads
to
the
Senate,
where
it
is
expected
to
pass
despite
some
Democrats’
concerns
about
the
transgender
care
provisions,
as
well
as
disappointment
from
some
top
GOP
defense
hawks
who
had
hoped
the
Senate’s
version
of
the
bill
—

which
lifted
the
NDAA
topline
to
$911.8 
billion,
pushing
overall
national
defense
spending
to
$923.3
billion
—
would
ultimately
prevail.

“The
failure
to
include
a
topline
increase
is
a
tremendous
loss
for
our national defense,”
said
Mississippi
Sen.
Roger
Wicker,
the
top
Republican
on
the
Senate
Armed
Services
Committee
who
is
in
line
to
take
the
gavel
in
January.

“Many
senior
flag
officers,
defense
strategists,
and
other
experts
continue
to
note
that
this
is
the
most
dangerous
moment
since
World
War
II,”
he
said
in
a
statement
Monday.
“Not
only
does
this
NDAA
thwart
the
bipartisan
will
of
the
Senate,
but
it
signifies
a
profound
missed
opportunity
to
strengthen
President-elect
Trump’s
hand
when
he
takes
office.”

*
After
getting
called
out
for
his
record
low
pardon
rate,
Joe
Biden
pardons
1500
people
in
one
day.
He
probably
should
have
slipped
Hunter
into
the
middle
of
this
batch.
[AP]

*
After
ruling
that

boneless
chicken
can
have
bones,
Ohio
Supreme
Court
rules
that
big
pharmaceutical
companies
selling
a
dangerous
product
isn’t
a
product
liability
claim.
[Law.com]

*
Firm
institutes
“choose
your
own
billable
target”
policy
that
offers
tiered
bonuses
depending
on
what
lawyers
declare.
[Bloomberg
Law
News]

*
Chris
Wray
to
resign
rather
than
test
Trump’s
right
to
fire
him.
[Law360]

*
No
big
deal…
just
blithely
discussing
the
possibility
of
law
firms
ending
up
on
enemy
lists.
[National
Law
Journal]

*
Fifth
Circuit
strikes
down
right
of
private
entity
to
have
a
diversity
requirement
to
extend
membership
to
other
private
businesses.
So
much
for
the
free
market.
[CNN]

*
Following
a
thorough
rebuke
at
the
polls,
North
Carolina
Republicans
pass
law
stripping
governor
and
attorney
general
of
powers
before
elected
Democrats
take
those
jobs.
[Courthouse
News
Service]