Category: News Feeds

This
morning
the
Second
Circuit

affirmed
once
again
that
the
incoming
president
is
a
serial
sexual
abuser
of
women,
with
“a
pattern
of
abrupt,
nonconsensual,
and
physical
advances
on
women
he
barely
knew.”
The
court
refused
to
overturn
the
jury
verdict
in

Carroll
II,
the
defamation
and
abuse
case
brought
by
advice
columnist
E.
Jean
Carroll,
who
was
sexually
assaulted
by
the
once
and
future
president.

Trump’s
lawyers
John
Sauer,
Todd
Blanche,
and
Emil
Bove
(the
future
solicitor
general
and
top
two
deputies
at
the
DOJ)
turned
in
their
usual
pile
of

incendiary
gobbledygook,
claiming,
for
example,
that
“President
Trump
himself
did
not
attend
the
trial
given
the
fact
there
was
absolutely
no
physical
evidence
in
support
of
Plaintiff’s
claims
and
the
only
direct
evidence
of
liability
was
the
incredible
testimony
from
Plaintiff
who
failed
to
provide
a
month
or
even
year
when
this
supposed
event
took
place.”

In
reality,
Trump’s
trial
lawyer
Joe
Tacopina
was

desperate
to
keep
him
out
of
the
courtroom,
aware
of
his
client’s
effect
on
a
jury.
Indeed,
in
the
second
case, Carroll
I,
which
was
delayed
thanks
to
Trump’s
two-year
quest
to
claim
he
was
just
doing
his
presidential
duty
when
he
said
Carroll
was
too
unattractive
to
assault,
the
defendant
did
show
up
in
court.
There
the
verdict
was
$83
million,
as
compared
to
the
$5
million
from
the
first
trial.

But
Trump’s
claims
on
appeal
—
even
the
ones
that
didn’t
blatantly
distort
the
record
—
were
little
more
than
halfhearted
gestures
in
the
direction
of
an
argument.
He
claimed
(again)
that
it
was
error
to
admit
testimony
by
Jessica
Leeds,
who
says
that
he
attempted
to
sexually
assault
her
on
an
airplane,
because
somehow
propensity
evidence

doesn’t
count
unless
you’re
on
the
ground.

“Mr.
Trump’s
reading
is
wholly
inconsistent
with
the
rationale
advanced
in
Congress
in
adopting
Rules
413-415,
which
centered
on
the
nature
of
the
other
conduct,
not
the
specific
location
in
which
the
conduct
occurred,”
the
three-judge
panel
countered.

Trump
insisted
that
Natasha
Stoynoff
should
not
have
been
allowed
to
testify
that
he
threw
her
up
against
the
wall
and
kissed
her,
ignoring
her
protest
and
only
stopping
when
a
butler
walked
in,
because
it’s
not
sexual
assault
until
you
try
to
touch
the
victim’s
genitals.

“That
the
alleged
assault
showed
no
signs
of
terminating
until
a
third
party
interrupted
it
also
supports
the
conclusion
that
a
jury
could
have
reasonably
found
that
Mr.
Trump
intended
to
bring
his
body
into
contact
with
Ms.
Stoynoff’s
genitals
and
that
he
took
substantial
steps
toward
doing
so,”
the
court
scoffed.

The
“Access
Hollywood”
tape
was
properly
admitted
because,
“The
jury
could
have
reasonably
concluded
from
those
statements
that,
in
the
past,
Mr.
Trump
had
kissed
women
without
their
consent
and
then
proceeded
to
touch
their
genitalia.”
And
the
lack
of
DNA
testing
on
the
dress
was
appropriately
excluded,
“especially
considering
that
the
pretrial
discovery
period
had
closed
by
the
time
Mr.
Trump
offered
to
provide
a
DNA
sample,
and
both
parties
had
had
ample
time
to
develop
DNA
as
an
issue,
yet
both
had
failed
to
do
so.”

In
short,
there
was
no
abuse
of
discretion,
and
Trump
has
to
pay
Carroll
the
$5
million.
Of
course
John,
Clarence,
Sam,
Brett,
and
Neil
haven’t
weighed
in
yet,
so
the
most
important
jury’s
still
out
on
whether,
when
you’re
a
star,
they
really
just
let
you
do
it.

Carroll
v.
Trump
[Appellate
Docket
via
Court
Listener]

---

Liz
Dye lives
in
Baltimore
where
she
produces
the
Law
and
Chaos substack and podcast.

Ed.
note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,

Quote
of
the
Day.

Change
is
happening
faster
than
ever
in
the
industry
(and)
the
navigation
of
industry
change
requires
different
leadership
skills.
Law
firms
are
looking
to
leaders
with
proven
leadership
and
management
experience
rather
than
relying
on
long
and
deep
success
in
law
practice
as
leadership
criteria.

—

Kirsten
Keegan
Vasquez,
a
partner
and
vice
president
with
legal
recruiting
firm
Major,
Lindsey
and
Africa,
in
comments
given
to
the

American
Lawyer,
on
the
new
types
of
leaders
who
are
being
appointed
at
the
top
of
Biglaw
firms
across
the
country.
“Bottom
line,
the
set
of
law
firm
leaders
who
have
been
in
place
for
the
last
five,
10
and
in
some
cases
20
years
or
more
are
transferring
the
laboring
leadership
oar
to
a
wave
of
proven
leaders
with
proficiency
in
managing
a
multi-generational
workforce,
rapid
change,
and
new
buying
behavior
on
behalf
of
law
firm
clients
and
prospective
partners,”
Vasquez
concluded.

---

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.

Perhaps
more
than
any
other
Supreme
Court
tradition,
oral
arguments
have
gone
through
significant
changes
over
the
years.
The
Supreme
Court
is
as
old
as
the
nation
even
though
the
first
oral
arguments
were
not
held
until
the
1790s.
While
presently
it
may
feel
like
oral
argument
practice
and
procedure
are
relatively
static.
There
have
been
many
historic
changes
including
drastically
shortening
the
length
of
these
arguments.
Perhaps
two
of
the
greatest
modern
changes
to
Supreme
Court
oral
argument
are
the
emergence
of
the
“hot
bench”
and
more
recently
the
impact
of
the
Covid-19
pandemic
on
oral
argument
practice.

Oral
arguments
were
historically
a
time
for
attorneys
to
convey
the
important
points
supporting
their
positions,
and
for
the
justices
to
confront
these
points
to
focus
the
attorneys
on
areas
that
could
assist
with
decision-making.
Many
Court
watchers
have
pointed
to
the
emergence
of
Justice
Scalia
on
the
Court
in
the
mid-1980’s
as
the
point
where
the
Court
went
from
a
more
passive
receiver
of
information
to
a
more
active
forum
where
the
justices
limited
the
attorneys
to
answering
questions
rather
than
expostulating
on
points
the
attorneys
found
relevant.
This
is
where
the
phrase

“hot
bench” gained
notoriety.
Different
permutations
of
justices
have changed
the
nature
of
the
“hot
bench” since
the
1980’s.

The
other
phenomenon
has
to
do
with
argument
format
and
time.
Modern
Supreme
Court
oral
arguments
have
typically
run
an
hour
per
case
with
half
an
hour
per
side.
There
are
exceptions
to
this
rule
including
the lengthy
arguments in
the first
Affordable
Care
Act
case in
2012.
Covid-19
shifted
things
though
across
the
board.
Arguments
went
remote.
As
a
byproduct
and
due
to
the
inability
for
the
justices
to
see
one
another,
Chief
Justice
Roberts
began
calling
the
justices
to
speak
in
solo
turns,
which
was
a
big
change
from
the
free-for-all
that
existed
before
this.
This
turn
taking
had
unexpected
consequences,
including
leading
Justice
Thomas
who
was
almost
always
reticent
to
speak
during
oral
argument
since
he
joined
the
Court
in
1991,
to
become
a regular
participant during
these
proceedings.
Since
the
Court
has
gone
back
to
its
in-person
format,
the
vestige
of
turn
taking
has
remained,
as
now
arguments
have
turn
taking
and
free
form
components.
The
remainder
of
this
post
looks
at
how
these
transformations
have
shifted
the
nature
of
oral
arguments.

Joan
Biskupic wrote for
CNN
in
2022:

“Yet
another
Supreme
Court
case
had
gone
nearly
twice
as
long
as
scheduled
–
a
pattern
testing
the
nerves
of
the
justices
this
fall.
Some
exchange
glances
when
a
loquacious
colleague
engages
in
protracted
questioning.
Many
interrupt
answers
to
queries
simply
to
get
their
own
in.
Roberts,
in
the
center
chair
and
keeping
track
of
the
interjections
from
the
left
and
right,
often
looks
weary,
leaning
head
on
hand.”

PBS
News reported
last
year:

“Arguments
that
usually
lasted
an
hour
in
the
morning
have
stretched
well
beyond
two,
and
on
many
days
it’s
long
past
lunchtime
before
the
court
breaks.”

Professor
William
Baude provided
his
thoughts
for
Reason on
the
turn
taking
approach:

“It
makes
Supreme
Court
oral
arguments
sound
more
and
more
like
congressional
hearings,
where
each
member
is
really
just
waiting
for
their
turn
to
say
their
piece,
with
the
advocate
or
witness
an
incidental
prop.
I
don’t
think
that’s
been
good
for
legislative
committees
and
I
don’t
think
it
will
be
good
for
the
Court
either.”

The
arguments
have
gotten
considerably
longer
since
the
Covid-19
changes
to
argument
protocol
and
there
are
no
signs
that
this
will
change
anytime
soon.
Here
are
the
numbers
through
arguments
so
far
this
term.

While
this
impacts
but
the
time
justices
and
attorneys
speak,
the
time
differences
between
attorneys
and
justices
as
well
as
between
justices
and
other
justices
have
not
been
equal.
Here
is
a
look
at
how
the
split
times
for
attorneys
and
justices
have
changed
since
2010
in
absolute
terms:

Another
logical
question
is
which
justices
have
shifted
their
amount
of
speech
over
this
period.

Interruptions
have
been
examined
in
the
past
both
as
a
general
pattern,
and
in
the
context
of
attorneys based
on
the
genders of
the
interrupter
and
interruptee.
The
examination
below
is
agnostic
as
to
gender
but
looks
at
change
over
time.
Justice-to-attorney
interruptions
are
quite
frequent
and
have
increased
over
time.

Similar
to
talking
time
though,
behavior
in
this
mode
is
not
monolithic.
The
justices
engage
in
differing
amounts
of
interruptive
behavior
and
vary
in
this
respect
over
time.

·
Oral
arguments
are
taking
longer
and
there
is
no
evidence
that
this
will
change
soon.

·
Attorneys
are
speaking
more
on
the
balance
(than
the
justices)
since
the
2014
Term
but
this
ratio
is
about
on
par
with
where
it
was
in
2010

·
Even
if
2020
was
an
outlier
term
due
to
Covid-19,
justices’
interruptions
of
attorneys
are
way
up
since
pre-Covid
years
although
they’ve
shown
a
slight
decrease
over
the
past
few
terms.

·
Justice
Gorsuch
and
Kagan
are
both
speaking
more
and
are
jumping
in
more
frequently
while
attorneys
are
speaking.
Although
there
are
changes
in
the
other
justices’
behavior
these
two
show
the
most
prominent
changes.

Some
articles
on
the
history
of
Supreme
Court
oral
arguments
(with
quote
snippets):

• In
  his
  article From
  Webster
  to
  Word-Processing:
  The
  Ascendance
  of
  the
  Appellate
  Brief,
  previous
  Chief
  Justice William
  Rehnquist
  charts
  a
  path
  through
  some
  of
  these
  changes.
  These
  include:
  • Until
    1821,
    the
    Supreme
    Court
    did
    not
    even
    require
    briefs
    from
    the
    parties.
  • In
    1849,
    the
    Supreme
    Court
    adopted
    a
    rule
    limiting
    oral
    argument
    in
    each
    case
    to
    two
    hours
    per
    side,
    but
    exceptions
    were
    still
    made
    for
    very
    important
    cases.
  • In Ex
    parte
    Milligan…argued
    in
    1866,
    the
    oral
    arguments
    continued
    for
    six
    days.
• David
  Frederick wrote (behind
  a
  paywall):
  • In
    its
    first
    decade,
    the
    Supreme
    Court
    hewed
    to
    the
    English
    oral
    tradition
    of
    appellate
    litigation.
    As
    a
    practical
    matter,
    however,
    even
    that
    tradition
    was
    rather
    informal
    and
    somewhat
    irregular
    throughout
    the
    1790s.
  • Hence,
    in
    1795,
    a
    change
    in
    the
    rules
    advised
    that
    “[t]he
    Court
    gave
    notice
    to
    the
    gentlemen
    of
    the
    bar,
    that
    hereafter
    [the
    Justices]
    will
    expect
    to
    be
    furnished
    with
    a
    statement
    of
    the
    material
    points
    of
    the
    case.
  • During
    the
    Marshall
    Court
    years,
    the
    Court
    began
    a
    steady
    retrenchment
    away
    from
    unlimited
    oral
    arguments
    that
    stemmed
    from
    adoption
    of
    the
    rule
    in
    1792
    incorporating
    King’s
    Bench
    practice.
    In
    1812,
    the
    Court
    issued
    a
    rule
    limiting
    oral
    argument
    to
    only
    two
    counsel
    per
    side
  • Over
    the
    next
    hundred
    years,
    the
    time
    allotted
    to
    oral
    argument
    would
    be
    shortened
    still
    further,
    from
    two
    hours
    per
    side
    to
    thirty
    minutes
    per
    side,
    which
    prevails
    today
    except
    in
    the
    most
    unusual
    cases.
• Chief
  Justice Roberts
  noted (behind
  a
  paywall):
  “the
  sharp
  decline
  in
  the
  number
  of
  opportunities
  for
  lawyers
  to
  argue
  before
  the
  Court
  has
  been
  accompanied,
  perhaps
  paradoxically
  or
  perhaps
  not,
  by
  an
  even
  more
  dramatic
  rise
  in
  the
  number
  of
  experienced
  Supreme
  Court
  advocates
  appearing
  before
  the
  Court,
  both
  in
  absolute
  terms
  and
  proportionately.”

*
Data
sources: Oyez oral
argument
transcripts
and Jake
Truscott’s
SCOTUSText package
in
R.

Read
more
from
Legalytics
here….

---

Adam
Feldman
runs
the
litigation
consulting
company
Optimized
Legal
Solutions
LLC.
Check
out
more
of
his
writing
at

Legalytics
and

Empirical
SCOTUS.
For
more
information,
write
Adam
at [email protected]. Find
him
on
Twitter: @AdamSFeldman.

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$25K November
21,
2024 1950
hours
(client
billable,
pro
bono,
firm
as
client,
maximum
of
50
community
hours);
associates
who
exceeded
hours
expectations
eligible
to
receive
an
“extraordinary”
bonus
(i.e.,
2200
hours
=
addt’l
30%;
2400+
hours
=
addt’l
40%) By
or
before
end
of
January
2025
O’Melveny
Class
of
2024:
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2024 None Undisclosed
Holwell
Shuster
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2024 None On
or
before
December
31,
2024
Davis
Polk
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 None December
27,
2024
Weil
Gotshal
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 None January
31,
2025
White
&
Case
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017:
$115K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 Eligibility
criteria
detailed
in
separate
memo February
14,
2025
Skadden
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
or
$125K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 1800
“productive
hours”
(including
unlimited
pro
bono
time
and
up
to
150
hours
of
productive
non-billable
work) December
13,
2024
Cadwalader
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2016:
$115K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 Additional
bonuses
“equal
to
120%
of
[market
bonuses]”
for
high
billers
with
2200
hours
or
more By
or
before
end
of
February
2025
Proskauer
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2016:
$115K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 None On
or
before
December
24,
2024
Schulte
Roth
&
Zabel
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 2000
hours;
step-up
bonuses
from
$3K
to
$51.75K
for
associates
who
have
made
“extraordinary
contributions”
to
the
firm) January
27,
2025
Covington
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 2000
hours;
(associates
will
see
a
10%
bonus
increase
at
2200
hours,
and
another
10%
bonus
increase
2400
hours) January
2025
Willkie
Farr
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 None December
31,
2024
Akin
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
22,
2024 1950
hours
(including
pro
bono
hours,
general
counsel
hours,
business
development
hours,
and
up
to
100
hours
of
time
spent
on
recruiting,
diversity
&
inclusion,
and/or
innovation
activities);
associates
with
“exceptional”
performance
will
receive
larger
bonuses February
2025
Sidley
Class
of
2023:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2016:
$115K
/
$25K November
25,
2024 2000
hours
required
for
base
bonuses;
associates
with
“higher
productivity
and/or
exceptional
performance”
will
receive
additional
bonuses,
up
to
“more
than
50%
above
base
bonus” Prior
to
December
31,
2024
Baker
Botts
Class
of
2023:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
25,
2024 Based
on
hours
(“enhanced”
bonuses
available
for
“exceptional”
performance) Undisclosed
A&O
Shearman
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
25,
2024 2000
hours
(including
a
minimum
of
25
pro
bono
hours
and
up
to
100
investment
hours
(e.g.,
DEI/mental
health;
personal
development/training;
community
involvement;
management
&
talent
development;
knowledge
development;
origination,
client
relationships,
business
development;
and
market
innovation
group)) January
31,
2025
Katten
Muchin
Class
of
2023:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
25,
2024 2000
hours
(2100
hours
for
$22K-$126.5K;
2200
hours
for
$24K-$138K;
2300
hours
for
$26.5K-$149.5K;
2400
hours
for
$31K-$172.5K);
additional
“superstar”
bonuses
available February
3,
2025
Vinson
&
Elkins
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
25,
2024 Based
on
hours
and
good
standing;
“supplemental
bonuses”
available
for
associates
who
had
an
“exemplary
year” On
or
about
January
31,
2025
Debevoise
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
26,
2024 None Undisclosed
Clifford
Chance
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
26,
2024 None
(based
on
overall
performance,
quality
of
work,
contributions
to
firm,
teamwork,
and
pro
bono) January
15,
2025
Mayer
Brown
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
26,
2024 2000
hours;
associates
eligible
for
addt’l
bonuses
based
on
performance February
28,
2025
Gibson
Dunn
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017:
$115K
/
$25K November
27,
2024 Undisclosed Undisclosed
Seward
&
Kissel
Class
of
2023:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
27,
2024 2000
hours
(1850
billable
hours
and
150
qualified
non-billable
hours);
2200
hours
for
special
bonus
(1850
billable
hours
and
150
qualified
non-billable
hours;
associates
who
“substantially”
exceed
the
eligibility
requirements
for
special
bonuses
may
receive
an
“increased”
special
bonus) First
quarter
of
2025
Fish
&
Richardson
Entry-Level:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
A7:
$115K
/
$25K November
27,
2024 2100
hours
(including
up
to
200
pro
bono/DEI/pitch
hours)
or
strongest
reviews
based
on
quality
of
work December
26,
2024
Morgan
Lewis
Class
of
2023:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K November
27,
2024 1900+
hours
(20
of
which
must
be
pro
bono
hours) January
31,
2025
Wilkinson
Stekloff
Class
of
2024:
$22.5K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017:
$172.5K
/
$25K December
3,
2024 None By
December
13,
2024
Norton
Rose
Fulbright
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
3,
2024 1900
hours
(including
50
FIT
hours)
for
special
bonus
eligibility January
31,
2025
Kramer
Levin
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
4,
2024 Eligible
associates
in
good
standing
will
receive
bonuses February
14,
2025
Cahill
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$7.5K
(prorated)
Class
of
2016:
$115K
/
$40K December
5,
2024 Select
associates
in
Classes
of
2017-2020
who
have
demonstrated
“extraordinary”
performance
eligible
for
a
“super
bonus”
up
to
$200K
(based
on
performance
and
seniority)
in
lieu
of
special
bonus Second
half
of
January
2025
Ross
Aronstam
Class
of
2022:
$30K
/
$10K
Class
of
2016:
$115K
/
$25K December
5,
2024 None December
15,
2024
AZA
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
Class
of
2021:
$57.5K
/
$15K December
6,
2024 None
(based
on
overall
performance;
bonuses
for
elder
class
years
are
individualized) December
13,
2024
Perkins
Coie
Class
of
2024:
$15K
(prorated)
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
6,
2024
December
27,
2024
(special
bonuses) Undisclosed;
associates
report
no
special
bonuses
are
being
awarded;
firm
reversed
course
on
special
bonuses
after
weeks
had
passed Undisclosed
Boies
Schiller
Flexner
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
10,
2024 2000
hours
for
associates
on
the
“market”
system;
95%
of
associates
received
bonuses
as
high
as,
and
in
most
cases
higher
than
market
system
bonuses;
several
associates
received
bonuses
of
$300K+,
while
others
received
bonuses
of
$1M+ Week
of
December
9,
2024
Winston
&
Strawn
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
10,
2024 2000
hours
(additional
bonus
money
for
associates
who
“substantially
exceed”
productivity
goals);
for
special
bonus,
associates
who
meet
or
exceed
their
hours
will
receive
100%;
associates
who
meet
75%
or
more
of
their
hours
will
receive
75%;
associates
between
50-74%
of
their
hours
will
receive
50%;
associates
who
are
under
50%
of
their
hours
will
receive
0% End
of
January
2025
Sullvan
&
Cromwell
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
11,
2024 Undisclosed December
23,
2024
Freshfields
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
11,
2024 Undisclosed Undisclosed
Linklaters
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
12,
2024 1900
hours
(including
unlimited
pro
bono,
up
to
400
hours
of
marketing,
and
other
work);
special
bonuses
awarded
to
associates
with
“higher
productivity”;
the
firm
is
reportedly
requiring
1650
client
billable
hours
for
special
bonus
eligibility December
31,
2024
Pillsbury
Fall
Hires:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
SA
2/Counsel:
$115K
/
$25K December
12,
2024 1700
client/2000
creditable
hours
for
base
bonus;
1900
client/2200
creditable
hours
for
Super
Bonus
1
($20K-$25K,
by
class
year);
2100
client/2400
creditable
hours
for
Super
Bonus
2
($30K
all
class
years);
market
special
bonuses
not
included Undisclosed
Selendy
Gay
Class
of
2024:
$17.25K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$132.25K
/
$25K December
12,
2024 None
(some
associates
will
receive
even
more
bonus
money
based
on
performance,
hours,
and
firm
citizenship;
some
associates
received
bonuses
more
than
50%
above
market) December
13,
2024
Axinn
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
12,
2024 2000
hours;
“extraordinary”
bonuses
available
to
associates
who
surpassed
their
billable
hours
threshold By
December
20,
2024
Gjerset
&
Lorenz
Class
of
2024:
$15K
Class
of
2017:
$115K December
12,
2024 1900
hours
for
base
bonus;
2000
hours
for
$20K-$130K
bonus;
2100
hours
for
$28K-$150K
bonus;
2200
hours
for
$35K-$165K
bonus;
maximum
potential
bonuses
of
$55K-$330K;
additional
bonuses
to
be
paid
out
over
the
next
four
quarters,
with
the
first
installment
on
March
31,
2025 Undisclosed
Elsberg
Baker
&
Maruri
Class
of
2024:
$26.25K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$201.25K
/
$25K December
12,
2024 Undisclosed Undisclosed
Rolnick
Kramer
Sadighi
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
12,
2024 Undisclosed;
the
firm
reportedly
awarded
bonuses
ranging
up
to
150%
over
the
prevailing
market
rate
to
associates Undisclosed
Bursor
&
Fisher
Class
of
2023:
$50K+
Class
of
2020+:
$400K+ December
12,
2024 Undisclosed;
bonuses
are
based
on
business
origination
and
revenue;
highest
bonus
awarded
was
$725K Undisclosed
Cohen
Ziffer
Class
of
2023:
$20K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K December
13,
2024 Undisclosed;
“in
exceptional
circumstances,”
associates
may
receive
higher
bonuses
“based
on
individual
performance” December
13,
2024
Quinn
Emanuel
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
13,
2024 2000-2099
hours
for
$10K-$76.6K;
2100-2399
hours
for
base
bonus;
2400-2699
hours
for
$18K-$138K;
2700+
hours
for
$20.25K-$155.25K Week
of
December
16,
2024
McKool
Smith
Class
of
2024:
$15K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K December
13,
2024 Undisclosed;
high
billers
will
receive
additional
bonus
money,
with
some
exceeding
the
Milbank
scale
by
more
than
35%;
firm
previously
awarded
summer
bonuses
based
on
hours
(1900
hours
for
$2.5K;
1900-2199
hours
for
$7.5K;
2200-2299
hours
for
$10K;
2300-2399
hours
for
$15K;
2400-2599
hours
for
$20K;
2600+
hours
for
$30K) Undisclosed
Susman
Godfrey
Class
of
2022:
$110K
(median)
Class
of
2015:
$260K
(median) December
17,
2024 None Undisclosed
Yetter
Coleman
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
17,
2024 Undisclosed;
“outstanding”
performances
will
be
rewarded
with
“even
higher”
bonus
amounts December
20,
2024
Hogan
Lovells
Class
of
2023:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
17,
2024
December
29,
2024
(special
bonuses) 2000
hours
(including
up
to
150
pro
bono
hours
until
associates
meet
1850
hours,
then
unlimited
pro
bono
hours,
and
including
up
to
50
D&I
hours,
if
they
have
billed
at
least
1800
hours);
additional
bonuses
available
for
those
who
exceed
hours
minimums;
associates
report
no
special
bonuses
are
being
awarded;
firm
reversed
course
on
special
bonuses
after
weeks
had
passed End
of
December
2024
for
year-end
bonuses;
end
of
February
2025
for
special
bonuses
Orrick
Associate
Year
1:
$20K
/
$6K
Senior
Associate
Year
2+:
$115K
/
$25K December
18,
2024 Undisclosed December
31,
2024
(special
bonuses);
Mid-February
2025
(merit
bonuses)
Hueston
Hennigan
Class
of
2023:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
18,
2024 Based
on
class
year,
hours,
and
good
standing;
all
bonus-eligible
associates
reportedly
received
above-market
bonuses
(with
some
receiving
two
or
more
times
the
market
bonus
for
their
class) Undisclosed
Sheppard
Mullin
Level
A1:
$20K
/
$6K
Level
C2:
$115K
/
$25K December
19,
2024 2000
hours
for
base
bonus
and
special
bonus
(1950
hours
for
$10K-$57.5K;
2200
hours
for
$22K-$126.5K;
2400
hours
for
$$24K-$138K) January
17,
2025
Irell
New
Associate:
$45K
(prorated)
7th
Year
(Class
of
2017+):
$175K December
19,
2024 Undisclosed;
further
supplemental
bonuses
to
be
awarded
in
April
or
May
2025 Undisclosed
Choate
Hall
&
Stewart
PA
&
SS:
$6K
Class
of
2024:
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2016+:
$25K December
19,
2024 Undisclosed;
“customary
annual
market
bonuses”
to
be
announced
in
March
2025 March
2025
Morrison
&
Foerster
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
20,
2024 Undisclosed;
high
hours
bonus
of
10/20/40%
of
base
by
class
year
($16.5K
(prorated)
to
$161K)
and
merit
incentive
bonus
of
10/20%
of
base
+
high
hours
by
class
year
($16.5K
(prorated)
to
$192.2K)
also
available;
potential
bonus
total
by
class
year
of
$21K
to
$218.2K Undisclosed
Arnold
&
Porter
Kaye
Scholer
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
20,
2024 2000
hours
for
base
bonus
(1800
of
which
must
be
client
billable);
2200
hours
for
special
bonus
(2000
of
which
must
be
client
billable);
enhanced
bonuses
available
based
on
hours
(2400-2499
hours
(2200
must
be
billable)
for
10%
of
year-end
bonus;
2500-2599
hours
(2300
must
be
billable)
for
15%
of
year-end
bonus;
2600+
hours
(2400
must
be
billable)
for
20%
of
year-end
bonus) January
31,
2025
Alston
&
Bird
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
23,
2024 2000
hours
for
base
bonus
and
special
bonus Undisclosed
DLA
Piper
Class
of
2023:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017+:
$115K
/
$25K December
23,
2024 Bonus
eligibility
based
on
seniority,
performance
rating,
productivity
(the
firm
has
a
2000-hour
billable
goal),
compliance
with
firm
policies,
and
good
standing
status;
2000
hours
for
special
bonus;
enhanced
bonuses
available
for
those
with
performance
ratings
of
four
or
five,
as
well
as
associates
who
billed
more
than
2000
hours
(additional
bonus
increases
for
each
100
billable
hour
threshold
they
meet,
up
to
2700
hours) December
27,
2024
and
February
7,
2025
Perry
Law
Class
of
2023:
$25K
Class
of
2017+:
$120K December
23,
2024 The
firm
is
awarding
bonuses
that
“significantly
exceed
the
Cravath/Milbank
rate
(including
special
bonuses)”;
in
2023,
the
firm
paid
$5K
more
than
market
for
each
class
year By
or
before
the
end
of
December
2024
Massumi
+
Consoli
Class
of
2024:
$2.5K
/
$1.5K
Class
of
2016:
$115K
/
$25K December
24,
2024 1900
hours
(bonuses
may
be
further
adjusted
based
on
billable
hours,
performance
reviews,
and
extraordinary
contributions
to
the
firm) Last
payroll
of
December
2024

Whether
they’re
responding
to
basic
questions,
keeping
track
of
contract
deadlines,
or
simply
searching
their
own
email
archives,
in-house
lawyers
face
numerous
distractions
from
their
most
valuable
tasks.

Which
got
us
asking:
How
are
legal
departments
performing
when
it
comes
to
getting
high-level
legal
and
business
guidance
from
their
in-house
attorneys? 

Are
your
lawyers
buried
in
administrative
chaos,
or
are
they
operating
at
peak
efficiency? 

Please
share
your
thoughts
in
this
(always)
brief
and
anonymous
survey.
Respondents
will
receive
a
chance
to
win
a
$250
gift
card. 

When
it
comes
to
associate
compensation,
Biglaw
is
very
much
an
industry
of
follow
the
leader.
So
when

Milbank
set
the
standard
—
giving
associates
both
year-end
and

special
bonuses
—
the
expectation
was
set
that
the
top
of
Biglaw
would
follow
suit.
When
two
firms,

Perkins
Coie
and

Hogan
Lovells,
that
*should*
have
the
cash
on
hand
to
match
the
industry
standard
failed
to
do
so,
it
caused

quite
the
stir.

And
that’s
probably

underselling
the
situation
at
the
firms.
But
the
powers-that-be
at
*both*
Perkins
and
HoLove
have
responded
to
the
pressure
to
pay
associates
at
the
top
market
rate.
That’s
right,
both
firms
will
pay
associates
special
bonuses
—
ranging
from
$6,000
to
$25,000,
depending
on
seniority.

The
memo
from
HoLove
(available
in
full

on
the
next
page)
specifically
notes
that
the
decision
is
based
on
“among
other
factors,
[associates’]
feedback.”
And
while
Perkins
Coie
is
less
direct
that
the
decision
is
in
direct
response
to
associates’
ire
(full
memo
available

on
the
next
page),
a
firm
spokesperson
did
confirm,
“This
decision
is
consistent
with
our
commitment
to
paying
market-competitive
compensation
and
reflects
the
firm’s
strong
financial
performance
this
year.”

Congrats
to
associates
at
both
firms
for
finally
collecting
that
Biglaw
bank.

Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
important
bonus
updates,
so
when
your
firm
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
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
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
all
of
your
help!

---

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].

---

---

*
Trump
asks
Supreme
Court
to
halt
TikTok
ban.
[Law360]

*
Lawmakers
question
new
judiciary
travel
disclosure
rules
that
seek
to
obscure
travel
before
2022.
Judiciary
expected
to
tell
them
to
pound
sand
and
then
take
a
lobbyist
funded
vacation.
[Reuters]

*
Oklahoma
Attorney
General
dismissed
charges
against
a
police
officer
who
fractured
the
neck
of
a
71-year-old
man
—
requiring
a
feeding
tube
and
surgery
to
address
brain
bleeding
—
because
a
few
bad
apples
have
successfully
spoiled
the
bunch.
[NBC
News]

*
Fifth
Circuit
continues
playing
yo-yo
with
Corporate
Transparency
Act
implementation.
[Bloomberg
Law
News]

*
White
lawyer
explains
how
law
school
diversity
helped
his
career.
[Harvard
Crimson]

*
Proposed
regulation
would
set
rules
for
foreign
company
lobbyists.
Presumably
foreign
government
lobbyists
still
get
to
serve
in
the
next
administration
though.
[National
Law
Journal]

*
Justin
Baldoni’s
lawyers
tease
countersuit
that
will
“shock
everyone.”
[Deadline]

Source:


Zimbabwe’s
inflation
slows
to
3.7
pct
in
December-Xinhua

According
to
the
ZIMSTAT,
the
downward
trend
in
inflation
in
November
and
December,
from
a
peak
of
37.2
percent
in
October,
reflects
the
prevailing
stability
of
prices
and
the
local
currency,
the
Zimbabwe
Gold
(ZiG),
after
the
central
bank
devalued
it
by
43
percent
in
September.

While
presenting
the
2025
national
budget
to
Parliament
in
November,
Finance
Minister
Mthuli
Ncube
said
he
expects
the
ZiG
month-on-month
inflation
to
remain
stable
and
average
below
3
percent
next
year,
backed
by
tight
fiscal
and
monetary
policies.

He
said
the
2025
fiscal
plan
was
built
on
single-digit
inflation
and
a
stable
exchange
rate
to
create
a
favorable
business
environment.

“Any
deviation
from
these
assumptions,
including
the
widening
of
the
premium
between
the
official
and
parallel
markets,
will
severely
impact
macroeconomic
stability,”
he
said.

Post
published
in:

Business