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Expert Analysis

• From Clerkship To Law Firm: 5 Transition Tips For Associates

  Excerpt from

  

  Transitioning from a judicial clerkship to an associate position at a law firm may seem daunting, but by using knowledge gained while clerking, being mindful of key differences and taking advantage of professional development opportunities, these attorneys can flourish in private practice, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

• Trump Tax Law's Most Consequential International Changes

  

  The international tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act may result in higher effective tax rates for some multinational corporations, but others, particularly those operating in low-tax jurisdictions, may benefit from alignment with global anti-profit shifting efforts, say attorneys at Weil.

• Associates Can Earn Credibility By Investing In Relationships

  

  As the class of 2025 prepares to join law firms this fall, new associates must adapt to office dynamics and establish credible reputations — which require quiet, consistent relationship-building skills as much as legal acumen, says Kyle Forges at Bast Amron.

• Filing Clarifies FTC, DOJ's Passive Investment Stance

  

  The antitrust agencies' statement of interest filed in Texas v. Blackrock clarifies that certain forms of corporate governance engagement are permissible under the "solely for investment" exemption, a move that offers guidance for passive investors but also signals new scrutiny of coordinated engagement, say attorneys at Stinson.

• Lessons From 7th Circ.'s Deleted Chat Sanctions Ruling

  

  The Seventh Circuit’s recent decision in Pable v. Chicago Transit Authority, affirming the dismissal of an ex-employee’s retaliation claims, highlights the importance of properly handling the preservation of ephemeral messages and clarifies key sanctions issues, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

• Series

  Quilting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Turning intricate patterns of fabric and thread into quilts has taught me that craftsmanship, creative problem-solving and dedication to incremental progress are essential to creating something lasting that will help another person — just like in law, says Veronica McMillan at Kramon & Graham.

• Utility Agency Suits May Rise As Calif. Justices Nix Deference

  

  A recent California Supreme Court ruling rejecting the uniquely deferential standard of review accorded to California Public Utilities Commission decisions interpreting the Public Utilities Code will incentivize more litigation against the agency, as long as litigants can show their challenges meet certain requirements, says Thaila Sundaresan at Davis Wright.

• Sanctions Considerations For Reentering The Syrian Market

  

  Reentering or opening new markets in Syria, now that the Trump administration has revoked certain long-standing sanctions and export controls, necessitates increased due diligence and best practices capable of adapting to a changing local environment as well as future changes in U.S. law, say attorneys at Nixon Peabody.

• What 2 Profs Noticed As Transactional Law Students Used AI

  

  After a semester using generative artificial intelligence tools with students in an entrepreneurship law clinic, we came away with numerous observations about the opportunities and challenges such tools present to new transactional lawyers, say professors at Cornell Law School.

• State AGs Are Turning Up The Antitrust Heat On ESG Actions

  

  Recent antitrust developments from red state attorneys general continue a trend of environmental, social and governance scrutiny, and businesses exposed to these areas should conduct close examinations of strategy and potential material risk, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• Top Takeaways From Trump's AI Action Plan

  

  President Donald Trump's AI Action Plan represents some notable evolution in U.S. policy, including affirmation of the administration's trend toward prioritizing artificial intelligence innovation over guardrails and toward supporting greater U.S. private sector reach overseas, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

• Ill. Toxic Tort Jurisdiction Law Raises Constitutional Concerns

  

  Illinois' S.B. 328, purporting to broaden state courts' jurisdictional reach over out-of-state corporations, is presented as a measure aimed at facilitating recovery in toxic tort cases, but the legislation raises significant due process and dormant commerce clause issues, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• Rebuttal

  BigLaw Settlements Should Not Spur Ethics Deregulation

  

  A recent Law360 op-ed argued that loosening law firm funding restrictions would make BigLaw firms less inclined to settle with the Trump administration, but deregulating legal financing ethics may well prove to be not merely ineffective, but counterproductive, says Laurel Kilgour at the American Economic Liberties Project.

• Environmental Justice Is Alive And Well At The State Level

  

  Even as the Trump administration has rolled back federal environmental justice policies, many states continue to prioritize it, with new regulations, strengthened enforcement of existing rules and ongoing private litigation — so companies must stay alert to how state-level EJ enforcement may affect their operations, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

• 5 Ways Lawyers Can Earn Back The Public's Trust

  

  Amid salacious headlines about lawyers behaving badly and recent polls showing the public’s increasingly unfavorable view of attorneys, we must make meaningful changes to our culture to rebuild trust in the legal system, says Carl Taylor at Carl Taylor Law.