The past year saw a number of law firm leaders and industry observers begin to make peace with the fact that the old way of working—five 12-hour days a week in a traditional office—is likely gone forever. In this year-end episode of Legal Speak, we look back at some of our most popular conversations throughout the year with law firm leaders and industry observers as they set out to navigate this new normal.       

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended the law license of former Republican State Sen. Brian Kelsey after he pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and aiding and abetting the acceptance of excessive contributions stemming from a failed 2016 congressional bid, the court's Board of Professional Responsibility announced last week.       

An ex-convict-turned-lawyer spent nine years practicing law in hopes of turning his life around, but now he'll have to find a new path.       

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit rejected arguments made by the State Bank of Southern Utah that the untimely filing of a complaint—just 16 minutes late—was caused by a technical failure of the bankruptcy court's Electronic Case Files system.       

While 2022 looked a lot more like the days before the pandemic in terms of how society functions, it was anything but a dull year in the news. ALM photographers Diego Radzinschi, who is based in Washington, D.C., and Brooklyn-based Ryland West shot through it all.       

"A provision such as this bears no reasonable relationship to expected damages and is thus unenforceable as a penalty," Associate Justice Sookyoung Shin wrote on behalf of the unanimous panel.       

At its November meeting, the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association concluded that four law schools were out of compliance with ABA Standards.       

"I want to thank Congress for honoring my son Daniel's memory, and for helping protect my brothers and sisters on the bench," said U.S. District Judge Esther Salas of the District of New Jersey. "Judges, and their families, should not live in fear for doing the job they are sworn to do."       

Western District Chief Judge Orlando Garcia cooled off the patent party in Waco last July, but may have restarted it just before his term ended last month.       

Formerly known as the Court of Appeals of Maryland, the state high court will now be dubbed the Supreme Court of Maryland. Additionally, the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland will now be known as the Appellate Court of Maryland, according to an opinion filed Thursday by the state supreme court.       

Lawyers, especially young lawyers, want to work from home. But there are downsides, such as a decrease in networking and personal relationships. How can technology help balance these out so that attorneys and law firms can have their cake and eat it too.       

"I firmly believe that by suspending our participation in the U.S. News rankings we can best fulfill our founding vision to stop talking about what is wrong with legal education and continue to transform it," UNH Law Dean Megan Carpenter said.       

The new rule amendment, adopted by the Mississippi Supreme Court in November but announced this week, replaces the previous rule, enacted in 2019, under which applicants who failed the bar three times were required to successfully complete 12 course hours at an accredited law school before trying again.       

"Drama-infused" training sessions, where attorneys essentially role-play scenarios, are helpful in training attorneys how to deal with complicated, uncomfortable or contentious situations, says Debevoise's Nicole Mesard.       

Megan Walsh, visiting assistant clinical professor, who will serve as director of the clinic, said in a statement that "firearms law is currently one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing areas in the law," adding that there are not enough litigators with expertise in the field; law schools and legal scholars are under-engaged in Second Amendment issues; and the Gun Violence Prevention clinic will contribute to both of these interrelated gaps.       

In a flurry of lawsuits, the trustee of Tom Girardi's Chapter 7 case alleged the checks, many of which were paid to other lawyers, were written with the 'actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud any creditor.'       

Alan Bean consistently said the artifacts were his separate property, and Congress confirmed "full ownership" and "clear title" of such artifacts in 2012 when it enacted HR 4158.       

The rise comes despite the fact a number of firms have decreased the round of promotions this year.       

In planned congressional testimony published by Forbes, Sam Bankman-Fried alleged that FTX General Counsel Ryne Miller hired Sullivan & Cromwell, his former law firm, to help it earn massive legal fees on the company's bankruptcy.       

"It clearly showed some remarkable work by the Office of Investigative and Market Analytics and Division of Risk and Economic Analysis," said Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer partner Christian Schultz.       

Attorney Beth Baldinger said younger lawyers at her firm "only know the law through the computer. They don't get on their feet in front of a judge. It's not the same."       

Mark Savignac was fired from Jones Day in January 2019 after pledging to fight its unequal parental leave policy in court and in public.       

Claudio Lizana, who co-led Carey's antitrust and regulated markets group, has taken two associates with him to form Estudio Lizana.       

The Association of American Law Schools could provide what students really need: a guide that gives applicants a balanced view of what different law schools offer and a discussion of what matters and why.       

A number of factors have meant large-scale London events have been toned down this December.       

Our New Partners Survey with Law.com Compass shows that while the recently promoted are happy for the title, they don't feel prepared—particularly in a downturn.       

If the FTC wins the latest Microsoft antitrust case, it could open the door for more vertical integration lawsuits from regulators.       

All seven come from the conservative side of the court and will join Jones Day as associates.       

"The strategy in a nutshell was really putting ourselves in the position of retirees," said plaintiff attorney Miguel Dominguez of Morgan & Morgan in Atlanta. "How much is it worth to have a retirement plan and to get to the threshold of it and then have to deal with persistent neck and back pain everyday of your life since a wreck five years ago?"       

Big Law firms are taking advantage of a string of exits from the government, as expectations rise that DOJ and SEC enforcement actions will ramp up.       

Almost a year on from the changes and following the exit of corporate star Nick Rumsby, doubts have been raised over its success.       

The proposal seeks to "clarify" the range of damages available to plaintiffs in federal civil suits that claim emotional harm under federal civil rights laws.       

This year has seen some momentous examples of inadvertent data disclosures. Observers point out that, while many leaks are preventable, protecting data is not as easy as you might think, and it's only getting harder.       

The hires come as tax matters have taken on more urgency and complexity in Mexico, where the administration of Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lo pez Obrador has adopted tough tactics in an effort to improve tax collection.       

The news and analysis you need to start your day.       

Judge William Alsup awarded $5.9 million in fees against Finjan last year while criticizing the conduct of its trial counsel. But on Wednesday, Federal Circuit judges suggested Alsup might not have been specific enough in his order to justify the entire fee award.       

Republicans called the former leader of Faith in Action a "pathetic grifter" and a "documented liar" over claims he made that Justice Samuel Alito leaked the court's Hobby Lobby decision in 2014.       

"I make no bones about being a demanding client, but I think it's incumbent upon me to express appreciation to the lawyers that provide that service," said Eric Greenberg, general counsel of CMG Media.       

With Warnock's win, the Biden administration appeared to enjoy greater leeway to fill the courts.      Related StoriesBench Report: Ex-Judge Talks Fate of Electoral Count Act + DC Circuit's 'Decorum' Policy - EnclosureBench Report: 'Oddly Interesting': PACER User Group Members Reflect on End of Inaugural Term, Welcome New Members - EnclosureBench Report: Legislators Make a Push to Add Judgeships + Senate Judiciary Drama - Enclosure 

Supporters of the SAFE Banking Act are frustrated that despite two years of Democratic control of the White House and Congress, lawmakers have been unable to get the key piece of cannabis-related legislation passed.       

Despite the growing cost and competition in the city, New York was projected to be the strongest market for demand through 2024, according to a Citi and Hildebrandt report this week.       

Nance will be the 10th recipient of the award, which was established in 2012 to honor the legacy of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who received the inaugural award in 2013, according to AALS.       

"There have been only nine occasions on which this court has suspended an attorney's license for two years or longer without staying any part of the penalty. In light of the facts and circumstances of this case, I cannot agree that the respondent should be the 10th member of this Ring of Dishonor," West Virginia Supreme Court Justice William R. Wooton wrote.       

"This is trying to stop or dissuade lawyers from taking these cases which is what has happened in many other states," said David Mazie of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman. "They reduce litigation because it's not worth it for lawyers to take these risks and bring these cases. At the end of the day, the people who get hurt are those truly hurt by medical malpractice."       

U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg ruled that plaintiffs' experts in the Zantac multidistrict litigation had "unreliable methodologies" and "analytical leaps" from existing data.       

Despite a Dec. 25 law that promises to open up the EU class action framework, U.S. firms face hurdles to expanding globally if they don't have the backing of funders and local firms.       

Compliance leaders recognize that Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is a growing concern for U.S. companies, but face challenges in determining how to embed compliance structures into their programs. One solution is to look to already existing anti-bribery and corruption (AB&C) compliance measures.       

"The legal service that you get from a law firm is sometimes only as good as you direct it," said Liz Lugones, chief operating officer of UpLevel Ops.       

In an attempt to address the lack of face-to-face training that is affecting the wider industry, the firm has said that if a junior lawyer's room is empty of colleagues, they must move into a room with other lawyers.       

The news and analysis you need to start your day.