Above The Law

The Latest In Iran And An Update In The Anthropic Saga This week on The Weekly Break Out, we talk Iran developments and the latest in the back-and-forth between Anthropic and the Pentagon.

The Latest In Iran And An Update In The Anthropic Saga
https://breakingdefense.com/2026/03/the-latest-in-iran-and-an-update-in-the-anthropic-saga/

Morning Docket: 03.11.26 * Ed Martin formally charged by D.C. disciplinary authorities. In case you were wondering why the DOJ is so adamant about banning local licensing authorities from investigating ethical breaches. [CNN] * Journalists from Law360 join sibling publication writers in protesting parent company RELX signing a LexisNexis deal with ICE. Reuters journalists also asked about the various deals Thomson Reuters has with Homeland Security. [ABA Journal] * Berkeley now has a month-long 1L course on dealing with early recruiting. Hey, offer it for the whole year! Just move Torts and Contracts to 2L... it's not like the firms care about those grades anyway. [The Recorder] * Judiciary plans to make electronic filing and records system upgrades a priority after hacking incident. With this decision to fast-track an overhaul we could be looking at a truly modern PACER in... I don't know... 10 years or so. [Reuters] * Judiciary sit down continued long-running discussion of lower court judges needing more security and the Chief Justice... not really doing anything about it. [Law360] * NASDAQ changing its rules to bring on SpaceX, and historically, great things happen when the financial industry throws out all its standards to appease billionaires! [CNBC] * Lawyer convicted of stalking legal blogger sentenced to community service and plans to appeal. [Legal Cheek]

Morning Docket: 03.11.26
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/morning-docket-03-11-26/

Spotted at #Legalweek26! Litera brought puppies to the show floor, and yes, it’s exactly as adorable as it sounds.

The Path To AI Maturity: What Leaders Should Consider In The Coming Year - Above the Law AI is rapidly becoming an everyday reality. This CLE webinar will provide insights on how to get ahead of the transforming AI legal landscape.

The Path To AI Maturity: What Leaders Should Consider In The Coming Year. AI is rapidly becoming an everyday reality. This CLE webinar, sponsored by Litify, will provide insights on how to get ahead of the transforming AI legal landscape. abovethelaw.com/2026/03/the-...

GenAI: A Slippery Slope Of Too Much Kool-Aid? How much GenAI writing is too much GenAI writing?

GenAI: A Slippery Slope Of Too Much Kool-Aid?
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/genai-a-slippery-slope-of-too-much-kool-aid/

It Took Years For Congress To Enact PBM Transparency, Delinking. What About Vertical Integration? Experts say the bipartisan Break Up Big Medicine Act — aimed at breaking up vertically integrated healthcare companies — faces slim chances of passing despite recent PBM reforms.

It Took Years For Congress To Enact PBM Transparency, Delinking. What About Vertical Integration?
https://medcitynews.com/2026/03/congress-pbm-vertical-integration/

Morning Docket: 03.10.26 * Anthropic sues over Defense Department blackballing with WilmerHale's help. [BBC] * Court rules that the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office continues to be run by illegal appointees. [Reuters] * Ballard Spahr enjoys healthy boost following merger. [American Lawyer] * Ticketmaster trial thrown for a loop as administration settles its antitrust claims. [Courthouse News Service] * AI law firm founder says she's working harder now than she did in Biglaw. [Fortune] * Brett Kavanaugh claims anyone suggesting that the Supreme Court is issuing far more shadow docket opinions in support of the administration have "short" memories. Brett Kavanaugh is on the Supreme Court because he spent his nomination hearings swearing he didn't recall anything about his past. [Law360] * ChatGPT sued for telling a woman to fire her lawyer. [Forbes]

Morning Docket: 03.10.26
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/morning-docket-03-10-26/

Legal Costs: Managing Outside Counsel Like a Pro. Hosts Steph Corey & Ken Callander chat with Grubhub's Katie Armistead on smart legal spend strategies. Catch the full episode! https://ow.ly/6xf650YrLZ5

The Law Schools That Are Working The Hardest To Expand The Pipeline To The Legal Profession The Justice & Opportunity Honor Roll recognizes meaningful efforts to make law school more accessible.

The Law Schools That Are Working The Hardest To Expand The Pipeline To The Legal Profession
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/the-law-schools-that-are-working-the-hardest-to-expand-the-pipeline-to-the-legal-profession/

Hourly billing and AI clash. Jess Birkin urges flat-fee models plus AI for better margins and growth. Listen to the full “Adventures in Legal Tech” conversation on AI, efficiency, and business planning for solos: https://ow.ly/zjtA50Yp8KG

The Justice Department Is Lowering Its Ethical Guardrails For generations, strict limits on the DOJ's political activity helped sustain trust. Weakening those limits threatens to erode it.

The Justice Department Is Lowering Its Ethical Guardrails
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/the-justice-department-is-lowering-its-ethical-guardrails/

DOJ’s Defense Of Trump’s Biglaw Executive Orders: Look How Many Firms We Scared Into Compliance! Turning Biglaw's capitulation into a legal argument.

DOJ’s Defense Of Trump’s Biglaw Executive Orders: Look How Many Firms We Scared Into Compliance!
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/dojs-defense-of-trumps-biglaw-executive-orders-look-how-many-firms-we-scared-into-compliance/

AI Contracts Are Moving Faster Than The Laws. In-House Counsel Can’t Wait. In-house counsel do not need perfect foresight.

AI Contracts Are Moving Faster Than The Laws. In-House Counsel Can’t Wait.
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/ai-contracts-are-moving-faster-than-the-laws-in-house-counsel-cant-wait/

Judge Rules That Kari Lake Is Still A Loser Making the Federal Vacancies Reform Act great again.

Judge Rules That Kari Lake Is Still A Loser
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/judge-rules-that-kari-lake-is-still-a-loser/

8am’s Smart Spend Enhancement: Analogue Thinking In A GenAI World The unheralded things that aren’t GenAI can still be critical to getting what lawyers want and need to get done.

8am’s Smart Spend Enhancement: Analogue Thinking In A GenAI World
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/8ams-smart-spend-enhancement-analogue-thinking-in-a-genai-world/

Anthropic CEO Says Pentagon Ban Less Harsh Than Hegseth Had Threatened CEO Dario Amodei said he would still sue to overturn the designation of Anthropic as a “supply chain risk,” but he said the company was “having productive conversations with the Department of War” — which Pentagon CTO Emil Michael promptly denied.

Anthropic CEO Says Pentagon Ban Less Harsh Than Hegseth Had Threatened
https://breakingdefense.com/2026/03/anthropic-ceo-says-pentagon-ban-less-harsh-than-hegseth-had-threatened/

Morning Docket: 03.09.26 * After about-face on withdrawing lawsuits against law firms, Justice Department uncorks almost 100 pages of vitriol against federal judges for ruling against the administration generally. [NY Times] * Book publishers sue what they're calling a shadow library that provided materials for AI training. [Law360] * John Quinn tells the Brits that American lawyers work harder. Which may be true, but you don't rub that in! [The Times] * Profiling the judge who ordered the administration to start issuing tariff refunds. [New York Law Journal] * The administration is pushing the Supreme Court to weaken the federal judiciary. And so far the Court seems on board. [Reuters] * Court strikes down... basically everything about how Voice of America has been run. [NPR]

Morning Docket: 03.09.26
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/morning-docket-03-09-26/

Job Of The Month: Real Estate General Counsel - Above the Law The organization is in tremendous growth mode.

Job Of The Month: Real Estate General Counsel - presented by Kinney Recruiting

The organization is in tremendous growth mode. Learn more: abovethelaw.com/2026/03/job-...

Change Change Change — See Generally But If We Changed The Rules...: Department of Justice proposes new rule that allows Pam Bondi to decide if any of her lawyers violated state ethics rules. This should work out great! Trump Over Grades: Law school tells students that prestigious jobs are open if they're loyal to Trump, and that GPA isn't much of a factor. Bye Bye Piece Of The Equity Pie: Arnold & Porter creates income tier. What If We Just Get Rid Of The Author?: Federal Circuit dissents drop once they invent a new exception to life tenure to get rid of Judge Newman. DOJ Gives Up Unconstitutional Nonsense Case... OR DO THEY?!?: Trump's attempt to ruin Biglaw firms who wouldn't pay him off dies a quiet death in court. Then, within 24 hours, the DOJ tells the court that it's reversing itself and would like to continue illegally harassing law firms. Speaking Of Reversals: The Florida Bar opened an investigation into ethically challenged government lawyer Lindsey Halligan. And then immediately announced that it didn't know anything about that. AI Could Mess Up The Outside Counsel Relationship: This tech may not replace lawyers, but it might replace which lawyers do the work.

Change Change Change — See Generally
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/change-change-change-see-generally/

Go inside the legal power structures as the Epstein files expose the gap between Big Law's prestige and its practice. Catch the full episode: https://ow.ly/Oizl50YmaoQ

The Government Does The Leaking Around Here — See Also Two Doxing Systems: Apparently the government can dox anyone with no consequences. One Hell Of An Oopsie: The Florida Bar took Lindsey Halligan to task. Until they didn't? Focused On Social Justice?: These are the law schools to keep on your radar! University Of Kentucky Nabs Their New Dean: Who better than a federal judge alum!? Mentorship Matters: Judges should take more law students under their wings.

The Government Does The Leaking Around Here — See Also
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/the-government-does-the-leaking-around-here-see-also/

The Legal Industry’s Embarrassing Gender Pay Gap That's... discouraging.

The Legal Industry’s Embarrassing Gender Pay Gap
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/the-legal-industrys-embarrassing-gender-pay-gap/

The New Way Litigators Handle Depositions Applies AI Every Step Of The Way - Above the Law Depositions by Filevine help with scheduling, tracking goals, and trial prep.

The New Way Litigators Handle Depositions Applies AI Every Step Of The Way.

Depositions by @filevine.bsky.social (sponsor) help with scheduling, tracking goals, and trial prep. Learn more: abovethelaw.com/2026/03/the-...

The Best Law Schools For Social Justice (2026) If you're interested in social justice, you need to see this list.

The Best Law Schools For Social Justice (2026)
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/the-best-law-schools-for-social-justice-2026/

How Appealing Weekly Roundup The week in appellate news.

How Appealing Weekly Roundup
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/how-appealing-weekly-roundup-160/

Ever wonder what it's like to run a law firm's law firm? Sandra Cohen shares insights on thriving in boutique firms and executive compensation. Listen now: https://ow.ly/wrmO50Ym99A

Lindsey Halligan Under Investigation And The DOJ Is Big Mad About It Well, that's probably why Pam Bondi started making up rules this week.

Lindsey Halligan Under Investigation And The DOJ Is Big Mad About It
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/lindsey-halligan-under-investigation-and-the-doj-is-big-mad-about-it/

The CLE Encore: Turning Success Into Long-Term Growth Your CLE may have been a hit, but the impact can continue long after the applause fades.

The CLE Encore: Turning Success Into Long-Term Growth
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/the-cle-encore-turning-success-into-long-term-growth/

Judges To AG Pam Bondi: It’s OK For The Gov’t To Dox People, But Not OK For People To Dox Gov’t Employees? From the people-with-least-power-should-be-exposed-the-most? dept

Judges To AG Pam Bondi: It’s OK For The Gov’t To Dox People, But Not OK For People To Dox Gov’t Employees?
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/judges-to-ag-pam-bondi-its-ok-for-the-govt-to-dox-people-but-not-ok-for-people-to-dox-govt-employees/

Litera Celebrates Creative Use Of Foundation With Innovation Awards, Crowning Troutman Pepper Locke As Winner - Above the Law A group of Litera Foundation customers recently gathered to share the transformative applications they’re discovering. Here, we’re profiling how a group of elite firms are staying on the cutting edge.

A group of Litera Foundation customers recently gathered to share the transformative applications they’re discovering. Here, we’re profiling how a group of elite firms is staying on the cutting edge. See who Litera (sponsor) crowns the winner of the Foundation With Innovation Award.