David Lat

New Jersey

Lawyer turned writer, speaker, podcaster: Original Jurisdiction, https://t.co/hBEAtRCUxV. Author, @SCOTUSambitions. Founder, AboveTheLaw/@ATLblog.🏳️‍🌈

Articles

Trump Executive Orders Expose-And Exploit-Biglaw Vulnerability

1 day ago | davidlat.substack.com | David Lat

Welcome to Original Jurisdiction, the latest legal publication by me, David Lat. You can learn more about Original Jurisdiction by reading its About page, and you can email me at [email protected]. This is a reader-supported publication; you can subscribe by clicking here. A version of this article originally appeared on Bloomberg Law, part of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc. (800-372-1033), and is reproduced here with permission.
Big Law Weaknesses, Partner Loyalty Tested Under Trump Orders

1 day ago | news.bloomberglaw.com | David Lat

On the surface, large law firms look stronger than they’ve ever been. The nation’s 100 largest firms collectively generated a record $158 billion in gross revenue last year. Kirkland & Ellis became the first law firm in history to break the $8 billion mark in revenue—and posted profits per equity partner of $9.25 million.
Judicial Notice (04.20.25): All Fed Up

3 days ago | davidlat.substack.com | David Lat

This week’s Judicial Notice is sponsored byLexSelect helps lawyers work 12x faster by eliminating tedious, low-value tasks and freeing up time for high-value, billable work. It seamlessly extracts and cites text from any PDF—including transcripts, affidavits, contracts, and expert reports—cutting up to 50 hours of manual work per trial down to just 4. Save time, reduce errors, and stay focused on what matters: advocating your case and serving your clients.
Advana Coverage - Breaking Defense

1 week ago | breakingdefense.com | Carley Welch |David Lat |Elie Mystal

As her signature “Open DAGIR” initiative seeks to bring in smaller, innovative software firms, “we’ve got to be a lot more explicit” in contracting language to protect their intellectual property and data rights, said Chief Digital & AI Officer Radha Plumb. By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
‘Fight With Everything You Have’: David Oscar Markus

1 week ago | davidlat.substack.com | David Lat

It isn’t easy being a criminal-defense attorney. Your clients are counting on you, often with their liberty on the line. You work your heart out for them. And in the end, at least once your client has been charged, the odds are high that they’ll end up convicted—whether through pleading guilty or losing at trial. In the federal system, fewer than one percent of defendants get acquitted.
Improve Your Health-With Help From a Well-Known Federal Judge

2 weeks ago | davidlat.substack.com | David Lat

The prospect of massive new tariffs is sending shock waves through the global economy. Financial markets are gyrating wildly. The legal profession is under attack, with Biglaw as a top target. Lawyers and judges have an important role to play in standing up for the rule of law. Our efforts are especially useful when they’re focused on our own workplaces and communities, where we have the greatest ability to make a difference.
The 2025 U.S. News Rankings: All Hail The... T17?

2 weeks ago | davidlat.substack.com | David Lat

On Monday, U.S. News published its 2025 Best Law Schools rankings. There were some hiccups, as reported by Above the Law—as there sometimes have been in the past, including times when incorrect rankings were published—but it appears that we now have the final word. This year, U.S. News left its methodology largely unchanged, so we didn’t see the huge moves that we saw in the 2023 rankings—but there were still some noteworthy shifts.
Improve Your Health-With Help From a Well-Known Federal Judge

2 weeks ago | news.bloomberglaw.com | David Lat

Massive new tariffs are sending shock waves through the global economy. Financial markets are gyrating wildly. The legal profession is under attack, with Big Law as a top target. Lawyers and judges have an important role to play in standing up for the rule of law. Our efforts are especially useful when they’re focused on our own workplaces and communities, where we have the greatest ability to make a difference.
biotechnology Coverage - Breaking Defense

2 weeks ago | breakingdefense.com | David Lat |Elie Mystal |Staci Zaretsky |Kashmir Hill

Defense industry news, analysis and commentary Featured: Sea Air Space » Space Symposium » Indo-Pacific » The Weekly Break Out » Over $1 billion would pass through the Pentagon, researching shelf-stable blood for casualties, new lubricants for engines, more powerful explosives, and more. Commission Chairman Sen. Todd Young hopes to get the first funds in the 2026 NDAA. While billions pour into pharmaceutical biotech, officials and experts warn there’s much less private investment in products...
Judicial Notice (04.06.25): Let’s Make A Deal

2 weeks ago | davidlat.substack.com | David Lat

This week’s Judicial Notice is sponsored byWith a presence in over a dozen cities across the United States and Asia, Lateral Link boasts an expert recruiting team of former practicing attorneys dedicated to sourcing top-tier legal talent for a diverse clientele, including major international law firms and Fortune 500 companies. To learn more about Lateral Link, please visit our website. I hoped that last week would be less overwhelming for me than the week before, and that hope was realized.