In-house Counsel

Court’s religious training order for attorneys ‘plainly exceeded remedial bounds,’ 5th Circuit says

A federal appeals court ruled last week that a federal judge erred when he required lawyers for Southwest Airlines to attend “religious liberty training” for failing to comply with a court order.

May 12, 2025 12:45 PM CDT

Future Forward: How lawyers can embrace sustainability

Sustainable development means more than “being green,” says John Dernbach, an emeritus professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School and the founding director of its Environmental Law and Sustainability Center. Rather, he says, sustainable development balances environmental protection, economic development and social justice.

Apr 1, 2025 3:00 AM CDT

Are you a neurodivergent lawyer? The ABA wants to hear your story

The ABA Commission on Disability Rights is seeking neurodivergent legal professionals for a new project that will highlight their valuable contributions to the workplace.

Feb 12, 2025 10:28 AM CST

Most lawyers aren’t using AI to address growing workloads, new report says

A new study has found that most legal professionals are not yet using artificial intelligence to address increasing workload challenges.

Jan 16, 2025 10:15 AM CST

What are ethical obligations for an organization’s counsel when giving legal advice to constituents?

When an organization’s in-house counsel or outside counsel communicates legal advice to its constituents, it should be clear that the lawyer represents the organization, not the individuals, according to a new ABA ethics opinion.

Jan 8, 2025 10:02 AM CST

Former Moody’s GC gets prison time for tax-filing failure on $54M income while life ‘all fell apart’

Updated: The former general counsel at the Moody's Corp., a financial services company, was sentenced to eight months in prison last week for failing to file tax returns while earning $54 million.

Oct 29, 2024 9:06 AM CDT

Companies pay big bucks signing bonuses to lure legal chiefs; who received more than $10M?

Legal chiefs are being enticed to join new companies with big signing bonuses and stock opportunities that sometimes exceed millions of dollars.

Sep 4, 2024 11:38 AM CDT

These 3 law firms are paying summer bonuses; will BigLaw follow?

Is the summer-bonus bandwagon for associates getting revved up? Law firms in California, Texas and New York have announced summer bonuses collectively ranging from $2,500 to $30,000.

Jun 25, 2024 9:02 AM CDT

Religious-liberty training order likely violates lawyers’ constitutional rights, 5th Circuit says

In-house lawyers for Southwest Airlines would “likely suffer a violation of their constitutional rights” if they had to comply with a judge’s order for religious-liberty training taught by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal advocacy group, a federal appeals court said Friday.

Jun 10, 2024 10:33 AM CDT

Top artificial intelligence insurance tips for lawyers

To better advise artificial intelligence decisions, lawyers should know the benefits, shortcomings and best practices of incorporating insurance into AI risk management.

May 10, 2024 1:52 PM CDT

You can’t litigate your way into Kentucky Derby, says Churchill Downs’ general counsel

The Kentucky Derby has long been known as “the fastest two minutes in sports,” but the 150th Run for the Roses on Saturday will take place without Muth, a horse some say may have been the fastest in the field this year.

May 2, 2024 1:56 PM CDT

Former general counsel failed to file federal tax returns while earning $54M, he admits in guilty plea

The former general counsel for the Moody’s Corp. pleaded guilty last week to willfully failing to pay tax returns during a four-year period in which he earned $54 million in total gross income.

Apr 30, 2024 9:30 AM CDT

From Intake to Outcome: An in-house lawyer’s guide to matter management solutions

In today's fast-paced world, in-house teams require robust tools to manage the complexities of their daily workflows. Matter management software fills this gap and provides a comprehensive solution that streamlines processes from case intake to resolution while also facilitating collaboration with members of internal legal teams and outside counsel.

Apr 19, 2024 2:09 PM CDT

4 data security considerations for GCs when engaging contract lawyers

Contract management. Compliance updates. Discovery responses. Intellectual property portfolio management. These rote, often-time-consuming tasks can all be part of an in-house counsel’s day-to-day schedule. The problem? Many can devolve into costly time sinks for a legal department’s salaried talent.

Apr 17, 2024 3:08 PM CDT

Why I Created a Legal Podcast: To learn, connect and grow

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have a law school class on networking, business development or client service. Even during my time as a law firm associate, training on these professional skills was informal (at best) but mostly observational as I listened on speakerphone or sat quietly at a client lunch while the partner carried the conversations. There was no structured training in these essential business skills.

Mar 1, 2024 11:15 AM CST