For most lawyers, capturing all of your billable time is a top priority. After all, many lawyers still charge by the billable hour, and if you won’t get paid for billable time if you fail to track it. This is even more important now that we’re in the midst of a pandemic, since cash flow is less predictable due to the impact of COVID-19.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” is coming in from the dark. The shadow docket has attracted growing scrutiny recently as President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly filed applications with the high court seeking emergency relief on a range of matters.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners has a remote proctoring requirement for states using its testing materials in October online bar exams. However, according to one of three bar exam software providers that recently pulled out of the online exam, the mandate may not be possible to carry out.
The ACA has extended coverage to more than 20 million people while providing protections for women who had faced discrimination from insurers and struggled to obtain coverage. In the coming term, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear California v. Texas, which casts doubt on the future of women’s ability to obtain affordable insurance.
The Utah Supreme Court has unanimously approved a slate of reforms that allow for nonlawyer ownership or investment in law firms and permit current legal services providers to try new ways of serving clients during a two-year pilot period.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the October online bar exam planned by the NCBE has been described as an “emergency remote testing option.” Additionally, it will not offer a portable score because it’s shorter than the Uniform Bar Exam. But that hasn’t stopped some jurisdictions from making their own reciprocity agreements with each other.
On the one hand, calls for police reform are causing companies and institutions to reconsider a high-tech infrastructure that civil liberties groups and activists say perpetuate racial injustice and police brutality. On the other hand, lawmakers are looking at how data and tech can improve accountability and identify police officers with a pattern of misconduct.
“The Army-McCarthy hearings would rightfully be compared to a soap opera, even though there was no infidelity or seduction, the plot meandered, and the only real star was a hired-gun solicitor,” writes author Larry Tye.
Following an in-person July bar exam, some test-takers claim that public health measures were not handled properly during the administration of the test amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, one bar candidate found out that she tested positive for the novel coronavirus shortly after the exam ended.
COVID-19 has been an unwelcome part of our reality for more than four months now. It has affected all aspects of our lives, from personal to professional. The impact on businesses, including law firms, has been dramatic. According to a June survey from MyCase, one of the biggest struggles lawyers have encountered due to the pandemic is maintaining financial stability.
