Expert Analysis

• 5 Considerations for Year-End Immigration Budget Planning

  

  Courtney Noce and Miriam Thompson at Greenberg Traurig offer insights to help companies with year-end immigration budget planning, a complex process with many factors affecting expenses, from changes in corporate policy or structure, to anticipated fee increases and the uncertainties inherent in visa processing.

• How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing

  

  Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

• Opinion

  Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats

  

  Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.

• How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies

  

  Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.

• Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

  

  Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

• Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times

  

  As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

• Tips For Student Visa Applicants Mired In Processing Delays

  

  Notwithstanding procedural changes at the U.S. Department of State that provided hope for more timely and predictable visa processing outcomes, international student applications continue to risk becoming bogged down in administrative processing, but certain steps may improve the situation, say Carl Risch and Lauren Epstein at Mayer Brown.

• 5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices

  

  The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.

• Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees

  

  The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

• What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review

  

  Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Series

  Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

• How A Gov't Shutdown Would Affect Immigration Processing

  

  While a government shutdown would certainly create issues and cause delays for immigration processing, independently funded functions would continue for at least a limited time, and immigration practitioners can expect agencies to create reasonable exceptions and provide guidance for navigating affected matters once operations resume, say William Stock and Sarah Holler at Klasko Immigration Law Partners.

• Opinion

  Smart Immigration Reform Can Improve Health Care Access

  

  With the U.S. health care crisis expected to worsen due to ongoing nationwide physician shortages, immigration reform can provide one short-term solution to bring more trained doctors to medically underserved areas, says Sarah Peterson at Fragomen.

• Opinion

  Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues

  

  Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

• How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI

  

  When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.