Legal Market Insights
- “Graduates Look to Skip Big Law, Go Straight to Plaintiffs’ Firms,” 05.01.26. Bloomberg Law profiles some student members of the National Plaintiffs’ Law Association, who are planning to go directly to plaintiffs’ firms after graduation, noting, “Some see trial work as the best way to weather the incoming disruption caused by generative artificial intelligence, while others ditched Big Law amid President Donald Trump’s attacks on law firms last year.” Don’t miss the follow up article, in which David Lat offers tips for those who are interested in plaintiff-side litigation.
- “The Rhythm of Public Defense,” 04.23.2026. In this article in the Spring 2026 issue of Richmond Law Magazine, Merle Damico, L’24, discusses their work as an assistant public defender with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. Damico reflects, “I need to be in a position where I feel like I’m moving the ball forward, even if it’s just incrementally every day.”
- “Spanberger Weighs Legislation to Allow Class Action Lawsuits in Virginia Courts,” 05.04.26. Virginia Mercury reports on the proposed legislation that would allow for the filing of class action lawsuits in Virginia state courts. “Virginia is one of only two states, along with Mississippi, that does not provide a formal class action procedure in its state court system. As a result, groups of plaintiffs cannot currently band together to bring a single case on behalf of many people, even when the claims are similar.”
- “From Casebook to Copilot: Bridging Law’s AI Readiness Gap,” 04.27.26.
This op-ed at Legaltech News discusses the gap between what law schools are teaching about AI tools and what law firms expect, noting that a new associate is “statistically more likely to have studied the Erie doctrine than to have been formally taught how to effectively use AI tools in the legal profession.”
- “Law Firms, Schools Hope New Bar Exam Stems Virginia Talent Drain,” 04.30.2026. Virginia Business catalogs perspectives from Virginia law school leaders and practitioners about the 2028 NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) and its impact on the declining percentage of Virginia law school graduates who seek licensure in Virginia. “Looking to the future of law practice in Virginia, there are signs that point to optimism in maintaining a pool of young attorneys within the commonwealth.”
