Practical Law The Journal is the award-winning magazine companion to Practical Law, covering a wide range of transactional, regulatory, and litigation topics. It publishes monthly in a digital-only format hosted on Reuters.com. Legal Current reached out to the Practical Law The Journal team to discuss what readers can look forward to in the June issue.

What emerging issues and developments can readers learn about in the new issue?

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, are taking the world by storm. In their wake, courts and legal scholars are assessing the significant and varied legal implications. In our feature article, a panel of legal experts share insights on the most pressing concerns that generative AI technologies present in the areas of intellectual property, labor and employment, commercial transactions, and data privacy and cybersecurity.

On the practice management side, we have an informative Q&A with Andy Colón, chief legal talent officer at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, discussing strategies for legal organizations to foster a culture of collaboration in a multigenerational workforce, including how to leverage generational differences, address biases, and reimagine mentorship programs.

Also in this issue, we have a summary of the proposed amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law, which cover a wide range of topics, including conversions, appraisal rights, stockholder notice, ratification of defective corporate acts, and issuance of stock. If enacted, the amendments become effective Aug. 1, 2023.

What other legal topics are explored in this issue?

For commercial real estate practitioners, we have a comprehensive piece on the use of promote crystallization in real estate joint ventures, including drafting and negotiating considerations, contributed by Peter Fisch and Ruobing Chen of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

This issue also includes detailed drafting and negotiating guidance for Drillco agreements, which are an alternative to conventional financings of oil and gas development. John Decker of Decker Law Firm, PPLC explains the benefits, risks, and key terms of Drillco agreements. This is a must-read for attorneys in the oil and gas space.

Litigators should be sure to check out our articles on starting a civil appeal to a federal court of appeals, preparing for and defending Rule 30(b)(6) depositions, choosing outside e-discovery providers, and conducting discovery in Section 1983 actions.

The Journal also profiles leaders across the legal industry. Whom did you interview this month?

Among others, we sat down with Benjamin Farley, deputy director of the Office of Terrorist Detentions at the U.S. Department of State, for a discussion on what drove him to pursue a career in government and the skills and experience essential to his role.

How can readers access The Journal?

Readers can enjoy free access to The Journal on reuters.com/plj. To view the content, they simply sign in to their Reuters account or, if they don’t have an account, they can register here. To be notified when new monthly issues of The Journal are published and get highlights delivered straight to their inbox, readers can also opt into our newsletter here.

In April, Thomson Reuters entered into a definitive agreement with TPG for them to acquire a majority stake of Elite. The deal has closed, and Elite is now an independent legal tech company.

Thomson Reuters retains a minority ownership stake in Elite and has board representation. The new investment from TPG, alongside the expertise and experience from Thomson Reuters, positions Elite to better serve its customer’s needs. The investment will bring resources and focus to Elite, enabling organizations to digitally transform and thrive.

The Elite suite of solutions – including 3E, ProLaw, eBillingHub, and MatterSphere – will maintain existing integrations with Thomson Reuters products.

For more details, read TPG’s press release.

The legal industry is both concerned and excited about how generative AI is shaping the way legal professionals work. With Thomson Reuters investing $100 million annually to further integrate AI capabilities into its offerings, the company is making a significant impact on the future of work.

Legal Current shares perspectives from Thomson Reuters Legal Professionals President Paul Fischer and Chief Product Officer David Wong on how Thomson Reuters is incorporating generative AI capabilities across its legal solutions and developing an intelligent contract drafting solution with Microsoft 365 Copilot.

“The potential for generative AI to transform how we live and work is exciting,” Fischer said on LinkedIn. “An area I’m particularly excited about is how Thomson Reuters is – once again – changing the research and workflow landscape for legal professionals.”

Fischer noted that Thomson Reuters has a history of leveraging AI and machine learning to improve search and workflow capabilities for legal professionals.

“Over the coming weeks and months, we will roll out generative AI capabilities in Westlaw Precision, Practical Law, and Drafting tools,” Fischer said on LinkedIn. “We’ll deliver new ways for our customers to find answers to complex legal questions in seconds, based on our proprietary content and editorial expertise, and to generate powerful work product, powered by HighQ, Practical Law, and Document Intelligence.”

Wong noted the company’s approach continues a long tradition of customer collaboration. He discussed the Thomson Reuters legacy during a media briefing he hosted and in The Globe and Mail.

“At Thomson Reuters, we’ve been leveraging AI and machine learning in our professional information products for decades and we first started experimenting with incorporating generative AI into our solutions back in 2020, when the technology was still very new,” Wong explained in The Globe and Mail. “That head-start has really positioned us well to start integrating generative AI into several of our research and drafting solutions.”

Wong added, “Our entire approach to generative AI starts with our customers.”

He said product-development efforts focus on identifying customers’ pain points and designing solutions that reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks while improving the quality of their output.

Wong emphasized how two Thomson Reuters assets – “our proprietary research databases and our human expertise for training and tuning these generative AI models” – are critical to getting generative AI right.

“Access to reliable, authoritative reference data and training are the two keys here,” Wong explained. “In practical terms, that means generative AI use cases focused on a highly technical, specialized subset of data like case law must be able to synthesize existing large language model data with proprietary content databases to deliver concrete citations to support their outputs. Importantly, that process also needs to be intermediated by human subject matter experts who understand the nuances and the context to train and fine tune the results. That’s precisely why we’re so excited about the prospects for generative AI for legal and tax professionals because we are uniquely positioned to deliver both. Our legal and tax and accounting research databases are the gold standard and our huge teams of legal and tax professionals hold the keys to fine tuning these algorithms to be incredibly powerful and accurate.”

For more insights, read Fischer’s LinkedIn post and Wong’s interview in The Globe and Mail.

Legal industry journalists, bloggers and influencers shared their perspectives on Thomson Reuters incorporating generative AI capabilities across its legal solutions and developing a contract drafting solution with Microsoft 365 Copilot. Legal Current is sharing their reactions to the announcement and this week’s media briefing, where Thomson Reuters Chief Product Officer David Wong highlighted the efforts.

Some noted Thomson Reuters is well positioned to harness the potential of generative AI given the company’s history as a leader in leveraging AI and machine learning to improve search and expand analytics capabilities. Bob Ambrogi noted in LawSites coverage of the media briefing: “Wong said that TR is committed to leading the development of generative AI for the legal market, and is well positioned to do so given its history of developing AI in legal products.”

Steve Embry stressed the integration aspect in TechLaw Crossroads: “In response to a question at the tail end of the Thomson Reuters briefing, David Wong, Thomson Reuters Chief Product Officer, emphasized that the goal for Thomson Reuters LLM is to bring together the knowledge and capability of the various Thomson Reuters products to answer inquiries. And the lines between the different Thomson Reuters products—Westlaw Edge, Precision, Practical Law Dynamic, Legal Doc Review, Legal Drafting, etc.—will eventually need to be blurred to maximize the abilities of generative AI. The goal, said Wong, is to create a consistent experience.”

Thomson Reuters has a history of customer-driven innovation and its approach with generative AI continues the tradition of customer collaboration.

As ABA Journal reporter Matt Reynolds explained: “Noting that Thomson Reuters has 125 AI engineers and 1,500 trained lawyers working on its products, Wong said the company will beta test its generative AI products with a select group of customers.”

While the AI technology is new, the Thomson Reuters approach to product development is familiar.

In Law.com, reporter Rhys Dipshan noted: “For Thomson Reuters, the value proposition of leveraging generative AI is similar to what the company looks to achieve with its relatively new Westlaw Precision product. ‘The value position for Precision is ‘better results faster.’ I believe with the effective application of generative AI, the same story will ring true,’ Wong said.”

Several writers highlighted a legal-industry first: the Thomson Reuters contract drafting plugin with Microsoft 365 Copilot. The integration in Word will bolster efforts across legal research, drafting, and client collaboration.

“Microsoft and Thomson Reuters are meeting lawyers where they are to enhance their work,” said Josh Kubicki, director and professor of Legal Business Design Hub and Entrepreneurship Program at Richmond Law School, and creator of the ⁠Brainyacts newsletter, on social media. “It’s a qualitative play; it’s a productivity play. It’s a really solid way of working and helping lawyers stay in the zone and stay in the flow of providing high-quality communications and analysis.” ⁠

In Dewey B. Strategic, Jean O’Grady emphasized the value of the Copilot plugin: “Clearly being integrated into the platform where lawyers draft documents will provide huge opportunities for long term integration and control of legal spending on content.”

Reporter Mary Or echoed the enthusiasm in Canadian Lawyer: “Thomson Reuters and Microsoft have teamed up to deliver legal professionals a game-changing, contract-drafting solution using Microsoft’s advanced AI for Word, Copilot, to instantly tap into Thomson Reuters’ wealth of legal tools and content.”

Finally, several writers addressed privacy and client confidentiality concerns.

As Reynolds noted in ABA Journal: “Data, security and privacy have been at the forefront of legal professional’s concerns about generative AI. Wong said Thomson Reuters guarantees that it will only work with large language models that are not trained on customers’ prompts and data.”

Visit the AI @ Thomson Reuters page for more on incorporating generative AI in Westlaw Precision, Practical Law, and Drafting tools as well as the Microsoft 365 Copilot integration.

Thomson Reuters today shared a vision to redefine the future of work for legal professionals through generative AI, providing users with more conversational experiences, time savings, intuitive automation, and a significantly improved user experience. In addition to investing more than $100 million annually to further integrate AI capabilities into its offerings, Thomson Reuters is developing a new plugin with Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Legal Current shares highlights of today’s announcement and what it means for legal professionals.

Incorporating Generative AI Capabilities Across Legal Solutions

With a long history as a leader in leveraging AI and machine learning, Thomson Reuters has used increasingly sophisticated AI and machine-learning capabilities to improve search and expand analytics through product advances for decades. Thomson Reuters is now incorporating generative AI capabilities across its product suite, including Westlaw Precision, Practical Law and Drafting tools, which will be released in the second half of 2023.

• Westlaw Precision: With generative AI, customers can find answers to complex legal questions in seconds, based on proprietary, expert content.
• Practical Law: Smarter, faster access to the expertise of more than 650 attorney editors combined with the power of generative AI.
• Legal Document Review and Summary: With generative AI reading through hundreds or even thousands of relevant documents in just seconds, customers can spot key risks, resolve questions, execute tasks, and generate powerful work product. Powered by HighQ, Practical Law, and Document Intelligence.
• Legal Drafting: Bringing together Thomson Reuters trusted content and intelligence from across Westlaw, Practical Law, and Document Intelligence to surface key insights, legal knowledge, and answers to complex questions.

Plugin with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Working with Microsoft, Thomson Reuters has developed a contract drafting solution, powered by its legal products and content, and Copilot for Word. This integration will bolster efforts for redefined professional work starting with legal research, drafting, and client collaboration.

Providing users with a draft working document and access to trusted content where work happens – in Microsoft Word – legal professionals can use their expertise to edit, validate, and build the final document with integrated access to Thomson Reuters knowledge, content, and AI technology.

A demonstration of the integration between Thomson Reuters Legal Drafting and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Word will be shown during this week’s Microsoft Build event in Seattle. In the demo, Copilot creates a draft contract with help from a Thomson Reuters plugin that surfaces intelligence and content from Westlaw, Practical Law, and Document Intelligence – delivering in minutes work that used to take hours directly into Microsoft Word.

AI and Data Principles

Thomson Reuters recently updated its AI and Data Principles, reinforcing its strong commitment to building trustworthy, practical, and beneficial AI for customers. The update reflects recognition of the evolving AI technology landscape and the need to unlock AI in secure, transparent, and accountable ways.

Thomson Reuters has a long history as a leader in leveraging AI and machine learning, with a legacy of innovation that began more than 150 years ago. The company’s early innovations have been foundational in driving ongoing technology advancements, using increasingly sophisticated AI and machine-learning capabilities to improve search and expand analytics through product advances.

To further integrate AI capabilities into its offerings, Thomson Reuters announced it is investing more than $100 million per year in the next few years during its first-quarter results call on May 2. Legal Current looks at 10 key moments in the company’s tradition of customer-driven innovation – and how generative AI is an opportunity for Thomson Reuters to extend its leadership in legal research and workflow software.

1. 1975– Westlaw is computerized with the West Automated Law Terminal (WALT), culminating 10 years of research and development. WALT enabled legal researchers to quickly pinpoint the information needed, drastically reducing research time.
2. 1993– Westlaw is Natural (WIN), the first commercially available search engine, arrived. WIN recognizes natural English language search queries rather than requiring Boolean logic, simplifying legal search for lawyers.
3. 1997– Westlaw revolutionized citator research with the introduction of KeyCite. The electronic citation service quickly verifies whether a case, statute, regulation, or administrative decision is still good law, saving legal researchers time while helping them find, understand, and update the law.
4. 1998– New Westlaw.com is released as the first web-based version of Westlaw, making the product accessible to legal professionals from any internet browser instead of requiring installed software.
5. 2003 – Westlaw adds AI-based recommender engine. Westlaw introduced ResultsPlus, a content- and behavior-based recommender system for legal researchers.
6. 2010 – Thomson Reuters launches WestlawNext, which was designed in close collaboration with customers. WestlawNext combined search and editorial intelligence with the latest technological innovations. With the power of WestSearch, a suite of learning-to-rank algorithms trained on legal content, meta-data and user behavior, a single search scoured multiple databases and tools allowed users to filter, tag, and folder information.
7. 2018 – Westlaw Edge, the most intelligent legal research platform ever, is released. Westlaw Edge includes access to first-of-its-kind tools like KeyCite Overruling Risk, a powerful legal search engine, and integrated litigation analytics that helps expedite legal research tasks that were once incredibly complex and time-consuming.
8. 2019 – Quick Check on Westlaw Edge is introduced. The intelligent document analysis tool enables legal researchers to save valuable time finding and verifying authority.
9. 2021– Practical Law Dynamic Tool Set is launched. Thomson Reuters applied AI functionality to a new proprietary editorial content set from Practical Law, including an AI-driven question-answering feature that leverages the legal expertise of the business’s attorney editors to provide answers to legal research questions, along with links to relevant Practical Law content.
10. 2022– Westlaw Precision is launched, dramatically improving research speed and quality for legal professionals. Its six new research capabilities – Precision Research, KeyCite Cited With, KeyCite Overruled in Part, Graphical View of History, Keep List/Hide Details, and Outline Builder – help legal professionals conduct research more than twice as fast and target precisely what they are looking for.

Thomson Reuters is on track to incorporate generative AI capabilities into its products in the second half of 2023, after working with and testing large language models (LLMs) for years. Already being deeply embedded in legal professionals’ workflows gives Thomson Reuters a strong starting point from which to incorporate new capabilities. Thomson Reuters is leveraging its strengths – authoritative content, advanced search capabilities, and subject matter experts – to harness the potential of generative AI and provide legal professionals with more conversational experiences, time savings, intuitive automation, and a significantly improved user experience.

Nearly half (45%) of UK companies shifted work to different law firms in the past year. That’s among the findings of State of the UK Legal Market report, which showed demand challenges as well as increasing competition within the supply side of the legal marketplace.

Legal Current examined the report, released today by Thomson Reuters, and shares key takeaways.

1. Nearly a quarter (24%) of UK legal buyers forecast increase in spend for employment advice, yet 28% expect a drop in demand for M&A legal advice. These figures are to be expected during an economic slowdown. The anticipated uptick in demand for advice on employment law comes as rising inflation and interest rates forced companies to reduce headcount, driving an increase in demand for employment lawyers to help navigate redundancy programs. In addition, the economic slowdown and reduction in dealmaking means 28% of corporates expect a drop in demand for legal advice on M&A deals.
2. Corporates are highly active in shifting work between law firms. The 45% of companies that shifted work to different law firms in the last 12 months said they adjusted their law firm rosters to either work with a new firm or use another firm substantially more. This mirrors a global phenomenon; 50% of legal buyers globally adjusted their list of firms with whom they work.
3. Regulatory complexities and cost control are top strategic priorities. Corporate in-house law teams view regulatory complexity as the number-one risk on the horizon. While 22% of in-house teams view compliance/regulation as a current priority, 30% view it as a future risk, making it the top risk on the horizon. This focus on regulatory work is reflected in spending intentions, with 31% of corporates anticipating growth in budgets allocated to regulatory work. Beyond regulatory complexity, cost control is the second-highest strategic priority, cited by 25% of in-house legal teams.

For more takeaways and insight into the UK legal market, download the report.

Legal professionals’ perspectives on generative AI runs the gamut from concerns about threats to jobs and how often the technology “hallucinates” to excitement to apply it to legal work. These are among the findings of the ChatGPT & Generative AI within Law Firms report, released last month by Thomson Reuters.

Based on surveys conducted of law firms in the United States, UK, and Canada, the report found that legal professionals are aware of ChatGPT and generative AI yet uncertain about applying the technology. The report has earned attention on both sides of the pond, and Legal Current is sharing journalists and industry influencers’ takes on the findings.

Blogger Nicole Black supports legal professionals integrating new technologies. In coverage of the report in Above the Law, Black explained, “By embracing these technologies, you’ll be better positioned to keep up with the rapidly evolving legal technology landscape. … The potential applications of Generative AI in the legal industry are many, and the technology is already making an impact. Presently, two of the most prevalent methods of incorporating Generative AI into legal workflows include utilizing it as a virtual legal assistant and streamlining contract review.”

Writer Joanna Goodman described how legal professionals are sorting through the hype around generative AI and focusing on practical applications of it, “finding new ways to limit potential risks.”

In Goodman’s coverage of the report in Law Society Gazette, she called out the importance of recognizing the data challenges with the technology: “While it is unlikely that anybody would provide GPT-generated legal documentation or advice without checking it, a combination of AI and human error could potentially lead to serious real-world consequences.”

Client confidentiality was another area that gave report respondents pause, as Global Legal Post Editor Victoria Basham noted.

Her coverage of the report pointed out: “Another common concern among respondents centred on the data needed for the system to function, particularly if that included private client data. One noted concern about the confidentiality of source material used to generate AI output, while another took issue with how the data would ultimately be used, citing the need to ensure adequate guardrails, such that the AI is not learning incorrect or inappropriate behaviours.”

Blogger Steve Embry recommended lawyers take a common-sense approach to addressing their concerns with the technology.

“If you don’t want to breach client confidence by using generative AI, then don’t type anything confidential in what you ask generative AI to do,” Embry said in summary of the report in TechLaw Crossroads. “The idea we have to protect client confidences doesn’t outright preclude using technology tools. The rules just require lawyers to make sure the confidences are protected.”

Embry wasn’t surprised by the report finding that only 51% said ChatGPT and generative AI should be applied to legal work. He said, “If a recent Thomson Reuters Report is any indication, lawyers and law firms plan to approach generative AI like they do most technology. Slowly and with skepticism. Granted, it’s still early for a profession that is notoriously slow in adopting technology and innovating anything.”

Legal Cheek Editor Thomas Connelly also highlighted lawyers’ hesitancy around the technology in his coverage of the report: “The vast majority of lawyers recognise AI’s ability to undertake legal work, new research has found, but many feel the profession is better off keeping them separate.”

For more insight on legal professionals’ attitudes toward ChatGPT and generative AI, read additional reactions to the report findings and download the full report.

About 2,500 legal professionals will converge in Las Vegas next week for the CLOC Global Institute to focus on legal innovation and transformation. Among the conference highlights will be the May 17 session, Shift From Proactive to Predictive: Get More Sophisticated With Spend Management.

Kelsey Nicol, director, Go-To-Market Strategy & Planning, Corporates, Thomson Reuters, will moderate the panel. She’ll be joined by panelists Fred Paulmann, founder of The Counsel Management Group, and Alayne Russom, director of the General Counsel’s Office Operations, Thrivent.

Legal Current caught up with Nicol for a preview of the session and what she’s looking forward to at the show.

Legal Current: What are some of the top challenges facing legal departments?
Nicol: According to the Thomson Reuters 2023 State of the Corporate Law Department report, far more legal departments anticipate an increase in their legal spend in the coming year. Legal operations professionals are looking to leverage technology to allow their legal departments to become more efficient and predictive with their outside counsel engagements.

LC: How are Thomson Reuters solutions helping legal departments do more with less?
Nicol: In addition to our world-class legal research offerings, the Thomson Reuters spend and matter management software, Legal Tracker, provides automated invoice review and billing guideline enforcement so legal departments can streamline the invoice review process. As the market leader, Legal Tracker also provides legal departments with benchmarking and predictive spend analytics from more than 1,600 other corporate legal departments to make data-driven decisions when negotiating with outside counsel. We are particularly excited to be launching a Matter Pricing and RFP feature to Legal Tracker Advanced, providing an end-to-end competitive bidding process for legal departments to ensure that they have selected the right firm at the right price all within the same tool.

LC: Why is a predictive approach to spend management so important for legal departments?
Nicol: Predictive spend management can be a daunting task, but I think about it as “nirvana” – the goal that all legal departments should be striving to yet is always a moving target. By having predictive spend management as a goal, legal departments can develop action plans to make real progress – for example, starting with the requirement of outside counsel to submit rate sheets, budgets, and accruals. Predictive spending will then evolve to truly anticipating legal costs by deploying measures such as legal RFPs and alternative fee arrangements to meet their organization’s budgetary expectations. Predictive spending really enables the legal team to set an example for the rest of the organization as being a responsible steward of the organization’s expenses.

LC: What do you hope CLOC attendees will take away from your session?
Nicol: I hope that attendees will be able to identify tangible actions they can deploy within their legal department, regardless of where they are on the spend sophistication journey. My goal is for attendees to take away at least one cost-saving measure or workflow improvement they can share with their leadership – even something as simple as setting up automated billing guideline enforcements in their legal spend software will garner tangible savings.

LC: What are you most looking forward to at CLOC?
Nicol: Having been part of the CLOC community for more than 10 years, what I’ve always found most beneficial about CLOC events is connecting with other legal operations professionals. Hearing about priorities and projects, problem solving with others and seeing how legal departments are embracing innovation really gets me excited!

Nicol’s 30-minute session takes place May 17 at 11:40 a.m. Pacific time. Register for CLOC to join the session and learn more about predictive spend management.

The law firm market rebounded in the first quarter due to improved growth and surging rates, according to the Q1 2023 Thomson Reuters Law Firm Financial Index (LFFI) powered by Financial Insights. However, the Thomson Reuters report noted that the recovery was uneven and uncertainty remains as to the direction of the market going forward.

Legal Current shares key takeaways from the report.

1. The most striking finding is how uneven the recovery was. Am Law 100 firms were strengthened primarily on the basis of their high-rate growth, up a record 7.2%. Yet Am Law 100 firms had the weakest demand among the segments, falling 1.5%. Midsize firms, conversely, had the strongest demand, up 1.8%, and was the only segment with positive demand growth for the quarter. At the same time, midsize firms had the strongest headcount growth – at nearly twice the level of Am Law 100, 4.9% vs. 2.8% – resulting in significantly higher direct expenses.
2. Demand and worked rates were up. Demand was barely positive, up 0.1%, snapping a three-quarter streak of negative demand growth. Meanwhile, worked rates surged by an average of 5.5% – the highest quarterly growth since the Great Financial Crisis of 2008-09. For most of last year, rate growth lagged behind inflation; this marks the first time that rates have grown faster than the U.S. core inflation rate since Q3 2021.
3. Uncertainty continues to define the legal market. The market remains challenging given the potential threat of a recession. Trends in terms of hiring and expenses may indicate how firm leaders view their future prospects; some Am Law 100 firms have enacted layoffs, while midsize firms saw historic hiring. These decisions may reflect each segment’s belief of how it will perform in the months ahead.

The LFFI is a composite index of law firm market performance using real-time Financial Insights data drawn from major law firms in the United States and key international markets.

Download the Q1 2023 LFFI report for more insights.

I had the honor of presenting the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Liberty Achievement Award yesterday.

Thomson Reuters has sponsored the TIPS Liberty Achievement Award to recognize attorneys and judges who take leadership roles in promoting diversity in the profession of law since its inception in 2008. The award highlights individuals who prioritize diversity through the choices they make in their careers and the work they do each day. It’s a meaningful way to acknowledge TIPS’ important work on behalf of diversity in the law and to celebrate the progress being made.

On Monday, many of us observed Law Day. The ABA’s Law Day theme was “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.” It comes at a time when we’re seeing confidence in state and federal courts and the justice system declining.

Many lawyers and legal professionals used Law Day as an opportunity for conversations around how we can rebuild trust in our institutions and collaborate to address the challenges facing our nation. And those challenges are many.

Racial injustice and inequalities persist. Our nation continues to grapple with racial hate crimes, white nationalism, and voter suppression. Clearly, there’s much work to be done.

TIPS’ 2023 Liberty Achievement Award honoree exemplifies what our country needs in these trying times: someone who doesn’t shy away from tough conversations.

I was so pleased to present the award to Ellie Jurado-Nieves, vice president and assistant general counsel of Strategic Public Policy Initiatives at The Guardian Life Insurance Company.

Ms. Jurado-Nieves began her career as a young lawyer in New York City politics. She was often the youngest, and many times the only, woman at the table. And as she found her own voice, she helped more women and people of color find theirs.

She eventually transitioned to the private sector, where she has continually demonstrated leadership in diversity and inclusion. She made a tremendous impact in these areas not only in the legal profession and the insurance industry, but throughout New York City.

At Guardian, Ms. Jurado-Nieves is responsible for staying ahead of emerging public policy trends that will define the insurance industry of the future. In her previous role as vice president and assistant general counsel of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, she directed the company’s legislative and regulatory agenda in several states to ensure consistent lobbying strategy for their product lines.

Throughout her career, Ms. Jurado-Nieves has championed diversity and inclusion efforts. She was a founding member of Guardian’s inaugural Diversity Council. She also established and served as chair of Guardian’s first employee resource group, the Women’s Leadership Network, which has grown to more than 400 members with chapters across the United States and India.

In addition, she is the immediate past Diversity Strategy Partner for Guardian’s Law, Compliance and Government Affairs Department. She’s also a former president of the New York Puerto Rican Bar Association, where she served on the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Latina Commission. She has facilitated workshops on executive presence during the HNBA’s Latina Leadership Academy for several years.

She also served as the Latina Commissioner for the HNBA, identifying and studying barriers to the professional development and advancement of Latina lawyers. And getting back to her roots in politics, Ms. Jurado-Nieves serves as an advisor for Leaders of Color, providing strategic advice to the organization’s New York chapter to increase its reach to Black and Latino leaders throughout the state and prepare them to run for office.

Prioritizing the responsibilities of leadership and professional development, with an emphasis on diversity, has been the hallmark of Ms. Jurado-Nieves’ distinguished career. As a Liberty Achievement Award recipient, she joins a prestigious group of highly accomplished leaders who also serve as diversity champions in the legal profession.

Previous Liberty Achievement Award winners include Judge Pamila J. Brown (2022), Judge Bernice B. Donald (2021 for a Lifetime Liberty Achievement Award), Judge Lourdes Ventura (2019), Professor Kathleen Dillon Narko (2018), and Judge Lorna G. Schofield (2017). Thomson Reuters is honored to recognize all recipients’ remarkable achievements and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

This guest post was authored by Laura Clayton McDonnell, president, Corporates, Thomson Reuters.

Legal Current is observing May the 4^th – inspired by a pun of the iconic Star Wars phrase, “May the force be with you” – by exploring Westlaw data for insights on the beloved franchise. An examination of Westlaw data across judicial opinions, trademark registrations, and secondary sources shows the impact Star Wars has made on the legal profession.

Below is an overview, powered by our love of the film series and Westlaw, of Star Wars references in the legal space. (A Westlaw subscription is required to access this content.)

Judicial opinions: Briefs include a wealth of Star Wars references, with Darth Vader being the most popular citation. The villain is referenced in a range of situations, including when an individual is described as a bully, when a criminal wears a Darth Vader mask while committing a crime, and when the facts of the case include a twist of some sort, sometimes invoking the “Luke, I am your father” quote.

In addition, The Empire Strikes Back movie as well as Jedi mind tricks are frequently referenced in briefs. The latter is cited in instances where litigators may be trying to outsmart an opponent or sneak something questionable by a judge.

By the numbers, Westlaw data shows 90 hits for briefs referencing Darth Vader, 40 for Jedi mind trick, 18 for Obi-Wan Kenobi, and 12 for Princess Leia/Organa.

Secondary sources: Westlaw also includes extensive secondary content, where legal professionals have applied Star Wars puns and characters’ quotes to topics ranging from cloud computing to copyright infringement. Westlaw data shows more than 2,700 Star Wars hits across secondary sources.

The Empire Strikes Back is often leveraged in law review articles and titles. In the Kansas Bar Journal, Cloud City – a notable location in The Empire Strikes Back – was given a nod in The Move to Cloud City: The Benefits and Risks of Cloud Computing. The Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property also paid tribute to The Empire Strikes Back, featuring Han Solo’s memorable quip to C-3PO, “Never tell me the odds,” in Never Tell Me the Odds: How to Avoid Infringement When Alluding to Copyrighted Works in Branding.

In addition, Westlaw data shows more than 80 secondary sources featuring General Dodonna’s now-famous line, “May the force be with you.” And it may be reassuring to know that Westlaw data reveals  only 14 secondary sources pay homage to Darth Vader’s “power of the dark side.”

Trademarks: Westlaw data shows that more than 250 Star Wars federal trademarks are owned by Disney, doing business as Lucasfilm. (Star Wars trademarks are owned by Lucasfilm, which Disney acquired in 2012.) Of course, each new Star Wars character or weapon means a new trademark registration. Early trademark registrations include Darth Vader, C-3PO, and the lightsaber – all filed in 1977 – with more recent registrations including Kylo Ren, filed in 2014, and the Mandalorian, filed in 2018.

Special thanks and credit to Reference Attorney Consultant Patrick Yatchak for his Westlaw research and Star Wars insight.

Practical Law The Journal is the award-winning magazine companion to Practical Law, covering a wide range of transactional, regulatory, and litigation topics. It publishes monthly in a new digital-only format hosted on Reuters.com. Legal Current reached out to the Practical Law The Journal team to discuss what readers can look forward to in the May issue.

What legal developments can readers learn about in the new issue?

Electronic workplace monitoring and surveillance has emerged as a critical issue for employers, touching on a multitude of overlapping federal and state laws. While employers often have legitimate reasons for monitoring their employees, doing so can interfere with employees’ privacy rights and expose employers to substantial liability. In our feature article, Scott Faust, Dixie Morrison, and Claudia Khoury-Yacoub of Proskauer explore this topic and provide best practices for employers to minimize financial and legal risks.

Also in this issue, we delve into the legal concerns raised by the developing use of generative AI, large language models, and the platforms they power, such as ChatGPT. Rawia Ashraf of Thomson Reuters discusses the potential uses of this technology in litigation, as well as risks and ethical duties for litigators to consider.

Additionally, in response to the rapidly changing post-Dobbs legal landscape, we have a comprehensive piece on health plan coverage of abortion and related services, including the implications of the ongoing mifepristone litigation.

Does the May issue have a particular theme or focus?

This issue covers several important topics for in-house counsel, including increasing diversity in the law department, implementing a legal technology roadmap, and filing a business interruption claim.

Further, to help counsel navigate complex corporate governance challenges and future-proof the board of directors, Holly Gregory of Sidley Austin LLP provides practical takeaways from a report by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Commission on The Future of the American Board.

Our GC Agenda column also highlights key issues that should be on general counsel’s radar, including recent amendments to Rule 10b5-1, updates to the NYSE and Nasdaq clawback listing standards, the NLRB’s scrutiny of severance agreements following its McLaren Macomb decision, the impending opening of the new European Unified Patent Court, and more.

The Journal also profiles leaders across the legal industry. Whom did you interview this month?

Among others, we checked in with Practical Law Advisory Board member Tracy Richelle High of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. She emphasizes the importance of being nimble and responsive in legal practice to meet changing client needs.

How can readers access The Journal?

Readers can enjoy free access to The Journal on reuters.com/plj. To view the content, they simply sign in to their Reuters account or, if they don’t have an account, they can register here. To be notified when new monthly issues of The Journal are published and get highlights delivered straight to their inbox, readers can also opt into our newsletter here.

Happy Law Day! Legal Current asked leaders across the Thomson Reuters Legal Professionals business to share what Law Day means to them.

Established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958, Law Day celebrates the rule of law on May 1. In the United States, it’s an opportunity for legal professionals as well as students to reflect on the role of law in the foundation of the country and to recognize its importance for society. Many lawyers mark the day by visiting local classrooms to talk about the law and the profession, while civic groups and bar associations commemorate the day with programs, presentations, and events.

The American Bar Association’s 2023 theme is “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.” Individuals across Thomson Reuters shared their perspectives on the theme, what the Law Day tradition means to the profession, and how to respond to the ABA’s call to support “rebuilding trust in our institutions.”

Nita Cumello, global account director, Legal Large Law noted the importance of transparency in building trust in the legal system.

“The fundamental underpinning of confidence in any individual, organization, or system is trust,” Cumello said. “Trust is built through consistency, truth and accuracy, and action. Building trust requires relentless commitment to these foundational elements.”

Rachel Utter, senior manager, Codes Editorial, Research Products, reflected on why individuals may distrust the legal system.

“Even after going to court or following legal news reporting, many still see our courts as intimidating, inaccessible, and untrustworthy,” Utter said. “Perhaps this is because most people only go to court for ‘negative’ things, such as contesting a traffic ticket, going through a divorce, or serving on jury duty, which is typically more inconvenient than inspiring. And in legal news, reporters understandably focus on the most socially divisive and tragic hearings, and unfortunately, sometimes the outcomes of such cases, even when completely transparent and legal, give the public pause about whether a court supports safety, security, and civility.”

Utter emphasized the importance of legal professionals helping to educate the public on the justice system.

“I am on the Minnesota Women Lawyers’ Foundation Board and a member of the Warren E. Burger Inn of Court, not only to engage with my peers and customers in the legal community, but also to support their efforts to build civility amongst lawyers and to support legal education in the community,” Utter said. “Minnesota Women Lawyers’ work to help Girl Scouts see the legal system and the Warren E. Burger Inn of Court’s volunteer work in high school classrooms can help kids grow up with more familiarity with the legal system. These efforts can build perspective as to how courts work, what laws constrain their actions, and a larger focus on our civic responsibility throughout the entire legal system – from drafting laws, hiring law enforcement, training and licensing legal professionals, and ultimately how courts operate.”

Mark Haddad, general manager, Small Law Firms, agreed that legal professionals can help demystify the justice system.

“It is about individuals who are lawyers using their legal education and practice experience to foster thorough, transparent, and open dialogue, and be forces of change and integrity,” Haddad said. “And for institutions like Thomson Reuters, both as a company and for employees who work there, knowing that getting this right is more important than ever; the way that our editorial functions work, how we listen to and respond to customer needs, and how we develop solutions to safeguard the rule and practice of law are all important anchor points to reestablishing more trust and faith in our U.S. legal system.”

Kate MacEachern, content consultant, Operations Content, noted specific ways to strengthen trust.

“Judges could start by recusing themselves from litigation where they might be perceived to have an interest – and avoiding relationships and conduct which might cause their impartiality to be questioned,” MacEachern said. “For attorneys, one can zealously advocate without descending into inflammatory and inciting language and conduct. But more, rebuilding trust comes with becoming a part of the community. Doing pro bono work and supporting legal services for those who can’t afford them, talking to people about why decisions are made even if the attorney doesn’t agree with that decision. Everyone who is part of the legal system needs to commit to upholding it rather than attacking the system as a way to try and get a different outcome for one client in one case.”

In addition to the need to strengthen trust in the justice system, another challenge facing the courts is the need to modernize. The 2023 State of the Courts Report found that the delays, backlogs, and workforce shortages plaguing the U.S. court system – all exacerbated by COVID – demonstrate the need for courts’ digital transformation. Jessica Platt, vice president, Sales-Client Management and Productivity, noted how Thomson Reuters can support courts’ efforts to modernize.

“We should be consultants on the courts’ digital and technology transformation,” Platt said. “Examples include case filing and management software, making it easier for a pro se litigant to file a complaint with the court, and technology to assist with reliable and unbiased virtual hearings. These technologies will open additional avenues for the public to access justice, as well as shorten the time it takes for a judge to hear a matter.”

All of these issues demonstrate why Law Day – and its focus on cultivating a deeper understanding of the legal profession – is a valuable tradition.

Emily Colbert, vice president, Practical Law, shared what the “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration” theme means to her.

“Over the past several years, we have seen our nation become increasingly divided and a degradation of trust and truth, “Colbert said. “The call to collaborate and to collaborate with civility illustrates the need to build this nation back up together using the rule of law as a guidepost.”

Eliot Wrenn, consultant & product development manager, Reference Attorney, noted the challenges of strengthening trust in the legal system.

“The judiciary is traditionally one of the least dynamic of our institutions, and rebuilding the public’s confidence could be a significant challenge,” Wren said. “That challenge is made harder by the federal judiciary’s lifetime appointments and the polarization that wreaks havoc on so many state judicial elections. We need to start by shoring up trust and confidence in our more dynamic institutions, like the legislature and executive offices. When those institutions use their power to make real, tangible improvements in the lives of people and the strength of our democracy – instead of focusing on winning elections and consolidating power – public confidence in institutions in general should soar.”

Law Day is an opportunity for legal professionals to work together toward overcoming these challenges and to uphold the significance of the role of law in American society.

“It sounds simplistic, but to lead by example can build and rebuild trust,” said Cindy Larson, publisher, Super Lawyers. “The concepts presented by the ABA in the conversation guides are applicable to each of us as we engage in our communities and assess and decide how we will get involved and take on our own personal responsibilities for the themes of civics, civility, and collaboration.”

Everyone is talking about ChatGPT and generative AI, but are legal professionals actually using them? ChatGPT & Generative AI within Law Firms, a new report from Thomson Reuters, examines legal professionals’ attitudes towards these emerging technologies.

Based on surveys conducted in March of law firms in the United States, UK, and Canada, the report measures awareness and adoption of the technology as well as lawyers’ views on its potential risks. Legal Current shares top takeaways from the report as well as reactions to the results.

1. A large majority, 91%, of respondents are aware of ChatGPT and generative AI. This isn’t surprising given broad discussions in recent months around whether to adopt the technologies in the legal profession – and beyond. Yet industry influencer Ron Friedmann may have said it best in summarizing the report findings: “9% not aware of ChatGPT. Yikes – how can that be?”
2. Awareness of generative AI is strong, yet only 3% of respondents saying they currently use it. As reporter Cassandre Coyer noted in Law.com: “There still seems to be a bit of apprehension toward generative AI in the legal industry.” Legal Dive Reporter Lyle Moran agreed: “most law firm lawyers and staff are holding off on the use of the emerging artificial intelligence technology in their work.” The hesitancy is understandable given cybersecurity concerns and how relatively new the technology is. And incidents of hallucinations – when the technology provides factually inaccurate information – are also giving people pause.
3. While 82% of respondents said that ChatGPT and generative AI can be applied to legal work, only 51% said ChatGPT and generative AI should be applied to legal work. The disparity reflects the hesitancy noted above. While these technologies may have a positive impact on the delivery, pricing, and execution of legal services, there are risks and unknowns. Legal professionals may be skeptical but they’re not ruling out using new technologies as 34% respondents said their firm is still in the consideration phase. Only 7% said that they did not feel generative AI or ChatGPT could be applied to legal work.
4. Though 80% of partners and managing partners said their firms had risk concerns around generative AI or ChatGPT at work, just 44% of associates and 56% of other attorneys shared their concerns. This finding is what ALM Tech Editor Rhys Dipshan called the “generational divide” in Law.com. It’s worth noting that the gap may be due to lack of awareness. Only 19% of partners said they didn’t know whether their firms had risk concerns around the technology, compared with 54% of associates and 40% of other attorneys.
5. UK and Canadian firms may be ahead of the adoption curve compared to their U.S. counterparts. As writer Catherine Baksi noted in The Times, “9 per cent of large commercial law firms in the UK were either using generative artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT, or planning on adopting it, compared with just 3% in the US.” Additionally, 64% of U.S. respondents said they have no plans for generative AI use in firm operations, compared with 59% of UK firms and 48% of Canadian firms.

Download the report for more on legal professionals’ perspectives on the opportunities and potential risks of ChatGPT and generative AI.

A Legalweek highlight was the Rapid Fire on New Technology Driving Superior Legal Services session moderated by Rawia Ashraf, vice president, Product – Legal Practice and Productivity, Thomson Reuters. She was joined by panelists Katie Stone, director of Practice Management, Berry Appleman & Leiden; Kate Orr, global head of Practice Innovation, Herrington & Sutcliffe; and Ronak Ray, co-founder and executive managing director, modCounsel.

They discussed the tools and technologies law firms are using to improve legal services and differentiate their firms amid the rapid evolution of clients’ needs and expectations in a post-pandemic world and uncertain economy. Legal Current shares a recap of their session.

What clients are looking for

Discussing what clients are looking for, the panelists emphasized that clients expect firms to leverage technology to increase efficiency and justify costs with data and a clear ROI.

Orr acknowledged changes in how lawyers interact with clients and deliver legal advice, noting clients today expect information to be shared in heat maps and dashboards rather than memos. She added that clients are part of the feedback loop, and they expect the firm is engaged in meaningful innovation, agility, and a mentality of constant improvement.

Orr said that clients are resource-constrained, but they want to leverage technology to “get out of the weeds” and demonstrate progress with meaningful data.

Stone agreed that clients want real-time data that is accurate and visible via dashboards and other visualizations. Ray added that the more lawyers help clients with getting value via the technology, the faster they can go on to see ROI.

Making decisions on tech adoption

Panelists pointed out when it comes to tech adoption, firms want solutions that provide robust scoping, roadmaps, and clear ROI prior to implementation – whether the technology is built internally or through a software buy.

Orr noted firms need to pilot new technology to ensure it is a proper fit. She said there is no immediate “yes” anymore to any technology, proper vetting is essential. She added that firms want tools to help them consolidate information, and many firms hire data scientists and data architects to build tools in-house rather than buy tools.

Stone recommended firms decide on new technology with a practice group, using a three-, five- and seven-year tech roadmap to guide their decision.

Ray said it’s helpful to involve practice leaders, who are more upfront with their problems and what they need, in the decision-making process. He added that clients want insight into the maturity of their processes and whether they are equipped to be automated, otherwise they can’t justify the cost internally.

Proving the value of tech

Panelists declared that 2023 is the year of adoption. They discussed the importance of attacking adoption efforts on all fronts by involving day-to-day users in conjunction with C-suite leaders to focus on the purpose, execution, and payoff of adoption.

Orr stressed the importance of communicating internally about how technology frees up individuals to “operate at the top of your license” and get back to your real job – performing complex legal analysis. She said her firm evaluates technology adoption and success via a post-mortem with the team after a matter has concluded and tracking what was improved by technology.

Stone noted it’s key to effectively communicate how technology will yield more, not less, for more people internally. She recommended using performance dashboards to demonstrate how the technology is working and to hold regular check-ins.

Ray explained the need to focus on the value proposition, noting people expect to see a day-to-day value proposition rather than looking three to six months out. He emphasized the value of steward leadership to assist and expedite tech adoption efforts, as well as the need to pay attention to both positive and negative feedback in evaluating success.

Thanks to everyone who joined the Rapid Fire on New Technology Driving Superior Legal Services session!

Amid economic uncertainty, law firms and legal departments are focused on operating efficiently and making the most of advanced technologies to control costs and improve productivity. Legal professionals are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to automate processes and strengthen operational efficiencies.

Legal Current looks at how Thomson Reuters Document Intelligence, formerly ThoughtTrace, uses AI to help legal professionals cut information retrieval and review time in half for Merger and Acquisitions (M&A) due diligence processes.

“Using AI-powered Document Intelligence, customers have accelerated information retrieval and review by more than 50%,” said Kriti Sharma, chief product officer, Legal Tech, Thomson Reuters. “Automating the review processes and the contracts that need attention saves hundreds of hours of manual review, improves accuracy, helps lawyers identify new opportunities and closes M&A deals faster.”

Document Intelligence capitalizes on the expertise of Thomson Reuters attorney editors and their vast legal knowledge to build, train, and maintain AI models. It reads thousands of documents at once to extract valuable insight from the unstructured data buried in large volumes of complex, contractual documents, flagging areas that need attention. The pre-trained models are particularly useful for lawyers in firms, where training AI models is nonbillable work, making AI adoption a costly exercise.

Integrated with the HighQ platform and leveraging the expertise of Practical Law, Document Intelligence helps firms to securely store, update, share, and collaborate on contracts and files – optimizing team productivity and streamlining the delivery of legal services. With legal professionals under pressure to be more productive while still delivering high-quality work to clients, Document Intelligence is enabling them to more efficiently manage contract analysis and contract lifecycle management tasks.

Visit the Document Intelligence website for more details.

Today Thomson Reuters and TPG announced that they have signed a definitive agreement for TPG to acquire a majority stake in Elite from Thomson Reuters. The investment will bring resources and focus to the legal financial and practice management business, enabling law firms to digitally transform and thrive.

Legal Current is sharing details about the partnership, which will support Elite’s next phase of growth.

The transaction will enable Elite to operate with greater focus, providing additional resources and expertise to accelerate growth and better support its customers as they digitally transform to meet the evolving needs of their clients. The Elite suite of solutions, led by 3E along with ProLaw, eBillingHub, and MatterSphere, will maintain existing integrations with Thomson Reuters products.

Upon closing of the transaction, TPG Capital, TPG’s U.S. and European late-stage private equity business, will become the majority shareholder of the standalone business. Thomson Reuters will retain a minority ownership stake in the business and have board representation, supporting Elite strategically going forward.

“We feel strongly that the new investment from TPG, along with Thomson Reuters minority ownership and board representation, will position Elite to ensure our customers’ continued success,” said Paul Fischer, president of the Legal Professionals business of Thomson Reuters. “We remain committed to providing our expertise and experience to help grow Elite while dedicating greater focus and investment in the area of content-enabled technology, including AI and automated workflow solutions, to better enable customers in the practice of law and to perform their work more efficiently.”

“TPG has a history of investing in software companies that address the unique needs of vertical markets. We believe the legal industry is a market that is undergoing digital transformation, and Elite partners with leading firms on that journey,” said Tim Millikin, partner at TPG. “Elite’s trusted technology, strong customer base, and significant growth potential has made the company a clear leader among the best law firms, and we look forward to working with the team to enhance and expand the platform.”

Closing of the transaction is subject to specified regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is anticipated to occur in the second quarter of 2023. For more details, read the press release.

Practical Law The Journal is the award-winning magazine companion to Practical Law, covering a wide range of transactional, regulatory, and litigation topics. It publishes monthly in a new digital-only format hosted on Reuters.com. Legal Current reached out to the Practical Law The Journal team to discuss what readers can look forward to in the April issue.

Does the April issue have a particular theme or focus?

This issue highlights several key topics for litigators. In our feature article, Marcellus McRae and Kahn Scolnick of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP explain the steps defense counsel should take to conduct a thorough case assessment at the outset of an anticipated litigation and to present the client with the best options throughout the case’s life cycle. For trial attorneys, we also have a comprehensive guide on how to effectively deliver opening statements and closing arguments, which are typically the most significant phases of a civil jury trial.

Also in the April issue, Wes Earnhardt, Scott Reents, and James Canning of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP share the latest best practices for taking and defending remote depositions, including how to handle exhibits virtually and manage technological problems.

Additionally, we have a checklist of critical issues to consider when drafting a document retention policy, contributed by Jeremiah Wikler of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP.

What emerging issues and developments can readers learn about in the new issue?

Organizations must keep up with the dynamic and increasing legal obligations governing data privacy and cybersecurity. Jeff Neuburger and Jonathan Mollod of Proskauer Rose LLP review important privacy and data security developments from the past year and highlight key focus areas ahead.

In the crypto space, an increasing number of employers are exploring the use of digital assets in their compensation packages. Nyron Persaud and Mary Lewis of Cooley LLP discuss threshold issues related to crypto-based compensation, including the tax and securities law considerations and administrative challenges.

In-house counsel should also review this month’s In the Boardroom column as they assess their company’s activism preparedness. In his memo to the board, Frank Aquila of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP explores the implications of enhanced antitrust scrutiny and increasing shareholder activism in the context of board representation, M&A activities, and ESG initiatives.

The Journal also profiles leaders across the legal industry. Whom did you interview this month?

In recognition of National Autism Awareness Month, we spoke with Haley Moss, a neurodiversity expert and advocate, on her experience as an attorney with autism and how the legal profession can create a culture of belonging in which neurodivergent people can thrive.

How can readers access The Journal?

Readers can enjoy free access to The Journal on Reuters.com/plj. To view the content, they simply sign in to their Reuters account or, if they don’t have an account, they can register here. To be notified when new monthly issues of The Journal are published and get highlights delivered straight to their inbox, readers can also opt into our newsletter here.

The CDC estimates that about 7.5% of the U.S. population may be dealing with long COVID or what is also termed long-haul COVID, post-acute COVID-19, long-term effects of COVID or chronic COVID.

Because long COVID is not as well understood as COVID-19 in terms of causes, symptoms and treatment, it can be complicated for employers to deal with.  Lindsay Ditlow Of McDermott Will & Emery discusses what employers and employees should consider if dealing with Long COVID.

To listen, click on the built-in player below, or to download and listen later right-click here