2026 Prediction Time!

2026 Prediction Time!

Author: Legal Talk Network January 7, 2026 Duration: 35:00
Welcome to another dumpster fire of a year. ----- We begin the year by peering into our crystal balls and issuing some predictions for 2026. Who will be fired? What's going to happen with law schools? Is a big change on the horizon for Biglaw? Our predictions will inevitably be wrong, but we'll offer them with a lot of confidence -- just like AI would. Also a whole lot of sports talk for a law podcast.

Ever wonder how a lawyer's mind dissects the everyday world? That's the territory explored in Above the Law-Thinking Like a Lawyer, hosted by Joe Patrice, Kathryn Rubino, and Chris Williams from the legal news site. This isn't a dry analysis of case law, but a lively conversation where the hosts take common experiences-from pop culture phenomena and business trends to workplace dilemmas and current events-and run them through a distinctly legal filter. You'll hear them untangle the underlying principles, ethical knots, and surprising precedents hidden within topics everyone discusses. The result is often illuminating, sometimes dizzying, but always engaging as they debate whether that framework reveals clarity or complexity. Produced by the Legal Talk Network, the podcast sits at a unique crossroads of news, business, and career insights, offering a pragmatic yet entertaining look at how legal thinking shapes our understanding of everything. It’s for anyone curious about the mechanics of argument, the structure of rules, or just a smarter take on the week’s headlines. Tune in for a regular dose of perspective that is as thought-provoking as it is accessible, proving that a legal lens can be applied to far more than just a courtroom.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer
Podcast Episodes
Biglaw Surrender Fallout Continues [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:11
And now we have a tracker for that! ----- After a few weeks of watching some law firms stand up to facially illegal demands from the Trump administration... and more law firms rapidly cave to those same demands, we put t…
Fight Or Flight... The Biglaw Conundrum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:56
A great divide is developing. ----- Following the Paul Weiss surrender we discussed last week, Skadden preemptively followed suit agreeing to commit $100M in pro bono payola to the MAGA cause. Bringing to light some emba…
Paul Weiss Waves The White Flag [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:05
Courage seems to be in short supply in Biglaw. ----- Paul Weiss folded immediately in the face of Trump's threat, offering the president pro bono services and a retreat from DEI. For a firm that built its reputation on l…
Biglaw Struggling To Deal With Trump Chaos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:51
There's no escaping the administration's influence on the legal landscape. ----- The Trump administration continues its revenge tour against Biglaw, and Perkins Coie is fighting back. Through counsel at Williams & Connol…
John Roberts Realizes He Made A Huge Mistake [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:25
ACB isn't having it. ----- Remember when Arrested Development made this a gag? John Roberts is living it out in real time as the president explains -- on national television -- that Roberts is a partisan hack. Amy Coney…
Diddy Lawyer Decides He Gotta Move On [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:16
And the new USNWR rankings are dealing with some crazy data. ----- We're not saying Diddy is an unsavory client, but we are saying Osama bin Laden's lawyer just noped out of continuing to represent him. We also got some…
Who Needs Caselaw Anyway? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:08
The new federal deficit is the government's research deficit. ----- Elon Musk's aimless cost-cutting escapades turn to the SEC where DOGE slashed their Westlaw access because no one over there is smart enough to know how…
Someone Needs To Come Get These Junior Associates [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:13
'Nah, you do that' is not a response that keeps lawyers employed. ----- Imagine the audacity it takes for a rookie lawyer to refuse to do the work assigned by a midlevel or senior associate. And expect to keep their job?…
Insurer Spending On Lawyers Rather Than, You Know, Healthcare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:35
And Biglaw begins adjusting to Trump era. ------ If United Healthcare considered spending more on a cancer patient and less on lawyers to sue doctors for pointing out they didn't spend on the cancer patient they wouldn't…
400th Episode Spectacular [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:15
Getting the band back together. ----- A jumbo sized episode this week as Thinking Like A Lawyer celebrates its 400th episode with a look back at some big changes in law firms, law schools, and the courts that have unfold…