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's Back To Office Misadventures [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:59
It's not so easy to bring everyone back. ----- Latham announced a new 4-day office work week, bucking the 3-day consensus, but attorneys are wondering where they plan to put everybody. Meanwhile Milbank is so eager to ge…
Disney Lawyers Learn That Discretion Is The Better Part Of Valor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:38
Just because you can make an argument, doesn't mean you should. ----- Disney's lawyers made headlines last week, but not the good kind like you want. After lawyers argued that a free trial to Disney+ required a wrongful…
Who Will Join Milbank's Summer Bonus Party? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:59
Milbank is leading the associate compensation charge -- again -- with summer bonuses. The associate there must be thrilled... Unlike DLA Piper's associates. That firm changed course on office attendance and it's going ov…
Another Bar Exam In The Books [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:39
Talking Supreme Court term limits (they're good!), bar exams (they're bad!), and a law professor's conception of free speech (it's ugly!). ----- The bar exam is officially past, now we wait to learn passed. This year's e…
Yale Law School Not Sending Its Best [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:07
J.D. Vance brought Yale Law back into the spotlight. ----- As soon as J.D. Vance found himself on the GOP ticket, everyone who remembered him from his Yale Law days shared their thoughts and brought out their receipts. “…
Judges Behaving Badly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:28
They're not sending their best. ----- The Department of Justice has appointed special counsel to investigate politically charged cases for over a century. But Judge Aileen Cannon decided she has found a nugget of wisdom…
Biglaw's Big Billing Bonanza [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:00
Where are those summer bonuses? Don't give up hope yet. ----- Law firms are rolling in dough as partners are charging more and billing more. But comparing Biglaw to the NBA? Come on, New York Times. Despite all the money…
Supreme Court Goes Out In Blaze Of Mendacity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:51
Textualism and Originalism evaporate in face of partisan objectives. ----- The Supreme Court closed out its season sidestepping text, precedent, and history -- the trifecta! -- to invent a new form of immunity to bail ou…
Law Firm Summer Bonuses Have Started... Will They Continue? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:21
Also, the Supreme Court's really sticking it to the Fifth Circuit. ----- We've got a few firms dipping into the summer bonus pool. But so far the pack hasn't followed them into the water. The Supreme Court continues to s…