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On The Merits

On The Merits

By: Bloomberg Law
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 On The Merits takes you behind the scenes of the legal world and the inner workings of law firms. This podcast offers in-depth analysis on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the business of law and the legal industry overall. You'll gain insights into how the latest government actions, policies, and business developments are impacting the industry and hear from leading attorneys, legal scholars, industry experts, and our own team of journalists as they share their perspectives on the forces driving change.© 2026 Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved Economics Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Say Goodbye to the Era of Never Changing Law School Rankings

    Say Goodbye to the Era of Never Changing Law School Rankings
    Apr 9 2026
    For a long time, the top dozen or so law schools in US News & World Report's annual rankings stayed remarkably consistent, with Yale for example holding the top spot every year since the rankings debuted in 1990. But not this year. Yale is now no longer at the very top of the highly influential rankings, which were unveiled earlier this week, having slid down to number two. While this may seem insignificant, Bloomberg Law columnist David Lat said even dropping one spot can tangibly affect a law school's brand. Lat spoke about this with Bloomberg Law editor Jessie Kokrda Kamens for our podcast, On The Merits. He said recent changes in the methodology for compiling these rankings means we should expect more movement in and out of the top spots in years to come. Lat also talks about why the rankings matter for Big Law talent recruitment and beyond. Do you have feedback on this episode of On The Merits? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.
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    13 mins
  • John Quinn Warns of Generational Clash When Firms Get Investors

    John Quinn Warns of Generational Clash When Firms Get Investors
    Mar 31 2026
    Law firms bringing in outside investors is one of the hottest topics in the legal industry right now. John Quinn, founder and chairman of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, says firms that want to take the cash need to figure out how to avoid alienating their younger attorneys. Non-lawyer investment isn't common yet in the US, but some firms are experimenting with different ownership models—especially as they consider the price tags on AI tools. Bringing in outside investment can help raise capital. It can also dilute the pool of profits that associates and younger partners were hoping they'd one day get to enjoy, Quinn said on our podcast, On The Merits. "They have to be persuaded that that's in the long-term interest of the firm," he told Bloomberg Law reporter Roy Strom. "But these are some awkward conversations. And it's a generational conversation." Do you have feedback on this episode of On The Merits? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.
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    14 mins
  • Why Polsinelli Lawyers Won't Get Billing Credit for AI Training

    Why Polsinelli Lawyers Won't Get Billing Credit for AI Training
    Mar 24 2026
    The chair of law firm Polsinelli says he doesn't want his attorneys—and especially not his junior attorneys—to use AI legal tools grudgingly. But the firm will not be giving associates billable-hour credit for learning how to use the technology. "They need to be very, very good at utilizing these tools and investing in themselves," Chase Simmons said on Bloomberg Law's podcast, On The Merits. "If you need motivation to learn how to use AI in your career right now, we probably have other things that we should be concerned about with you." "This should just be every day you wake up and have breakfast and think about how to incorporate this into your career," Simmons added. Simmons, who leads one of the fastest growing firms in the country, talked about how Polsinelli is adopting AI across the firm. He also explained Polsinelli's focus on being a "daily and weekly law firm" for its clients and discussed his views on the Trump administration's attacks on the legal industry. Do you have feedback on this episode of On The Merits? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.
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    18 mins
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