Welcome
To
The
Fold,
FBT
Gibbons!:
They
are
set
to
go
live
on
January
1st,
2026.
Crime
May
Actually
Pay:
Sullivan
&
Cromwell
got
scammed
for
half
a
million
dollars.
Here
Is
The
Letitia
James
Indictment:
Who
needs
evidence,
really?
Can
You
Argue
A
Murder
Charge
In
11
Hours
Flat?:
Oregon
wants
that
to
be
the
new
standard.
Future
Lawyers
Won’t
Need
A
Backbone
Or
A
Heart
Beat:
How
will
the
practice
adopt
to
AI
attorneys?
Passle,
a
technology
company
that
develops
thought
leadership
and
cross-selling
tools
for
law
firms,
has
unveiled
a
new
visualization
tool
for
its
CrossPitch
AI
platform
that
promises
to
make
cross-selling
activity
in
law
firms
visible,
actionable
and
measurable
for
the
first
time.
The
Cross-Selling
Intelligence
Map,
released
today,
creates
a
network
diagram
showing
how
thought
leadership
content
flows
among
a
firm’s
attorneys
across
different
offices
and
practice
areas.
The
Intelligence
Map
aims
to
address
what
Passle
characterizes
as
a
major
revenue
leak:
84%
of
law
firm
business
development
and
marketing
professionals
believe
their
firms
are
missing
cross-selling
opportunities,
with
99%
estimating
this
costs
them
at
least
10%
of
annual
revenue,
according
to
a
Passle-commissioned
study.
The
map
is
an
expansion
of
the
company’s
CrossPitch
AI,
which
it
launched
in
June
and
which
uses
artificial
intelligence
to
analyze
attorney-authored
thought
leadership
content,
such
as
blog
posts,
articles
and
client
alerts.
Using
attorneys’
public-facing
biographical
information,
the
system
automatically
identifies
which
colleagues
might
have
clients
interested
in
that
content
and
sends
them
personalized
email
notifications
with
AI-generated
summaries.
“The
AI
reads
the
thought
leadership
that’s
been
created
in
the
firm
and
it
reads
the
bio
pages,
profile
pages
of
all
the
attorneys
at
the
firm
and
it
matches
the
two
together,”
James
Barclay,
Passle’s
CEO,
explained
in
an
interview
with
LawSites
last
week.
The
notifications
include
an
80-100
word
summary
so
attorneys
can
quickly
understand
the
content’s
relevance
without
reading
the
full
article.
To
supplement
what
the
AI
gleans
from
their
public
bios,
attorneys
can
add
an
“enhanced
profile”
within
Passle
where
they
specify
topics
of
interest
in
natural
language
–
such
as
“anything
about
the
pharmaceutical
industry”
or
“artificial
intelligence.”
A
firm’s
business
development
teams
can
set
a
relevancy
threshold
(typically
70-75%,
according
to
Barclay)
to
control
how
many
notifications
attorneys
receive,
balancing
comprehensiveness
against
information
overload.
The
platform
also
generates
pre-written
“I
saw
this
and
thought
of
you”
emails
that
attorneys
can
send
to
clients
with
a
single
click,
requiring
only
that
they
add
a
personal
greeting.
Building
on
this
Crosspitch
AI
platform,
the
new
Intelligence
Map
launched
today
transforms
this
notification
data
into
an
interactive
network
visualization.
Larger
dots
represent
more
active
attorneys
who
create
and
share
more
content.
Connections
between
dots
show
where
thought
leadership
is
being
shared
across
the
firm.
Light
and
dark
patches
reveal
areas
of
high
and
low
activity.
Users
can
filter
the
map
by
location,
practice
area
or
industry,
and
use
a
timeline
slider
to
track
changes
over
time.
This
allows
leadership
to
see
insights
such
as
whether
a
newly
acquired
lateral
hire
or
practice
group
is
integrating
into
the
firm’s
knowledge-sharing
ecosystem
or
remaining
isolated.
In
his
conversations
with
large
law
firms,
Barclay
said,
they
always
want
to
know
how
they
can
show
collaboration
among
attorneys
and
practice
groups,
particularly
in
the
wake
of
a
merger
or
acquisition.
This
map,
he
said,
lets
them
do
exactly
that,
in
a
visual
manner.
The
map
addresses
two
fundamental
barriers
to
cross-selling
that
Barclay
sees
time
and
again
in
firms:
awareness
and
trust.
“We
don’t
know
what
our
colleagues
know,
and
we
need
to
know
that,”
Barclay
said.
As
one
managing
partner
told
him:
“I
kind
of
knew
what
the
people
on
my
floor
knew.
I
didn’t
really
know
what
the
people
upstairs
or
downstairs
knew.
And
I
certainly
didn’t
know
what
L.A.
or
London
was
talking
about.”
The
map
can
show
activity
and
engagement
for
a
specific
lawyer.
The
trust
barrier
is
equally
significant.
“I’ve
just
spent
15
years
building
a
book
of
business
and
I
don’t
know
if
I
want
to
introduce
Jenny,
who
I
haven’t
heard
of,
to
my
client,”
Barclay
said,
describing
how
that
trust
issue
might
inhibit
attorneys
from
cross
selling.
By
repeatedly
exposing
attorneys
to
colleagues’
expertise
through
relevant
content
summaries,
the
platform
aims
to
build
both
familiarity
and
confidence.
He
described
an
attorney,
Alice,
receiving
alerts
about
her
partner
Oscar’s
articles
on
autonomous
vehicles.
The
first
time
she
receives
it,
she
might
barely
notice
it.
The
second
time,
she
might
think
“Oh,
that’s
interesting,
Oscar’s
still
writing
about
autonomous
vehicles.
That’s
kind
of
cool.”
By
the
third
time,
she
might
realize
she
wants
to
get
in
touch
with
Oscar.
Since
launching
in
June,
CrossPitch
AI
has
been
adopted
by
29
law
firms,
including
Barnes
&
Thornburg,
Loeb
&
Loeb,
Manatt,
and
firms
from
both
the
Am
Law
200
and
UK
Top
50.
Passle
reports
that
open
rates
for
CrossPitch
notifications
average
42%,
more
than
double
the
18%
industry
average
for
legal
marketing
emails.
“With
CrossPitch
AI,
we’ve
eliminated
guesswork
and
replaced
it
with
a
data-driven
roadmap
showing
where
our
insights
will
have
their
greatest
impact,”
Trish
Lilley,
chief
marketing
and
business
development
officer
at
Barnes
&
Thornburg,
said
in
a
statement
provided
by
Passle.
“This
fact-fueled
approach
allows
us
to
deliver
optimal
value
to
our
clients
by
bringing
the
right
people
together
faster.”
Activity
can
be
filtered
by
practice
areas.
Notably,
CrossPitch
AI
only
analyzes
publicly
available
information,
such
as
published
thought
leadership
and
public-facing
attorney
bios,
to
avoid
any
concerns
law
firms
might
have
about
providing
an
AI
tool
with
access
to
confidential
client
data
or
internal
firm
documents.
“Vendors
like
us
come
along
and
say,
hey,
we’ve
got
an
absolute
silver
bullet
…
and
all
we
need
to
do
is
go
into
all
your
most
secret
stuff
and
learn
it
and
read
it
and
don’t
worry,
it’ll
be
fine,”
Barclay
said.
Passle
has
deliberately
taken
a
different
approach,
using
only
public-facing
sources
of
content.
Not
only
does
that
assuage
firms’
fears
of
exposing
their
data,
but
it
also
enables
them
to
implement
the
product
much
more
quickly
–
within
just
a
week,
Barclay
said.
The
AI
platform
can
work
alongside
any
content
source
and
does
not
require
firms
to
use
Passle’s
separate
thought
leadership
platform.
Beyond
general
cross-selling,
the
Intelligence
Map
specifically
targets
lateral
hire
integration
–
a
persistent
challenge
given
that
approximately
50%
of
lateral
hires
leave
within
five
years,
by
some
industry
estimates.
For
a
lateral
who
cost
$750,000
to
several
million
dollars
to
recruit,
the
map
can
show
managing
partners
and
business
development
teams
whether
that
attorney
is
becoming
known
throughout
the
firm
by
creating
and
sharing
expertise
–
or
remaining
disconnected
from
potential
cross-selling
relationships.
“The
reason
you’re
here,”
Barclay
said
of
lateral
hires,
“is
essentially
to
cross
sell.
You
build
your
book,
you
bring
your
book
and
you
make
sure
that
other
people
know
that
you’re
there
and
that
we
can
sell
off
the
back
of
you
and
your
knowledge
and
what
you
do.”
The
Intelligence
Map
tracks
three
types
of
activity:
creating
thought
leadership,
receiving
notifications
about
colleagues’
content,
and
taking
action
on
those
notifications
(clicking
through
to
articles
or
sharing
them).
Business
development
teams
can
drill
down
to
see
why
specific
attorneys
were
matched
with
specific
content,
based
on
what
the
AI
extracted
from
their
bios.
However,
the
map
does
not
capture
follow
up
–
whether
recipients
of
a
notification
actually
contacted
the
content
authors,
introduced
them
to
clients,
or
generated
any
cross-selling
revenue.
It
visualizes
key
indicators
of
cross-selling
behavior
rather
than
outcomes.
“It’s
not
necessarily
[that]
we’re
going
to
be
able
to
say,
okay,
there
was
a
$3
million
deal
done
because
a
notification
was
sent,”
Barclay
acknowledged.
“But
we
know
that
those
notifications
will
definitely
help.”
The
tool
represents
a
bet
that
making
previously
invisible
knowledge-sharing
activity
visible
will
drive
behavior
change,
even
without
directly
measuring
revenue
impact.
Whether
that
visibility
alone
can
overcome
the
structural
and
cultural
barriers
that
have
made
cross-selling
a
perennial
challenge
in
law
firms
remains
to
be
seen.
Two
separate
career
prosecutors
did
not
believe
there
was
enough
evidence
to
support
mortgage
fraud
charges
against
New
York
Attorney
General
Letitia
James.
But
James
was
the
driving
force
behind
the
civil
fraud
case
against
the
Trump
organization,
and
a
major
thorn
in
Donald
Trump’s
side.
So...
here
we
are.
Today,
James
became
the
second
Trump
political
enemy
to
be
indicted.
Yes,
U.S.
Attorney
for
the
Eastern
District
of
Virginia
Erik
Siebert was
forced
out
of
a
job for
refusing
to
bring
these
very
charges
against
James.
And
Elizabeth
Yusi,
head
of
major
criminal
prosecutions
in
the
Norfolk
office,
prepared
for
the
same
fate
for
refusing
to
bring
the
charges.
But
Trump
has
installed
his
former
personal
attorney
Lindsey
Halligan
(with
zero
prosecutorial
experience)
into
Siebert’s
former
role,
and
well,
she
does
not
have
the
same
qualms.
The
charges
against
James
have
not
been
made
public,
but
multiple
sources
are
reporting
at
least
one
fraud
charge
has
been
returned
by
a
grand
jury.
James
has
been
under
investigation
for
mortgage
fraud
since
2023
for
a
loan
she
took
out
to
help
her
niece
obtain
a
home.
One
document
in
the
loan
application
allegedly
reported
that
the
home
in
question
was
going
to
be
James’s
primary
residence,
something
her
team
claims
was
an
error.
Other
loan
documents
state
the
property
was
not
going
to
be
James’s
primary
residence
and,
in
an email
to
her
loan
originator,
James
wrote
“this
property
WILL
NOT
be
my
primary
residence.”
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].
Ed.
note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,
Quote
of
the
Day.
Rose
has
been
a
trusted
adviser
and
a
driving
force
in
some
of
our
most
important
matters.
Her
judgment,
dedication,
and
strategic
insight
have
left
a
lasting
mark
on
the
firm
and
on
our
clients.
We
are
proud
of
all
she
has
accomplished
here
and
excited
to
see
the
impact
she
will
make
in
this
new
leadership
role.
—
Barbara
Becker,
Gibson
Dunn’s
chair
and
managing
partner,
in
comments
given
concerning
partner
Rosemarie
Ring’s
decision
to
join
The
Walt
Disney
Co.
as
a
deputy
general
counsel
for
litigation
and
patents.
Per
Bloomberg
Law,
Ring
will
report
to
Disney
Corporate
Legal
General
Counsel
David
Howard
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.
BULAWAYO-
Vice
President
Constantino
Chiwenga
on
Thursday
vowed
that
the
government
will
introduce
stringent
regulations
and
oversight
mechanisms
to
root
out
corruption,
illicit
trading
and
leakages
in
Zimbabwe’s
mining
sector
—
warning
that
such
vices
are
“cancers
that
erode
public
trust”
and
deprive
citizens
of
national
wealth.
Speaking
at
the
official
opening
of
the
28th
Edition
of
the
Mining,
Engineering
and
Transport
(Mine
Entra)
Expo
in
Bulawayo,
Chiwenga
said
the
government
would
tighten
compliance
systems
to
ensure
transparency
across
the
mining
value
chain.
“Corruption,
illicit
trading
and
leakages
are
cancers
that
erode
public
trust,
distort
markets
and
deprive
citizens
of
their
rightful
benefits,”
Chiwenga
said.
“We
are
challenging
all
responsible
authorities
and
agencies
to
put
in
place
mechanisms
that
enhance
transparency
in
licensing,
monitoring
and
enforcement.”
He
said
regular
audits,
whistleblower
protection,
and
community
engagement
would
be
central
to
a
new
governance
framework
aimed
at
cleaning
up
the
sector.
He
also
commended
recent
investments,
including
the
commissioning
of
the
Palm
River
Energy
Metallurgical
Plant
and
Zimplats’
Smelter
Expansion
and
Abatement
Project,
describing
them
as
“milestones
that
anchor
beneficiation
and
energy
self-sufficiency.”
However,
Chiwenga
stressed
that
Zimbabwe’s
ambitions
went
beyond
such
projects,
calling
for
a
“fully-integrated
mining
value
chain”
that
supports
manufacturing,
energy
production
and
exports.
He
also
urged
greater
collaboration
between
mining
houses
and
research
institutions
to
adopt
geospatial
mapping,
artificial
intelligence
and
automation
for
improved
efficiency
and
traceability.
Under
the
National
Development
Strategy
1
(NDS1),
mining
is
identified
as
a
key
pillar
of
economic
transformation.
Chiwenga
said
Zimbabwe
was
aligning
its
operations
with
the
Africa
Mining
Vision
and
the
SADC
Protocol
on
Mining
by
integrating
climate
resilience,
renewable
energy
use
and
ecosystem
restoration
into
its
framework.
“The
expansion
of
our
mining
industry
must
not
come
at
the
expense
of
our
environment
and
communities,”
he
added.
Chiwenga
said
the
government’s
re-engagement
policy
remained
open
to
“investors
from
all
corners
of
the
world
who
share
our
values
of
responsibility,
transparency
and
shared
prosperity.”
Declaring
the
expo
officially
open,
Chiwenga
called
on
all
miners,
investors
and
stakeholders
to
“go
beyond
extraction”
and
turn
Zimbabwe’s
mineral
wealth
into
“sustainable
prosperity.”
New
York
Attorney
General
Letitia
James
is
cracking
down
on
a
series
of
fraudulent
entities
trying
to
impersonate
one
of
the
most
well-known
Biglaw
firms
in
New
York:
Sullivan
&
Cromwell
LLP.
This
week,
James
filed
a
lawsuit
against
a
series
of
familiar,
but
not
quite
right,
corporate
entities:
Sullivan
&
Cromwell
LLC,
Sullivan
&
Cromwel
LLC,
Sullivan
&
Kromwell
LLC,
Sullivan
&
Kromwel
LLC,
Sullivan
&
Cromwelll
LLC,
Sullivann
&
Cromwell
LLC,
and
Sulivan
&
Cromwel
LLC,
under
a
state
law
that
allows
the
AG
to
sue
entities
that
“engage
in
repeated
fraudulent
or
illegal
acts
or
otherwise
demonstrate
persistent
fraud
or
illegality
in
the
carrying
on,
conducting
or
transaction
of
business.”
According
to
the
complaint,
the
scammers
behind
these
suspiciously
named
companies
cashed
almost
$500,000
in
checks
intended
for
the
Biglaw
firm.
The
checks,
issued
by
firm
clients,
were
stolen
and
altered
ever-so
slightly
to
the
fraudulent
company’s
name.
Two
altered
checks
were
cleared
by
JP
MorganChase,
but
a
third, made
payable
to
“Sullivan
&
Kromwell” didn’t
pass
the
sniff
test.
“These
entities’
names
closely
resemble
that
of
the
Complainant
without
its
permission,
and
use
the
Complainant’s
address
as
their
registered
addresses
without
its
permission,”
as
detailed
in
the
filing.
James
is
asking
for
the
dissolution
of
the
entities
and
to
block
them
from
further
allegedly
fraudulent
conduct.
Looks
like
even
Donald
Trump’s
personal
attorneys
(S&C
LLP)
sometimes
need
the
assistance
of
noted
Trump
enemy,
Tish
James.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].
The
state
of
public
defense
has
been
dire
in
Oregon.
Overworked
and
understaffed
public
defenders
aren’t
able
to
meet
the
constitutionally
required
minimum
standards
for
fair
trials,
to
the
point
that
last
year,
the
state
started
to
let
defendants
walk,
purely
because
no
one
was
able
to
represent
them
after
a
week.
Without
effective
counsel
and
access
to
it,
it
is
very
easy
for
the
state
to
steamroll
the
accused
toward
gambling
on
a
known
plea
deal
or
dealing
with
the
uncertainty
of
trial
—
making
our
justice
system
have
less
to
do
with
due
process
than
with
applied
game
theory.
Oregon
has
a
proposed
solution
to
the
public
defender
crisis,
more
overworking,
and
public
defenders
are
suing
to
fight
the
recent
changes.
Salem
Reporter
has
coverage:
The
executive
director
of
Marion
County’s
public
defense
law
firm
filed
a
lawsuit
Tuesday,
Sept.
30,
in
Marion
County
Circuit
Court
against
the
Oregon
Public
Defense
Commission
after
it
recently
added
minimum
caseload
requirements
to
the
firm’s
contract
with
the
state.The
new
contracts,
which
took
effect
Oct.
1,
expect
Marion
County
public
defenders
to
handle
the
equivalent
of
300
misdemeanor
cases
or
138
serious
felonies,
like
kidnapping
or
first-degree
assault,
per
year,
according
to
the
complaint
filed
by
Shannon
Wilson,
executive
director
of
the
Public
Defender
of
Marion
County.
…
The
contract
would
require
attorneys
handling
the
highest
level
felonies
to
reach
a
resolution
in
11
hours.
Those
would
include
people
accused
of
first-degree
manslaughter,
rape
or
arson.
For
context,
a
National
Public
Defense
Workload
Study
found
that
high-severity
felony
cases
require
an
average
of
286
hours
to
meet
constitutionally
required
minimum
standards
of
adequate
representation.
What
the
hell
are
public
defenders
supposed
to
do
with
11
hours?
That’s
barely
enough
time
to
argue
against
the
planted
finger
prints
and
the
de-watermarked
Sora
2
video
of
the
defendant
stabbing
the
victim
before
they
faced
the
camera
and
recited
their
Social
Security
number!
And
if
the
cap
on
hours
wasn’t
enough,
the
contract
also
came
with
a
pay
cut
for
five
people.
Unless
the
goal
is
to
get
more
bodies
in
prison
beds,
whatever
trade-offs
the
Oregon
Public
Defense
Commission
thinks
are
worth
pushing
public
defenders
to
churn
through
their
clients
instead
of
devoting
the
time
needed
to
zealously
defend
them
was
poorly
calculated.
Oregon
Wants
To
Impose
Quotas
On
Public
Defenders.
Marion
County
Lawyers
Are
Pushing
Back
[Salem
Reporter]
Earlier:
Oregon’s
Overworked
Public
Defense
System
Means
Defendants
Walk
Free
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
is
learning
to
swim, is
interested
in
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected]
and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.
Zimbabwe
– Kenias
Mutsenha
had
long
ceased
using
his
Zimbabwean
local
currency
bank
account,
abandoning
it
for
one
trading
in
US
dollars,
as
many
in
the
economically
volatile
country
prefer
dealing
with
more
stable
foreign
currencies.
But
when
he
took
on
consultancy
work
in
Harare
this
year
and
a
client
needed
to
pay
him
in
Zimbabwe
Gold,
or
ZiG,
currency,
he
returned
to
the
bank
to
reopen
his
account.
There,
the
teller
asked
for
a
reactivation
fee
in
ZiG
notes.
Again,
Mutsenha
only
had
US
dollars,
which
the
bank
would
not
accept
or
exchange.
“I
had
to
find
cash
somewhere,”
Mutsenha,
46,
said,
realising
there
was
only
one
place
he
could
go:
“The
streets”.
While
most
Zimbabweans
prefer
trading
in
US
dollars –
to
avoid
the
pitfalls
of
major
currency
fluctuations
–
government
institutions
use
local
currency.
At
the
same
time,
banks
don’t
have
enough
ZiG
notes,
as
the
Central
Bank
–
wanting
Zimbabwe
to
move
towards
a
cashless
society
–
has
not
put
enough
cash
in
circulation,
experts
say.
As
a
result,
people
flock
to
Harare’s
central
business
district
(CBD),
where
there
is
a
thriving
black
market foreign
exchange
trading
operation.
Since
the
launch
of
the
ZiG
last
year,
the
government
has
been clamping
down on
informal
currency dealers.
But
this
has
only
created
a
situation
where
the
suppliers
find
new
avenues
to
explore
–
as
Mutsenha
discovered
that
day.
Finding
local
currency
on
the
street
was
a
nightmare,
he
said.
“I
wandered
in
the
CBD until
one
illegal
forex
dealer
[who
said
he
had
no
cash]
directed
me
to
a
certain
street.
I
was
told
the
person
[exchanging
money]
is
disabled
on
a
wheelchair.”
On
a
bustling
street
corner,
Mutsenha
found
Leonard
Mumba*, who
used
to
sell
mobile
phone
airtime
at
a
local
bus
terminus
but
now
deals
in
something
far
more
lucrative,
secretive,
and
risky.
Every
day
except
Sundays,
43-year-old
Mumba
is
wheeled
into
town
by
a
relative.
He
works
from
about
7am
to
6pm
from
the
same
spot
on
the
corner,
and
is
paid
a
weekly
commission
by
the
black
market
dealer
who
hired
him.
As
Mutsenha
handed
over
his
US
dollar
note
to
Mumba,
he
observed
the
subtle
operations
of
this
trade.
“A
man
came
from
across
the
road,
walking,
passing
by
the
street
corner.
He
just
dropped
a
black
satchel
at
this
illegal
forex
dealer
and
hooked
it
on
the
wheelchair.
They
did
not
speak
to
each
other,”
Mutsenha
recounted.
All
across
the
capital
city,
dealers
like
Mumba
now
sit
in
wheelchairs
and
on
sidewalks
with
satchels
of
banknotes.
Silent
handoffs
are
not
uncommon
to
witness:
A
plastic
bag
tossed
casually
at
a
trader’s
feet
as
a
supplier
walks
by,
avoiding
eye
contact
and
accountability.
After
the
2024
introduction
of
the
ZiG
and
the
associated
government
crackdown
on
illegal
money
traders,
an
increasing
number
of
people
with
disabilities
have
taken
up
the
trade
in
Harare,
observers
and
disability
rights
groups
say.
Although
there
are
no
clear
estimates
of
how
many
people
with
disabilities
work
as
black
market
dealers,
Plaxedes
Choto,
a
disability
activist,
told
Al
Jazeera
that
in
the
CBD
alone,
there
are
more
than
three
dozen
disabled
people
involved
in
the
trade.
While
some
have
approached
the
trade
organically,
others,
like
Mumba,
were
recruited
to
be
proxies
for
someone
else.
“I
used
to
sell
airtime
at
Copacabana
bus
terminus,
but
when
police
continued
rounding
up
the
money
changers,
one
of
the
suppliers
approached
me
to
work
for
him,”
Mumba
told
Al
Jazeera
from
his
street
corner.
“Due
to
my
condition
[being
in
a
wheelchair],
police
would
not
easily
suspect
me,
especially
in
the
beginning,”
he
said.
“And
they
are
lenient
on
arrest
due
to
our
circumstances.”
People
with
disabilities
may
be
overlooked
or
viewed
more
sympathetically
by
the
police,
who
are
less
likely
to
crack
down
on
them,
according
to
observers.
Thabiso
Moyo,
a
Harare-based
social
justice
activist
and
human
rights
defender,
told
Al
Jazeera
this
is
because
police
stations
are
often
not
disability
friendly,
which
creates
hassles
for
the
officers.
“Being
generally
spared
from
police
raids
then
creates
a
situation
which
allows
wheelchair
users
to
be
shields
and
proxies
in
a
broader
system
of
economic
survival
and
corruption.
Real
culprits
hide
behind
the
disabled.”
Moyo
notes
that
the
shift
to
front-lining
disabled
money
traders
is
a
tactic
that
allows
the
real
suppliers
of
illicit
street
currency
to
stay
behind
the
scenes
and
be
more
protected.
Despite
their
work
with
sought-after
US
dollars,
observers
say
there
are
seldom
reports
of
disabled
money
traders
being
robbed
by
thieves.
However,
many
traders
say
law
enforcement
agents
approach
them
for
bribes
in
exchange
for
allowing
their
operations
to
continue.
Despite
any
risks,
for
many,
including
Mumba,
the
benefits
of
the
job
outweigh
previous
economic
ventures.
“With
airtime
and
fruits
it
was
quite
a
hustle.
And
now
everyone
wants
money
–
cash
or
online
transfers,
both
in
USD
and
ZiG.
It’s
a
lucrative
business
and
I
could
not
deny
such
a
[job]
offer.”
Not
too
far
away,
Clever
Gorejena*,
another
street
currency
dealer,
has
been
in
a
wheelchair
since
an
accident
a
decade
ago
left
him
disabled.
He
dabbles
in
the
trade
to
make
additional
income.
Like
Mumba,
he
works
for
someone
else
and
is
paid
weekly
on
commission
based
on
the
profits
from
the
transactions
he
makes.
“I
took
the
offer
as
an
opportunity
to
make
money.
I
deal
in
both
hard
currency
and
online
transactions
using
my
phone.
In
addition
to
forex
exchange, I
also
sell
airtime.
Those
are
my
two
major
activities,”
he
told
Al
Jazeera.
People
with
disabilities
face
many
hurdles
in
Zimbabwe,
including
a
high
cost
of
living
due
to
additional
care
and
resources
they
may
require.
On
the
streets
of
Harare,
several
told
Al
Jazeera
about
the
stressful
cost
of
diapers,
food
for
their
specific
diets,
special
transport
services,
and
a
support
person
or
aids
to
help
them
get
by.
Although
Zimbabwe’s
social
welfare
department
gives
monthly
grants
to
people
with
disabilities,
representatives
of
this
community
say
it
is
a
drop
in
the
ocean.
Employment
prospects
also
remain
a
challenge.
In
2021,
Zimbabwe
launched
a
national
disability
policy
to
close
the
gaps
between
disabled
and
able-bodied
Zimbabweans.
The
policy
stated
the
government’s
intention
for
inclusion,
including
employment
opportunities,
but
four
years
down
the
line,
the
community
say
they
are
still
excluded
and
often
exploited.
For
many,
this
has
led
to
begging
or
vending
to
earn
money.
According
to
a
2017
study
by
the
National
Association
of
Social
Workers,
57
percent
of
people
begging
in
Harare
have
a
physical
disability.
“Beggars
with
disabilities
have
a
low
level
of
education.
Forty-seven
percent
have
no
formal
education.
This
has
made
it
difficult
for
them
to
get
employed,”
said
the
report.
As
people
attempt
to
leave
begging,
many
are
drawn
to
the
informal
sector
because
of
the
challenging
economic
situation,
said
Samantha
Sibanda,
the
director
of
Signs
of
Hope
Trust,
an
organisation
for
people
with
disabilities.
Some
fall
into
illegal
currency
dealing,
while
others
sell
what
they
can
in
the
street.
“I
think
the
national
budget
and
other
economic
outlooks
have
shown
that,
generally,
we
have
now
moved
to
an
informal
economy,”
said
Sibanda.
“But
for
persons
with
disabilities,
the
challenges
are
unique,”
she
added,
including
insufficient
access
to
education,
as
few
schools
provide
accessible
infrastructure.
This
then
affects
their
chances
of
getting
a
formal
job.
And
even
for
the
employed,
workplace
discrimination
remains
a
challenge.
“This
is
a
huge
gap
in
inclusion.
Our
infrastructure
was
built
without
the
disabled
in
mind,”
Sibanda
said.
“The
majority
of
the
disabled
find
their
way
to
city
centres,
in
the
streets
or
vending
due
to
lack
of
opportunities.”
In
August,
the
Harare
City
Council
conducted
Operation
Restore
CBD
Order,
during
which
officials
inspected
shops
and
buildings
to
ensure
their
businesses
were
complying
with
the
law.
The
city
council
told
Al
Jazeera
that
although
it
was
aware
that
disabled
people
are
working
in
the
illegal
money
trade
in
Harare,
the
current
focus
of
its
operation
was
on
unlicensed
shops
and
illegal
infrastructure
in
the
greater
CBD.
“But
anyone
operating
any
business
within
the
CBD
without
regulation
through
the
City
of
Harare
is
illegal,
including
those
in
the
streets,”
added
Stanley
Gama,
the
city’s
spokesperson.
Other
concerned
stakeholders
say
that
despite
government
efforts
to
fight
illegal
forex
trade,
currency
shortages
and
bureaucracy
in
the
banking
system
drive
the
black
market
operation.
In
Zimbabwe,
changing
foreign
currency
to
local
notes
the
official
way
is
a
long
process,
involving
paperwork
and
banks
asking
for
detailed
information.
Meanwhile,
changing
ZiG
to
foreign
currency
requires
Central
Bank
approval
and
is
near
impossible,
locals
say.
So
many
choose
to
go
the
black
market
route.
Ngonidzashe
Mutsigo,
a
Harare
resident,
mentions
other
challenges
for
Zimbabweans.
“I
don’t
have
a
bank
account;
it
costs
to
maintain
a
bank
account
in
Zimbabwe.
It
costs
to
withdraw
and
transact
using
the
bank
account.
So
I
think
such
things
are
the
ones
that
make
the
business
of
informal
money
changing
blossom,”
he
said.
“Unfortunately,
even
for
those
with
bank
accounts,
when
they
want
to
buy
the
USD
in
the
bank,
they
don’t
get
it,
and
we
meet
in
the
streets.”
A
black-market
money
supplier
who
provides
currency
to
disabled
traders
said
that,
these
days,
ZiG
notes
are
scarce.
As
the
ZiG
is
in
demand,
the
supplier,
who
requested
anonymity
for
security
reasons,
told
Al
Jazeera,
black
market
suppliers
often
source
it
from
big
businesspeople.
“There
are
people
in
business
and
government
getting
tenders
and
paid
in
local
currency
–
this
is
big
money
–
millions.
And
the
only
way
for
them
to
get
the
USD
is
to
come
to
the
streets.”
Even
though
the
government
pays
in
local
currency,
the
“big
shots”
want
US
dollars,
he
said.
“We
help
them
by
looking
for
the
greenback
…
and
we
work
with
our
guys
on
the
ground,
including
those
with
disabilities.
We
believe
in
numbers
–
the
more
we
get
these
people,
the
quicker
our
money
is
turned
into
the
sought-after
USD.”
In
June,
the
Reserve
Bank
of
Zimbabwe
(RBZ)
reported
that
it
had
achieved
one
year
of
ZiG
stability.
“Zimbabwe’s
exchange
rate
has
become
more
stable,
with
the
difference
between
the
official
and
black
market
rates
now
below
20
percent.
The
country
also
received
more
foreign
currency
…
[This
has]
made
it
easier
for
businesses
and
individuals
to
access
foreign
currency
for
genuine
needs,
and
helped
keep
the
financial
sector
stable
and
healthy,”
said
RBZ
governor,
John
Mushayavanhu.
Observers
and
financial
experts,
however,
say
the
RBZ
is
not
realistic
about
the
situation
on
the
ground,
where
US
dollars
are in
demand
and
widely
different
exchange
rates
on
the
official and
parallel
markets
have
created
opportunities
for
illegal
dealers
to
thrive.
Meanwhile,
on
the
streets,
people
with
disabilities
have
been
drawn
in,
too
–
many
out
of
desperation
or
necessity.
“We
are
living
in
tough
times,”
Sign
of
Hope’s
Sibanda
said.
“We
do
also
have
people
who
have
been
exploiting
persons
with
disabilities
since
time
immemorial,
using
them
for
begging,
using
them
to
run
their
stores
while
they
keep
their
money
for
themselves.”
Recruitment
by
money
traders
wanting
to
stay
in
the
shadows
is
the
newest
iteration
of
that.
“Operating
a
parallel
market
of
forex
or
currency
exchange
is
illegal,
and
we
do
not
condone
such
activities,”
Sibanda
said.
“But
we
do
look
forward
to
other
opportunities
that
can
give
people
with
disabilities
better
incomes
and
a
better
life.”
On
his
street
corner,
Mumba
agrees.
Despite
some
financial
respite,
he
says
currency
trading
does
not
provide
real
security
–
neither
economic
nor
social.
He
hopes
the
government
will
roll
out
initiatives
and
invest
in
helping
him
and
others
get
away
from the
criminal
trade
and
unsafe
streets
of
Harare.
“No
one
knows
about
tomorrow.
Robbers
can
target
me,
here
or
at
home,
and
it
will
affect
my
family,”
Mumba
said.
“My
biggest
fear
is
that
the
work
we
do
is
illegal
and
does
not
help
in
building
my
country’s
economy.”
*Name
changed
for
safety
reasons
The
Wall
Street
Journal
recently
ran
a
story
that
might
surprise
those
who
view
entrepreneurship
as
a
young
person’s
game.
Turns
out,
70-somethings
are
launching
new
businesses
at
record
rates.
Nearly
30
percent
of
employed
Americans
over
70
now
work
for
themselves
—
double
the
share
of
those
in
their
60s.
So
why
not
law?
Why
couldn’t
that
same
spirit
of
reinvention
take
hold
among
senior
attorneys?
Consider
the
context.
At
large
firms,
many
lawyers
in
their
60s
and
70s
are
being
eased
out
by
mandatory
retirement
policies.
Others
begin
to
feel
that
life’s
too
short
to
defend
policies
or
causes
they
don’t
believe
in.
Yet
as
older
lawyers
depart
the
work
force,
decades
of
valuable
experience,
judgment,
and
relationships
are
being
left
on
the
sidelines.
And
those
qualities
are
exactly
what
make
older
lawyers
perfect
candidates
for
law
firm
ownership.
Already,
older
lawyers
already
have
the
assets
that
younger
founders
are
still
scrambling
to
build.
That
includes
a
network
that
spans
industries,
a
reputation
that
opens
doors,
and
the
confidence
that
comes
from
having
weathered
cycles
of
boom,
bust,
and
burnout.
Plus
many
older
lawyers
are
financially
secure,
with
mortgages
and
children’s
college
tuition
in
the
rearview
mirror.
Even
better,
the
practice
opportunities
are
wide
open
to
serve
clients
with
a
similar
background
–
and
who
are
likely
to
feel
more
comfortable
around
a
lawyer
who
looks
like
them.
Potential
practice
areas
include:
Meanwhile,
the
emergence
of
generative
AI
promises
to
mitigate
many
age-related
concerns
about
older
lawyers’
mental
acuity,
stamina,
and
tech
competence
(a
2023
study
showed
that
73%
of
Oklahoma
lawyers
disciplined
are
over
50
years
old).
AI
is
intuitive
for
most
lawyers
to
use
and
can
tackle
much
of
the
repetitive
drudge
work
that
older
lawyers
struggle
with.
Older
lawyers
have
the
added
advantage
of
experience
which
enables
them
to
spot
hallucinated
or
suspicious
AI
output
more
capably
than
newer
lawyers.
Like
“That
70s
Show,”
a
70-something
solo
by
choice
sounds
like
a
sitcom.
But
it’s
really
a
reboot
—
where
you
finally
get
to
write
the
script.
You’ve
already
lived
the
first
few
seasons
of
your
career.
You’ve
seen
what
works,
what
doesn’t,
and
what
actually
matters.
The
70s
don’t
have
to
be
an
ending.
They
can
be
the
decade
where
you
take
everything
you’ve
learned
and
finally
practice
law
the
way
you
always
wanted
to.
Carolyn
Elefant
is
one
of
the
country’s
most
recognized
advocates
for
solo
and
small
firm
lawyers.
She
founded
MyShingle.com
in
2002,
the
longest-running
blog
for
solo
practitioners,
where
she
has
published
thousands
of
articles,
resources,
and
guides
on
starting,
running,
and
growing
independent
law
practices.
She
is
the
author
of
Solo
by
Choice,
widely
regarded
as
the
definitive
handbook
for
launching
and
sustaining
a
law
practice,
and
has
spoken
at
countless
bar
events
and
legal
conferences
on
technology,
innovation,
and
regulatory
reform
that
impacts
solos
and
smalls.
Elefant
also
develops
practical
tools
like
the AI
Teach-In to
help
small
firms
adopt
AI
and
she
consistently
champions
reforms
to
level
the
playing
field
for
independent
lawyers.
Alongside
this
work,
she
runs
the
Law
Offices
of
Carolyn
Elefant,
a
national
energy
and
regulatory
practice
that
handles
selective
complex,
high-stakes
matters.
The
12th
annual
Relativity
Fest
kicked
off
this
week
in
Chicago
before
over
1,800
attendees.
Lots
of
announcements,
the
most
significant
of
which
was
that
starting
in
early
2026,
the
Relativity
aiR
for
Review
and
aiR
for
Privilege
products
will
be
included
in
the
standard
Relativity
One
package
and
pricing.
The
accompanying
press
release
announcing
the
change
describes
these
tools
as
“generative
AI
solutions
for
legal
review.”
In
other
words,
what
were
previously
only
obtainable
by
paying
a
separate
and
additional
charge
will
now
essentially
be
free
for
Relativity
customers.
Why
Is
This
Important?
This
is
important
because
so
many
vendors
try
to
create
AI
programs
and
then
charge
separately
for
them
to
generate
revenue.
Many
of
these
products
are
already
expensive
and
adding
an
AI
surcharge
can
place
them
out
of
reach
for
many
practitioners.
And
the
idea
that
there
are
separate
charges
for
the
state-of-the-art
products
feels
like
nickel
and
diming
that
does
little
more
than
breed
mistrust.
Yet
these
products
can
save
thousands
of
dollars
and
countless
hours
and
are
valuable.
Many
AI
tools
do
little
more
than
make
the
rich
richer,
providing
an
advantage
to
the
large
firms
that
can
afford
state-of-the-art
tools.
Offering
the
review
and
privilege
review
tools
as
part
of
the
standard
package
levels
the
playing
field.
It
also
makes
for
better
results
when
both
sides
have
access
to
the
same
tools.
Phil
Saunders,
the
Relativity
CEO,
put
it
this
way:
“We
believe
generative
AI
is
the
undeniable
future
of
review,
and
we’re
making
it
easy
for
all
RelativityOne
customers
to
experience
the
platform.”
In
some
respects,
the
decision
reflects
the
culture
of
the
company
and
in
particular
the
philosophy
of
Saunders
who
has
been
in
that
position
for
almost
three
years.
Unlike
many
of
those
in
C-suites
of
legal
tech
companies,
Saunders
is
refreshingly
honest.
He’s
self-deprecating.
He’s
humble
but
confident.
He’s
the
kind
of
CEO
who
goes
to
the
somewhat
drab
hotel
gym
to
work
out
with
everyone
else
instead
of
being
chauffeured
to
someplace
fancy
with
his
entourage.
You
know
the
kind
of
guy
you
want
to
have
a
beer
with?
That’s
Saunders.
Some
Honesty
For
a
Change
Consistent
with
his
style
and
philosophy,
Saunders
made
a
number
of
revealing
and
candid
comments
in
the
Keynote
and
afterwards
in
a
press
conference.
For
example,
one
of
the
tools
announced
recently
by
Relativity
is
aiR
Strategy,
which
helps
users
create
case
strategies.
When
asked
why
that
tool
was
also
not
being
bundled
in
the
standard
package,
his
response
was
interesting:
frankly,
he
admitted
that
the
product
is
not
quite
ready
yet.
It’s
not
a
“real-time,
best-in-class”
offering.
Interesting
and
honest:
bundling
aiR
Strategy
will
apparently
be
discussed
only
when
the
product
is
ready.
When
asked
about
future
mergers
and
acquisitions,
Saunders
also
answered
honestly
that
the
company
had
not
been
good
at
integrating
acquired
companies
in
the
past.
He
also
noted
that
a
lack
of
a
culture
fit
just
fuels
disruption.
So,
says
Saunders,
Relativity
just
hasn’t
been
ready
for
more
acquisitions.
Saunders
also
raised
the
question
of
the
importance
of
(or
perhaps
lack
of
importance)
of
focusing
too
much
on
revenue:
“just
because
something
builds
revenue
doesn’t
mean
it’s
going
to
serve
the
customers
well…
we
have
to
get
over
the
reality
that
revenue
is
like
heroin,
it’s
addictive.”
Saunders
also
addressed
the
relationship
of
Relativity
with
its
partners.
He
firmly
planted
a
flag:
Relativity
partners
can’t
take
a
Relativity
product
and
mark
it
up.
“It’s
not
serving
the
end
customer
by
marking
up
a
platform
5X
to
maintain
the
margins
they
once
had
in
the
human
review
business
and
then
doing
a
bunch
of
consulting
services
and
charging
$800
an
hour.”
Relationships
with
partners
can
often
be
touchy:
it’s
like
the
relationship
between
franchisors
and
franchisees
that
I’m
familiar
with
from
practicing
law.
They
need
each
other
but
if
the
franchisor
doesn’t
make
sure
the
franchisee
offers
the
products
fairly
and
honestly,
everyone
gets
hurt.
It’s
the
same
here,
so
it’s
good
to
see
Saunders
make
Relativity’s
stance
clear.
Saunders
was
also
asked
if
the
recently
announced
Relativity
Rel
Labs
program,
an
investment
program
that
would
support
legal
tech
startups,
might
partner
with
or
invest
in
some
socially
oriented
AI
tools.
Another
honest
answer:
“that’s
a
really
good
question,
we
haven’t
thought
of
it.”
As
Saunders
put
it,
“if
we
don’t
know
something,
we
own
it.”
Company
Culture
Concluding
the
press
conference,
Saunders
summed
up
in
a
few
words
what
he
thinks
the
culture
of
Relativity
is
or
should
be.
First,
it
approaches
things
with
“radical
candor”
where
ideas
and
for
that
matter,
failures,
are
discussed
openly
and
robustly.
It
strives
to
be
“humble
but
hungry.”
Platitudes?
Maybe.
But
if
bundling
key
tools
without
charging
extra
for
them
is
any
indication,
this
culture
may
be
real.
Plus,
by
the
way,
says
Saunders,
radical
candor
lets
him
swear
a
lot.
Why
This
Approach
Works
I
don’t
work
for
Relativity.
I’m
not
there
day
to
day.
I
don’t
use
their
products.
But
in
an
era
when
many
tech
vendors
overpromise
underperforming
products
or
announce
products
that
will
be
offered
later,
offer
enhancements
that
don’t
do
much
new,
or
offer
products
as
add-ons
to
their
central
core
products,
Saunders’s
honesty
and
transparency
is
refreshing.
As
with
most
customer
relationships,
at
the
end
of
the
day,
it
needs
to
be
about
trust.
Honesty
and
transparency
generate
trust.
Doing
the
right
thing
like
including
key
programs
in
the
standard
platform
says
a
lot.
Particularly
in
a
business
where
relationships
between
legal
service
providers
and
their
clients
hinge
almost
entirely
on
trust.
If
only
other
vendors
followed
suit,
they
might
be
become
trusted
allies
instead
of
just
vendors.
Stephen
Embry
is
a
lawyer,
speaker,
blogger,
and
writer.
He
publishes TechLaw
Crossroads,
a
blog
devoted
to
the
examination
of
the
tension
between
technology,
the
law,
and
the
practice
of
law.
