Category: News Feeds

• Zimbabwe’s
  economic
  rebound
  in
  2025
  has
  been
  stronger
  than
  expected,
  supported
  by
  a
  recovery
  in
  agriculture,
  solid
  mining
  performance,
  and
  easing
  inflation
  amid
  exchange
  rate
  stability.
• Discussions
  in
  Harare
  emphasized
  the
  importance
  of
  reinforcing
  fiscal
  discipline
  in
  the
  2026
  budget
  by
  aligning
  expenditures
  with
  revenues
  and
  sustainable
  financing
  sources,
  while
  strengthening
  expenditure
  management.

Harare,
Zimbabwe: An
International
Monetary
Fund
(IMF)
staff
team,
led
by
Mr.
Wojciech
Maliszewski,
visited
Zimbabwe
from
October
29
to
November
5,
2025,
as
part
of
the
Fund’s
regular
engagement
with
the
Zimbabwean
authorities
and
other
stakeholders..

At
the
conclusion
of
the
visit,
Mr.
Maliszewski
issued
the
following
statement:

“The
IMF
mission
held
productive
discussions
with
the
Zimbabwean
authorities
on
recent
economic
developments
and
the
2026
budget
framework.

“Zimbabwe’s
economic
recovery
in
2025
is
stronger
than
previously
anticipated,
given
the
rebound
in
agriculture
and
solid
performances
in
mining,
while
inflation
has
continued
to
significantly
ease,
supported
by
a
stable
foreign
exchange
rate.
The
economy
is
expected
to
maintain
strong
momentum
in
2026.

“Discussions
in
Harare
focused
on
enhancing
fiscal
discipline
in
the
2026
budget
framework
by
aligning
expenditures
with
revenues
and
available
non-inflationary
financing
sources,
while
avoiding
the
accumulation
of
expenditure
arrears.
In
this
context,
adopting
credible
revenue
projections
supported
by
concrete
policy
and
administrative
tax
measures
for
2026,
and
strengthening
expenditure
management,
would
help
enhance
fiscal
resilience
and
the
management
of
fiscal
risks
and
pressures.

“In
the
context
of
the
requested
Staff
Monitored
Program,
IMF
staff
stand
ready
to
resume
discussions
upon
progress
towards
addressing
key
policy
issues
highlighted
in
the
Article
IV
consultations,
including
aligning
the
2026
budget
with
the
objective
of
sustaining
macroeconomic
stability.”

“IMF
staff
met
with
the
Minister
of
Finance,
Economic
Development
and
Investment
Promotion,
Hon.
Mthuli
Ncube,
the
Governor
of
the
Reserve
Bank
of
Zimbabwe,
Dr.
John
Mushayavanhu,
and
their
respective
teams,
as
well
as
other
stakeholders.
The
IMF
team
wishes
to
express
its
sincere
appreciation
to
the
Zimbabwean
authorities
and
all
counterparts
for
their
warm
hospitality,
open
dialogue,
and
excellent
cooperation
throughout
the
mission.”

IMF
Communications
Department

Post
published
in:

Business

Trump
Defends
Not
Feeding
Children
Because
Of
Separation
Of
Powers:
Joe
Biden
is
also
blamed
for
some
reason.
FedSoc
Pushes
Judges
To
Fall
In
Line
With
Trump:
If
not,
they
may
be
threatened
with
impeachment.
Still
Searching:
This
law
school
graduate
killing
has
been
unsolved
for
over
30
years.
Prosecutors
Are
Using
AI
To
Help
Put
People
Behind
Bars:
Someone
has
to
be
responsible
for
the
hallucinations
and
threat
to
liberty.

Litigation
can
be
an
extremely
complex
process
for
individuals
unaccustomed
to
the
practices
and
procedures
of
pursuing
claims
in
court. 
As
a
result,
lawyers
who
have
claims
of
their
own
might
have
advantages
if
they
seek
to
litigate
those
claims
in
court,
since
they
can
presumably
save
money
on
legal
fees
and
benefit
from
knowledge
of
the
legal
system. However,
some
lawyers
might
be
dissuaded
from
pursuing
claims
in
court
since
they
understand
the
delays
and
minutiae
of
litigation.

Several
years
ago,
I
represented
a
client
who
was
being
sued
in
a
small,
somewhat
petty
matter. I
observed
that
the
plaintiff
was
operating
pro
se,
but
that
the
summons
and
complaint
were
well
drafted.
I
eventually
discovered
that
the
plaintiff
was
an
attorney,
which
accounted
for
why
this
pro
se
plaintiff
had
solid
papers. Upon
conducting
a
search
of
this
lawyer’s
name
in
court
records,
I
discovered
that
the
lawyer
had
been
a
pro
se
plaintiff
for
a
number
of
claims.

I
tried
to
treat
this
pro
se
plaintiff
as
I
would
any
other
lawyer
with
whom
I
interact,
and
the
topic
of
lawyers
pursuing
their
own
claims
pro
se
came
up
in
conversation. This
lawyer
turned
pro
se
plaintiff
espoused
the
advantages
and
suggested
that
I
should
feel
empowered
to
do
the
same
if
I
felt
aggrieved
in
the
future.
I
countered
that
I
would
need
to
have
a
significant
claim
to
warrant
going
to
court,
since
I
would
likely
need
to
declare
litigation
matters
on
bar
applications,
background
check
forms,
and
the
like
if
I
ever
wanted
to
pursue
certain
opportunities
in
the
future.

I
could
tell
that
this
lawyer
turned
pro
se
plaintiff
had
not
thought
about
this
consequence
of
pursuing
claims
in
court. The
lawyer
related
that
it
was
unlikely
that
a
lawyer
would
be
denied
admission
to
a
bar
or
a
job
opening
for
litigating
their
own
claims,
but
I
countered
that
they
still
would
have
to
submit
additional
information
and
explain
the
litigation
matters
when
pursuing
certain
opportunities. I
generally
agree
with
this
lawyer
that
attorneys
pursuing
their
own
claims
in
court
may
not
warrant
denial
of
job
openings,
but
the
hassle
of
explaining
such
matters
to
potential
employers
and
bar
authorities
might
make
it
less
likely
to
pursue
claims.

I
also
once
had
a
lawyer
friend
with
whom
I
worked
at
a
midsize
law
firm. This
friend
felt
aggrieved
by
a
given
business,
and
he
decided
to
litigate
his
claims
against
the
business. His
papers
were
excellent,
and
my
friend
definitely
drew
upon
his
experience
as
a
lawyer
to
zealously
pursue
his
claims
in
court.

However,
the
friend
said
it
was
uncomfortable
to
deal
with
court
staff
as
a
pro
se
plaintiff
when
he
was
familiar
interacting
with
them
as
an
attorney.
This
friend
believed
that
this
could
fray
relationships
that
might
be
helpful
in
his
job
as
a
full-time
lawyer. In
addition,
it
was
difficult
for
this
friend
to
take
time
off
of
work
to
attend
all
of
the
court
conferences
and
other
proceedings
relevant
to
his
case. In
addition,
our
bosses
at
the
firm
apparently
did
not
like
that
this
friend
was
litigating
his
case,
perhaps
since
they
thought
he
was
using
firm
resources
to
pursue
the
claims
or
because
this
possibly
impugned
the
reputation
of
our
law
firm.

I
am
not
the
type
of
person
who
would
quickly
run
to
court
if
I
felt
aggrieved
by
a
particular
issue. Litigating
hundreds,
if
not
thousands,
of
cases
throughout
my
career
has
shown
me
that
litigation
is
a
time-consuming
enterprise,
and
judicial
resources
are
better
spent
on
larger
matters
that
cannot
be
easily
resolved
between
parties.
In
addition,
lawyers
litigating
their
own
claims
might
face
barriers
to
future
opportunities
and
might
hurt
their
reputations
in
ways
that
can
impact
their
work
as
attorneys.

---

Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at jordan@rothman.law.

Ed.
Note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature

Trivia
Question
of
the
Day!

According
to
analysis
by
Dr.
Adam
Feldman
of
Legalytics,
which
president
has
made
the
most
federal
judicial
appointments
to
individuals
with
Supreme
Court
clerkship
experience?

Hint:
Thirty-three
of
this
president’s
federal
judge
appointees
had
a
clerkship
at
1
First
Street
on
their
resume.

See
the
answer
on
the
next
page.

Despite
occasional

high-profile
exceptions,
more
Biglaw
firms
are

mandating
in-person
work,
with
three
members
of
the
Am
Law
50
recently
announcing
four-day
requirements.

While
their
potential
customer
base
may
increase
as
a
result
of
these
moves,
some
go-to
lunch
spots
for
office
workers
are
facing
big
economic
challenges.  

As
noted
today
by
Business
Insider,
fast-casual
chains
like
Chipotle,
Cava,
and
Sweetgreen
have
recently
reported
fewer
visits
from
younger
customers,
and
a
drop
in
their
stock
price
has
followed.
Chipotle
lost
26%
in
the
past
month,
Cava
fell
27%,
and
Sweetgreen
fell
21%.

In
earnings
calls,
the
companies
cited
economic
pressure,
like
higher
unemployment
and
increasing
costs,
as
a
factor
harming
sales
among
Gen
Z
and
millennials.
(The
recent

emergence
of
“slop
bowls”
as
a
term
for
their
products
probably
isn’t
helping
either.)

In
the
short
term,
though,
this
dynamic
might
bring
an
upgrade
to
the
ubiquitous
desktop
salad. 

As
Business
Insider
reports,
Sweetgreen’s
CEO
has
described
a
turnaround
plan
that
includes
bigger
servings
of
chicken
and
tofu,
pricing
changes,
and
other
improvements. 

4-Day
Attendance
Requirements
Gain
Momentum,
but
Partner
Objections
Persist
[Law.com]

Cash-squeezed
Gen
Zers
and
millennials
are
bringing
down
America’s
favorite
slop
bowl
chains
[Business
Insider]

---

Jeremy
Barker
is
the
director
of
content
marketing
for
Breaking
Media.
Feel
free
to email
him with
questions
or
comments
and
to connect
on
LinkedIn.

At
37
days,
the
country
is
in
the
middle
of
its
longest-ever
government
shutdown.
Hallways
that
were
once
filled
with
eager
tour
groups
and
bustling
workers
are
now
eerily
empty.

Well,
with
the
exception
of
one
person
and
his
camera.

In
this
episode
of
the
Congressional
Roundup,
Breaking
Defense
Director
of
Multimedia
Daniel
Woolfolk
takes
you
on
a
photo
tour
of
the
Hill
during
this
unusually
quiet
time.

Be
sure
to
sign
up
for
our
congressional
newsletter
below
to
make
sure
you
don’t
miss
the
latest
episode
—
and
that
you’re
getting
all
of
our
coverage
from
the
Hill.

Lawyers
often
think
advertising
will
fuel
their
practice
growth,
but
referral
relationships
consistently
prove
more
powerful.

If
you’re
in
personal
injury
or
any
consumer-facing
practice,
strong
networks
with
other
lawyers
are
the
most
sustainable
path
to
new
business.

It’s
not
enough
to
show
up
once
a
year
at
a
bar
event.
You
need
to
build
habits
around
staying
in
touch,
offering
value,
and
staying
top
of
mind.

The
best
rainmakers
treat
relationship-building
like
going
to
the
gym;
it’s
part
of
their
routine. 

In
this
episode
of
the
“Be
That
Lawyer”
podcast,
I
explore
these
ideas
with

Charles
Gallaer
of
Arent
Fox
Schiff.

Billboards
Alone
Aren’t
Enough

What
can
all
lawyers
learn
from
successful
personal
injury
attorneys?
Here,
Charles
looks
at
a
holistic
marketing
approach.

Build
Systems
That
Stick 

Lawyers
who
operate
without
systems
are
more
likely
to
burn
out,
miss
deadlines,
and
deliver
inconsistent
client
experiences.

To
run
an
efficient
and
scalable
firm,
you
need
documented
processes
for
business
development,
client
intake,
file
management,
and communication.

Tools
like
OneNote,
Remarkable
tablets,
and
automation
software
can
help
you
offload
mental
clutter
and
stay
organized.
Creating
systems
also
helps
you
delegate,
onboard
new
hires
faster,
and
make
smarter
decisions
with
fewer
errors. 

Why
Proactive
Lawyers
Win
More
Trust
(and
More
Business) 

Being
reactive
costs
you
business.
Clients
want
lawyers
who
anticipate
problems,
communicate
frequently,
and
manage
logistics
without
being
asked.

When
you
proactively
manage
contracts,
deadlines,
and
deliverables,
clients
see
you
as
indispensable.
Whether
you’re
handling
deals,
disputes,
or
general
counsel
duties,
showing
up
early
with
reminders,
updates,
and
next
steps
makes
you
the
lawyer
clients
remember
and
refer
to.

This
is
how
you
build
trust
and
trust
leads
directly
to
more
business. 

Complexity
is
the
enemy
of
clarity
in
law
practice.

Charles
emphasizes
that
the
most
successful
lawyers
communicate
in
plain
English,
cut
through
legalese,
and
make
their
systems
simple
and
repeatable.

He
advocates
investing
in
tools
and
processes
that
eliminate
chaos,
save
time,
and
help
lawyers
focus
on
their
highest-value
work.

Listen
to
the latest
episode
of
“Be
That
Lawyer”
here, and
if
you’re
serious
about
leveling
up
your
business
development,
grab
a
copy
of
my
new
book, now
available
on
Amazon.

---

Steve
Fretzin
is
a
bestselling
author,
host
of
the
“Be
That
Lawyer”
podcast,
and
business
development
coach
exclusively
for
attorneys.
Steve
has
committed
his
career
to
helping
lawyers
learn
key
growth
skills
not
currently
taught
in
law
school.
His
clients
soon
become
top
rainmakers
and
credit
Steve’s
program
and
coaching
for
their
success.
He
can
be
reached
directly
by
email
at [email protected].
Or
you
can
easily
find
him
on
his
website
at www.fretzin.com or
LinkedIn
at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin.

The
Federalist
Society’s
annual
lawyers
meeting
is
going
on
in
Washington
D.C.,
and
yesterday
there
was
a
panel
on
Judicial
Oversight
of
District
Courts
after

Trump
v.
CASA,
limiting
lower
courts’
ability
to
issue
universal
injunctions
to
block
the
enforcement
of
policies.
Though
conservatives
won
that
case,
and
have
a

wildly
partisan
win
rate
at
the
Supreme
Court,
panelist
Chad
Mizelle,
former
chief
of
staff
to
the
Attorney
General,
still
finds
plenty
to
complain
about.

Mizelle’s
comments
called
out
district
courts
that
have
tried
to
place
constitutional
speed
bumps
on
the
Trump
agenda.
Like
his
former
boss,
Mizelle
says
these
are
liberal
judges
that
aren’t
acting
in
good
faith
(never
mind
that

Reagan-appointed
judges
are
leading
the
charge).
And
he
knows
what
we
should
do
about
it.
Impeach
them.

Politico

reports
on
Mizelle’s
comments:

“What’s
going
to
force
the
Supreme
Court to
do
something
is
fundamentally
political
pressure.
It’s
going
to
be
when
Congress
starts
impeaching
judges
and
saying
…
‘You
are
now
encroaching
into
our
territory,’”
Mizelle
said
during a
panel
discussion at
the
Federalist
Society’s
annual
lawyers’
meeting
in
Washington.

Mizelle’s
impeachment
battle
cry followed
a
somewhat
cryptic
story
he
shared
that
appeared
to
involve
an
implicit
threat
his
father
once
issued
to
put
down
a
stray
cat
in
the
family’s
yard.

“What
do
I
think
DJT
should
do? He
should
stand
up,
and
he’s
already
done
this,
and
say,
‘Judges,
I
know
how
to
deal
with
stray
cats,’”
said
Mizelle,
who
served
as
acting
associate
AG
and
chief
of
staff
to
AG Pam
Bondi before
stepping
down
last
month.
(Mizelle’s
wife, Kathryn
Kimball
Mizelle, is
a
Trump-appointed
federal
district
court
judge
in
Florida.)

Of
course,
there
are
problems
with
this
strategy.
Put
aside
the
massive
hit
this
would
cause
to
the
rule
of
law,
but
as
a
matter
of
logistics,
this
is
nothing
more
than
an
empty
threat.
Remember,
it’s
not
that
easy
to
kick
someone
out
of
their
lifetime
appointment.
In
order
to
actually
remove
a
federal
judge
from
the
bench,
you
need
60
senators
to
vote
to
convict
the
jurist
—
and
refusing
to
rubber
stamp
a
far-right
policy
agenda
isn’t
going
to
have
the
votes.
(Hell,
even
before
you
get
to
the
Senate’s
trial
part
of
an
impeachment,
Mike
Johnson
would
have
to
call
the
House
of
Representatives
back
from
recess,
and

who
knows
when
that
will
be.)

Yet
it’s
important
to
note
that
the
impeachment
option
is
so
freely
bandied
about.
We
now
live
in
a
world
of

political
retribution,
and
this
is
merely
another
way
conservatives
are
trying
to
apply
pressure
to
eliminate
the
opposition
to
their
agenda.
Even
if
the
opposition
is
rooted
in
constitutional
concerns.

Mizelle’s
words
are
chilling,
and
they
don’t
exist
in
a
vacuum.
There’s
a
sharp
increase
in
threats
against
federal
judges
— up
327% in
the
Trump
II
era.
Though
Mizelle
means
treating
judges
who
dare
to
question
the
far-right
agenda
like
“stray
cats”
is
impeachment,
it’s
easy
to
see
how
an
extremist
might
take
the
words
more
literally.

---

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

Corporate
Legal
Operations
Consortium
(CLOC)
today
announced
a
major
expansion
and
restructuring
of
its
board
of
directors,
expanding
it
from
nine
to
16
members,
the
largest
increase
in
the
organization’s
10-year
history.

In
a
significant
policy
shift
for
the
organization,
CLOC
is
formally
adding
legal
technology
and
service
providers
to
its
board
for
the
first
time,
alongside
in-house
legal
operations
professionals.
The
move
reflects
what
the
organization
calls
a
commitment
to
bringing
“all
stakeholders
to
the
table”
to
drive
industry
transformation.

“This
leadership
lineup
underscores
our
commitment
to
representing
a
broad
range
of
perspectives
across
industries,
regions
and
experiences,
and
to
advancing
the
practice
of
legal
operations
on
a
truly
global
scale,”
said
Oyango
Snell,
CLOC’s
executive
director,
in
an
announcement.

Along
with
the
board
expansion,
CLOC
is
modernizing
its
governance
structure
by
introducing
two
new
roles,
board
chair
and
chair-elect,
and
transitioning
to
an
entirely
volunteer
board.
The
organization
is
also
reconstituting
the
position
of
executive
director
as
president
and
CEO
to
align
with
association
best
practices
and
support
its
6,500
global
members.

“In
the
AI
era,
shaping
the
future
of
legal
operations
requires
our
collective
ingenuity,”
said
Áine
Lyons,
CLOC
president
and
SVP
and
deputy
general
counsel
at
Workday.
“These
governance
updates
go
beyond
expanding
our
board;
they
are
a
fundamental
realignment
for
impact.”

CLOC’s
New
Board

The
new
board,
which
begins
its
term
in
January
2026,
includes
two
legal
technology
vendor
executives
and
one
legal
services
executive
among
the
11
newly
elected
directors:

• Jerry
  Levine,
  chief
  evangelist
  and
  general
  counsel
  at
  ContractPodAI.
• Colin
  Levy,
  general
  counsel
  at
  Malbek.
• Richard
  Robinson,
  director
  of
  client
  success
  at
  Epiq.

Other
new
members
of
CLOC’s
board
are:

• Mark
  Allen,
  director
  of
  legal
  and
  compliance
  operations,
  Zillow.
• Donovan
  Bell,
  senior
  director,
  head
  of
  global
  operations,
  corporate
  affairs,
  policy,
  integrity,
  trade
  and
  and
  legal,
  Intel.
• Alex
  Gao,
  senior
  director,
  legal
  operations,
  Hilton
  Worldwide
  Corporation.
• Kurt
  Grasinger,
  legal
  operations
  and
  outside
  counsel
  manager,
  Meta.
• Stacy
  Lettie,
  chief
  of
  staff
  to
  the
  general
  counsel,
  Organon.
• Carl
  Morrison,
  senior
  manager,
  legal
  operations,
  Otsuka
  America
  Pharmaceutical
  Inc.
• Kirsten
  Taitelbaum,
  vice
  president,
  head
  of
  legal
  operations
  and
  chief
  of
  staff,
  Sutter
  Health.
• Darth
  Vaughn,
  associate
  general
  counsel
  and
  managing
  director,
  policy
  and
  legal
  operations,
  Ford
  Motor
  Company

In
addition
to
CLOC
President
Lyons,
current
members
who
will
continue
on
the
board
are:

• Frances
  Pomposo,
  senior
  director,
  head
  of
  legal
  operations,
  and
  chief
  of
  staff
  to
  the
  chief
  legal
  officer,
  Intuitive.
• Laura
  Dieudonné,
  legal
  operations
  and
  administration
  director,
  Delta
  Air
  Lines.
• Adam
  Becker,
  director,
  legal
  operations,
  Cockroach
  Labs.

“The
2026
board
brings
together
a
diverse,
powerful
slate
of
legal
operations
leaders,
in-house
counsel,
and
technology
innovators
to
drive
the
organization’s
long-term
strategy
and
impact,”
the
organization
said.