Wake Up Call: AI Startups Court Law Students as Future Customers

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• As AI companies compete for legal industry customers, two legal AI startups are working to win over law students. Legora said last month it will supply free training and access to its AI legal tools to nine law schools, including Stanford, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern. Harvey launched a similar free subscription program last year that has since expanded to 17 US law ‌schools, including Penn, New York University, and UCLA. (Reuters)
• Moore & Van Allen is moving into Atlanta, becoming the latest law firm to snap up office space in the city as the local legal market grows. Its arrival comes as Atlanta law firms feel the ups and downs of an increasingly competitive environment—some folding after attorney exits and others flourishing. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• The Indiana University Maurer School of Law will gift each of its 154 JD graduates $10,000 this May. The funds were given by anonymous donors who aim “to pay it forward” financially by helping recent grads preparing for the bar exam. (ABA Journal)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Sarah Lightdale rejoined Latham & Watkins as a partner in its securities and mergers and acquisitions litigation practice in New York. She rejoins from Cooley.
• Kaila Sergent joined Latham & Watkins as a partner in its real estate practice in Los Angeles. She joins from DLA Piper.
• Jeff Cole and Brian Jansen joined King & Spalding as partners in its finance and restructuring practice group in Dallas. They join from Winston & Strawn.
• Chad Colton joined Perkins Coie as a partner in its commercial litigation practice in Portland and Seattle.
• Jocelyn Chow joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as a national security and antitrust partner in Hong Kong.
• Kirsten Donaldson joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its public policy and regulation group in Washington. She joins from the National Association of Broadcasters.
• George O’Brien joined WilmerHale as a partner in its regulatory and government affairs department in Washington.
• Ashley Chung joined Winston & Strawn as a partner in its appellate and critical motions practice in Chicago. She joins from the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
• Daniel Verrett joined Ogletree Deakins as a shareholder in its labor and employment practice in Austin.
• Michael Waskiewicz and Armando Nozzolillo joined Womble Bond Dickinson as partners in its finance, bankruptcy, and restructuring practice. They join from Burr & Forman.
• Olga Beloded joined Pryor Cashman as a partner in its tax group in New York. She joins from Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle.
• Shelley Ericsson joined Littler as a shareholder in Kansas City. She joins from Ogletree Deakins.
• Christopher Van Gundy joined Buchalter as a partner in its litigation, class actions, and FDA regulatory compliance practice groups in San Francisco. He joins from Sheppard Mullin.