Wake Up Call: Personal Injury Billboards Have ‘Sprouted’ in LA

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

• Personal injury lawyer billboards “have sprouted all over Los Angeles” as a result of cheap rates and new ad opportunities lawyers discovered during the pandemic. Said one outdoor media strategist: “They see their competitors, and they want to be up there.” (Los Angeles Times)
• The University of Virginia School of Law sent the highest percentage of graduates into full-time legal jobs last year among ABA-accredited law schools for the second year running. Just over 97% of UVA JD grads went on to permanent positions that required passage of a bar exam. Next best: The University of Michigan Law School, with an employment rate of more than 95%. (Reuters)
• An NYC student who attended former President Trump’s hush money trial said she thought it was hilarious when Trump defense lawyer Todd Blanche got slammed by Judge Juan Merchan regarding Trump’s gag order. “I thought it was really funny when the defense attorney was basically annihilated by the judge in opening ceremonies,” said Hope Harrington. “It really made my day.” (Daily Beast)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Stephanie Marcantonio has joined Sheppard Mullin as a healthcare partner in the New York office. She joins from Crowell & Moring.
• Kwan-Ho Chung has joined Sheppard Mullin as a partner in the intellectual property practice group and life sciences industry team in Washington, D.C. He joins from Perkins Coie.
• Andrew J. Merken has joined Polsinelli as a shareholder in the Boston office.
• Michael Delaney has joined Seyfarth Shaw as a partner in the corporate department in Atlanta. He joins from Bryan Cave.
• John P. Mueller has joined Marshall Dennehey as a shareholder with the employment law practice group in Mount Laurel, N.J.
• David Goldman and Matthew Schonholz have joined Baker McKenzie as partners with the transactional tax practice in Los Angeles. They join from Munger, Tolles & Olson.