Wake Up Call: NY Rallies Rural Interns to Fight Lawyer Scarcity

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

• New York’s court system is expanding programs aimed at drawing lawyers to rural counties facing attorney shortages. The Rural Pathways initiative places law students in rural communities for paid internships designed to draw them to local legal careers. After a six-student pilot last year, the program will grow to 20 interns across more than a dozen counties this summer. (Times-Union)
• Attorney and lobbyist Joshua Nass was charged with attempted extortion after New York prosecutors said he tried to force a former client to pay an alleged $500,000 debt by hiring someone to intimidate the client and his son. Authorities say Nass instructed the individual to do “anything and everything,” including threatening or assaulting the son, and offered at least $15,000 for the effort. (The Guardian)
• Kelley Drye & Warren is opening a new office in San Francisco, expanding its presence in California to strengthen services for Bay Area businesses. The Financial District office will be led by privacy partner Kate Black and special counsel Céline Guillou. (Kelley Drye)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Jarrod Huffman joined Mayer Brown as a partner in its global funds and asset management practice in Los Angeles. He joins from Morgan Lewis.
• Tyler Carson joined McDermott Will & Schulte as a partner in its transactions practice group in New York.
• Fredrik Lindblom joined Norton Rose Fulbright as a projects partner in London. He joins from DLA Piper.
• Agathe Malphettes joined Reed Smith as a partner in its entertainment and media industry group in Paris. She joins from White & Case.
• Franklin Gregg and Marjorie Mygrants joined Honigman as partners in its private equity practice in Chicago. Gregg joins from Kirkland & Ellis. Mygrants joins from Ropes & Gray.
• Teal Luthy Miller joined Davis Wright Tremaine as a partner in Seattle. She joins from the Justice Department.
• Sam Mitchell joined Smith, Gambrell & Russell as a partner in its litigation practice in Chicago. He joins from Husch Blackwell.
• Michael Lateef joined Duane Morris as a partner in its corporate practice group in San Francisco.