A newsletter by Reuters and Westlaw

By Sara Merken

What's going on today?

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Lawyers at a growing number of large U.S. law firms will be spending more time in the office by next year, as flexible attendance policies sparked by the pandemic continue to fade.

Cooley, Goodwin Procter and Dechert each said that at least some of their lawyers must come into the office four days per week beginning early next year, joining other major firms that have adopted similar policies since 2023.

"The pendulum is absolutely swinging back toward the majority of partners' and associates' time being in person, in the office," said Rachel Nonaka, a Washington, D.C.-based recruiter at Macrae.

Read more about law firms' evolving policies.

When officials in Powell, Wyoming, refused to let a woman keep a miniature goat as a pet, they violated her constitutional right to due process, lawyers from the Pacific Legal Foundation argue in a new federal lawsuit. At first glance, pet goats might seem like an odd cause to champion for the high-powered public interest law firm, which has notched 18 wins at the U.S. Supreme Court, but there are bigger principles at stake than one small goat, Jenna Greene writes in On the Case.

U.S. airlines scrambled to cut 4% of flights at 40 major airports after the government imposed an unprecedented cut to air travel … Typhoon Kalmaegi brought rain and destruction to Vietnam as the death toll neared 200 in the Philippines … Democratic victories this week have caught investors' attention, signaling a potential comeback after the party's bruising defeat during last year's election … As U.S. consumers tighten their wallets, budget-friendly restaurant chains such as McDonald's, Chili's and Domino's are emerging as winners. Plus, in China, wedding bells are ringing in nightclubs, a subway station and on snowy mountain peaks.