Private equity is coming for law firms

Things aren’t always what they appear. Smart glasses look like ordinary eyewear; courts are now treating them like recording equipment, and we'll tell you where the lines are being drawn. Law firms may still look lawyer-owned, but the back office is increasingly run through an MSO. Hollywood looks glamorous, but this week’s podcast makes the case that lawyers are the ones making movie magic. And part 2 of our "back to school" marketing round-up proves this sort of initiative doesn’t have to look like a backpack drive. 

Coming soon, a recruiter reveals the biggest mistakes attorneys make when job searching.

But first, Puppy Court is now in session. Judge “We Rate Dogs” presiding.

It’s the thought that counts.
Looking for a gift for someone who survived the bar exam horror show in Washington? Or Missouri? Or Maryland? Or, who are we kidding, really any bar exam? How about a bedazzled gavel?

Really makes you question the current “Things. People. Love.” slogan.
eBay has agreed to pay a Massachusetts couple nearly $56 million to compensate them for the harassment they endured at the hands of former employees. Imagine the worst, and know it’s even crazier than that.

National Treasure 3?
A hard drive containing a finished copy of an undistributed Nicolas Cage movie was stolen from Netflix headquarters. The film’s producer is suing. 

Upon further reflection…
Much to President Trump’s dismay, the feds have dropped the charges against former Olympian David Hearn, who was accused of vandalizing the reflecting pool. Chris Geidner’s deep dive on Law Dork is worth a read. 

As long as they’re billable hours 🕺
Over on Instagram, Texas-based personal injury attorney Mark A. Anderson demonstrates the difference between banker hours and lawyer hours. 

As the number of law firms shifting back-office operations (think HR and marketing) to a management services organization (MSO) grows, some firms are forming practice groups that can facilitate these deals. The first firms to spin off work to MSOs were personal injury practices, but commercial, immigration, trusts and estates and insurance defense practices are now doing it too. 

Why this matters: This is the clearest sign yet that a large swath of the legal industry is ready to embrace private equity in the same way accounting firms and health care practices have. How much work can be offloaded depends on state ethics rules, which is part of why firms are seeking counsel. (Reuters)

Smart glasses aren’t a novelty product anymore. Meta has sold over eight million pairs through mid-2026, and the category as a whole grew 167% year over year. But the real evidence that things are getting serious is that institutions are starting to ban what detractors have dubbed “pervert glasses.”

Why this matters: What was once the stuff of science fiction or spycraft is now widely available. Assume other people around you are wearing them, but don’t assume you can wear them anywhere. Not sure how to tell if someone is wearing smart glasses? There’s an app for that. 

Hollywood has always been enamored with the practice of law (and with making it seem much more glamorous than it actually is), and listening to “The Business” podcast may explain why. As host Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter interviews directors, producers, writers and actors, you begin to see that even in Tinsel Town, lawyers are the ones called on to smooth ruffled feathers and find a path forward when legal roadblocks and regulatory red tape threaten to shut down production.

Why this matters: Identify the issues, tell the client what's actually survivable and keep the thing moving. That’s showbiz, baby. (The Business)

Last week we ran a batch of program ideas and promotion tactics focused on back-to-school season. Here's round two, with a focus on firms that are thinking outside the backpack.

Sullivan Law & Associates, a family law firm with offices in Newport Beach and La Jolla, Calif., released a podcast episode about divorce and co-parenting during back-to-school season.

Huntsville, Ala.-based Tyler Mann Injury Law got the local press to promote its back-to-school gift card giveaway. 

Melodie Wiseman, who is in-house counsel at an education tech company, posted on LinkedIn about the terms of service agreements teachers click through.

The Southern Sass Salon in Manchester, Tenn., made sure everyone who stopped by to get a free back-to-school haircut knew the Keeton Law Firm paid for their new hairdos.  

Charles B. Hadad wrote a blog post about “4 Documents You Must Have Ready Before Your Child Goes Off To College” for the Estate & Trusts practice at The Lynch Law Group in Naples, Fla. 

In Vegas, Valiente Mott Injury Attorneys “adopted” a local elementary school. They will distribute backpacks this fall, bicycle helmets later this year and they plan to read to students throughout the year. 

Why this matters: We aren’t here to give you a lecture on why marketing matters. But if you want the CliffsNotes study guide, we’ve got your back.

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Raise the Bar is written and curated by Emily Kelchen, edited by Bianca Prieto.