‘Cascade effect’ of fewer diverse law students at top schools

A newsletter by Reuters and Westlaw

By Caitlin Tremblay

What's going on today?

Have a great day!

REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

National law student diversity held steady this year, but the number of Black and Hispanic first-year students enrolled at the nation's most prestigious law schools declined 8% and 9%—likely the start of a "cascade effect" in which minority students end up at less-selective institutions following affirmative action bans, experts said. Karen Sloan has more.

U.S. courts awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees to class action lawyers and other attorneys in 2024, with hundreds of millions more still hanging in the balance in 2025. David Thomas rounds up some of the largest awards and outstanding fee bids heading into the new year.

Legal Fee Tracker is a weekly feature. Read last week's here.

An AAA arbitrator has certified more than 100 casinos to arbitrate classwide antitrust claims against a company that makes automated card-shuffling machines. Alison Frankel has details on arbitrator's decision, which concludes that the fairest and most efficient way to resolve the casinos' complex claims is to proceed in a single arbitration – not more than 100 individual arbitrations. The casino case, Frankel writes, is a distinct outlier after the U.S. Supreme Court obliterated classwide arbitration in 2019. But in the age of mass arbitration, it's definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Check out other recent pieces from our columnists: Alison Frankel and Jenna Greene

Congress stumbles toward a shutdown as Trump demands action on debt ceiling … Dominique Pelicot jailed for 20 years in landmark French mass rape trial … Israel keeps up Gaza bombardment as ceasefire talks intensify … Amazon workers strike at seven U.S. facilities ahead of Christmas rush … Kite-making picks up in India's Gujarat as harvest festival nears … Return of NASA astronauts from space station further delayed until late March … And here are our top animal photos from around the world in 2024.

caitlin.tremblay@thomsonreuters.com

@ctrembz

The Afternoon Docket is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here.

Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here.

Reuters Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement