The Trump administration is scrutinizing law firms' diversity efforts, with some firms focusing on initiatives that avoid explicit focus on race to avoid attracting criticism. Law firms such as Reed Smith and Hogan Lovells are withholding documents from the EEOC while in talks, while others like DLA Piper and White & Case are prioritizing broadening candidate pools for junior and senior talent through mentoring programs and affinity groups open to all.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/before-the-bar/law-firms-tiptoe-forward-with-diversity-under-trump-scrutinyLockbit, a ransom-seeking cybercriminal group, appears to have suffered a breach after one of their darkweb sites was replaced with a message revealing a cache of leaked data. The site's new content includes chats between hackers and victims, which security analysts believe are authentic. A rogue post on the site, attributed to "Don't do crime CRIME IS BAD xoxo from Prague", suggests the group may have been compromised, potentially exposing their own operations.
https://channelnewsasia.com/business/ransomware-group-lockbit-appears-have-been-hacked-analysts-say-5118471Meredith Ritchie, EVP of General Counsel and Chief Ethics & Government Affairs Officer at Alliant Credit Union, discussed the importance of ethics in corporate governance during her Legal Speak at GC Midwest 2025. Her presentation highlighted the need for companies to prioritize ethics in their decision-making processes. Donna Haddad, VP of Associate General Counsel at IBM Corporation, also spoke about the role of lawyers in shaping company culture and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Patricia Bradley, Vice President and Senior Associate General Counsel at Adtalem Global Education, emphasized the significance of regulatory compliance in higher education institutions.
https://www.law.com/therecorder/2025/05/09/remote-access-revolutionizes-legal-work-but-be-wary-of-client-confidentiality/Microsoft has banned its chatbot DeepSeek from use by employees due to security and propaganda concerns. Vice Chair Brad Smith cited risks of data storage in China and potential influence of Chinese propaganda on user responses. The US Department of Commerce and US Navy have also banned the model, with a proposed law aiming to expand this ban further.
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/microsoft-employees-join-the-list-of-those-banned-from-using-deepseekA third of staff who left the district cited factors related to their working environments, such as safety and workload. The district has failed to digitize its exit survey process, despite years of discussion on implementing this change. Milwaukee Public Schools' vacancies are being examined by Rory Linnane, an O'Brien Fellow in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University, with the goal of understanding how they impact students and finding solutions.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2025/05/09/read-exit-surveys-by-teachers-staff-leaving-milwaukee-public-schools/83517099007/The US government has cut off $1 million in federal grant funding for a vaccine education program aimed at rural healthcare providers in Missouri, following rising measles cases. The Missouri Rural Health Association's program was designed to help healthcare providers communicate with patients about vaccines, but the funding cut-off will halt its efforts.
https://krcgtv.com/news/local/federal-cuts-halt-missouri-rural-vaccine-education-amid-rising-measles-casesDee Anna Hays, Lucas Asper, and Todd Duffield discuss tips and trends for multistate handbooks, focusing on state and local law-specific issues such as revisiting diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, leaves of absence, and reasonable accommodation policies. They emphasize the importance of understanding employee monitoring and privacy limitations and protecting employees' rights to engage in protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act.
https://natlawreview.com/article/workplace-strategies-watercooler-2025-latest-tips-and-trends-multistate-handbooksPearson has confirmed a cyberattack that resulted in the theft of "legacy data", with hackers exploiting an exposed GitLab Personal Access token to gain unauthorized access to the company's development environment in January 2025. The attackers used this access to obtain additional login credentials, hardcoded in the source code, and infiltrate Pearson's network, stealing corporate and customer information.
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/textbook-and-testing-giant-pearson-hit-by-cyberattack-customer-data-leakedThe Philippines is introducing an innovative approach to rehabilitation for juvenile offenders by establishing agricultural camps that provide a holistic range of services, including vocational training, education, and psychosocial support, under the supervision of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/05/09/news/agri-camp-for-juvenile-offenders-opened/2110175