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On The Merits

Bloomberg Law
Trump Administration
Artificial Intelligence
Donald Trump
Law Firms
Bloomberg Law
Kirkland & Ellis
Litigation Finance
Paul Weiss
Private Equity
Mergers and Acquisitions
Legal Industry
Big Law
Litigation
Supreme Court
Legal Education
California
Legal Profession
Elon Musk
Department Of Justice
Antitrust

On The Merits takes you behind the scenes of the legal world and the inner workings of law firms. This podcast offers in-depth analysis on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the business of law and the legal industry overall. You'll gain insights into how the latest government actions, policies, and business developments are impacting the industry and hear from leading attorn... more

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Latest Episodes

When it comes to winning the legal industry talent wars, the best defense is a good offense, according to K&L Gates' global managing partner, Stacy Ackermann.

Her firm is "going out into the market" rather than "being in a reactionary mode of 'Let's... more

For a long time, the top dozen or so law schools in US News & World Report's annual rankings stayed remarkably consistent, with Yale for example holding the top spot every year since the rankings debuted in 1990. But not this year.

Yale is now no lo... more

Law firms bringing in outside investors is one of the hottest topics in the legal industry right now. John Quinn, founder and chairman of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, says firms that want to take the cash need to figure out how to avoid alienat... more

The chair of law firm Polsinelli says he doesn't want his attorneys—and especially not his junior attorneys—to use AI legal tools grudgingly. But the firm will not be giving associates billable-hour credit for learning how to use the technology.

"Th... more

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Recent Guests

Stacy Ackermann
Global Managing Partner at K&L Gates
K&L Gates
Episode: K&L Gates Goes on the Offensive in the Legal Talent Wars
John Quinn
Founder and Chairman of Quinn Emanuel
Quinn Emanuel
Episode: John Quinn Warns of Generational Clash When Firms Get Investors
Chase Simmons
Chairman of Polsinelli
Polsinelli
Episode: Why Polsinelli Lawyers Won't Get Billing Credit for AI Training
Jon Van Gorp
Chair of Mayer Brown, a structured finance lawyer described as the godfather in mortgage-backed securities
Mayer Brown
Episode: AI Poses Private Capital Opportunity, Mayer Brown Chief Says
Holly Barker
Bloomberg Law reporter who covered the trial
Bloomberg Law
Episode: Goldstein Still Has Cards to Play Even After Guilty Verdict
Mike Spivey
Former law school administrator and CEO of Spivey Consulting Group
Spivey Consulting Group
Episode: AI and the Coming Mismatch Between Law Schools and Law Firms
Erick Robinson
Co-founder of the American Civil Accountability Alliance and Texas patent attorney
Cherry Johnson Sigmund James
Episode: Litigation Financiers Won't Be Ambushed Again on Capitol Hill
Che Chang
General Counsel at OpenAI
OpenAI
Episode: OpenAI's GC Chang Shares Insights from 'Extremely Stressful' Job
Anthony McCusker
Chair of Goodwin Procter
Goodwin Procter
Episode: Goodwin Chair on Revenue Rise and New Competitors for Law Firms

Hosts

David Schultz
Host of On The Merits, Bloomberg Law
Jessie Kamens
Host of On The Merits, Bloomberg Law

Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars from 42 ratings
  • Excellent!

    Always insightful and informative. The journalists do a great job explaining recent and intriguing issues!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Didi Sug
    United States2 years ago
  • Journalists with an Agenda Spitting Propaganda

    Journalists with no legal education seeing things through partisan and ideological lenses and distorting legal arguments to promote their world view. Good example of propaganda and fake journalism. Listen if you want to listen to bad journalism and see examples of propaganda

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Leea1776
    United States3 years ago
  • So Broad As To Be Useless

    This covers such a wide range of topics perhaps 1/7 episodes is of interest to a practitioner. I wish they did more industry specific podcasts like one for mass tort, one for securities litigation, etc.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Here4youguys
    United States3 years ago
  • Seems good!

    Seems like a decent podcast but I couldn’t focus because the audio was so terrible

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    SaraClaireSharp
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some episodes polarize opinions and seem partisan to critics.
Listener feedback notes a broad topic range with room for more industry-specific focus.
Audio quality issues have been mentioned occasionally.
Praise for insightful, clear explanations of complex legal topics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

K&L Gates Goes on the Offensive in the Legal Talent Wars
Q: Do you feel like we're going to see more of these national global firms making a bigger play in Charlotte?
Ackermann suggests that the talent market and client opportunities in Charlotte will continue to attract national firms, with firms either widening their nets or deepening capabilities, but the firm remains focused on strategic growth rather than mere expansion.
Trump's U-Turn in Big Law Fight Shows White House Fury for Firms
Q: What was the reaction on Monday when the court case seemed to be over?
Meghan Tribe described a sense of relief among the press and observers that the pursuing firms had been vindicated, but the reactions quickly shifted as the DOJ reversed course, raising questions about whether the administration was responding to political pressure as much as legal arguments.
DEI at Law Firms Remains Live Issue a Year Into Trump's Term
Q: What do you think will happen to the firms that received the FTC letter?
It's possible they may not respond with litigation immediately, as the letter was more of a notice of concerns rather than a demand for compliance.
DEI at Law Firms Remains Live Issue a Year Into Trump's Term
Q: What was the Mansfield Rule and what did Diversity Lab do in relation to it?
The Mansfield Rule encouraged law firms to consider at least 30 percent of qualified underrepresented talent in hiring and promotion decisions.
DEI at Law Firms Remains Live Issue a Year Into Trump's Term
Q: What was the EEOC's now thwarted investigation about?
The EEOC was investigating law firms about their use of diversity programs and compliance with hiring practices.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About On The Merits

What is On The Merits about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show provides in-depth analysis of the legal world, focusing on the business of law, law firm strategy, and the impact of policy and market developments on legal practice. Recent episodes frequently explore topics like appellate strategy, data-center and tech-related legal work, diversity initiatives in firms, the evolving talent market for elite firms, and the regulatory environment surrounding AI, litigation financing, and mergers. A standout pattern is untangling how big developments—whether political, economic, or technological—reshape the practice of law and firm economics, often with input from Bloomberg Law reporters and veteran industry observers. The show is likely to appeal to practicing lawyers, in-house counsel, law firm le... more

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Which podcasts are similar to On The Merits?

These podcasts share a similar audience with On The Merits:

1. Bloomberg Law
2. Advisory Opinions
3. We the People
4. U.S. Supreme Court Oral Arguments
5. Odd Lots

How many episodes of On The Merits are there?

On The Merits launched 10 years ago and published 316 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on On The Merits?

Recent guests on On The Merits include:

1. Stacy Ackermann
2. John Quinn
3. Chase Simmons
4. Jon Van Gorp
5. Holly Barker
6. Mike Spivey
7. Erick Robinson
8. Che Chang

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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