Baker McKenzie is set to cut less than 10% of its staff globally after a firmwide review, putting up to ~740 roles at risk. The firm says the move is about rethinking operations amid AI adoption and efficiency pushes. The cuts follow a similar move by Clifford Chance, which flagged a ~10% reduction in London business services late last year: Law.com

Top law firms had a bumper year in 2025, but the gains weren’t evenly shared. New Citi data shows firms at the very top of the Am Law 50 pulling further ahead. Most of the top 25 reported solid demand growth, while only about half of the next 25 saw the same. Revenue rose 12% and profits per partner nearly 16% across the board, helped by aggressive rate hikes. But demand growth was far stronger at the elite end, reinforcing a widening performance gap: Law.com

We’ve got ourselves a bottleneck at the bar. Victoria’s baby barristers face waits of up to 2.5 years between passing the bar exam and starting the mandatory readers’ course. Around 400 pass each year, but there are only 120 course spots. The Bar says it’s about training standards, not gatekeeping. Still, plenty feel stuck in limbo: AFR

AI, but at what cost? A new LexisNexis survey of 900 UK lawyers finds 58% say AI makes juniors faster. Yet 72% say deep legal reasoning and argumentation is the biggest skills gap amongst junior lawyers. Meanwhile, 69% point to weak verification and source-checking. Speed may be up, but will AI weaken junior lawyer judgment? Legal Cheek

Our highest court is in the mood for reform. The High Court, led by Chief Justice Gageler, has overturned NSW v Lepore, making it easier to sue institutions for historical abuse. The judgment ran 545 paragraphs across 139 pages, the longest of the Gageler court. It cements this bench as the most reform-minded since Mason. With just 30 months until Gageler’s retirement, and major implied freedom cases ahead, this bench may only be warming up: Capital Brief