In the midst of 2006, Jaffe's public relations group turned its attention to some of the most notable law firm media and communications professionals currently working in house. Thanks to the candor of these people, we were able to provide snapshots of their work, their departments and their insight about law firm marketing. On behalf of the Jaffe authors, I again thank all of the participants for their time and their thoughtfulness. As we wrap up 2006, let's look back at some of the highlights in the series.

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Do your current clients provide a steady stream of work that keeps all your lawyers busy? Are new clients constantly knocking at your door with new work based solely upon your firm's reputation? If that's your situation, stop here and read no further. You are in law firm nirvana.<br>Unfortunately, the other 99% of you managing partners are not so lucky.

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Highlights of the latest product liability cases from around the country.

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In last month's issue, we covered the best of MLF from February to and including June 2006. In this issue, we will take a look back at July through November.

In August 2006, the University of Michigan's School of Public Health released the initial report in its ongoing study of dioxin exposure in central Michigan. <i>Measuring People's Exposure to Dioxin Contamination Along the Tittabawassee River and Surrounding Areas</i> (August, 2006) ('Report') (<i>www.umdioxin.org</i>). The University study was prompted by concerns among the population of Midland and Saginaw Counties that dioxin-like compounds from Dow Chemical Company facilities in Midland had contaminated parts of the city of Midland and sediments in the Tittabawassee River (Report, p. 5). The study was not designed to evaluate health effects, but rather to determine whether there was a relationship between levels of dioxin in residential soils and household dust and levels of dioxin in people's blood. <i>Id.</i> It also evaluated other factors that could influence blood dioxin levels such as age, diet, hobbies, and employment. <i>Id.</i>

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The glass ceiling is alive and well in America's 200 largest law firms. According to a survey released last October by the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), women make up a paltry 16% of equity partners, 16% of governance committee members and 5% of managing partners in these firms. NAWL says the firms should double the number of women equity partners and corporations should reach the same target with chief legal officers by 2015. Even so, the percentage of women in equity and leadership roles in the legal profession would still fail to reflect that women now represent about 50% of all law school graduates. <br>Do women attorneys have a particular need for communication skills development? Yes.

As law firms have continued to grow and the practice of law has become even more of a business, firms are now giving serious attention to how to manage the firm. As they cope with this issue, firms raise many questions. Here are some of the ones they most frequently ask us as consultants ' and our answers.

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Since the Food and Drug Administration ('FDA') set forth its pre-emption analysis in the preamble to its Jan. 24, 2006 drug-labeling rule, there has been a flood of judicial opinions analyzing the scope and applicability of the pre-emption defense in prescription drug litigation. The cases have been sharply divided, and the defense now appears likely to be a key issue that will be addressed in all cases going forward. In this continuing coverage, I summarize the pre-emption opinions that have been handed down since my last article in the November 2006 issue of this newsletter. For an analysis of the legal arguments in support of pre-emption and the FDA preamble, <i>see</i> Eric G. Lasker, <i>Prescription Drug Litigation Pre-emption Following the FDA Preamble</i>, LJN's Product Liability Law &amp; Strategy, Vol. 25, No. 4 (October 2006).