In next week's National Journal, we will publish our annual state-of-lobbying feature which includes a look at how the economy is affecting K Street.

Because so many big issues are being debated these days in Washington, we are finding lobbying practices have been less impacted by layoffs than trade associations or law firms.

Case in point: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, which is one of the city's top five lobbying shops in terms of fees, announced it is laying off 47 associates and 57 paralegals, but no one in the firm's 48-person public law and policy practice is affected, said a spokeswoman. She declined to say in which offices the layoffs are taking place.

The Legal Times has a wrap up today of law firms that have recently announced layoffs. In addition to Akin Gump, they include Arent Fox, Bingham McCutchen, Dewey & LeBoeuf, King & Spalding, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and O'Melveny & Myers. Here's the story. (Subscription required)
                                                                                                                     --Bara Vaida