The Morning Wrap

More Jobs: The legal sector picked up 200 jobs in November, The Am Law Daily reports. November marked the third straight month the industry has added positions.

Hurricane Sandy: More than a month after Hurricane Sandy hit New York, law firms in lower Manhattan are optimistic about returning to their offices but are bracing for a longer time away, the New York Law Journal reports.

Presidential Oath: The White House Correspondents Association has urged the White House to allow journalists to cover the president's official swearing-in ceremony on January 20 after inauguration committee officials indicated that it could be closed to the media, Politico reports. With inauguration day on a Sunday, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. will officially give the oath of office that day and administer a symbolic oath the next day.

Mortgage Mess: Major U.S. banks are battling a new flood of lawsuits alleging that they sold subpar mortgage securities that collapsed during the financial crisis, The New York Times reports. “We are at an all-time high for this mortgage litigation,” said Christopher J. Willis, a lawyer with Ballard Spahr.

Leaving State: Harold Koh is expected to step down as the U.S. State Department’s chief lawyer to return to his professorship at Yale Law School in January, The Wall Street Journal reports.