As the Massachusetts federal bench sees an influx of new Joe Biden appointees replacing stalwarts with decades of experience, lawyers say they are left researching, reading the tea leaves, and relying on educated guesswork to figure out the best strategies for success. All the fresh faces mean lawyers must do their homework. "Lawyers are always looking for an edge, and clients always want to know what the likelihood of success is, and part of that is knowing the judge's background and the ways they are likely to rule," said Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation partner Kevin Martin, to Law360. "When someone is new, you try to find any scrap of information that might be able to help provide some guidance."