Legal Ethics

  • January 14, 2025

    NJ Atty Disbarred For Stealing From Firm To Gamble Online

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has disbarred an attorney for stealing at least $16,000 from his firm by using its credit card to buy tokens for an online casino video game under the guise of buying office supplies.

  • January 14, 2025

    Trump Org. Taps Quinn Emanuel Atty For Ethics Adviser

    A co-managing partner of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP has been selected to step into the role of outside ethics adviser for the Trump Organization, President-elect Donald Trump's real estate conglomerate, according to an announcement by its executive vice president.

  • January 14, 2025

    Fed. Court, Judges Beat Atty's Challenge To 'Gag Order' Rule

    Sovereign immunity bars a Nashville civil rights lawyer from challenging a U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee rule barring attorneys from making "any extrajudicial statements" about cases pending in the district, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

  • January 14, 2025

    NJ State Court Exec Alleges Retaliatory Probe, Firing

    A former assistant finance manager for Essex County Superior Court in New Jersey has sued the vicinage and its trial court administrator, alleging that in retaliation for reporting a colleague's racist remark she was subjected to a discriminatory investigation and ultimately terminated.

  • January 14, 2025

    Attys Say Conn. Firm's Vexatious Litigation Claims Can't Stand

    A pair of attorneys have urged a Connecticut state judge to reject claims that they filed a frivolous unfair trade practices lawsuit against Hayber McKenna & Dinsmore LLC, arguing that the firm failed to show the case had been terminated in its favor.

  • January 14, 2025

    Pillsbury Wants Out Of Chancery Suit Against Auto Seller Biz

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP wants to escape or force arbitration of an aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty claim that was asserted in Delaware Chancery Court by a stockholder and former director of Quantum Automotive Intelligence Inc., saying a "broad arbitration provision" exists between the law firm and company.

  • January 14, 2025

    Allred Seeks To Ax 'Absurd' Defamation Suit Over Diddy Case

    High-profile women's rights litigator Gloria Allred and her client have fired back at Sean "Diddy" Combs' former head of security, calling his defamation claims arising from the rape suit they filed against him and the embattled music mogul "absurd" and worthy of sanctions.

  • January 14, 2025

    Giuliani Atty Chided For 'Higher Power' Remark Ahead Of Trial

    A Manhattan federal judge pushed back Tuesday against Rudy Giuliani's lawyer ahead of a trial on whether the former New York City mayor must turn over his Florida condo and World Series rings to help cover a $148 million defamation judgment, after Giuliani's counsel said a precluded witness "answers to a higher power than this court."

  • January 14, 2025

    Connecticut Transfer Station Cases Settle Ahead Of Trial

    On the eve of jury selection, a lawsuit that started as a dispute over a $3 million transfer station performance bond and bloomed into a multipronged contract and unfair trade practices battle, as well as a companion case, have settled, Connecticut state court records show.

  • January 13, 2025

    Stanford AI Expert Reamed For Erroneous AI-Generated Brief

    A Minnesota federal judge on Friday threw out an erroneous expert declaration prepared by a Stanford University expert on artificial intelligence in litigation over the state's law on deepfakes, finding that the fake, AI-generated sources in his declaration "shatters his credibility with this court."

  • January 13, 2025

    IPRs Aren't 'Voluntary,' Dish Tells Justices In Fee Fight

    Dish Network LLC is kicking up a fight at the U.S. Supreme Court over the question of whether filing petitions at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board is "voluntary" or not, in a bid to get "exceptional" plaintiffs to pay for litigation costs there.

  • January 13, 2025

    On Cross, Madigan Says He Merely Helped Job-Seekers

    Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan distanced himself Monday from political allies who prosecutors say bribed him for jobs and other benefits, saying his recommendations were just that, and that he thought he was effective in shutting down a former alderman's quid pro quo suggestion.

  • January 13, 2025

    Microsoft, Patent Firm Ramey Lose Dueling Sanctions Bids

    A Texas federal judge denied dueling sanctions motions Monday in a post-litigation spat between Microsoft and prolific patent firm Ramey LLP, holding that neither party met the standard to win disciplinary fees from the other.

  • January 13, 2025

    Ex-Cook County Assessor Officer Hit With Bribery Charges

    A chief hearings officer for former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios' office accepted bribes, including from a law firm's tax consultant, when handling a property assessment appeal, a new lawsuit in Illinois federal court alleges.

  • January 13, 2025

    Madoff Trustee Blasts Katten's 2nd Bid To Drop Client

    The trustee overseeing the long-running liquidation of Bernie Madoff's bankruptcy estate is fighting a renewed attempt by Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP to drop its client, French investment fund Access International Advisors, telling the court that the firm's motion to withdraw as counsel lacks novel arguments differentiating it from an earlier bid that had already been denied.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Mull Grammar In First Step Act Resentencing Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court grappled with grammar-heavy arguments Monday over whether lighter sentences under the First Step Act should apply to defendants who were sentenced before the 2018 law was enacted but later resentenced after their original sentences were thrown out.

  • January 13, 2025

    Keller Postman, Jenner & Block Call A Truce In Tubi Case

    Keller Postman LLC and Jenner & Block LLP have reached a deal in a bitter dispute that saw both firms lobbing misconduct accusations over Keller Postman's mass arbitration campaign against video streaming service Tubi Inc.

  • January 13, 2025

    Ga. Attys Face Sanctions Bid Over Media On Shooting By Cop

    The city of Savannah has urged a Georgia federal court to sanction Claiborne Firm PC attorneys for "inject[ing] bias into the jury pool" by allegedly mischaracterizing facts related to the shooting death of a Black man in 2022 by a police officer who's facing murder charges.

  • January 13, 2025

    NY Judge Unmoved By Media Dustups In Mayor's Bribe Case

    Prosecutors and defense counsel should watch what they say to the press, a Manhattan federal judge overseeing New York City Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case warned in an order on Monday, though the judge declined to chastise either side over alleged rule violations.

  • January 13, 2025

    Mich. AG Says She Is Immune From Flint Water Suit

    Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has told a federal court she is immune from allegations that she stripped due process rights from former Gov. Rick Snyder's aide when he was among the officials indicted in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis.

  • January 13, 2025

    Alex Jones Switches Conn. Attys In $1B Sandy Hook Appeal

    A Randazza Legal Group attorney will represent Alex Jones in a Connecticut Supreme Court bid to erase the remainder of a $1.44 billion defamation judgment for Sandy Hook shooting victims after the Infowars host's now-former lawyer raised unspecified conflict concerns about a third attorney representing Jones in the Connecticut appeal.

  • January 13, 2025

    Court, Not County, Was Worker's Employer, Ga. Judge Says

    A Georgia federal judge on Friday recommended freeing Fulton County from a lawsuit brought against it by a former juvenile court employee, who sued for age and disability discrimination after she was fired at 60 and had requested medical leave due to an upcoming knee surgery.

  • January 13, 2025

    Tax-Lien Biz Atty Accused Of Duping Bank Can't Touch Money

    A Manhattan federal judge declined Monday to unfreeze assets on behalf of a former compliance lawyer accused of duping a bank into lending his tax-lien investment firm $20 million, complicating his plan to go to trial with private counsel.

  • January 13, 2025

    Fla. Justices To Weigh Scope Of Agency's Prosecution Power

    The Florida Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear the case of a man accused of election fraud who says the Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution doesn't have the authority to pursue the claims against him.

  • January 13, 2025

    Ex-Sacks Weston Atty's Theft Supports Suspension, Court Told

    The severity of a suspended Philadelphia attorney's actions when he defrauded his former firm, Sacks Weston LLC, of almost $320,000 supports the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board's recommendation of a five-year suspension of his law license, the state's Office of Disciplinary Counsel has argued.

Expert Analysis

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • What Lawyers Can Learn From High School AI Suit

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    A pending Massachusetts lawsuit regarding artificial intelligence use in an academic setting underscores the need for attorneys to educate themselves on AI technology and tools that affect their clients so they can advise on establishing clear expectations and limits around the permissible use of AI, say attorneys at Hinckley Allen.

  • Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks

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    A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Mitigating Defamation Liability Risks Of AI-Generated Content

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    Until Congress and the courts provide clear guidance about defamation liability stemming from generative artificial intelligence tools, companies should begin building controls to prevent the creation of defamatory content, says Michael Gerrity at Accenture.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records

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    Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    Why States Should Adopt ABA's 'Duty To Inquire'

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    State bars should codify the American Bar Association's proposed rule on a lawyer's duty to scrutinize each representation as it provides guardrails for lawyers, supports self-regulation of the profession, and helps avert money laundering and other crimes, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Trump Faces Uphill Battle If He Tries To Target Prosecutors

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    On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump promised to go after the state and federal prosecutors who had investigated and prosecuted him, but few criminal statutes would be applicable — to say nothing of the evidence required to substantiate any charges against prosecutors, says William Johnston at Bird Marella.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

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