Legal Ethics

  • November 19, 2024

    Calif. Judges Get 'Road Map' For Recall, Election Comments

    A California Supreme Court committee on Tuesday laid out a "road map" for judges to make comments during an election or recall with respect to decisions that come under fire, saying they must follow ethics rules with such remarks. 

  • November 19, 2024

    J&J Wants Beasley Allen Atty Sanctioned For Depo No-Show

    Johnson & Johnson's talc unit called on a Texas bankruptcy court to sanction a Beasley Allen Law Firm attorney for "unilaterally" deciding not to attend a scheduled deposition in the company's bankruptcy case.

  • November 19, 2024

    In 'Perplexing' Move, Ga. Appeals Court Cuts Trump Oral Args

    Attorneys described the Georgia Court of Appeals' decision this week to cancel oral arguments over whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants as "perplexing," saying it may be the result of Trump's recent reelection or simply having enough information already to make a decision.

  • November 19, 2024

    Litigation Funder Can't Arbitrate German Biz's Discovery Bid

    A Delaware federal judge has denied litigation funder Burford Capital's request to force arbitration of a discovery bid associated with foreign litigation accusing the German arm of law firm Hausfeld LLP of trying to circumvent a German ban on contingency fees in certain antitrust litigation.

  • November 19, 2024

    NY Judge Rejects Ozy Media CEO's DQ Bid Over Investments

    U.S. District Judge Eric R. Komitee of New York's Eastern District on Tuesday refused to step aside from former Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson's fraud and identity theft case, slamming as meritless Watson's effort to undo his convictions over the judge's financial investments.

  • November 19, 2024

    Former Georgia Judge's Law License Suspended After Ouster

    After removing a Georgia Court of Appeals judge from the bench last year, the Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended his law license until August 2025 for taking advantage of an elderly client, calling it "an appropriate sanction in this case" in light of case law and the State Bar of Georgia's support of the suspension.

  • November 19, 2024

    Ex-NJ Prosecutor Seeks To Revive Claims Over Resignation

    A former Garden State county prosecutor has asked a state court to rethink its dismissal of his claim that his resignation was involuntary, arguing the court only partially addressed one of the two legal theories raised.

  • November 19, 2024

    Poll Workers Fight Giuliani Attys' Bid To Exit Collection Cases

    Two of Rudy Giuliani's attorneys doubled down Tuesday on their attempt to withdraw as counsel in the $148 million defamation case against him, saying in a redacted letter that the two Georgia poll workers hoping to stop their withdrawal are unaware of the facts that led up to the request.

  • November 19, 2024

    GMU Asks Court To Toss Ex-Prof's Suit Over Title IX Probe

    George Mason University asked a court to throw out the remainder of former professor Joshua Wright's lawsuit over its investigation of a Title IX retaliation claim against him related to allegations of sexual misconduct, saying Monday that the school had already dismissed the claim by the time he filed his amended complaint.

  • November 19, 2024

    Colo. Atty Suspended Over Online Comments About Ex-Client

    A Colorado attorney with a growing disciplinary history has been handed an 18-month suspension over misconduct in dealing with a client-turned-adversary, with the state's presiding disciplinary judge finding the lawyer knowingly misrepresented service against the ex-client, spoke to her directly about the case and posted case information publicly online.

  • November 19, 2024

    Law Firm Wants Out Of Ex-Paralegal's OT, Disability Suit

    An Allentown, Pennsylvania, law firm is asking a federal judge to dismiss a former paralegal's claim that the firm fired her due to her panic disorder, arguing that among other things, the paralegal failed to prove she has a legitimate disability recognized by law.

  • November 19, 2024

    DA Says Trump Sentencing Could Be Delayed Until 2029

    Manhattan prosecutors on Tuesday suggested that President-elect Donald Trump's criminal sentencing could be delayed until after he serves out his next term, but urged a judge not to throw out his conviction over an alleged hush money scheme.

  • November 18, 2024

    Diddy Calls DOJ's Possession Of His Notes 'Outrageous'

    Sean "Diddy" Combs said Monday that federal prosecutors are in possession of privileged attorney-client materials, including his own written notes, which they're "actively" using to detain him ahead of his trial, a move the hip-hop mogul called "outrageous government conduct."

  • November 18, 2024

    'You Stepped Over The Line': Judge Rips Quinn Emanuel Atty

    A California federal judge told a Quinn Emanuel partner defending Natera Inc. at trial Monday in Guardant Health Inc.'s false advertising case that she'd be sanctioned over her questioning of a Natera expert about Guardant's alleged damages, saying, "You stepped over the line, and you did it several times."

  • November 18, 2024

    Fringe Benefits Co.'s Ex-Atty Can't 'Abandon' Them, DOL Says

    The U.S. Department of Labor on Monday urged a Maryland federal court not to let a fringe benefits company's former attorney "abandon" the company ahead of a civil contempt hearing over $3.8 million in unpaid mismanaged funds meant for government contractor employees' benefits, citing potentially "severe" consequences for the company.

  • November 18, 2024

    SEC Says Calif. Atty, His Wife Stole $2.2M To Buy House

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday accused a Los Angeles-area attorney of scheming to control publicly traded penny stock companies and then stealing $2.2 million from one of those companies to buy a home with his wife, according to a complaint filed in California federal court.

  • November 18, 2024

    Menendez Calls Trial Evidence Flub 'Deeply Troubling'

    Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez raised red flags Monday about "deeply troubling" recent revelations that Manhattan federal jurors accidentally received unredacted text messages before convicting him of bribery, slamming prosecutors for trying to brush aside the significance of this evidence.

  • November 18, 2024

    Diddy Accusers' Atty Buzbee Accused Of Extorting Celebs

    An anonymous public figure lodged a suit in Los Angeles court Monday accusing personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee of using false rape allegations to "shake down innocent celebrities, politicians and businesspeople" who have even the smallest ties to indicted hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.

  • November 18, 2024

    Mich. Atty Avoids Default For Now In Election Audit Pay Suit

    A Michigan federal judge said Friday he would not enter a default judgment against an attorney and Donald Trump ally on claims she stiffed a voting machine inspection company, even though her inaction led to a default finding, ruling that the liability of her alleged financial backer still needs to be determined.

  • November 18, 2024

    LA Atty Again Accused Of Bilking Inmates With False Hope

    A Los Angeles attorney accused of raking in thousands of dollars by giving inmates and their families intentionally misleading information about their chances for resentencing after convictions for violent crimes has been hit with more charges by the State Bar of California, this time an 18-count disciplinary notice that follows an earlier 18-count notice filed in August.

  • November 18, 2024

    Ozy Media CEO Turns To 2nd Circ. Over Judge's Investments

    The "atypical" conflict and threat to public confidence in the judiciary created by a New York federal judge's financial investments warrant the Second Circuit stepping in to undo former Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson's fraud and identity theft convictions sooner rather than later, Watson told the appellate court on Monday.

  • November 18, 2024

    NJ Justices To Consider Sanctions Against Town For Suing Attys

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has decided to weigh in on whether state law provides municipalities with immunity from sanctions for frivolous litigation, as it takes up a long-running affordable housing case in Englewood Cliffs.

  • November 18, 2024

    State Bar Can't Set Limits To Atty Speech, Fla. Justices Told

    A Georgia-based attorney doubled down on his First Amendment argument against the Florida Bar's attempt to have him suspended for disparaging an opponent in a 2018 state attorney race, arguing that freedom of speech protections aren't whittled down when someone becomes a lawyer.

  • November 18, 2024

    Blank Rome Attys Ask To Split Lawyer Retaliation Case

    A trio of Blank Rome LLP attorneys have asked a federal judge in Pennsylvania to bifurcate a lawsuit against them from another attorney alleging they facilitated a client's retaliation against her for switching to plaintiffs work, asking the judge to split punitive damages into a separate case.

  • November 18, 2024

    Georgia Judge Blocked From Obtaining Memos In Ethics Case

    The Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission has determined that a state judge facing ethics charges cannot obtain two memos pertaining to her case, finding they are not discoverable under both the commission's rules and prior cases.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

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    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Opinion

    A Tale Of 2 Trump Cases: The Rule Of Law Is A Live Issue

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week in Trump v. U.S., holding that former President Donald Trump has broad immunity from prosecution, undercuts the rule of law, while the former president’s New York hush money conviction vindicates it in eight key ways, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 36 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: June Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers two recent decisions from the Third and Tenth Circuits, and identifies practice tips around class action settlements and standing in securities litigation.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

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    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence

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    As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • How Associates Can Build A Professional Image

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    As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.

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