Legal Ethics

  • January 14, 2025

    RNC Preempts Dem Attacks Ahead Of AG Nominee's Hearing

    Ahead of the confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general nominee on Wednesday, the chair of the Republican National Committee and other Trump allies brushed off concerns about Pam Bondi's possible conflicts of interest and close ties to the president-elect.

  • January 14, 2025

    Meta Atty Quits IP Case Over Zuckerberg's 'Toxic Masculinity'

    An attorney helping defend Meta Platforms in copyright litigation brought by artists who claim their content was used to train the large language model Llama has dropped the tech company as his client, citing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's "descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness" in a LinkedIn post.

  • January 14, 2025

    Justices Suggest 7th Circ. Revisit False Statement Decision

    Several U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed ready Tuesday to ask the Seventh Circuit to review a former Chicago alderman's conviction for lying about money he borrowed from a now-shuttered bank under a narrower standard, but the justices appeared skeptical that he would beat the case even with a fresh look.

  • January 14, 2025

    Ex-Cognizant Execs Seek Update On Elusive Gov't Witness

    A vital prosecution witness whose unavailability delayed the highly anticipated 2023 trial of two former Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. executives on foreign bribery charges in New Jersey federal court might again be missing in action as the new trial date of March 3 approaches, according to court filings.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

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    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

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    A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

  • Trump Hush Money Case Offers Master Class In Trial Strategy

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    The New York criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump typifies some of the greatest challenges that lawyers face in crafting persuasive presentations, providing lessons on how to handle bad facts, craft a simple story that withstands attack, and cross-examine with that story in mind, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Series

    Teaching Yoga Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a yoga instructor has helped me develop my confidence and authenticity, as well as stress management and people skills — all of which have crossed over into my career as an attorney, says Laura Gongaware at Clyde & Co.

  • A Vision For Economic Clerkships In The Legal System

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    As courts handle increasingly complex damages analyses involving vast amounts of data, an economic clerkship program — integrating early-career economists into the judicial system — could improve legal outcomes and provide essential training to clerks, say Mona Birjandi at Data for Decisions and Matt Farber at Secretariat.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data

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    Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • 'Fat Leonard' Case Shows High Bar For Rescinding Guilty Plea

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    Prosecutors’ recent move in the “Fat Leonard” bribery case, supporting several defendants’ motions to withdraw their guilty pleas, is extremely unusual – and its contrast with other prosecutions demonstrates that the procedural safeguards at plea hearings are far from enough, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.

  • Series

    Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.

  • As Arbitrator Bias Claims Rise, Disclosure Standards Evolve

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    The growth in post-award challenges based on arbitrators' alleged conflicts of interest has led to the release of new guidance and new case law on the topic — both supporting the view that professional familiarity alone does not translate to a lack of impartiality, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert

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    As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Series

    Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

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    Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals

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    Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.

  • Series

    Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.

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