Legal Ethics

  • June 26, 2026

    'Millennial VC' Says Atty Failure Warrants New Fraud Trial

    A venture capitalist dubbed the "Millennial VC" asked a California federal judge for a new trial on charges he misappropriated $19 million, saying his trial counsel failed him by not considering hiring a forensic accountant to rebut a key government expert regarding the money trails that supposedly enabled wanton misspending.

  • June 26, 2026

    Elite Schools Must Face Aid-Fixing Trial First, Appeal Later

    Cornell University and certain other elite schools defending against students' accusations that they illegally conspired to fix their financial aid offerings will not be able to challenge an order sending those claims to trial before a jury resolves them first, an Illinois federal judge has ruled.

  • June 26, 2026

    PACER Fees Will Rise To Fund Cyber Defense Upgrades

    The federal judiciary announced Friday it will temporarily increase the fees for electronic access to court records to pay for a potential $800 million upgrade that will modernize and strengthen court records systems PACER and CM/ECF, an upgrade it previously said is needed to respond to escalating cyberattacks.

  • June 26, 2026

    Wash. County Judge Admonished For Post-Recusal Orders

    The Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct has admonished a Spokane County district court judge for walking back orders in a probation case after recusing herself in response to defense counsel's concerns that she had previously represented the defendant as an attorney, according to a Friday stipulation.

  • June 26, 2026

    Texas Justices Revive Fraud Suit Over Criminal Defense Fees

    The Texas Supreme Court gave a man convicted of aggravated assault another chance to claim his defense attorneys are liable for fraud, saying Friday that the doctrine that generally bars criminal defendants from suing their attorneys doesn't immunize defense counsel from tort claims.

  • June 26, 2026

    Messner Reeves Says $8.3M Fraud Suit Repeats Utah Case

    Colorado law firm Messner Reeves LLP has claimed in federal court that a lawsuit accusing it of stealing more than $8 million as part of a fraudulent loan scheme should be dismissed because the plaintiffs' Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act claims were dismissed by another court with prejudice.

  • June 26, 2026

    Supreme Court Pauses Fine In Journalist's Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday stayed a D.C. Circuit ruling upholding a civil contempt order against former Fox News journalist Catherine Herridge, further staving off a district judge's $800-per-day fine for refusing to expose her source.

  • June 26, 2026

    King & Spalding Insists On Fraud Suit Pause Amid 'Conflicts'

    King & Spalding LLP has urged a Connecticut state court to keep its involvement in a $300 million fraud lawsuit on hold while it challenges the denial of its attorneys' withdrawal from representing several individual defendants, citing "serious, nonwaivable conflicts of interest" that will prevent the firm from proceeding.

  • June 26, 2026

    Homebuilder Says Colo. Atty Took Its Info To Adversary Firm

    A Colorado lawyer who represented a homebuilding company for more than a decade stole tens of thousands of the company's files when he went to work for a law firm that is a regular adversary to the homebuilder, the company alleged in Colorado state court. 

  • June 26, 2026

    NY Appeals Court Grants Hearing In Speedy Trial Fight

    A man sentenced to up to three years in prison for 2018 crimes including endangering the welfare of a child, stealing, violating an order of protection and harassment must have his trial delay claims addressed, a New York appeals court has ruled.

  • June 26, 2026

    5 ERISA Cases To Keep An Eye On In The Second Half Of 2026

    A U.S. Supreme Court challenge to Intel Corp.'s 401(k) investment lineup tops the list of cases benefits attorneys will be watching this summer and fall, though appeals involving health plan tobacco fees, plan forfeiture spending and a potential Eleventh Circuit precedent shift are also top of mind. Here, Law360 looks at five ERISA cases that attorneys should have on their radar as 2026 rolls on.

  • June 26, 2026

    Judge Junks Counterclaims In Suit Over Ex-Eagle's Injury Win

    A trio of doctors don't have to indemnify the law firm of O'Brien & Ryan LLP in a suit brought by their clinic, as a Pennsylvania judge sided with the doctors' argument that their treatment of former Philadelphia Eagles player Chris Maragos was distinct from the legal malpractice claim their clinic had brought against the firm.

  • June 26, 2026

    Scientologists Want 'Ignored' Boies Schiller AI Errors Review

    The Church of Scientology has asked the California Supreme Court to review an appellate order that didn't impose sanctions on Boies Schiller Flexner LLP for filing a brief containing artificial intelligence-generated citation errors in a harassment and retaliation suit pending against the church.

  • June 26, 2026

    Ex-Yale Student Can't Sue Amici For 'Rapist' Claim, Court Says

    A Connecticut appellate court on Friday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit that a former Yale University student brought against amici curiae who called him a "rapist" in their proposed brief in another case, agreeing with the trial court that the litigation privilege shields friends of the court.

  • June 26, 2026

    Judge Stays Jackson Walker RICO Suit Over Sorrento Ch. 11

    A California federal judge has paused Sorrento Therapeutics shareholders' litigation after a Texas bankruptcy court ruled they lacked standing to pursue racketeering claims over a former Jackson Walker attorney's relationship with the judge who initially oversaw the biotech company's Chapter 11.

  • June 26, 2026

    Insurer Says NJ Atty Sank Coverage By Not Cooperating

    Hanover Insurance Co. has asked a New Jersey federal court for a declaratory judgment finding that it doesn't have to defend an attorney and his firm in a suit over a real estate deal gone wrong, telling the court that the attorney refuses to cooperate with the firm it hired to defend him in the underlying suit.

  • June 26, 2026

    Firm Beats DQ Bid Over Deposition In Housing Authority Suit

    A Connecticut judge has denied a bid to disqualify Rose Kallor LLP from representing a Connecticut housing authority and related entities in litigation accusing a former employee of misappropriating funds, saying the ex-employee hasn't shown the firm or two of its attorneys should be barred from the case at this time.

  • June 26, 2026

    Discovery Dispute Mounts In Boeing Moon Exploration IP Suit

    A Colorado-based aerospace company is seeking expanded discovery in its ongoing intellectual property suit accusing The Boeing Co. of stealing patented technology for a NASA moon exploration program after repeatedly complaining that the company has failed to meet its duty to provide documents and depositions.

  • June 25, 2026

    Ábrego García Can't Force Costa Rica Removal, DOJ Says

    The Trump administration said that Kilmar Ábrego García has no legal right to stop his removal to Liberia, arguing that the Salvadoran national's habeas claims are jurisdictionally barred and reiterating the government's position that negotiations with Liberia would make his removal to Costa Rica "prejudicial" to the United States.

  • June 25, 2026

    Quinn Emanuel Says 3M Fee Proposal Undervalues Its Work

    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP has objected to a special master's recommendation on the allocation of common benefit fees in the $6 billion settlement that ended multidistrict litigation against 3M over allegedly faulty combat earplugs, saying the amount doesn't value the "length, extent and impact" of the firm's work.

  • June 25, 2026

    Colo. Judge Tosses Fired Public Defender's Speech Claim

    A Colorado state judge has dismissed a free speech claim by a former public defender, who alleged he was fired after making court filings and seeking a hearing to warn that crushing caseloads and a cyberattack threatened his ability to provide constitutionally adequate representation to criminal defendants.

  • June 25, 2026

    Attys Urged To Challenge Clients Who Demand AI Research

    A Connecticut federal judge urged attorneys during a Thursday sanctions hearing to push back against clients who demand lawyers use generative artificial intelligence tools to conduct legal research, saying the technology is no substitute for professional judgment and discretion because it "aims to please" and can misstate the law.

  • June 25, 2026

    3rd Circ. Vexed By Diabetic Worker's Atty, AI Issues

    A Third Circuit panel questioned Thursday whether a hospital employee's disclosure of her diabetes was "too little, too late" to trigger an accommodation after she was written up for sleeping on the job — and whether her attorneys should be sanctioned for filing a minor motion that appeared to include AI-hallucinated citations.

  • June 25, 2026

    Pittsburgh Atty Suspended For Ditching Clients Mid-Case

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has suspended a Pittsburgh-area attorney for repeatedly ignoring attempts from clients to contact him, landing his clients with adverse rulings and mishandled cases.

  • June 25, 2026

    Lack Of Evidence Sinks Insurance Fraud Case, Atty Says

    A Louisiana law firm and lawyer found guilty of criminal conspiracy and wire fraud for staging vehicle crashes as part of a scheme to defraud insurance carriers and trucking companies are seeking acquittal or a new trial, arguing that federal prosecutors failed to support their claims with evidence.

Expert Analysis

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

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    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

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    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • Opinion

    State Bars Must Probe Misconduct Claims, Even If It's The AG

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    The Florida Bar’s recent refusal to look into misconduct allegations against Attorney General Pam Bondi is dangerous for the rule of law, and other lawyer disciplinary bodies must be prepared to investigate credible claims of ethical lapses against any lawyer, no matter their position, say attorneys James Kobak and Albert Feuer.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

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    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

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    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • Series

    Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.

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