Legal Ethics

  • July 20, 2026

    Google Data Sharing With Temu Violates DOJ Rule, Suit Says

    Google shares internet users' sensitive information with Chinese e-commerce giant Temu and a technology firm the Pentagon calls a "Chinese military company," violating a U.S. Department of Justice rule preventing the bulk transmission of data to "countries of concern," according to a proposed class action in California federal court.

  • July 20, 2026

    Panel Revives Malpractice Suit Against Criminal Defense Atty

    A Washington state appellate panel Monday revived legal malpractice claims against a public defense attorney who failed to correct an erroneous sentencing document that placed his client on supervised probation, when a plea deal instead called for unsupervised probation.

  • July 20, 2026

    Investors Seek $1.34M Judgment Against Cannabis Venture

    An investment company is looking to secure a $1.34 million default judgment against the cannabis venture that previously sued it for $40 million, according to a notice filed by the investor that said the cannabis entity's suit was tossed.

  • July 20, 2026

    Scientist Seeks To Enforce Journalist's 2024 Contempt Order

    Yanping Chen, a scientist who accused an FBI agent of leaking her confidential immigration records to former Fox News correspondent Catherine Herridge, is asking a D.C. federal judge to finally enforce a yearsold contempt order against Herridge now that the appeals process has run its course.

  • July 20, 2026

    Amazon Says Atty's Defense In TM Suit Still Baseless

    Amazon has asked a Washington federal judge to reject a renewed motion to dismiss from a California attorney being sued for alleged participation in a trademark fraud scheme, claiming she was rehashing arguments from her prior motion, which the company said was riddled with artificial intelligence-generated hallucinations.

  • July 20, 2026

    Simpson Thacher Points To Audit Issues In Malpractice Trial

    A corporate founder seeking more than $100 million in a malpractice case against Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP endured a withering cross-examination in Florida state court Monday over his companies' money flows and an auditor's refusal to certify their financial statements two years after the fundraising transaction he believes the firm botched.

  • July 20, 2026

    NJ Federal Court Won't Step Into State Atty Ethics Cases

    A New Jersey federal judge on Monday declined to wade into disciplinary actions pending against two state lawyers who claim that the process is being used to retaliate against them, finding that they haven't shown the bad faith required to circumvent the state's authority and pause the cases.

  • July 20, 2026

    Ga. Appellate Court Affirms Contempt Order Against Atty

    The Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed a state court's decision to hold a Georgia attorney in contempt of court for a late appearance at a hearing for his client's criminal case, rejecting the attorney's claims that he wasn't given due process and was discriminated against because he's Black.

  • July 20, 2026

    Engineers Fight General Dynamics Fee Bid For No-Poach Suit

    Engineers behind a suit that accused U.S. shipbuilders of using no-poach agreements to suppress industry wages urged a Virginia federal judge to reject General Dynamics Corp.'s push for attorney fees, arguing it has no merit and is aimed at penalizing them.

  • July 20, 2026

    Trump Admin Wants Susman Godfrey DQ In ABA's EO Suit

    Over a year into a suit by the American Bar Association challenging 2025 executive orders targeting law firms, the Trump administration is looking to have Susman Godfrey LLP disqualified as plaintiffs' counsel, alleging the firm can't act as counsel in a case where it's also a key witness.

  • July 20, 2026

    Jackson Walker, US Trustee Denied Delay In Romance Dispute

    Jackson Walker LLP and the U.S. Trustee's Office, grappling with the aftermath of a romantic relationship between one of the firm's former partners and a then-bankruptcy judge, will not be able to delay pretrial proceedings to continue negotiating a possible settlement, a judge ruled Monday.

  • July 20, 2026

    3rd Circ. Deems ADA Claims Untimely, Flags Misquotes

    A Pennsylvania hospital employee disclosed her diabetes too late and did not clearly ask for accommodation before she was fired for sleeping on the job, a Third Circuit panel ruled Monday, additionally sanctioning her attorney for filing a minor motion that possibly contained artificial intelligence hallucinations.

  • July 20, 2026

    Tennessee Lawyer Disbarred For Doxxing Judge, Hiding Client

    The Supreme Court of Tennessee on Monday upheld a decision to permanently disbar a family law attorney for harassing a juvenile court judge online and illegally hiding a client and their child from police officers in her home.

  • July 20, 2026

    Maurene Comey Pushes For Early Wins In Firing Suit

    Former New York federal prosecutor Maurene Comey has asked a Manhattan federal judge to grant her an early win on five of nine claims she brought against the Justice Department following her July 2025 firing, also arguing that the government cannot secure its own judgment on the pleadings.

  • July 20, 2026

    Insurers Urge Stay In Fla. Atty's Malicious Prosecution Suit

    Health insurers including Aetna and UnitedHealth Group are urging a Florida federal court to pause discovery in an attorney's malicious prosecution suit pending a decision on the insurers' motions to dismiss, saying they expect the case to be tossed or significantly trimmed.

  • July 20, 2026

    Atty Says Firm Used Info From Merger Talks Against Him

    A Florida-based attorney and accountant has accused DeWitt LLP of retaliating against him after he declined to merge his estate practice with the firm by representing a woman he sued for defamation in a separate case after he had shared confidential information with DeWitt.

  • July 20, 2026

    AGs Say DOJ Suit Would 'Upend' Atty Discipline System

    Attorneys general in 20 states have raised alarms over the U.S. Department of Justice's "unprecedented effort" to halt a disciplinary case in D.C. against former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Clark, warning the Trump administration is trying to "upend a centuries-old system of attorney discipline" and put federal government lawyers beyond the reach of local disciplinary authorities.

  • July 20, 2026

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    The Delaware Chancery Court last week tackled disputes involving intellectual property, corporate control, fiduciary duties, artificial intelligence, trust administration and cryptocurrency litigation.

  • July 17, 2026

    Ashurst Perkins Gets Trial Date Pushed In Malpractice Case

    A Washington state judge granted Ashurst Perkins Coie's bid to postpone the trial date in a lawsuit accusing the firm's predecessor of making significant mistakes while representing a Middle Eastern screw and nail manufacturer in regulatory proceedings before the U.S. Department of Commerce, calling the case "complex" on Friday.

  • July 17, 2026

    Petrobras Unit Seeks $700K Fees Over Failed Award Challenge

    A Petrobras-managed Dutch consortium is seeking more than $700,000 in fees from a group of Brazilian entities and their counsel at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP following their unsuccessful attempt to vacate a $76.1 million arbitral award issued in a long-running offshore oil dispute.

  • July 17, 2026

    Law Firm Says Marketer Is On The Hook For Unwanted Calls

    A North Carolina plaintiffs firm facing a lawsuit alleging unwanted calls were made to those on the National Do Not Call Registry says a marketing company should be on the hook for damages, urging a federal court not to allow the vendor to hide behind a predecessor's bankruptcy.

  • July 17, 2026

    DC Circ. Backs Maximum Prison Term For Trump Tax Leaker

    The D.C. Circuit has upheld the maximum prison sentence handed down in the case of an IRS contractor who pled guilty to leaking President Donald Trump's tax returns, along with thousands of others, ruling Friday that the punishment was "reasonable."

  • July 17, 2026

    7th Circ. Admonishes Atty Over 'Astonishing' Bogus Citations

    The Seventh Circuit has admonished but declined to sanction an attorney for a brief that included what a judge called "an astonishing number of erroneous and even hallucinated citations."

  • July 17, 2026

    2nd Circ. Backs Public Defender's Firing For Computer Misuse

    The Second Circuit has backed a district court's dismissal of a former public defender's lawsuit against Oneida County, New York, for firing him after he used his work computer to work on his private practice on county time, agreeing that the county did not violate his privacy rights or breach their contract.

  • July 17, 2026

    Judge Warns Gov't Over Apparent AI-Hallucinated Citation

    A federal judge in Michigan, appointed by President Donald Trump, called out the government for its apparent use of artificial intelligence to cite "nonexistent case law."

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • DOJ Atty Firing Highlights Tension Between 2 Ethical Duties

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent firing of a prosecutor-turned-whistleblower involved in the Abrego Garcia v. Noem case illustrates the tricky balancing act between zealous client advocacy and a lawyer’s duty of candor to the court, which many clients fail to appreciate, says David Atkins at Yale Law School.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

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    Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

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    Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • 9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard

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    District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Series

    Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.

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