Legal Ethics

  • 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."

  • July 17, 2026

    Ex-Overstock CEO Seeks DC Judge DQ Over Dominion Ties

    Former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne has moved to disqualify a U.S. magistrate judge from a defamation lawsuit filed against him after she presided over the depositions of two of her own former clients, the co-founders of Dominion Voting Systems Corp.

  • July 16, 2026

    Apple, Amazon Face Bid To Revive Wash. Antitrust Suit

    Plaintiffs' counsel urged a Seattle federal judge Thursday to rethink dismissal of a proposed antitrust class action accusing Apple and Amazon of illegally restricting sales of iPhones and iPads, contending that attorneys at Hagens Berman couldn't have concluded from their client's "ambiguous" message that he wanted to get out of the case.

  • July 16, 2026

    Edible Arrangements Wins $13.9M Judgment Against Ex-COO

    Edible Arrangements' former chief operating officer and his company must pay nearly $14 million after defaulting in a case that accused him of regularly stealing from the fruit-basket company by intercepting vendor rebate checks and diverting millions of dollars in media-contract payments, a Georgia federal judge said Thursday.

  • July 16, 2026

    Tillis Might Back Blanche, As AG Pick Met Epstein Survivors

    Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday afternoon met with a group of survivors of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said his condition for supporting Blanche's appointment to the permanent position was for the nominee to speak to them face-to-face.

  • July 16, 2026

    NC Panel Tells State Bar To Rethink Ex-Judge's Suspension

    The North Carolina Court of Appeals has partially reversed a disciplinary order against a former state court judge facing a suspension of his law license for a string of alleged misconduct on and off the bench, finding certain professional violations he is accused of committing lacked evidentiary support.

  • July 16, 2026

    Swedbank To Pay $50M Fine In Panama Papers-Linked Case

    Swedbank AB and its New York branch have agreed to pay a $50 million civil penalty to the New York State Department of Financial Services to resolve claims that the bank failed to fully cooperate with department requests for information related to Swedbank's relationships with Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the center of the 2016 Panama Papers leak.

  • July 16, 2026

    Simpson Thacher 'Never' Explained Ill-Fated Deal, Exec Says

    A founder seeking over $100 million from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett over a transaction he says destroyed his insurance services company testified Thursday the law firm provided him no education on various words he wasn't familiar with in the deal.

  • July 16, 2026

    Realtek, MediaTek Drop Case Alleging Bogus Patent Litigation

    Taiwanese semiconductor-makers Realtek and MediaTek have agreed to drop a case in which the former accused the latter of colluding with other companies to harass Realtek with bogus patent cases.

  • July 16, 2026

    Nonprofits Back Ex-Defender's High Court Sex Bias Petition

    The Georgia Association for Women Lawyers and the Legal Accountability Project have asked the U.S. Supreme Court for permission to file an amicus curiae brief in support of Caryn Devins Strickland and her effort to get the high court to review her sex harassment case against the judiciary.

  • July 16, 2026

    Ex-Pa. AG, Firm Again Beat Suit By Election Challenger

    A nonprofit organization's second attempt to seek damages for alleged legal malpractice and fraud against former acting Attorney General of Pennsylvania Bruce Castor Jr. and his firm, van der Veen Hartshorn & Levin, has been tossed by a Philadelphia federal judge.

  • July 16, 2026

    Colo. Firm Hit With $193K Malpractice Suit Over Fee Bid

    A Colorado law firm and one of its attorneys caused two former clients to lose more than $193,000 in legal fees by failing to submit billing records supporting a fee request after winning an underlying case, according to a malpractice suit filed in state court.

  • July 16, 2026

    AG Merger Case Gets New Judge After Paramount Recusal Bid

    A new California federal judge has taken over from the one originally assigned the lawsuit from Democratic state attorneys general challenging Paramount Skydance's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, putting the case in front of the same judge hearing challenges from consumers and the Writers Guild of America.

  • July 16, 2026

    Richards Layton Apologizes For AI Errors In Chancery Case

    Richards Layton & Finger PA and one of its attorneys have apologized to the Delaware Chancery Court for submitting a filing with errors generated by artificial intelligence, asking that sanctions not be imposed.

  • July 16, 2026

    McDermott Atty Denies Pressuring Friend To Alter Testimony

    A McDermott Will & Schulte LLP attorney has told a Delaware vice chancellor that he is in "complete shock" and "hurt" by a longtime friend's contention that he pressured him to change his testimony in a Chancery Court case, saying the accusation "is false and without any merit."

  • July 15, 2026

    Circuit-By-Circuit Guide To The US Supreme Court's Term

    Federal appeals courts had wide-ranging successes and struggles during the U.S. Supreme Court's recently completed term: One had its best showing in years following its worst showing in years; one felt déjà vu after recently starting to find favor with the justices; and one saw its reputation for independence occupy a rare role in the Supreme Court spotlight.

  • July 15, 2026

    Adani Denies $10B Offer Led To DOJ Dropping Case

    Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, the chairman of multinational conglomerate Adani Group, on Wednesday told a Brooklyn federal judge that his offer to invest $10 billion in the U.S. had nothing to do with a U.S. Department of Justice decision to drop criminal charges claiming he and others orchestrated a $250 million bribery to secure solar energy contracts and deceive investors.

  • July 15, 2026

    Paramount Wants Merger Judge Recused Over Guild Work

    Paramount has asked a district judge to recuse himself from overseeing a challenge led by a dozen states to the company's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing Wednesday that the judge's former role as labor counsel for a guild that's also challenging the deal risks the appearance of impartiality.

  • July 15, 2026

    Fla. Virtual School Owes $1.3M For 'Abusive' TM Suit

    A federal judge on Tuesday ordered a Florida online school and its attorneys to pay more than $1.3 million in fees following years of "abusive litigation" in a "long and tortured" trademark case against the Virginia-based online school platform Stride Inc.

  • July 15, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives PPP Fraud Suit Against Calif. Mortgage Co.

    The Ninth Circuit Wednesday revived whistleblower entity Relator LLC's lawsuit accusing a California mortgage lender and its founder of making false statements in a federal loan application, saying in a published opinion that information backing Relator's allegations was not already publicly available so as to bar its claims.

  • July 15, 2026

    Texas Court Says $350M Claim Can't Include General Counsel

    The statewide Texas appeals court found that the former CEO of software company Reynolds and Reynolds cannot include the company's general counsel in a $350 million employment lawsuit, saying in a split opinion that the company's general counsel has immunity in this case.

  • July 15, 2026

    DC Circ. Says District Court Can't Decide USPS Policy Claim

    The D.C. Circuit reversed a 2020 summary judgment win for Democratic-led states and cities that required the Postal Service to increase services at its election mail processing centers in more than 20 districts across the country, so millions of ballots could be delivered before that year's general election.

  • July 15, 2026

    Polsinelli, Doctor Seek Toss Of 'Bad Faith' Patent Claims

    Polsinelli PC and a doctor who has been a client of the law firm have asked Mississippi and Tennessee federal courts to throw out Zavation Medical Products LLC and Choice Spine LLC's allegations that the firm and its client violated respective state laws by bringing "bad faith" patent infringement claims, saying the statutes the medical device makers rely on can't be brought by distributors or manufacturers.

  • July 15, 2026

    What To Watch In Massachusetts In The 2nd Half Of 2026

    As midsummer approaches, Massachusetts attorneys are focused on much more than just the Red Sox winning streak and the fallout from the Jaylen Brown trade; from a headline-grabbing federal prosecution to the midterm elections to cases that could shape the state's noncompete laws, practitioners have plenty on their radar in the latter half of the year.

  • July 15, 2026

    Simpson Thacher Put Co. Out Of Business, Fla. Jury Told

    Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP put an insurance services company out of business with a poorly constructed private securities offering, the company's founder told a Florida state jury Wednesday in opening arguments for trial in his suit alleging the law firm owes him more than $100 million.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech

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    New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

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