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Legal Ethics
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April 12, 2024
Vermont Attys Can't Be Sued In Connecticut, Court Says
Two Vermont firms that handled the sale of a Connecticut man's second home near a Vermont ski town cannot be sued in Connecticut because the lawyers' business models and the disputed cash transfers that spurred the litigation were not sufficiently directed toward Connecticut, a three-judge appellate panel ruled on Friday.
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April 12, 2024
DC Circ. Upholds Jan. 6 Rioter's 52-Month Sentence
The DC Circuit on Friday affirmed a judgment and 52-month sentence against a Texas militia leader who pled guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, saying the judge had acted within his discretion in applying certain enhancements.
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April 12, 2024
Ex-Philly Union Leader Denied Bench Trial In Extortion Case
A Pennsylvania federal judge has denied twice-convicted former International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty's request to have his third criminal trial — this time over extortion charges — handled by a judge instead of a jury.
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April 12, 2024
Off The Bench: Ohtani 'Victim' In Theft, Arbitration Nod To NFL
In this week's Off The Bench, Shohei Ohtani looks to get off the hook on sports-betting allegations while his former interpreter faces charges, the NFL wins a critical court victory in the Brian Flores lawsuit, and troubled WWE founder Vince McMahon cuts even more financial ties with the company.
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April 12, 2024
Santos Says Feds Withheld Key Evidence For Over A Year
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos accused New York federal prosecutors of withholding evidence that he said undermined their fraud and campaign finance charges against him.
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April 12, 2024
Trump Voir Dire Aims To Keep Ballot Box Out Of The Jury Box
As jury selection begins Monday in the first-ever criminal trial against a former president, experts say both the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and lawyers for Donald Trump will rely on voir dire questioning and social media sleuthing to keep out jurors who'd use their civic duty to "have a stronger vote in the next presidential election."
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April 11, 2024
CFPB Says Credit Card Shares Disqualifying In 5th Circ. Case
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sparred Thursday with a coalition of trade groups over recusal standards in their Fifth Circuit lawsuit challenging the agency's new $8 credit card late fee rule, arguing that a judge's ownership of stock in a major card-issuing bank ought to be disqualifying in itself.
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April 11, 2024
Judge Tells USPTO To Hand Over 'Expanded' Panels List
A Virginia federal judge has ordered the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to hand over a list the agency once made of how many Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings went before "expanded" panels, a practice that has since been abandoned.
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April 11, 2024
Orrick To Pay $8M To Settle Data Breach Litigation
A proposed class of data-breach victims asked a California federal judge Thursday to greenlight an $8 million settlement with Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in litigation over a March 2023 data breach that purportedly exposed Social Security numbers and other personal information of more than 638,000 individuals.
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April 11, 2024
Leonard Leo Rebuffs Senate Judiciary Committee Subpoena
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, served influential conservative and longtime Federalist Society executive Leonard Leo with a subpoena on Thursday as part of his U.S. Supreme Court ethics probe, which Leo is refusing to comply with.
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April 11, 2024
Prosecutor Named In Ga. Lt. Gov. 2020 Fake Elector Probe
Nearly two years after a judge disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from investigating Georgia Lieutenant Gov. Burt Jones over his alleged role in helping former President Donald Trump overturn the state's 2020 presidential election, a state prosecutor has been appointed to handle the case.
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April 11, 2024
Pro-Trump Mich. Atty Gets New Trial Date After Skipping Court
A Michigan attorney accused of accessing voting machines after the 2020 presidential election said Thursday her old lawyer was dragging his feet in sharing critical documents as a judge rescheduled her trial for July following her attorney swap and her arrest for failing to appear in court.
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April 11, 2024
11th Circ. Denies Atty DQ Bid From Gold Star Wives
The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday denied a request from Gold Star Wives of America Inc. to disqualify an attorney representing a former president of the organization in an appeal over a trademark suit settlement, rejecting its argument that the lawyer's time serving the group should prevent him from guiding its former leader.
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April 11, 2024
Ex-Atlanta Worker Says City's Missing Docs Merits Sanctions
Counsel for a former city of Atlanta department head who says she was fired after blowing the whistle on failures in its immigrant outreach services urged a Georgia federal judge on Thursday to hit the city with sanctions for reportedly destroying communications related to her termination.
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April 11, 2024
Software Co., NC Officials Want Out Of Digital Courts Row
Software company Tyler Technologies, North Carolina court administrators and two sheriffs have asked a federal court to release them from a proposed class action alleging the state's new digital filing system has led to unlawful arrests and detentions.
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April 11, 2024
Ex-COO Sues NJ Law Firm, Claiming Sexual Harassment
The former chief operating officer of New Jersey personal injury giant Garces Grabler & LeBrocq PC sued the firm Wednesday for sexual harassment and discrimination, alleging firm leaders unfairly impeded her from doing her job and made lewd comments about her.
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April 11, 2024
Insurer Says Firm Not Covered For Bogus Check Scheme
An insurance firm has filed a complaint in Washington federal court seeking a declaration that it doesn't owe coverage to a Seattle-area firm and its sole attorney, who are embroiled in litigation with a bank after the firm fell prey to a counterfeit check scheme.
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April 11, 2024
NC Justices Hint Holtzman Vogel Immune In Defamation Case
The North Carolina Supreme Court's Republican majority seems poised to reverse a Court of Appeals decision forcing Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak PLLC to face voters' defamation claims, with one justice lamenting that revoking the law firm's privilege defense could upend decades of case law in the Tar Heel State.
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April 11, 2024
State Bar Attys Fight Eastman's Bid To Activate Law License
The State Bar of California has formally opposed John C. Eastman's motion to stay a March order placing him on inactive status pending appeal of a recommendation that he be disbarred.
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April 11, 2024
Houston Atty Beats Real Estate Deal Malpractice Suit
In a split decision Thursday, a Houston attorney accused of malpractice was handed a win by the majority of a three-justice Lone Star State appellate panel that cleared her of negligence in connection with a 2014 contract inked between the owner of a property management company and a pair of apartment complex investors, finding that she obtained no "improper benefit" from representing both sides.
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April 11, 2024
Ex-Ellenoff Grossman Atty Faces Possible Firing Suit Remand
A former Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP associate's suit saying she was fired for protesting sexual harassment should return to state court, a New York federal judge recommended, saying the federal court can't enforce arbitration pacts invalidated by a 2022 amendment to the Federal Arbitration Act.
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April 11, 2024
Conn. Attorney Accused Of Unreasonable Fees In VW Case
Connecticut's attorney disciplinary authority has accused an attorney of charging an unreasonable fee to a plaintiff in a 2022 defective product claim against Volkswagen of America and not providing documentation to support the fee, in violation of professional conduct rules.
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April 10, 2024
Nationwide Injunctions Spike Politicizes Judiciary, Study Says
Nationwide injunctions have dramatically increased in recent years, particularly during the Trump administration, a trend that has politicized the judiciary and risks further politicization without reforms, according to a study published in the Harvard Law Review on Wednesday.
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April 10, 2024
US News Fights Uphill To Block SF's 'Best Hospitals' Probe
A California federal judge indicated Wednesday he'll likely dismiss U.S. News & World Report's lawsuit challenging the San Francisco City Attorney's subpoenas seeking information about its methodology for ranking hospitals, saying the issue isn't ripe since the subpoenas aren't self-enforcing and the city hasn't yet sued for the information.
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April 10, 2024
DOJ's Apple Antitrust Suit Gets New Judge After Recusal
The New Jersey federal judge overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice's recent iPhone antitrust case against Apple recused himself from the litigation Wednesday, according to a text order posted to the docket reassigning the case.
Expert Analysis
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The Basics Of Law Firm Cyber Liability Insurance Applications
Cyber liability insurance has become a common consideration for law firms as cyber threats have escalated, but these insurance forms can be quite complicated given the nature of the industry and associated risks, so simply filling out the form won't necessarily result in an ideal policy for your firm, says Kevin Haight at WAMS.
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Series
Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.
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Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct
The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.
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Opinion
Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave
To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.
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Series
Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.
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What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance
Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories
The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.
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Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
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Asserting 'Presence-Of-Counsel' Defense In Securities Trials
As illustrated by the fraud trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, defense attorneys in securities trials might consider arguing that counsel had some involvement in the conduct at issue — if the more formal advice-of-counsel defense is unavailable and circumstances allow for a privilege waiver, say Joseph Dever and Matthew Elkin at Cozen O'Connor.
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Key Takeaways From DOJ's Recent FARA Advisory Opinions
The U.S. Department of Justice recently published several redacted advisory opinions on the Foreign Agents Registration Act, clarifying its current thinking on when a person or entity is required to register as a foreign agent under the statute, and when they may qualify for an exemption, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley Rein.
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The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms
In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.
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Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary
The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.
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AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier
Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.
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Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.
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General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI
With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.