Legal Ethics

  • April 24, 2024

    Trump Considered 'Co-Conspirator' In Mich. Elector Probe

    Donald Trump and his former lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis are considered unindicted co-conspirators in an alleged plot to cast Michigan's electoral votes for the former president following the 2020 election, a witness revealed Wednesday in criminal proceedings against the so-called false electors.

  • April 24, 2024

    Title Co. Sues Conn. Atty Over Botched Mortgage Payoff

    First American Title Insurance Co. has sued a Connecticut attorney in state court for allegedly mishandling a $340,000 Bridgeport residential property sale, claiming the lawyer, who represented the seller, failed to transmit around $163,000 to cover an existing mortgage and left the insurer stuck footing the bill.

  • April 24, 2024

    Senate OKs Testimony And Evidence For Menendez Trial

    U.S. senators and current and former staff members have received approval to testify at the bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, which begins in federal court in New York on May 13.

  • April 24, 2024

    Baldwin Alleges 'Rust' Prosecutors Abused Justice System

    Alec Baldwin is accusing New Mexico prosecutors of committing a "mountain of misconduct" in pursuing a "wildly out of control" involuntary manslaughter case against the "Rust" actor-producer.

  • April 24, 2024

    11th Circ. Probes High Court Rulings' Effect On DeSantis Case

    The Eleventh Circuit wants Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state attorney he suspended to explain how two seemingly conflicting U.S. Supreme Court decisions could influence the appellate court's ability to hear that attorney's challenge to his removal.

  • April 24, 2024

    Feds Nab Latest OneCoin Plea On $35M Laundering Charge

    An eighth defendant has been charged by federal prosecutors over the global OneCoin cryptocurrency scam and has pled guilty to laundering about $35 million in illicit proceeds through bank accounts he controlled in China and Hong Kong.

  • April 24, 2024

    Trump Says 1890s Ruling Nixes Ga. False Filing Charges

    Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday told a Georgia court a 134-year-old U.S. Supreme Court case requires the court to dismiss state charges that he made false filings in federal court in an alleged attempt to overturn the results of the last presidential election.

  • April 24, 2024

    Trump Can't Subpoena Daniels For Alleged Bias In NY Trial

    A New York state judge rejected Donald Trump's "overbroad" subpoena seeking records that the former president said would show bias by adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of her testimony about an alleged hush money payment in 2016.

  • April 24, 2024

    California Atty Must Face Defamation Claims Over Texts

    An Orange County attorney cannot hide behind claims of litigation privilege and must face defamation claims over disparaging text messages he sent about a contractor working on his home, a California state appeals court said Tuesday.

  • April 23, 2024

    Sanctioned Patent Challenger Fights VLSI Bid To ID Members

    Patent Quality Assurance LLC, which successfully challenged a VLSI chip patent but was sanctioned by the patent office, urged a Virginia federal judge Tuesday not to make it identify the people behind the company, saying VLSI wants their names to "seek retribution against them."

  • April 23, 2024

    ​​​​​​​Feds Ask 30 Years For Ex-FDIC Atty In Child Exploitation Case

    A former attorney with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. who admitted to participating in online groups aimed at sexually exploiting children should be sentenced to 30 years behind bars, prosecutors told a Virginia federal judge Tuesday, saying he "treated the online enticement of children like a sport."

  • April 23, 2024

    Mich. Judge Threatens Contempt After Atty's 'Star Snitch' Post

    A lawyer defending a Republican elector against criminal charges called a government witness a "star snitch" in a February Facebook post, prompting a Michigan state judge Tuesday to warn the entire courtroom that similar behavior going forward could lead to witness tampering charges.

  • April 23, 2024

    Judge Overturns Biz's H-2B Ban, Blaming 'Gaslighting' Atty

    A U.S. Department of Labor administrative law judge overturned a decision to debar a Minnesota concessions stand company from the H-2B visa program over its failure to pay back wages and penalties, saying the small business's owner had only followed his attorney's advice — right into a legal disaster.

  • April 23, 2024

    Tabloid Made Deal To Save Trump 'Embarrassment,' Jury Told

    A longtime tabloid executive told a Manhattan jury Tuesday that he struck a secret deal with Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election to plant negative stories about his opponents and suppress salacious stories that could cause his campaign "embarrassment."

  • April 23, 2024

    La. Atty Asks Justices To Stay Frivolous Filing Fine

    A Louisiana attorney is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to bail her out of a $29,000 penalty from a district judge for frivolous filings and claiming that she was poisoned in retaliation for claims against Louisiana State University's medical residency program.

  • April 23, 2024

    Ex-Public Defender Wants 4th Circ. To End Wait In Bias Suit

    A former public defender suing the federal judiciary for allegedly failing to take her sexual harassment claims seriously asked the Fourth Circuit on Tuesday to force a federal judge's hand after more than four months without a ruling following a bench trial, saying a decision on her long-pending bid for a preliminary injunction is overdue.

  • April 23, 2024

    Ga. Bar Race Bias Suit Should Stay Dead, 11th Circ. Told

    The State Bar of Georgia told the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday that a federal court was right to wash its hands of a racial bias suit filed by an attorney against the bar last year, because the Peach State's high court is the only court with jurisdiction over attorney discipline issues.

  • April 23, 2024

    Locke Lord Wins Appellate Review Of Malpractice Suit

    Locke Lord LLP has convinced a New Jersey state appellate court to review a trial court's ruling rejecting the firm's attempt to evade a malpractice suit alleging that it mishandled a transaction involving an oil refinery project in North Dakota.

  • April 23, 2024

    Denver Wants Law Firm To Turn Over Docs For Fraud Probe

    Fraud investigators for Denver Human Services have asked a state judge to force personal injury firm Ramos Law to provide employment records for one of the firm's case managers, saying the law firm has not yet provided records in response to subpoenas.

  • April 23, 2024

    Blank Rome Attys Defend Lawsuit Called A 'Pound Of Flesh'

    Partners with BigLaw firm Blank Rome LLP said they had legitimate reasons to file a lawsuit against a former attorney from the firm, rejecting accusations that their lawsuit was an effort to punish their ex-colleague for switching to the plaintiffs' bar.

  • April 23, 2024

    6th Circ. Backs Dykema's Win In Ex-Secretary's Age Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit won't reinstate a former Dykema legal secretary's age discrimination case, saying Tuesday she failed to show that her supervisor — whom she accused of giving her adult diapers for her 50th birthday and frequently asking her if she planned to retire — had anything to do with her firing.

  • April 23, 2024

    Boies Schiller Attys For Epstein Victims Beat Sanctions Bid

    A New York federal judge on Tuesday evening rejected a request by associates of Jeffrey Epstein to sanction Boies Schiller Flexner LLP's chair and a co-managing partner, while also denying the Boies Schiller attorneys' subsequent motion to sanction the Epstein associates' counsel.

  • April 23, 2024

    'Nate The Lawyer' Loses NJ Defamation Suit For Good

    YouTube legal livestreamer "Nate the Lawyer" saw his defamation suit against the operator of a social media watchdog account tossed for a final time, after a New Jersey federal judge ruled that he had not shown that any false statements about him were made with reckless disregard for the truth.

  • April 23, 2024

    Reciprocal Discipline Not Time Limited, Colo. Justices Say

    A former Colorado attorney cannot escape disbarment there, the state Supreme Court has ruled, finding a rule placing a time limit on sanctions does not apply to reciprocal discipline, and therefore the attorney's 2022 disbarment in Washington, D.C., for misconduct that occurred in 2008 and 2009 may be reciprocated in Colorado.

  • April 23, 2024

    Lin Wood Seeks Defamation Suit Pause Amid Insurance Spat

    Counsel for disbarred attorney Lin Wood has asked a Georgia federal judge to halt a defamation suit brought by Wood's former colleagues while a spat over his legal insurance plays out in the Georgia court system.

Expert Analysis

  • What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review

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    Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Opinion

    Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues

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    Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI

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    When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth

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    Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

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    X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.

  • ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act

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    While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

  • Nev. Insurance Law May Mean Turmoil In Liability Market

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    Nevada's new law prohibiting insurers from issuing or renewing defense-within-limits liability policies in the state could cause professional liability insurers to withdraw certain products or prohibitively increase premiums — and while an emergency regulation allows for exceptions, the situation remains fluid, says Joshua Leach at Atheria Law.

  • Lessons From High-Profile Witness Tampering Allegations

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    As demonstrated by recent developments in the cases against former President Donald Trump and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, allegations of witness tampering can carry serious consequences — but attorneys can employ certain strategies to mitigate the risk that accusations arise, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • Covington Ruling Strengthens SEC's Enforcement Powers

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    A Washington, D.C., federal court’s recent order that Covington & Burling provide the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with the identities of its clients in response to a subpoena reinforces the agency’s broad authority to investigate cybersecurity violations, and suggests law firms must take steps to strengthen data privacy, say Elisha Kobre and Ryan Dean at Bradley Arant.

  • 'Blind Side' Family Case Is A Cautionary Tale For Attorneys

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    Former NFL player Michael Oher's recent allegations against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy that they never legally adopted him and tricked him into conservatorship — which paint a very different picture than the 2009 film "The Blind Side" — demonstrate the importance of attorney due diligence and safeguards against abuse of process, says Roland Weekley at Smith Gambrell.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • Ethics Issues For Mainland Firms Involved In Maui Fire Suits

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    Before law firms located outside of Hawaii represent clients affected by the Lahaina wildfires, they must be aware of local ethics rules and regulatory gray areas, as any any ethical missteps could have major ramifications for the firm's practice in its home jurisdiction, says Ryan Little at Klinedinst.

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