Legal Ethics

  • 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.

  • April 23, 2024

    Coverage Recap: Day 2 Of Trump's NY Hush Money Trial

    Law360 reporters are providing live updates from the Manhattan criminal courthouse as Donald Trump goes on trial for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election. Here's a full recap from day two.

  • April 23, 2024

    Trump 'Detached From Facts' In Fla. Docs Case, Feds Say

    Prosecutors in Donald Trump's classified documents case have told a Florida federal judge that the former president's legal team was trying to paint a false narrative of political bias in its motion to obtain more discovery.

  • April 23, 2024

    PE Giant Faces Sanctions Bid For Mexico Corruption Claim

    Advent International Corp. and its counsel at Ropes & Gray and Quinn Emanuel allegedly fabricated claims that a Mexican corporation's lawyers corruptly influenced prosecutors and judges in the country to freeze the private equity firm's assets and issue arrest warrants for executives, according to a filing in Massachusetts federal court.

  • April 23, 2024

    Why A New York Federal Judge 'Loves' Discovery Disputes

    While discovery disputes can be a frustration for many judges and attorneys, U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote says that she loves them because they teach her a lot about the cases she is overseeing, the parties involved and the attorneys working on them.

  • April 23, 2024

    Trump Atty 'Losing Credibility' In Defending Posts, Judge Says

    The New York judge presiding over former President Donald Trump's hush money case on Tuesday gave a harsh appraisal of defense attorney Todd Blanche's attempts to keep his client out of criminal contempt for disparaging witnesses online, saying the lawyer was "losing all credibility" as he argued Trump was "being very careful" with his words.

  • April 22, 2024

    NJ Town Can't Beat Sanctions Over Legal Malpractice Suit

    A New Jersey state appeals panel upheld Monday, in a published opinion, sanctions against the borough of Englewood Cliffs for bringing a now-dismissed legal malpractice suit after a purportedly unfavorable affordable housing settlement.

  • April 22, 2024

    Atty Says Class Bid Over Bankrupt Firm's Hurricane Ads Fails

    A proposed class action against troubled Houston law firm MMA Law Firm, a former partner and others accused of participating in an illegal scheme to scare up profitable litigation following a hurricane doesn't offer enough evidence for certification and didn't meet a filing deadline, the ex-partner told a Texas federal judge.

  • April 22, 2024

    As DA Aims High, Trump Defense Gets 'Down And Dirty'

    Donald Trump lifted the curtain Monday on his strategy to win over jurors in his New York criminal hush-money trial, as a lawyer for the former president hammered the state's "liar" star witness and rejected the prosecution's quixotic framing of the case, experts observed.

  • April 22, 2024

    Conn. Judge Whittles $1.4M Malpractice Request To $165K

    A Connecticut state court judge has sliced a $1.4 million malpractice bid down to less than $165,000 in a dispute over an attorney's failure to properly secure a loan, citing the client's own negligence and its recovery of most of the money at issue from other sources.

  • April 22, 2024

    Citing Cozen O'Connor Ties, Pa. Judge Leaves Bias Case

    Despite originally declining to recuse himself from a surgeon's gender discrimination case against Thomas Jefferson University Hospital when an attorney from his son-in-law's firm, Cozen O'Connor, became involved, U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson changed his mind now that the case is set for a retrial.

  • April 22, 2024

    Google Faces Sanctions Bid Over Alleged Data Destruction

    A putative class of Google account holders urged a California magistrate judge to sanction and hold Google in contempt for purportedly intentionally destroying key evidence in their suit, which claims Google's ad auction practices violate privacy rights, arguing Google has a pattern of the alleged misconduct in the district.

  • April 22, 2024

    Ex-NJ Mayor Used Office To Get Job From Atty, AG Says

    The former mayor of Wildwood, New Jersey, has been indicted on new charges accusing him of using his elected position to obtain a job from a city attorney and of not paying state taxes on his earnings from that position, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Monday.

  • April 22, 2024

    Cos. Want Ga. Firm Punished For 'Impossible' COVID-19 Suit

    A Georgia law firm should face sanctions for pursuing claims that several ship operators infected a longshoreman with COVID-19 since those claims were "factually impossible" and their sanctions motion was filed on time, the companies told a Georgia federal court.

  • April 22, 2024

    Ex-US Atty's Stepson Says He Has None Of Docs Gov't Seeks

    The stepson of a former Nevada U.S. attorney convicted of failing to pay taxes told a Nevada federal court that he doesn't have the financial documents the federal government has demanded in its $1.3 million tax suit against his stepfather.

  • April 22, 2024

    Conn. Agency Defends Ability To Challenge Judicial Branch

    The Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities' prosecutorial arm has defended its ability to challenge the Connecticut Judicial Branch's handling of an attorney's reinstatement process, arguing the case wouldn't violate the separation of powers between the bodies.

  • April 22, 2024

    11 State AGs Urge Senate To Confirm Mangi For 3rd Circ.

    A group of 11 attorneys general is calling on the Senate to confirm Adeel Mangi, nominee for the Third Circuit, who would be the first federal Muslim appellate judge if confirmed, condemning allegations that he is antisemitic or anti-law enforcement.

  • April 22, 2024

    Trump Led Plot To Undermine 2016 Election, NY Jury Told

    A prosecutor told a Manhattan jury on Monday that Donald Trump was the head of a conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election through hush-money payments, kicking off the first criminal trial of a former president.

  • April 22, 2024

    Justices Skip How Mid-Litigation Changes Affect Standing

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday left in place a Third Circuit ruling that plaintiffs must reestablish standing when defendants cause circumstances to change mid-litigation, ending a Pennsylvania attorney's challenge to the state's new anti-bias and harassment professional conduct rule.

  • April 22, 2024

    Coverage Recap: Day 1 Of Trump's NY Hush Money Trial

    Law360 reporters are providing live updates from the Manhattan criminal courthouse as Donald Trump goes on trial for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Here's a full recap from day one.

  • April 19, 2024

    Trump On Verge Of Legal History As Full NY Jury Picked

    Jury selection wrapped up Friday in the hush money trial of Donald Trump, setting the stage for opening statements to begin on Monday after a New York appeals court denied a last-ditch bid by the former president to delay the unprecedented case.

  • April 19, 2024

    Ex-Lewis Brisbois Atty Accuses Firm Of Bias, Unethical Billing

    A former attorney for Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP has sued the firm in Los Angeles court, alleging gender discrimination in pay and retaliation for raising concerns over its "unethical billing practices," marking the second discrimination suit filed against the firm since March.

  • April 19, 2024

    Ex-Gibson Dunn Partners Battle Firm Over Sealed Records

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP is fighting anonymous ex-partners' bid to unseal a contractual arbitration award granted to a former co-chair of the firm's appellate practice, saying the documents contain trade secrets — such as details about the firm's compensation and partnership structure — that other top law firms could exploit to gain an advantage in a competitive recruitment market.

  • April 19, 2024

    Banking Boss Seeks First Bite In Lawyer-Linked Debt Services

    Connecticut's banking commissioner says a trial court judge misapplied case law by sidelining his authority to investigate complaints against a debt collection operation attached to a law firm, saying his office should be the first to decide whether he or the judicial branch has authority over the matter.

  • April 19, 2024

    Up Next At High Court: Abortions & Presidential Immunity

    The U.S. Supreme Court will return Monday for the term's final week of oral arguments, during which it will consider several high-stakes disputes, including whether a federal healthcare law can preempt state abortion bans and whether former President Donald Trump is entitled to immunity from criminal charges related to official acts.

Expert Analysis

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    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.

  • Asserting 'Presence-Of-Counsel' Defense In Securities Trials

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    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.

  • Key Takeaways From DOJ's Recent FARA Advisory Opinions

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    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.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    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.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    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.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    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.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    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.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    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.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • 1st Tax Easement Convictions Will Likely Embolden DOJ, IRS

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    After recent convictions in the first criminal tax fraud trial over allegedly abusive syndicated conservation easements, the IRS and U.S. Department of Justice will likely pursue other promoters for similar alleged conspiracies — though one acquittal may help attorneys better evaluate their clients' exposure, say Bill Curtis and Lauren DeSantis-Then at Polsinelli.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys

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    Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.

  • Series

    Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.

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