Legal Ethics

  • April 03, 2025

    Fla. Atty Cites Law School Debt In Bid To Skip Conn. Oral Args

    A Florida employment attorney embroiled in state and federal proceedings over a judgment requiring him to repay his ex's $30,000 contribution toward his law school loans says he can't afford to travel to Connecticut to argue an appeal because his debts and lack of income while traveling make in-person attendance difficult.

  • April 03, 2025

    Law Firm Says Insurer Shorted On Defense Of Blackmail Suit

    A law firm accused by a Florida state judge of causing her emotional distress via blackmail is suing its insurer, alleging the insurer underpaid the firm's defense counsel by nearly $600,000 in connection with the settled underlying lawsuit she filed.

  • April 03, 2025

    Baltimore Atty Avoids Prison After $25M Extortion Conviction

    A Baltimore attorney has been sentenced to three years of probation with six months of home confinement after being convicted of trying to extort $25 million from the University of Maryland Medical System.

  • April 03, 2025

    Law Firm Fights Ex-Paralegal's Anonymity Bid In Bias Suit

    A former paralegal at a Pennsylvania law firm made speculative and illogical arguments to take her identity away from her overtime and retaliation suit, the firm said Thursday, urging a federal court to keep her name known.

  • April 03, 2025

    Pick For DC's US Atty Exits Roles To Prepare For Confirmation

    The nominee for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, has made his law firm inactive and resigned from other roles in preparation for his confirmation.

  • April 03, 2025

    Atty Suspended Over Billing Lapses In State Street Case

    The former managing partner of Thornton Law Firm LLP has received a 30-day license suspension for his decision to sign an inaccurate billing declaration to a federal judge in an investor action against State Street Bank.

  • April 03, 2025

    Ex-JPMorgan Atty Gets Probation For NYC Housing Fraud

    A former Bronx prosecutor and JPMorgan attorney was sentenced in New York state court Thursday to probation and community service for fraud and grand larceny, after she pled guilty to using forged records to obtain low-rent apartments.

  • April 03, 2025

    Adams Case Threatens NY Southern District's 'Supremacy'

    The controversial end to New York City Mayor Eric Adams' historic criminal corruption prosecution could threaten the Southern District of New York's privileged status within the Justice Department and its leverage over other districts when it comes to vying for the lead on high-profile cases, experts say.

  • April 02, 2025

    5 Fed. Circ. Clashes To Watch This Month

    The Federal Circuit will hear arguments this month in patent cases involving Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine and a blockbuster Johnson & Johnson schizophrenia drug, and the court will itself be the subject of a case at another appeals court as Judge Pauline Newman seeks to end her suspension.

  • April 02, 2025

    Perkins Coie Urges Court To End Trump's 'Assault' On Firm

    Perkins Coie LLP on Wednesday asked a D.C. federal judge to permanently block enforcement of President Donald Trump's "unconstitutional assault" on the firm and the rule of law, filing a summary judgment bid the same day the federal government pushed for the firm's suit to be tossed.

  • April 02, 2025

    'Zero Support In The Bar': Judiciary Downsizes Amicus Project

    Faced with wide-ranging opposition and potential constitutional challenges, federal judiciary advisers Wednesday sharply scaled back plans to strengthen scrutiny of amicus briefs, a retreat that won praise from disparate corners of the legal industry.

  • April 02, 2025

    Calif. Panel Questions Hacking Case Against Ex-Prosecutor

    A California appeals panel probed Wednesday whether criminal charges were properly brought against a former top prosecutor at the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for improperly using confidential sheriff's deputy files, with one judge observing that the case applies an "awfully broad understanding" of a hacking statute.

  • April 02, 2025

    Client Says Colo. Injury Attys Didn't Tell Him About Settlement

    A personal injury plaintiff is suing his former attorneys and their Colorado law firm for malpractice after they allegedly failed to notify him of a settlement offer in time, forcing the case to trial where jurors issued a verdict that was less than the settlement offer.

  • April 02, 2025

    Feds Claim Immunity For ICE Agent Who Made Midtrial Arrest

    Lawyers with the U.S. attorney's office in Boston asked a federal judge Wednesday to toss a state court judge's contempt finding against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who detained a defendant midtrial, calling the decision a "damaging state intrusion into federal functions."

  • April 02, 2025

    NY Judge Sanctions Attys For Adding Futile Claims

    Lawyers representing an education resources supplier that sued its business partner over allegations of price-fixing and bid-rigging within the New York City school system have been sanctioned for repeatedly attempting to add claims to unauthorized amended complaints in what a federal judge said violated rules against bad faith or futile motions.

  • April 02, 2025

    Ex-Kirkland Atty To Drop Bias Suit, Appeal Atty Firing Ruling

    A former Kirkland & Ellis LLP intellectual property associate is expected to drop her claims against the law firm and related defendants, while also appealing a ruling that precluded her from firing her attorney in the case, the parties told a California federal court Tuesday.

  • April 02, 2025

    Atty Can't Duck Land Dispute Malpractice Suit, NJ Sisters Say

    New Jersey sisters who sued Fox Rothschild and a firm attorney over the handling of their late stepfather's estate have told a New Jersey state judge that their claims were timely filed and that issues of material fact that would preclude summary judgment still remain.

  • April 02, 2025

    When Can Attys Decide To Drop Clients? ABA Says It Depends

    Lawyers can drop clients at will as long as doing so won't harm the client's legal objectives or needlessly drive up costs, according to new guidance by the American Bar Association — but the guidance also notes that "getting out of a matter can be a lot harder than getting in."

  • April 02, 2025

    Trump Can't Dodge Suit Over Use Of Isaac Hayes Song

    President Donald Trump and his 2024 campaign on Wednesday were denied an early exit from a suit over their use of the 1966 song "Hold On, I'm Coming," as a Georgia federal judge ruled that the estate of soul artist Isaac Hayes plausibly alleged it held the rights to the song he co-authored.

  • April 02, 2025

    Forum Shopping Debated At Nationwide Injunctions Hearing

    Legal experts gave varying testimony at a Senate hearing on Wednesday about how addressing forum shopping would remedy issues related to nationwide injunctions, which Republicans have been highly critical of due to the vast number issued against President Donald Trump's policies since he came into office.

  • April 02, 2025

    Fla. Litigation Funder Must Face NJ Lawyer's Counterclaim

    A Florida-based litigation funder pursuing an $18 million breach of contract suit against a New Jersey lawyer must face the bulk of a countersuit alleging the business reneged on an agreement to secure funding for nationwide personal injury cases.

  • April 02, 2025

    Eric Adams Case Dismissed As Judge Rebukes DOJ 'Bargain'

    A Manhattan federal judge on Wednesday permanently dismissed corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, heeding advice from court-appointed counsel Paul Clement even as he gave credence to district prosecutors' claims of a quid pro quo between Adams and Trump administration officials in the Justice Department.

  • April 01, 2025

    Schiff Says He'll Hold On Trump's Pick For DC US Attorney

    Senate Judiciary Committee member Adam Schiff announced Tuesday he will hold on President Donald Trump's nomination of Ed Martin to be the top prosecutor in Washington, D.C., calling Martin a "one-man wrecking ball" demolishing the wall between the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • April 01, 2025

    AG Paxton Objects To Whistleblowers' $2.4M Fee Award

    The Texas attorney general's office color-coded over 100 pages of billing records provided by attorneys for its former deputies, telling an Austin court that eight categories of their work should be subtracted from a proposed $2.4 million fee award.

  • April 01, 2025

    Pork Price-Fixing Fight Over Sales Data Swap Heads To Trial

    A Minnesota federal court mostly denied Monday a slew of summary judgment motions from Tyson and other pork producers seeking wins in an antitrust suit alleging they conspired with data firm Agri Stats to fix pork prices and reduce supply, teeing up the high-stakes multidistrict litigation for a June trial.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • What Law Firms Should Know Amid Rise In DQ Motions

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    As disqualification motions proliferate, law firms need to be aware of the types of conflicts that most often lead to disqualification, the types of attorneys who may be affected and how to reduce their exposure to these motions, says Matthew Henderson at Hinshaw.

  • Data Protection Steps To Consider After Biden Privacy Order

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    A recent White House executive order casts a spotlight on the criticality of securing sensitive content communications, presenting challenges and necessitating a recalibration of practices, especially for lawyers, says Camilo Artiga-Purcell at Kiteworks.

  • Surveying Legislative Trends As States Rush To Regulate AI

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    With Congress unlikely to pass comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation any time soon, just four months into 2024, nearly every state has introduced legislation aimed at the development and use of AI on subjects from algorithmic discrimination risk to generative AI disclosures, say David Kappos and Sasha Rosenthal-Larrea at Cravath.

  • How Duty Of Candor Figures In USPTO AI Ethics Guidance

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    The duty of candor and good faith is an important part of the artificial intelligence ethics guidance issued last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and serious consequences can visit patent and trademark applicants who violate that duty, not just their attorneys and agents, says Michael Cicero at Taylor English.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Why Incorporating By Reference Is Rarely Good Practice

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Promptu Systems v. Comcast serves as a reminder that while incorporating by reference may seem efficient, it is generally prohibited by courts and can lead to sanctions when used to bypass a word count limit, says Cullen Seltzer at Sands Anderson.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

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