Legal Ethics

  • December 05, 2025

    Stone Hilton Wants Cruz Subpoena Tossed In Harassment Suit

    Stone Hilton PLLC is asking a Texas federal court to toss a subpoena from a former executive assistant for information about a firm partner's past tenure with the office of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, saying the purpose of the request is to "intimidate, burden and harass."

  • December 05, 2025

    NY Court Grants Murder Retrial Due To Jury Instruction Error

    A man sentenced to up to life in prison for murder after stabbing another man in a bar fight has been granted a new trial by a New York appeals court, which said his jury should have been allowed to consider whether he had acted in self-defense.

  • December 05, 2025

    Mass Tort Firms Targeted Over Benicar MDL Fees In NJ Suits

    Robins Kaplan LLP and Pendley Baudin & Coffin were hit with proposed class actions in New Jersey state court from former clients in multidistrict litigation over the blood pressure medication Benicar alleging that the firms overcharged on their fees.

  • December 04, 2025

    NY AG Applauds Reports Grand Jury Declined To Reindict

    New York Attorney General Letitia James Thursday hailed reports that a Norfolk, Virginia, federal grand jury had declined to reindict her on charges of mortgage fraud, refusing to revive a case that President Donald Trump had pushed prosecutors to pursue against his "guilty as hell" political opponent.

  • December 04, 2025

    Ill. Atty Faces Disbarment For Taking $300K In Client Funds

    A hearing panel for Illinois' attorney watchdog has recommended that a Chicago lawyer be disbarred for allegedly taking nearly $300,000 in client money that didn't belong to him and for separately using tactics in litigation that were aimed solely at embarrassing opposing counsel.

  • December 04, 2025

    Wash. Justices Reject Judge's Removal Over Staff Treatment

    Washington's highest court on Thursday unanimously declined to remove a Bremerton Municipal Court judge that the state's Commission on Judicial Conduct said mistreated court staff and attorneys, with a majority of the justices ruling instead to censure and suspend Judge Tracy S. Flood for 30 days.

  • December 04, 2025

    Pot Shop Associate Doubts Judge's Neutrality In RICO Case

    A landlord accused of allowing an unauthorized cannabis shop to operate within the Cayuga Nation is asking a New York federal judge to recuse herself less than a week before trial is set to begin, suggesting that the jurist might not be unbiased because counsel for the tribe "helped" her "son get a job."

  • December 04, 2025

    Senate Impeachment Hearing On Judges Likely In January

    The Senate hearing on impeachment of "rogue" judges is likely going to be rescheduled for January, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who will be chairing the hearing, told Law360 on Thursday.  

  • December 04, 2025

    Supreme Court Allows Texas Redistricting Map To Stay For Now

    The U.S. Supreme Court gave Texas a green light Thursday to adopt its redrawn congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, staying a decision by the lower court that blocked the new maps as the case plays out.

  • December 04, 2025

    Texas Justices Weigh Fraud Claims Against Defense Attys

    Texas justices had qualms with a law firm's argument that a former client and his mother can't bring fraud claims for a fee dispute, asking during oral arguments Thursday if the firm was contending that it is impossible for a defense lawyer to defraud their client.

  • December 04, 2025

    Suspension Over For Pa. Judge Accused Of COVID Fraud

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday ended a suspension without pay for a county judge who was accused of COVID-19 employment relief fraud following his entrance into a diversion agreement with federal prosecutors that ended with the indictment being dismissed. 

  • December 04, 2025

    SDNY Judge Unsure Of Jurisdiction In Maurene Comey Suit

    A Manhattan federal judge said Thursday he may not have jurisdiction over former prosecutor Maurene Comey's suit claiming President Donald Trump's rivalry with her father, former FBI Director James Comey, led to her firing.

  • December 04, 2025

    Doc Defends Suit Over Bills From Brother's Former Law Firm

    An Ohio physician asked a Pennsylvania county judge to keep her brother's former law firm in her lawsuit over an alleged broken promise to represent her pro bono, urging the court to reject the firm's argument that she missed her chance to bring the claims earlier in a separate Ohio case, according to a filing made public Thursday.

  • December 04, 2025

    Fla. Judge Admits To Ethics Breach Over Bogus Recording

    A Florida state judge has admitted to an unintentional violation of the state's judicial ethics code over her publicly sharing a fabricated recording of a chief judge disparaging another judge during her 2024 election campaign.

  • December 04, 2025

    Texas Firm Looks To Sanction Ex-Atty For Filing Fraud Suit

    Shortly after being sued by a former attorney for fraud, Davis & Santos PLLC on Wednesday asked a Texas state court to sanction her for what it said is retaliation against the firm due to dissatisfaction with an ongoing arbitration between the two sides.

  • December 04, 2025

    Judge Nixes Hagens Berman's Recusal Bid After DOJ Referral

    Two days after referring powerhouse plaintiffs firm Hagens Berman to the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged misconduct, a Pennsylvania federal judge on Thursday dismissed the firm's request that he recuse himself from the long-running product liability suit, calling the firm's arguments "absurd."

  • December 04, 2025

    Buchanan Ingersoll Atty Wants Out Of Widow's Insurance Row

    A Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney attorney wants a Pennsylvania state court to dismiss him from a lawsuit filed by the widow of a Pittsburgh wig-maker, arguing he was acting solely as the attorney for the family partnership she is fighting for millions of dollars from her husband's life insurance policy.

  • December 04, 2025

    Google Fights Unlockd's Judge Recusal Bid In Antitrust Case

    Google is opposing a move by Unlockd Media seeking the recusal of U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam Jr. in an antitrust lawsuit in California federal court, arguing that the judge's close relationship with Google's vice president for litigation and discovery doesn't require him to step away from the case.

  • December 04, 2025

    Law Firm Beats Ex-OneTaste Staffer's Malpractice Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has tossed a malpractice lawsuit against Kohn Swift & Graf PC from a former OneTaste Inc. employee over its legal representation of her in connection with a federal subpoena related to an investigation of the sexual wellness company, saying her malpractice claim "is palpably lacking in merit."

  • December 03, 2025

    Hagens Berman Must Give Apple, Amazon Ethics Pros Docs

    Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP must give Apple and Amazon all the communications it shared with outside ethics experts as the firm fought allegations that it hid a consumer plaintiff's desire to exit an antitrust case, a Washington federal judge has ruled.

  • December 03, 2025

    Firms Seek End To Ch. 7 Creditor's Malpractice Suit

    Two law firms have urged a Connecticut state court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a creditor in a Chapter 7 case that accused them of failing to ably represent its interests in the underlying bankruptcy and a related dispute, saying the former client's claims were too vague.

  • December 03, 2025

    LA Atty Accused Of Using AI 'Hallucinations' Sanctioned

    A California state appeals court has ordered an attorney accused of including artificial intelligence "hallucinations" in a client's opening brief to pay $7,500 to the court, saying in a published opinion that the attorney is subject to sanctions for inaccuracies, regardless of whether they were the result of AI.

  • December 03, 2025

    5th Circ. Skeptical Of Swindler Texas Atty's 50-Year Sentence

    A Fifth Circuit panel seemed dubious of the government's argument that a former Texas lawyer at the center of a sweeping Ponzi scheme knew he was agreeing to a 50-year stint in prison by pleading guilty, saying Wednesday that nobody signs up to die in prison.

  • December 03, 2025

    Trump Would Prefer Jack Smith Testify In Public

    Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, subpoenaed former counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday for a closed-door deposition, to which President Donald Trump said he would rather see a public testimony.

  • December 03, 2025

    Virginia Bar Declines To Investigate Interim US Atty Halligan

    The Virginia State Bar has declined to investigate whether Lindsey Halligan should face discipline over her scandal-plagued tenure as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, just days after a federal judge ruled she was not properly appointed to that post.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Educating Your Community

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    Nearly two decades prosecuting scammers and elder fraud taught me that proactively educating the public about the risks they face and the rights they possess is essential to building trust within our communities, empowering otherwise vulnerable citizens and preventing wrongdoers from gaining a foothold, says Roger Handberg at GrayRobinson.

  • 5 Crisis Lawyering Skills For An Age Of Uncertainty

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    As attorneys increasingly face unprecedented and pervasive situations — from prosecutions of law enforcement officials to executive orders targeting law firms — they must develop several essential competencies of effective crisis lawyering, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For The Judiciary To Fix Its Cybersecurity Problem

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    After recent reports that hackers have once again infiltrated federal courts’ electronic case management systems, the judiciary should strengthen its cybersecurity practices in line with executive branch standards, outlining clear roles and responsibilities for execution, says Ilona Cohen at HackerOne.

  • Series

    Writing Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Writing my debut novel taught me to appreciate the value of critique and to never give up, no matter how long or tedious the journey, providing me with valuable skills that I now emphasize in my practice, says Daniel Buzzetta at BakerHostetler.

  • Trader Joe's Ruling Highlights Trademark Infringement Trends

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Trader Joe's Co. v. Trader Joe's United explores the legal boundaries between a union's right to advocate for workers and the protection of a brand's intellectual property, and illustrates a growing trend of courts disfavoring early dismissal of trademark infringement claims in the context of expressive speech, say attorneys at Mitchell Silberberg.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Arbitrator's Conviction Upheld

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    The Supreme Court of Spain recently upheld the criminal conviction of arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa for grave disobedience to judicial authority, rejecting the proposition that an arbitrator's independence can prevail over a court order retroactively disabling the very judicial act conferring arbitral jurisdiction, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

  • SDNY OpenAI Order Clarifies Preservation Standards For AI

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    The Southern District of New York’s recent order in the OpenAI copyright infringement litigation, denying discovery of The New York Times' artificial intelligence technology use, clarifies that traditional preservation benchmarks apply to AI content, relieving organizations from using a “keep everything” approach, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • In NY, Long COVID (Tolling) Still Applies

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    A series of pandemic-era executive orders in New York tolling state statutes of limitations for 228 days mean that many causes of action that appear time-barred on their face may continue to apply, including in federal practice, for the foreseeable future, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.

  • Opinion

    High Court, Not A Single Justice, Should Decide On Recusal

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    As public trust in the U.S. Supreme Court continues to decline, the court should adopt a collegial framework in which all justices decide questions of recusal together — a reform that respects both judicial independence and due process for litigants, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • Reel Justice: 'One Battle After Another' And The Limits Of Zeal

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    The political thriller “One Battle After Another,” following a former revolutionary who became a recluse, offers a potent metaphor for attorneys on diligence and the ethical boundaries of zealous advocacy, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University School of Law.

  • Series

    Traveling Solo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Traveling by myself has taught me to assess risk, understand tone and stay calm in high-pressure situations, which are not only useful life skills, but the foundation of how I support my clients, says Lacey Gutierrez at Group Five Legal.

  • 6th Circ. FirstEnergy Ruling Protects Key Legal Privileges

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    The Sixth Circuit’s recent grant of mandamus relief in In re: First Energy Corp. confirms that the attorney-client privilege and work-product protections apply to internal investigation materials, ultimately advancing the public interest, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Client Service

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    Law school teaches you how to interpret the law, but it doesn't teach you some of the key ways to keeping clients satisfied, lessons that I've learned in the most unexpected of places: a book on how to be a butler, says Gregory Ramos at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 3 Tips On Finding The Right Job

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    After 23 years as a state and federal prosecutor, when I contemplated moving to a law firm, practicing solo or going in-house, I found there's a critical first step — deep self-reflection on what you truly want to do and where your strengths lie, says Rachael Jones at McKool Smith.

  • Series

    Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

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