Legal Ethics

  • December 22, 2025

    Ex-CIA Director's Lawyers Accuse DOJ Of Judge Shopping

    Former CIA Director John Brennan's attorneys asked the chief judge for the Southern District of Florida on Monday to block prosecutors from trying to steer any potential charges against him for investigating Russia's 2016 election interference to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon's courtroom.

  • December 22, 2025

    Brothers In Cannabis Venture Seek Early Win In Email Dustup

    An attorney and his brother embroiled in a "messy" dispute over a soured cannabis venture are both seeking an early win on the attorney's claims that his privacy was violated when his work emails were handed to his brother.

  • December 22, 2025

    Lima Says Alleged Foley Hoag Conflict Erases $200M Award

    The Peruvian city of Lima is defending its bid to vacate a D.C. federal judge's ruling enforcing $200 million in arbitral awards over an alleged conflict involving Foley Hoag LLP, arguing that the firm initially "misled" the city about its connection to contractor and awardee Rutas de Lima SAC.

  • December 22, 2025

    Schumer Pushes Senate To Sue Over Epstein File Release

    Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced a resolution on Monday that would direct the Senate to take legal action to force the Trump administration to fully comply with the law to release the files of the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

  • December 22, 2025

    Miss. Attys Sanctioned Over AI Misuse In Age Bias Case

    A Mississippi federal court on Friday sanctioned three attorneys for misusing artificial intelligence in an age discrimination case against a school district, resulting in hallucinated citations in the matter as well as other cases in the state.

  • December 22, 2025

    Conn. Justices Let Disciplined Atty Bring Due Process Claim

    Unclear provisions in Connecticut's rules for legal practice may have misled a personal injury attorney about the proper appeal procedure amid a disciplinary case that resulted in his suspension, the state's high court ruled Monday in giving him another chance to bring a constitutional due process claim.

  • December 22, 2025

    IP Atty, Patent Exec File Dueling Bids To End Defamation Case

    A patent licensing company executive and a Baker Botts LLP intellectual property litigator filed competing summary judgment motions in a defamation suit in Florida federal court.

  • December 22, 2025

    Calif. Atty Slams 'Protectionist' ABS Fee-Sharing Ban

    A California attorney has pushed back on opposition from California's attorney general and the state's bar association amid his efforts to block enforcement of a ban on fee sharing with out-of-state law firms owned by nonattorneys, arguing the new state law is a "protectionist act, in defiance of the constitution."

  • December 22, 2025

    Ex-Prosecutor Sues After Arrest During Protest Of Skadden

    A retired prosecutor who protested Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP's deal with the Trump administration has sued New York City and others in federal court, alleging that his First Amendment rights were violated when he was arrested outside the BigLaw firm's headquarters in Manhattan.

  • December 22, 2025

    4 Legal Ethics Matters That Rocked 2025

    This year, judges across the country grappled with attorneys' use and misuse of generative artificial intelligence, and prominent federal prosecutor battles dominated headlines in some of the top legal ethics matters of 2025.

  • December 22, 2025

    Insurer Fights Hall Booth's Bid To Ax Malpractice Claim In Ga.

    A Hanover Insurance Group Inc. unit has urged a Georgia judge to keep alive its $10 million legal malpractice suit against Hall Booth Smith PC, arguing that whether it was ever actually a client of the firm is a fact issue not ready for adjudication.

  • December 22, 2025

    Ex-Derailment Deal Admin Will Pay $17M To End Contempt Bid

    The ousted administrator of Norfolk Southern's $600 million settlement over the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, will pay $17.25 million to resolve claims that it mishandled the distribution of payouts, according to deal terms approved Monday. 

  • December 19, 2025

    Feds To Appeal Dismissal Of Comey, James Indictments

    The U.S. Department of Justice indicated Friday that it will appeal the dismissals of headline-grabbing indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, after a federal judge ruled the controversial prosecutor handling both cases was not properly appointed.

  • December 19, 2025

    Feds Fight 'Do-Over' Of Tort Atty's Attempted-Extortion Rap

    Federal prosecutors are urging the Fourth Circuit not to give "a do-over" to a medical malpractice attorney who was convicted of attempting to extort the University of Maryland Medical System out of $25 million and who says his self-representation at trial was not competent.

  • December 19, 2025

    Wis. Judge's Conviction In ICE Case Tees Up Legal Battle

    The conviction of a Wisconsin state judge for obstructing ICE officers is just the start of what will likely be a long legal battle, with major questions over judicial immunity, the evidence at hand and the meaning of "corrupt" yet to be decided.

  • December 19, 2025

    Keesal Young Drops Part Of Stradley Ronon Poaching Suit

    Keesal Young & Logan wants to drop part of its California state court lawsuit alleging Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP unlawfully recruited 10 of its attorneys.

  • December 19, 2025

    Atty Says Anti-SLAPP Law Scuttles Ex-Law Partner's Case

    Attorney Andrew Garza and his new firm, Claggett Sykes & Garza LLC, have invoked Connecticut's anti-SLAPP law in an attempt to dismiss litigation by his former law partner Ryan McKeen, one of several lawsuits between the partners after the dissolution of their firm, Connecticut Trial Firm LLC.

  • December 19, 2025

    Disbarred Calif. Lawyer Gets 18 Mos. For Advance Fee Fraud

    A Manhattan federal judge sentenced a disbarred California lawyer to 18 months in prison Friday for scheming to reap $4 million in advance fees for bogus letters of credit while holding himself out as chief of compliance for a fake bank.

  • December 19, 2025

    Federal Courts Not Subject To FOIA, DC Judge Rules

    The conservative litigation group America First Legal Foundation cannot demand documents from the federal Judicial Conference of the U.S. and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts under the Freedom of Information Act because they are not executive agencies, a D.C. federal judge ruled Thursday.

  • December 19, 2025

    The 6 Biggest Rulings By Massachusetts' Top Court In 2025

    Massachusetts' top court rejected a novel double jeopardy claim in a headline-grabbing murder case, revived claims against Harvard over a "ghoulish" scheme, and said a Snapchat Bitmoji could show police bias, among other significant rulings this year.

  • December 18, 2025

    The Biggest Rulings From A Busy Year At The 1st Circ.

    The nation's smallest federal appellate panel punched above its weight in 2025, grappling with numerous suits against the Trump administration, high-profile criminal appeals, a $34 million legal fee bid and a hotly contested kickback law.

  • December 18, 2025

    Wis. Judge Guilty Of Felony For Obstructing ICE Arrest

    A jury in Wisconsin federal court on Thursday found a judge guilty of a felony obstruction count after directing a defendant in her courtroom into a restricted hallway and away from a team of federal agents, in an act prosecutors said was a strike against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement powers.

  • December 18, 2025

    DC Circ. Told Transferred Ethics Suit Bolsters Newman's Case

    Suspended Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman is contending that a decision in which an ethics complaint against a Fourth Circuit judge was transferred out of his home court bolsters her argument that her fellow circuit judges shouldn't have investigated her fitness to remain on the bench.

  • December 18, 2025

    Top Trade Secrets Decisions Of 2025

    The Ninth Circuit clarified the rules of engagement in trade secrets disputes with guidance on when confidential information must be precisely detailed during litigation, and jurors delivered a $200 million verdict against Walmart over product freshness technology. Here are Law360's picks for the biggest trade secrets decisions of 2025.

  • December 18, 2025

    Obstruction Or Fed. 'Overreach'? Judge's Case In Jury's Hands

    The fate of a Wisconsin judge accused of thwarting an immigrant's arrest by ushering him into a private hallway is in a federal jury's hands, as her lawyer said she never meant to aid the man's escape while prosecutors argued she abused her authority.

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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