Legal Ethics

  • October 03, 2025

    NIH Sets Patent License Policy Aimed At Promoting Access

    The National Institutes Of Health has implemented a new policy that was proposed during the Biden administration to require those seeking commercial licenses to NIH-owned patents to detail how they will promote patient access for new drugs or medical devices they develop.

  • October 03, 2025

    Logistics, Grocery Cos. Can't Keep Wage Suit In Fed. Court

    Inflated damages calculations and speculative attorney fee estimates can't keep a worker's suit accusing a logistics company and a wholesale grocery store chain of wage and hour violations in federal court, a California federal judge said Friday, vacating an earlier arbitration order.

  • October 03, 2025

    Debtors, Mich. Creditor Firm Seek OK On Interest Rate Deal

    Debtors and a Michigan creditor law firm asked a Michigan federal judge to approve a settlement agreement valued at about $9 million to resolve claims the law firm charged unlawfully high post-judgment interest rates on debt collection actions.

  • October 03, 2025

    Fox Rothschild Rips 'Illogical" Docs Bid In Lit Funding Suit

    Fox Rothschild LLP panned as "frivolous" a discovery motion from a married couple suing the law firm over its alleged role in a scheme to push the husband into exorbitant loans during a personal injury case, the firm told a New Jersey state court.

  • October 03, 2025

    DOJ Wants Atty Jailed For Blogging After Cyberstalking Arrest

    Federal prosecutors want to detain a Texas attorney who is accused of cyberstalking two other lawyers, claiming she violated the terms of her pretrial release by posting personal information about her alleged victims on her website.

  • October 03, 2025

    Miami Beats Suit Over Alleged RE Plot Involving Ex-City Atty

    A Florida state appeals court reversed the denial of the city of Miami's motion to dismiss a civil conspiracy claim brought against it by a man who accused city workers of conspiring with the former city attorney and her husband to purchase houses with multiple code violations at below-market value and sell them for a profit.

  • October 03, 2025

    Jackson Walker, Ex-Insurer Settle Judge Romance Claims

    In the latest settlement with Jackson Walker over a former partner's secret romance with an ex-bankruptcy judge, the litigation trustee for defunct life insurance bond settler GWG Holdings Inc. reached a $405,000 deal Friday to settle its claims against the law firm.

  • October 03, 2025

    NY Atty's Big Mouth Wins Client New Trial

    A New York appeals court has reversed a man's 6½-year sentence for weapons possession and granted him a new trial after finding his defense attorney "created an actual conflict of interest by prematurely disclosing confidential information to the court."

  • October 03, 2025

    Vanderbilt Law Grad Says Wrongful Conviction Ruined Dream

    A graduate of the prestigious Vanderbilt Law School has been shut out of the legal profession for years because Connecticut police and his own criminal defense attorneys worked to ensure that he was wrongfully convicted of assault, according to a civil rights and legal malpractice lawsuit this week removed to federal court.

  • October 03, 2025

    Ga. Judge 'Cannot Be Trusted,' Must Leave Bench, Panel Says

    The Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission is recommending that a judge who gave dishonest testimony regarding wide-ranging allegations of misconduct, including the illegal arrest and false imprisonment of a witness, should be kicked off the bench, saying that a judge who "cannot be trusted to tell the truth cannot be trusted to remain in office."

  • October 03, 2025

    Newman Opposes Fed. Circ.'s Stay Bid Amid Shutdown

    The government shutdown is no excuse to halt proceedings in Judge Pauline Newman's case for reinstatement to the Federal Circuit, the judge said in an opposition, noting in a Friday filing that the Federal Circuit was seeking to delay its own litigation while pledging to deny similar motions that come before it.

  • October 03, 2025

    Calif. Bar Launches Randomized Client Trust Fund Audits

    Attorneys in California should be on the lookout for notifications from the state bar regarding client trust fund compliance reviews, as the organization kicks off a five-week mandatory review program during which a small cross-sample of Golden State lawyers will be asked to open their books.

  • October 03, 2025

    Deceased IP Attys' Names Worth $55K, Conn. Judge Rules

    A Connecticut federal judge has declined to upend an expert's valuation amounting to $54,775 in a trademark infringement suit over the names of deceased law partners that appear in the masthead of intellectual property firm Ohlandt Greeley Ruggiero & Perle LLP, determining such a change is unwarranted.

  • October 03, 2025

    The Roberts Court At 20: How The Chief Is Reshaping America

    Twenty years after John Roberts became the 17th chief justice of the United States, he faces a U.S. Supreme Court term that's looking transformative for the country and its institutions. How Justice Roberts and his colleagues navigate mounting distrust in the judiciary and set the boundaries of presidential authority appear increasingly likely to define his time leading the court.

  • October 03, 2025

    Reed Smith Blasts DQ Attempt As 'Litigation Gamesmanship'

    A shareholder of the Venezuelan airline Avior Airlines has urged a Florida federal judge to reject a bid to disqualify his counsel at Reed Smith LLP and attorney Ana R. Ulseth, arguing that the push to disqualify the firm is not about ethics but rather "litigation gamesmanship."

  • October 02, 2025

    Jackson Walker Can't Duck Judge Romance Suit, Court Told

    A group of bondholders Thursday urged a Texas federal judge not to throw out its suit over a former Jackson Walker LLP partner's secret romance with a bankruptcy judge, arguing that the firm "has a problem with telling the truth" and it's "back at it again."

  • October 02, 2025

    NC Court Rejects McGuireWoods' Immunity In Defamation Suit

    A North Carolina appellate court dismissed an interlocutory appeal by McGuireWoods and a former partner in a defamation case over statements about an investigation into the onetime CEO of a managed care organization during a press conference, reiterating its opinion that the statements were "too far afield" to be considered part of a judicial proceeding.

  • October 02, 2025

    Netflix Escapes Documentary IP Suit From Atty's Film Co.

    A film company owned by a trial lawyer this week lost its lawsuit accusing Netflix Inc. of infringing a copyright in its documentary about sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts of America, with a New Jersey federal judge finding the film deals with uncopyrightable facts.

  • October 02, 2025

    Dentons, Boies Schiller Escape $300M Fraud Suit

    A New York federal judge has dismissed with prejudice a $300 million fraud and racketeering lawsuit brought against Dentons and Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, in which the BigLaw firms were accused of misleading a former client with respect to a deal, and later arbitration, involving Senegal's state-owned energy company.

  • October 02, 2025

    4 Mass. Rulings You May Have Missed In September

    One attorney scored an early exit from a malpractice suit, another must face a long-delayed arbitration, and a judge has requested more information on a proposed settlement in a class action brought by gamblers at a Massachusetts casino. Here are four rulings from Suffolk Superior Court's business litigation session in September.

  • October 02, 2025

    Ex-Firm Can't Revive Malicious Prosecution Suit In 11th Circ.

    The Eleventh Circuit has refused to overturn lower court rulings nixing a malicious prosecution lawsuit brought by a now-defunct law firm against a surgical center, as well as a sanctions ruling against the firm's counsel.

  • October 02, 2025

    Gov't Shutdown Halts Fed. Circ. Response In Newman Case

    The Federal Circuit has asked the D.C. Circuit for permission to extend a deadline to respond to U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's petition for an en banc rehearing to reconsider her suspension, citing the ongoing government shutdown.

  • October 02, 2025

    DOJ Beats Heritage Foundation Suit Over Hunter Biden Docs

    A Delaware federal judge has ruled against The Heritage Foundation in its Freedom of Information Act suit against the U.S. Department of Justice regarding documents withheld detailing the investigation of Hunter Biden, saying the government "adequately established" that harm would result from releasing the records.

  • October 02, 2025

    Comey's 1st Task: Decoding A Cryptic Indictment

    The criminal indictment of James B. Comey is unusually sparse for such a high-profile matter, leaving open questions for the ex-FBI director to probe that could shed more light on how the government intends to prove its case and create potential lines of attack for the defense, experts say.

  • October 02, 2025

    Attys Get Mixed NJ Discipline After Fraud Convictions

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has disbarred ex-Sacks Weston attorney Scott Diamond from the practice of law in the Garden State following his conviction for fraudulently resolving cases behind the back of his old firm, according to filings issued Thursday.

Expert Analysis

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

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    Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.

  • Ex-Chicago Politician's Case May Further Curb Fraud Theories

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear Thompson v. U.S. to determine whether a statement that is misleading but not false still violates federal law, potentially heralding the court’s largest check yet on prosecutors’ expansive fraud theories, with significant implications for sentencing, say attorneys at the Law Offices of Alan Ellis.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

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    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

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    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

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    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.

  • Use The Right Kind Of Feedback To Help Gen Z Attorneys

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    Generation Z associates bring unique perspectives and expectations to the workplace, so it’s imperative that supervising attorneys adapt their feedback approach in order to help young lawyers learn and grow — which is good for law firms, too, says Rachael Bosch at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Opinion

    Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code

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    As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan

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    Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.

  • State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape

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    Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.

  • 8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney

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    A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.

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