Legal Ethics

  • January 14, 2026

    Supreme Court Rejects Cigar Maker's Appeal Over Atty Fees

    The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear cigar maker Swisher International Inc.'s appeal in a long-running contractual and antitrust dispute with Trendsettah USA Inc., leaving intact a Ninth Circuit ruling that revived part of a jury verdict and more than $10 million in related attorney fee awards.

  • January 13, 2026

    CoStar, Quinn Emanuel Spar Over Litigation Representation

    CoStar urged a California federal judge Tuesday to disqualify Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP from helping a rival commercial real estate platform pursue antitrust counterclaims in CoStar's copyright infringement suit, while the law firm moved to drop its representation of CoStar in separate litigation.

  • January 13, 2026

    Detroit Judge Urges Immunity In 6th Circ. Teen Arrest Appeal

    A Michigan state court judge has asked the Sixth Circuit to grant him judicial immunity from a civil rights lawsuit brought against him by a teenager who was handcuffed and put through a "judicial-like" proceeding for falling asleep during a school trip to his courtroom.

  • January 13, 2026

    Emotional Distress Claim Axed In Hartford Fire Coverage Row

    A federal magistrate judge dismissed a business owner's claim that Hartford Underwriters Insurance Co. intentionally caused her emotional distress through a "berating" phone call about a coverage dispute, ruling that she fell short of her burden to allege extreme conduct.

  • January 13, 2026

    No Jury Yet In Goldstein Trial, But Celeb Witnesses Possible

    Day two of jury selection in Tom Goldstein's tax and mortgage fraud case wrapped without a jury being seated Tuesday, but did reveal that the government could call celebrities Tobey Maguire and Kevin Hart to the stand.

  • January 13, 2026

    Financial Aid-Fixing Antitrust Claims Heading To Trial

    An Illinois federal judge refused a bid from the remaining elite private universities accused of fixing financial aid offerings to end the case ahead of trial after accepting the students' view of the market, along with evidence suggesting they paid inflated costs.

  • January 13, 2026

    DOJ Fights For May Trial Against Agri Stats

    Justice Department attorneys pushed a Minnesota federal judge in oral arguments Tuesday to let them go to trial in May on claims that Agri Stats' protein industry reports help major producers hike prices, arguing they're entitled to leapfrog private plaintiffs and the company cannot toss or winnow their allegations.

  • January 13, 2026

    Sen. Whitehouse Presses AG On Boasberg Complaint Results

    Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., ranking member of the courts panel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is calling for Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the results of the disciplinary complaint she filed against Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia when the investigation wraps up.

  • January 13, 2026

    Ex-Ohio Judge Suspended Over Divorce Work Scandal

    A former Ohio judge was hit Tuesday with a license suspension of up to two years after the state Supreme Court determined she repeatedly violated court rules by assigning herself to high-stakes divorce cases and funneling work to her "long-term friend and love interest" without disclosing their relationship.

  • January 13, 2026

    NC Judge Leery Of Early Exit Bid In Produce Co. ESOP Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge seemed disinclined Tuesday to toss a lawsuit alleging a "cabal" of lawyers, private equity firms and their founders conspired to drain a produce company's employee stock ownership plan of its value, noting it's a fact-intensive case that will likely require discovery.

  • January 13, 2026

    Halligan Blasts Court's 'Inquisition' Over US Atty Status

    Lindsey Halligan said Tuesday that she is still the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia despite a recent ruling to the contrary, dismissing a federal judge's questions about why she's still using the title as an "inquisition" and a "gross abuse of power."

  • January 13, 2026

    Ex-Atty, Others Charged In Staged New Orleans Crash Scheme

    A disbarred attorney was hit with new charges claiming that he induced a witness to commit perjury and obstructed justice in the federal investigation of an insurance scam involving staged car crashes in the New Orleans area.

  • January 13, 2026

    Beasley Allen Talc Work Sends 'Bad Signal,' J&J Says

    Johnson & Johnson's talc unit told a New Jersey appeals panel on Tuesday that a lower court's ruling permitting Beasley Allen Law Firm attorneys to represent plaintiffs in multicounty litigation over its talc-based baby powder "sends a very bad signal" to the state bar.

  • January 13, 2026

    4th Circ. Combines DOJ Appeals Of Comey, James Dismissals

    The Fourth Circuit has granted the Trump administration's request to combine its previously separate appeals of the dismissals of prosecutions against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

  • January 13, 2026

    Moore & Van Allen Gets Fla. Malpractice Suit Moved To NC

    A Florida federal judge transferred to North Carolina a proposed class action of Floridians accusing Moore & Van Allen PLLC of mishandling their employee stock ownership trust, but rejected the law firm's request to have the case dismissed.

  • January 13, 2026

    NY Judge Vacates Eletson's $102M Arbitral Award

    A Manhattan federal judge has vacated a $102 million arbitral award issued to international shipping company Eletson Holdings, saying, "The evidence is clear and convincing that Eletson committed fraud in the arbitration," and misled the arbitrator.

  • January 13, 2026

    Jack Smith To Testify Publicly Next Week

    Former special counsel Jack Smith is slated to testify publicly before the House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 22 after, according to his attorney, having been "ready and willing" to do so for a while.

  • January 13, 2026

    Approach The Bench: Judge Bough On Ethics

    Years of experience as a plaintiff's attorney influenced U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough's disclosure rules for litigators appearing in his court.

  • January 12, 2026

    7th Circ. Finds DEA, State Officials Immune In Pill Mill 'Mess'

    The Seventh Circuit Monday overturned rulings that would have let a doctor's Fourth and Fifth amendments claims over a pill mill investigation go to trial, concluding federal and state officials are entitled to immunity in proceedings the court described as a "tangled mess."

  • January 12, 2026

    The Issues That Could Decide The Tom Goldstein Tax Case

    Federal prosecutors are set to begin making their case against famed U.S. Supreme Court lawyer and SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein at trial Wednesday, alleging that he deliberately hid millions of dollars in high-stakes poker winnings from the Internal Revenue Service between 2016 and 2021 and lied on mortgage applications.

  • January 12, 2026

    Greenspoon Marder Hit With Malpractice Suit Over Boat Fight

    A catamaran company has launched a Florida state lawsuit against Greenspoon Marder LLP and three of its attorneys alleging the law firm botched an underlying dispute over a vessel and cost the business commissions.

  • January 12, 2026

    Ex‑NJ Judge's Trial Postponed Amid Police Immunity Appeal

    A New Jersey federal civil rights suit brought by a former state court judge against Woodbridge Township and two police officers stalled Monday, just days before a trial was set to commence, after the officers filed an interlocutory appeal challenging the court's refusal to grant them qualified immunity.

  • January 12, 2026

    Killer Pa. Brothers Win Resentencing Due To Judge's Role

    Two brothers sentenced to 60 years to life in prison for murdering their parents as juveniles should be resentenced, the Pennsylvania Superior Court said, finding that the judge determining punishment for the 1995 crimes should have recused himself because he prosecuted their co-defendant.

  • January 12, 2026

    NJ US Atty Office's 3-Person Leadership Unlawful, Court Told

    Criminal defendants in the District of New Jersey are challenging the three-person leadership structure now in place at the Garden State's U.S. attorney's office following the disqualification of Alina Habba, telling the court their due process rights have been violated by the allegedly unlawful system.

  • January 12, 2026

    Cayuga Nation, Cig. Sellers, Vie For Post-Verdict Wins

    The Cayuga Nation and a pair of entrepreneurs are each urging a New York federal court to modify or vacate a jury verdict that found the pair liable for racketeering in relation to an unsanctioned smoke shop on tribal land, with the tribe arguing the damages should be higher, while the couple argue the tribe should take nothing.

Expert Analysis

  • Health, Legal Employers Face Unique Online Speech Hurdles

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    Employers in the legal and healthcare industries must consider distinctive ethical obligations and professional requirements when disciplining employees for social media posts, while anticipating an area of the law in flux as courts seek to balance speech rights and the workplace function, say attorneys at FordHarrison.

  • Series

    Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

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    Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.

  • Opinion

    A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps In Court

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    To address the patchwork of courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence, curbing abuses and relieving the burden on judges, the federal judiciary should consider amending its civil procedure rules to require litigants to certify they’ve reviewed legal filings for accuracy, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • 3 Defense Strategies For Sporadically Prosecuted Conduct

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    Not to be confused with selective prosecutions, sporadic prosecutions — charging someone for conduct many others do without consequences — can be challenging to defend, but focusing on materiality, prosecutorial motivations and public opinion can be a winning strategy, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Integrating Practice Groups

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    Enacting unified leadership and consistent client service standards ensures law firm practice groups connect and collaborate around shared goals, turning a law firm merger into a platform for growth rather than a period of disruption, says Brian Catlett at Fennemore Craig.

  • Opinion

    Supreme Court Term Limits Would Carry Hidden Risk

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    While proposals for limiting the terms of U.S. Supreme Court justices are popular, a steady stream of relatively young, highly marketable ex-justices with unique knowledge and influence entering the marketplace of law and politics could create new problems, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • Series

    Knitting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Stretching my skills as a knitter makes me a better antitrust attorney by challenging me to recalibrate after wrong turns, not rush outcomes, and trust that I can teach myself the skills to tackle new and difficult projects — even when I don’t have a pattern to work from, says Kara Kuritz at V&E.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Welcome To Miami

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    After nearly 20 years in operation, the Miami Complex Business Litigation Division is a pioneer upon which other jurisdictions in the state have been modeled, adopting many innovations to keep its cases running more efficiently and staffing experienced judges who are accustomed to hearing business disputes, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • What Law Firm Liability Risks In 2025 Signal For Year To Come

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    Trends and statistics reveal that law firms of all sizes and practice areas remained attractive litigation targets this year, so firms must take concrete steps to avoid professional liability risks in the year to come, say Douglas Richmond and Andrew Ricke at Lockton Companies.

  • AI Evidence Rule Tweaks Encourage Judicial Guardrails

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    Recent additions to a committee note on proposed Rule of Evidence 707 — governing evidence generated by artificial intelligence — seek to mitigate potential dangers that may arise once machine outputs are introduced at trial, encouraging judges to perform critical gatekeeping functions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Getting The Message Across

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    Communications and brand strategy during a law firm merger represent a crucial thread that runs through every stage of a combination and should include clear messaging, leverage modern marketing tools and embrace the chance to evolve, says Ashley Horne at Womble Bond.

  • Opinion

    Horizontal Stare Decisis Should Not Be Casually Discarded

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    Eliminating the so-called law of the circuit doctrine — as recently proposed by a Fifth Circuit judge, echoing Justice Neil Gorsuch’s concurrence in Loper Bright — would undermine public confidence in the judiciary’s independence and create costly uncertainty for litigants, says Lawrence Bluestone at Genova Burns.

  • 10 Commandments For Agentic AI Tools In The Legal Industry

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    Though agentic artificial intelligence has demonstrated significant promise for optimizing legal work, it presents numerous risks, so specific ethical obligations should be built into the knowledge base of every agentic AI tool used in the legal industry, says Steven Cordero at Akerman LLP.

  • Series

    Preaching Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a Gospel preacher has enhanced my success as a trial lawyer by teaching me the importance of credibility, relatability, persuasiveness and thorough preparation for my congregants, the same skills needed with judges and juries in the courtroom, says Reginald Harris at Stinson.

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