Legal Ethics

  • November 06, 2025

    DOJ Gives Comey Seized Materials, Balks At Grand Jury Docs

    The U.S. Department of Justice Thursday informed a Virginia federal court that it has handed over to former FBI Director James Comey materials seized under years-old search warrants, but it will challenge a magistrate judge's order to produce grand jury materials.

  • November 06, 2025

    Atty Ordered Detained After Harassment Of BigLaw Attys

    A Texas federal judge on Thursday ordered U.S. marshals to put an attorney accused of cyberstalking other attorneys at BigLaw firms in jail until trial, saying the attorney has continued to make harassing online posts while on pretrial release and didn't attend mandatory mental health treatment.

  • November 06, 2025

    Philly 'Whiz Honor' Judge Suspended In Ethics Case

    A Philadelphia judge under investigation amid accusations that he sought to influence the sentencing of a friend of rapper Meek Mill was suspended without pay on Thursday, according to a court order. 

  • November 06, 2025

    Mining Co. Can't DQ Arbitrator In $400M Panama Claim

    Members of an international tribunal adjudicating a $400 million claim against Panama asserted by Orla Mining Ltd. have rejected the mining company's bid to disqualify tribunal president Yves Derains due to his professional ties with part of the legal team representing Panama.

  • November 06, 2025

    Goldstein Loses Bid To Trim Tax Charges Before Trial

    A Maryland federal judge Thursday handed SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein a series of losses on pre-trial motions aimed at trimming the 22 federal tax charges he'll face at trial next year, ruling that many of the motions involved factual disputes fit for trial and keeping the government's case intact.

  • November 06, 2025

    Tom Girardi's Brother, Bankruptcy Trustee Settle Legal Fees

    The brother of disgraced attorney Tom Girardi and the trustee for their now-defunct law firm, Girardi Keese, have reached an agreement resolving John Girardi's claim seeking legal fees for cases he worked on after leaving the firm, the trustee told the California bankruptcy court.

  • November 06, 2025

    Lawmakers Rip Judges Over Anonymous High Court Criticism

    Two Republican lawmakers have asked Chief Justice John Roberts to rein in judges who've anonymously criticized the U.S. Supreme Court's flurry of "shadow docket" rulings, but a full-on investigation appears unlikely.

  • November 06, 2025

    Edwards Defends $945M Heart Valve Deal From FTC Challenge

    Edwards Lifesciences urged a D.C. federal court to reject the Federal Trade Commission's bid to put its planned $945 million acquisition of JenaValve on hold, saying the deal will increase innovation and save the lives of thousands of people with a form of heart valve disease.

  • November 06, 2025

    Atty Exits Bankruptcy Case Amid Judge Romance Fallout

    The embattled wind-down trustee for defunct life insurance bond seller GWG Holdings in a Houston Chapter 11 case has resigned from the role amid the fallout from her secret romance with a then-bankruptcy judge in the Southern District of Texas.

  • November 06, 2025

    Larry Klayman Gets 2-Year License Suspension In Florida

    The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday suspended conservative activist attorney Larry Klayman's law license for two years in a reciprocal disciplinary proceeding that arose from claims of ethical violations in the District of Columbia.

  • November 06, 2025

    SD Judge DQs Counsel, Denies Early Win In $1M Fraud Suit

    A South Dakota federal judge has disqualified a Miami attorney from defending an investment adviser in a $1 million fraud suit, finding the lawyer is likely to be a key witness in the case, on the same day she issued a separate order denying the adviser an early win on summary judgment.

  • November 06, 2025

    Ex-Ga. Atty Says Former Law Firm Violated Severance Deal

    An attorney who was disbarred in Georgia earlier this year has sued his former Atlanta-area law firm claiming that it owes him more than $70,000 for breaking his termination settlement by confiscating his files and trashing his name to his former paralegal and clients.

  • November 06, 2025

    Calif. Judge OKs $1.3M Deal Over Houser LLP Data Breach

    A California federal judge on Oct. 31 signed off on final approval of a $1.3 million settlement and $351,000 in attorney fees in a class action against business litigation firm Houser LLP over a 2023 data breach.

  • November 06, 2025

    Okla. Justices Claim Immunity In Pot Atty's Suspension Suit

    The Oklahoma Supreme Court is urging a federal court to dismiss a suit from a disbarred attorney who claimed his suspension was retaliation for public criticism of the justices and the state bar, saying the high court has sovereign immunity under the Eleventh Amendment.

  • November 06, 2025

    2nd Circ. Orders New Look At Trump's Hush Money Case

    In a published opinion, the Second Circuit on Thursday ordered a federal district judge to take a fresh look at President Donald Trump's attempt to move his New York hush money conviction to federal court, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 presidential immunity ruling as grounds for reconsidering the case.

  • November 05, 2025

    AGs Defend Bid To Intervene In DOJ's HPE Merger Deal

    More than a dozen Democratic attorneys general have assailed the Justice Department and Hewlett Packard Enterprise for fighting their bid to peek behind the controversial settlement clearing HPE's $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks, telling a California federal judge that Congress created court oversight for deals just like this.  

  • November 05, 2025

    Everclear Maker Wants Plaintiff's Atty Gagged For Harassment

    Everclear's manufacturer has asked a Massachusetts federal judge to order an attorney representing an international exchange student claiming to have suffered third-degree burns fueled by the high-proof spirit to stop sending harassing emails and otherwise trying to upend the trial through public disclosures made in social media posts.

  • November 05, 2025

    Colo. Atty Censured For Misleading Court In Wages Suit

    The Colorado Supreme Court's disciplinary body publicly censured an attorney Tuesday for making misrepresentations while he served as general counsel for a company owner in an employment dispute.

  • November 05, 2025

    Investigator Immunity Limited In Death Row Exoneree Suit

    An exonerated Florida death row inmate who accused a fingerprint examiner and investigators of causing his wrongful double-murder convictions can continue his case against them, the Eleventh Circuit has ruled, affirming qualified immunity does not shield them from certain allegations.

  • November 05, 2025

    FTC Wants 'Tainted' Drs. Testimony Barred From Merger Case

    The Federal Trade Commission wants a D.C. federal judge to bar a pair of outside doctors and consultants from vouching for Edwards Lifesciences' planned JenaValve acquisition, arguing in a filing made public Tuesday that claims of minimal communication between the physicians' counsel and the companies were "at best, misleading."

  • November 05, 2025

    Texas Justices Mull Pro Se Atty's Contact With Opposite Party

    Texas' justices appeared skeptical that a lawyer deserved to get suspended for five years after he contacted members of the Commission for Lawyer Discipline, asking Wednesday whether the rule barring attorneys from directly contacting a party represented by counsel applies to lawyers representing themselves.

  • November 05, 2025

    Atty Is Still Making Cyberstalking Posts, Feds Say

    Federal prosecutors on Wednesday asked a Texas federal court to order an attorney who has been charged with cyberstalking detained until trial, saying she continues to make incriminating blog posts in violation of the terms of her pretrial release.

  • November 05, 2025

    NJ Panel Unsure Businessman's Threats Broke Law

    A New Jersey appellate panel on Wednesday appeared skeptical that the sprawling racketeering indictment against Garden State businessman George E. Norcross was improperly dismissed, asking the state in its bid to revive the case how the power broker's alleged threats outlined in its 111-page indictment were unlawful.

  • November 05, 2025

    Fired E-Biz Execs Sue Jackson Walker Over Judge's Romance

    A pair of former executives at e-commerce company Volusion LLC have hit Jackson Walker LLP with the latest in a series of suits accusing the firm of legal malpractice stemming from the undisclosed romance between a former partner and a Texas bankruptcy judge.

  • November 05, 2025

    Atty Owes More Than $1M For Note Default, Ga. Bank Says

    An attorney and his companies defaulted on a promissory note for more than $1.1 million, as well as interest, fees and costs, a Georgia-based bank alleges in a complaint filed Tuesday in Louisiana federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Mindfulness Meditation Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Mindful meditation enables me to drop the ego, and in helping me to keep sight of what’s important, permits me to learn from the other side and become a reliable counselor, says Roy Wyman at Bass Berry.

  • AI Litigation Tools Can Enhance Case Assessment, Strategy

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    Civil litigators can use artificial intelligence tools to strengthen case assessment and aid in early strategy development, as long as they address the risks and ethical considerations that accompany these uses, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Attys Beware: Generative AI Can Also Hallucinate Metadata

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    In addition to the well-known problem of AI-generated hallucinations in legal documents, AI tools can also hallucinate metadata — threatening the integrity of discovery, the reliability of evidence and the ability to definitively identify the provenance of electronic documents, say attorneys at Law & Forensics.

  • DOJ Faces Potential Discovery Pitfalls In Comey Prosecution

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    The unusual circumstances surrounding the prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey increase the odds of a discovery misstep for the U.S. Department of Justice, offering important reminders for defense counsel on how to ensure the government fulfills its obligations, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • When Atty Ethics Violations Give Rise To Causes Of Action

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    Though the Model Rules of Professional Conduct make clear that a violation of the rules does not automatically create a cause of action, attorneys should beware of a few scenarios in which they could face lawsuits for ethical lapses, says Brian Faughnan at Faughnan Law.

  • Series

    Practicing Stoicism Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Practicing Stoicism, by applying reason to ignore my emotions and govern my decisions, has enabled me to approach challenging situations in a structured way, ultimately providing advice singularly devoted to a client's interest, says John Baranello at Moses & Singer.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Texas, One Year In

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    A year after the Texas Business Court's first decision, it's clear that Texas didn't just copy Delaware and instead built something uniquely its own, combining specialization with constitutional accountability and creating a model that looks forward without losing touch with the state's democratic and statutory roots, says Chris Bankler at Jackson Walker.

  • 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.

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