'Get Over' Yourself, Ho Says To Judges' Independence Worry

By Lauren Berg

U.S. Circuit Judge James C. Ho snapped back at colleagues on the bench who have raised the alarm over threats to judicial independence, writing in an article that those complaining judges "need to get over themselves" and stop bowing to the "cultural elites" who oppose the Trump administration.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Halligan Ordered To Explain Why She's Still Listed As US Atty

By Hailey Konnath

A Virginia federal judge Tuesday ordered Lindsey Halligan to explain why she was still identifying herself as a U.S. attorney despite another judge's order finding that the former insurance lawyer hadn't been properly appointed and was serving illegally on an interim basis.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Girardi Keese CFO Must Use His Own Atty For Chicago Appeal

By Lauraann Wood

Girardi Keese's former financial chief cannot have counsel appointed to help him challenge the Illinois sentence he is serving alongside his 10-year California sentence for helping Tom Girardi steal millions from clients because he isn't pursuing the appeal in good faith, an Illinois federal judge has ruled.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Lost Your Way': Firm Records Suit Attys Draw Ire From Bench

By P.J. D'Annunzio

A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday excoriated lawyers involved in a case against a former Holland & Knight attorney stemming from a messy divorce, faulting them for their handling of the matter and for allowing "outrageous" false allegations of bribery against the judge to be made public.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judiciary Advisers Predict Clashes Over AI, Remote Testimony

By Jeff Overley

The federal judiciary's policy advisers appeared divided Tuesday over efforts to align procedural rules with digital age technology and preferences, and they predicted a torrent of impassioned input if they open up their delicate internal debates to the entire public.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Former Ga. State Legislator Accused Of Pandemic Aid Fraud

By Kelcey Caulder

A former Georgia state House member was charged Monday with fraudulently obtaining pandemic-era unemployment benefits, the second Democratic lawmaker from the Peach State targeted in a criminal case related to COVID-19 relief in the past month. 

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Law Clerk Conflict Talk Can't Get Javice Retrial, Feds Say

By Cara Salvatore

Charlie Javice, the founder of defunct student loan startup Frank, should not get a new trial over charges that she defrauded JPMorgan, which acquired her company, simply because two clerks who worked on the trial had accepted offers from a law firm involved in the litigation, federal prosecutors have argued.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Fla. 'Grim Reaper' Atty Facing Bar Admonishment Over Appeal

By David Minsky

A referee with the Florida state bar recommended that an attorney who appeared on state beaches dressed as the Grim Reaper early in the COVID-19 pandemic face admonishment for listing co-counsel on an appeal in a case against Gov. Ron DeSantis without consent.

Report attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Conn. Atty Owes $152K To Client Estates, Watchdog Says

By Emily Sawicki

A Connecticut attorney has been hit with a disciplinary presentment accusing him of unlawfully pocketing $152,000 meant for beneficiaries of two estates over which he was serving as executor and fiduciary, with the state's ethics watchdog calling for his suspension.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Atty Apologizes For ChatGPT-Hallucinated Citations In Briefs

By Elliot Weld

A patent attorney has apologized to a Kansas federal judge for submitting a court filing with case citations hallucinated by ChatGPT, calling the experience "shameful and embarrassing" and saying he was in a poor mental state at the time due to his mother and aunt being hospitalized and dying shortly after.

5 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ramey Blocked As Atty In Image Patent Fight In NY

By Adam Lidgett

Intellectual property attorney William Ramey was prevented from representing the owner of image processing and modifying patents used in special eyeglasses in an infringement suit in New York federal court, leading the company to abandon the case.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Margolis Edelstein Must Face Insurer's NJ Malpractice Suit

By Emma Cueto

A New Jersey state court judge Tuesday denied insurance litigation firm Margolis Edelstein's bid for an early escape from a legal malpractice suit over allegedly mishandled representation of an accountant.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Cruz Can't Avoid Firm Harassment Case Subpoena, Court Told

By Lynn LaRowe

A former staffer of Stone Hilton PLLC has asked a Texas federal court to compel responses from the office of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz to a subpoena for information related to the staffer's sexual harassment case against a firm partner who worked for the senator.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Envestnet Trade Secrets Suit Cleared For Trial

By Jarek Rutz

A Delaware federal judge has cleared the way for a long-running fintech trade secrets case to proceed toward trial, overruling defense objections to spoliation findings and holding that a jury may infer that destroyed electronic evidence would have been unfavorable to Envestnet Inc. and its former subsidiary Yodlee Inc.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Practus Faces DQ Bid In Lacrosse Glove Patent Fight

By Rose Krebs

Sporting goods company STX LLC has asked a Delaware federal court to disqualify Practus LLP and one of its attorneys from representing competitor StringKing Inc. in a patent infringement case related to lacrosse gloves, arguing that the firm has a conflict of interest.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judgeship Nomination Not Renewed Amid Fla. Charity Probe

By Courtney Bublé

The nomination of John Guard, senior counselor to the attorney general of Florida, for a Middle District of Florida federal judgeship, has not been renewed for the new session of Congress after he came under scrutiny in a criminal probe regarding a charity connected to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

2nd Circ. Ruling Shows Procedural Perils Of Civil Forfeiture

The Second Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Ross decision, partially denying the return of an attorney's seized funds based on rigid standing requirements, underscores the unforgiving technical complexities of civil asset forfeiture law, and provides several lessons for practitioners, says Elisha Kobre at Sheppard Mullin.

Decision attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Announces First Judicial Picks Of 2026

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday evening his first judicial nominees of 2026, a slate of four district court picks for Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Texas Justices Erase ABA Approval In Bar Admissions

By Lynn LaRowe

The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an order ending a longstanding rule requiring graduation from a law school approved by the American Bar Association for admittance to the state bar, with the court giving itself the authority for accreditation.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

WH Says Judge Can't Pursue Immigration Contempt Probe

By Jared Foretek

The Trump administration has once again told the D.C. Circuit that U.S. District Judge James Boasberg lacks the constitutional authority to open a contempt probe into the government's removal of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants against his emergency order in March, calling the investigation an "unprecedented criminal fact-finding inquisition."

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

National Judicial College Names Idaho Law Dean As President

By Jake Maher

The National Judicial College has named a new president and chief executive officer, selecting the dean of the University of Idaho College of Law to become the first woman to hold the position.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »