Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Legal Ethics
-
September 24, 2024
More Enrollment Wanted For Judges' Home Security, IG Says
Amid the "complex" threat landscape for judges, the U.S. Marshals Service should do more to prompt federal judges to enroll in its home security program, a federal watchdog says in a report released Tuesday.
-
September 24, 2024
NJ Justices Seem Doubtful Over Barring Atty Keyword Search
The New Jersey Supreme Court appeared skeptical Tuesday about forbidding attorneys from buying other lawyers' names as search engine keywords, questioning whether such a ban could hold up to First Amendment challenges.
-
September 24, 2024
NY Atty Hit With $26M Malpractice Verdict For Exploiting Elder
A New York attorney will have to pay $26.2 million in damages to an ailing, elderly former client who accused him of committing legal malpractice by setting up a bad real estate deal, a jury has ruled.
-
September 24, 2024
Conn. Judge Sends Law Firm's Trade Secrets Case To Fla.
A Connecticut boutique law firm must go to Florida if it wants to continue pursuing its trade secrets case against a consultant it accused of making off with some of its confidential information because the Constitution State is an improper venue, a federal judge has ruled.
-
September 24, 2024
NJ Power Broker Says AG's 'Crime Thriller' Lacks A Crime
Powerful New Jersey businessman George E. Norcross III Tuesday called the Garden State's 111-page indictment alleging he led a scheme to strong-arm the acquisition of waterfront property in Camden through threats of economic and reputational harm a "crime thriller with no crime," and said it must be dismissed.
-
September 23, 2024
Smartmatic Can't Seek Punitive Damages In Newsmax Suit
A Delaware Superior Court judge on Monday ruled that Smartmatic USA Corp. can't seek punitive damages in the defamation trial over unsubstantiated claims from Newsmax Media Inc. that the company's voting systems rigged the 2020 election, saying Smartmatic couldn't meet its burden to prove express malice.
-
September 23, 2024
Med Mal Case Is Settled After Scuttled $111M Verdict in Minn.
On the eve of a second trial, a Minnesota-based orthopedic center has settled a suit that previously ended in a $111 million verdict that was later vacated for being excessive, with federal court records indicating a deal has been reached in principle.
-
September 23, 2024
Gordon Rees Gets Insurer's Wash. Malpractice Suit Trimmed
A Washington judge issued a mixed order in a lawsuit brought by the insurer for a climbing equipment manufacturer over allegations that misconduct by a Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP attorney — coupled with another insurer's decision to yank coverage — forced the manufacturer into a settlement over a climber's fall.
-
September 23, 2024
Nonprofit, Union Say Janus Doesn't Apply To NYC Dues Fight
Two New York City public defenders cannot leverage the U.S. Supreme Court's Janus ruling to stop paying their union because the ruling only applies to public employees and they're technically employed by a nonprofit, argued their employer, union and the city in a motion to dismiss their lawsuit.
-
September 23, 2024
Penn Law Professor Sanctioned For Discriminatory Remarks
A professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School will be sanctioned for making "sweeping and derogatory generalizations about groups by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and immigration status," according to university documents made available Monday.
-
September 23, 2024
What A Harris Administration Would Mean For The Courts
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, is familiar with the courtroom.
-
September 23, 2024
Judge Recuses Self After Opening Jackson Walker Ethics Probe
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur has asked a Texas federal court to investigate potential sanctions against Jackson Walker LLP for its failure to disclose a relationship between a firm partner and a federal judge, also telling the court he would recuse himself from any proceedings involving the ethics breach.
-
September 23, 2024
NC Man Gets 100 Mos. For Fleecing Attys In 'Collection' Scam
A North Carolina man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after a Pennsylvania jury found him guilty on charges of mail, bank and wire fraud stemming from an international scheme to bilk attorneys out of millions of dollars.
-
September 23, 2024
Feds Ask To File Up To 180-Page Brief On Trump Immunity
Federal prosecutors are seeking permission from a D.C. federal judge to file a lengthy brief making the case that Donald Trump is not immune from charges of election interference, telling the court that the "substantially drafted" motion won't be longer than 180 pages.
-
September 23, 2024
J&J Accuses Beasley Allen Of Casting Bogus Talc Ballots
Johnson & Johnson has accused the Beasley Allen Law Firm of casting about two dozen false ballots against the company's latest talc bankruptcy plan without voters' consent and urged a New Jersey federal court to remove the firm from the plaintiff's steering committee as a consequence.
-
September 23, 2024
Law Firm Accused Of 'Gamesmanship' In NJ Malpractice Suit
A pair of siblings suing Chaitman LLP for malpractice in New Jersey told the state court that the firm is delaying the litigation with a discovery motion about the order in which depositions should be taken that "should never have been filed to begin with."
-
September 23, 2024
Conn. Judge Rips 'Odd Lawyering' In Referral Fee Feud
A Connecticut Superior Court judge on Monday slammed what he called "odd lawyering" at the summary judgment stage of an attorney fee feud in an underlying personal injury case, asking why affidavits failed to clarify the facts in dispute as the case heads toward trial.
-
September 23, 2024
Ex-Conn. Police Chief Demands Atty Fees After Winning Suit
The former chief of police in Newington, Connecticut, is demanding attorney fees after a state court judge dismissed him from a defamation lawsuit brought by the onetime town attorney and other ex-officials, which arose from ethics complaints that the plaintiffs say were full of lies.
-
September 23, 2024
Legal Malpractice Suit Over Med Mal Case In Ga. Revived
A Georgia state appellate court on Monday revived a legal malpractice lawsuit over a former attorney's handling of a medical malpractice case, saying a trial court improperly granted a dismissal motion after disqualifying the lawyer who filed it.
-
September 23, 2024
Fabiani Cohen Says Equity Partner Can't File Employee Claim
Fabiani Cohen & Hall LLP told a New York federal judge on Friday that its equity partner's employment suit is motivated by her desire to increase her profit share of the firm, arguing that her status as an equity owner means she can't be considered an employee for the purposes of her claims.
-
September 23, 2024
FEMA Looks To Escape Atty's Bias And Retaliation Suit
The U.S. government has asked a federal judge to toss a suit alleging two agencies pushed out an Asian American attorney following her complaints that a male colleague harassed her, arguing she failed to state a claim in her "behemoth," 190-page complaint.
-
September 20, 2024
Litigation Funding Firm Likely Out Of Hurricane Ad Class Action
A Texas federal judge said Thursday that a funding company that lent $20 million to a law firm accused in a proposed class action of conspiring to deceptively solicit hurricane victims should be dropped as a defendant.
-
September 20, 2024
NY Judge Resigns Amid Ethics Charges of Corruption, Abuse
A New York state judge in Westchester County has agreed to resign from the bench after the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct charged him last month with multiple counts of judicial misconduct, including dismissing traffic tickets for friends, sexually harassing a newly appointed judge, and berating court staffers and attorneys.
-
September 20, 2024
Eviction Law Firm Says Tenant's Fee Class Action Untimely
An eviction law firm pushed a Colorado federal court to toss a proposed class action filed by tenants who claim the firm illegally charged them attorney fees before their eviction proceedings were resolved.
-
September 20, 2024
Veteran High Court Litigator Warns Of Ethics Debate's Impact
Accusations that U.S. Supreme Court justices are corrupt or nothing more than politicians in robes are unwarranted, tremendously dangerous and threaten to irreparably harm the institution's legitimacy, veteran high court litigator Kannon Shanmugam warns.
Expert Analysis
-
Why Incorporating By Reference Is Rarely Good Practice
The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Promptu Systems v. Comcast serves as a reminder that while incorporating by reference may seem efficient, it is generally prohibited by courts and can lead to sanctions when used to bypass a word count limit, says Cullen Seltzer at Sands Anderson.
-
Series
Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.
-
For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill
A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.
-
Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law
A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.
-
Opinion
Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea
A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.
-
4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best
As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.
-
Series
Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer
Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.
-
Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs
Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, now at Greenberg Traurig, offers strategies on writing more effective appellate briefs from her time on the bench.
-
Stay Interviews Are Key To Retaining Legal Talent
Even as the economy shifts and layoffs continue, law firms still want to retain their top attorneys, and so-called stay interviews — informal conversations with employees to identify potential issues before they lead to turnover — can be a crucial tool for improving retention and morale, say Tina Cohen Nicol and Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.
-
The Fed. Circ. In February: A Reminder On Procedure Rule 28
Because the Federal Circuit does not often issue a sua sponte precedential order emphasizing an important rule of practice, it is useful to look at how the court applied the restrictions of appellate procedure Rule 28 in Promptu v. Comcast last month, and in cases that preceded it, say Jeremiah Helm and Sean Murray at Knobbe Martens.
-
Opinion
DOJ Press Office Is Not Fulfilling Its Stated Mission
The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs’ apparent practice of issuing press releases when someone is indicted or convicted, but not when a defendant prevails, undermines its stated mission to disseminate “current, complete and accurate” information, and has negative real-world ramifications, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.
-
Series
Spray Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My experiences as an abstract spray paint artist have made me a better litigator, demonstrating — in more ways than one — how fluidity and flexibility are necessary parts of a successful legal practice, says Erick Sandlin at Bracewell.
-
Opinion
Litigation Funding Needs Regulating To Meet Ethics Standards
Third-party litigation funding can provide litigants with access to the legal system, but, as recent cases show, the funding agreements carry the potential for exploitation and may conflict with core aspects of the attorney-client relationship, making the need for a balanced regulation self-evident, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.
-
Opinion
Judicial Independence Is Imperative This Election Year
As the next election nears, the judges involved in the upcoming trials against former President Donald Trump increasingly face political pressures and threats of violence — revealing the urgent need to safeguard judicial independence and uphold the rule of law, says Benes Aldana at the National Judicial College.
-
Series
Riding My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Using the Peloton platform for cycling, running, rowing and more taught me that fostering a mind-body connection will not only benefit you physically and emotionally, but also inspire stamina, focus, discipline and empathy in your legal career, says Christopher Ward at Polsinelli.