Legal Ethics

  • August 01, 2024

    Fla. Justices Sanction Paralegal For Immigration Practice

    The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday told a paralegal and the immigration legal services businesses she has operated that she must reimburse clients who were misled into believing they were working with licensed attorneys.

  • August 01, 2024

    Feds Urge Against Steve Bannon's En Banc Rehearing Bid

    The federal government is urging the D.C. Circuit not to revisit its long-standing precedent on the meaning of the contempt of Congress law as former Donald Trump aide Steve Bannon looks to undo his conviction under the statute.

  • August 01, 2024

    Former NC Paralegal Gets 30 Months For $2M Embezzlement

    A former paralegal was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on Thursday for embezzling more than $2 million from the clients of a North Carolina law firm, with a federal judge agreeing to reduce the government's recommended 41-month prison sentence.

  • August 01, 2024

    6th Circ. Dashes Appeal Of Mich. Township's Ex-GC

    A Michigan township's former general counsel was not denied due process when his position was eliminated in 2020, the Sixth Circuit has ruled, agreeing with the district court that the attorney's employment agreement did not guarantee him a job.

  • August 01, 2024

    NY Appeals Court Upholds Trump Gag Order

    A New York appeals court on Thursday rejected Donald Trump's bid to strike down a gag order that bars him from threatening court and district attorney staff in his criminal hush money case ahead of his scheduled sentencing next month, as the former president renewed his bid to vacate his conviction following the U.S. Supreme Court's immunity ruling.

  • August 01, 2024

    Schumer And Senate Dem Bill Would Reverse Trump Immunity

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and more than 30 of his Democratic colleagues introduced a bill on Thursday to undo the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that former President Donald Trump has immunity for official acts.

  • July 31, 2024

    DOD Says 9/11 'Mastermind,' 2 Accomplices Reach Plea Deals

    The man accused of planning the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and two of his accused accomplices have reached plea agreements in their military commission cases, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Wednesday.

  • July 31, 2024

    Live Nation Says In-House Attys Can't Access DOJ Docs

    As it warned would be the case, Live Nation is telling a New York federal judge that it has no in-house counsel that will be able to meet his rules on counsel access to highly confidential material in the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust suit against the live events company.

  • July 31, 2024

    Lewis Brisbois TM Foe Can't Ax Injunction, 5th Circ. Says

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday upheld an injunction against three Texans accused of ripping off the Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP name, saying it's clear the only reason the defendants created the infringing entity "was to ride on the back" of the BigLaw firm's reputation.

  • July 31, 2024

    Ghanaian Oil Co. Hit With Sanctions In Discovery Fight

    A Texas federal judge has slapped sanctions against an African energy company after finding that it lied in Ghanaian court about a discovery dispute related to a case in Ghana, saying attorney fees and costs are appropriate in relation to several proceedings.

  • July 31, 2024

    Calif. Bar Says Atty Can't End Billing Scandal's Hacking Claim

    A San Fernando Valley attorney cannot escape an ethics charge alleging he plotted to hack the email and phone of a judge overseeing a public utility class action, the California Bar has told the State Bar Court, urging the court to reject the attorney's argument that merely "discussing plans" for a hack is not an offense.

  • July 31, 2024

    Kenyan Firm Sues Ill. Attys Over Ethiopian Airlines Crash Fees

    A small Kenyan law firm seeking attorney fees from a 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash victims settlement with Boeing is accusing Jenner & Block LLP and another Chicago firm of coaxing its former client into firing the firm, allegedly through misinformation and forged signatures, according to a suit filed in Illinois federal court this week.

  • July 31, 2024

    Ga. Panel Strikes Sanctions Without Day In Court In HOA Row

    A Georgia Court of Appeals panel said Wednesday a Fulton County trial judge wrongly entered sanctions against a woman without holding a hearing after she failed to attend depositions with an Alpharetta homeowners association.

  • July 31, 2024

    4 Mass. Rulings You May Have Missed In July

    Massachusetts state court judges refereed a damages dispute between a real estate titan and a Big Four consultant, ruled in favor of allegedly underpaid healthcare workers and untangled a defamation suit over a labor executive's old social media posts, among other notable rulings during the month of July.

  • July 31, 2024

    Rutgers 'Caught Red Handed' In Discovery Row, Ex-Student Says

    A Jewish law student who filed a discrimination suit against Rutgers pressed a New Jersey state court to sanction the university for moving ahead with disciplinary measures against him, arguing it "got caught red handed" in trying to circumvent a court order to get discovery from him.

  • July 31, 2024

    Second Ex Parte Convo Adds To Chaos In Young Thug Trial

    Defense counsel in the increasingly disarrayed gang trial of Atlanta rapper Young Thug accused the case's former judge on Wednesday of being a "co-conspirator" with the state, after learning of yet another ex parte conversation with prosecutors that had been concealed.

  • July 31, 2024

    Ex-Chicago Alderman Should Serve Full Supervision, Feds Say

    A former Chicago alderman and attorney convicted of tax crimes should not be allowed an early reprieve from his court-ordered supervision because it has become his main form of punishment following his compassionate release from prison, the government has told an Illinois federal court.

  • July 31, 2024

    Fox Rothschild Faces Malpractice Suit Over Land Row

    Two siblings have brought legal malpractice claims against Fox Rothschild LLP and a firm partner in New Jersey state court, accusing the lawyer of bungling a 1984 property deed and a 1993 trust belonging to their stepfather.

  • July 31, 2024

    Ga. Judge Gets Suspension And Reprimand In Harassment Case

    Georgia state Superior Court Judge Robert "Bobby" Reeves will be suspended for 30 days and has promised not to run for reelection for numerous counts of misconduct, the Georgia Supreme Court decided Tuesday.

  • July 31, 2024

    5 Trials To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024

    Upcoming high-profile trials over star lawyer Tom Girardi's alleged fraud, Hunter Biden's taxes and Washington state's "patent troll" law are among the cases to watch in the latter half of the year.

  • July 31, 2024

    Judge Refuses To Rethink Injury Firm Conflict Of Interest DQ

    A law firm was properly disqualified from a family's design defect lawsuit against Home Depot USA Inc. and makers of a lawn mower, a New Jersey federal judge has ruled, confirming a prior finding that a conflict of interest arose between the father and daughter when the companies countersued the father.

  • July 31, 2024

    Firms Must Justify $1.4M Fee Bid In State Street Settlement

    A Massachusetts federal judge who oversaw a yearslong attorney overbilling scandal and slashed a fee bid in another case over alleged false and misleading statements ordered a pair of firms to tell him why they should get one-third of a $4.3 million settlement with State Street Corp.

  • July 30, 2024

    FTX Users Say Sullivan & Cromwell Must Face Abetting Claims

    FTX customers told a Florida federal judge on Tuesday that Sullivan & Cromwell LLP can't dismiss customer claims it aided and abetted the defunct cryptocurrency exchange's fraud as "speculative allegations" when the customers' complaint "paints a much more detailed and nefarious picture."

  • July 30, 2024

    Judge Refuses To DQ Attys In Group Home Sex Abuse Case

    A Washington federal judge rejected a group home's bid to disqualify counsel representing former residents alleging sexual abuse, ruling Tuesday that any conflicts between alleged victims now at odds with one another would not harm the group home.

  • July 30, 2024

    Young Thug's 3rd Judge Denies Mistrial For Bench Swaps

    A Georgia judge who recently became the third presider in rapper Young Thug's sprawling racketeering trial ruled Tuesday there will be no mistrial on grounds of judge substitution, but said rulings on other mistrial motions are still to come.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

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    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Opinion

    A Tale Of 2 Trump Cases: The Rule Of Law Is A Live Issue

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week in Trump v. U.S., holding that former President Donald Trump has broad immunity from prosecution, undercuts the rule of law, while the former president’s New York hush money conviction vindicates it in eight key ways, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

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    In the month since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 26 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: June Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers two recent decisions from the Third and Tenth Circuits, and identifies practice tips around class action settlements and standing in securities litigation.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

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    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence

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    As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • How Associates Can Build A Professional Image

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    As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.

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