Legal Ethics

  • April 15, 2025

    Ex-Atty Pleads Guilty To ID Theft In Insurance Settlement Case

    A former attorney has pled guilty in Washington state court to theft and identity theft over a scheme to lift thousands of dollars from a client's insurance settlement, money that was supposed to pay medical expenses after a traffic accident.

  • April 15, 2025

    Financial Adviser Fights Ex-Employer's Bid To Pierce Privilege

    A financial adviser accused of stealing clients by his ex-employer Wealth Enhancement Group LLC has urged a Connecticut state judge to reject the company's bid to get his communications with legal counsel at Spencer Fane LLP, saying it relies on an "expansive and unfounded reading" of the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege.

  • April 15, 2025

    NJ Judge Unsure Of Law Prof's Bid To Revive Free Speech Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge seemed unconvinced by a law professor's argument that he should reconsider dismissing her lawsuit alleging Kean University violated her free speech, noting during oral arguments Tuesday that he'd already tossed the case twice.

  • April 15, 2025

    McGuireWoods Immune From Defamation Case, NC Panel Told

    McGuireWoods LLP and a former partner have told a North Carolina state appeals court that they have absolute privilege over allegedly defamatory statements made in connection with an investigation into the former CEO of a managed care organization, arguing that the trial court should have granted them a pretrial win.

  • April 15, 2025

    DC Judge Blocks Trump Order Against Susman Godfrey

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday largely blocked President Donald Trump's executive order over Susman Godfrey's handling of election litigation, saying the "Framers of the Constitution would see this as a shocking abuse of power."

  • April 15, 2025

    Ga. Plant Alleges Ex-CFO Tried To Bribe Atty In Bogus Letter

    The owner of a now-shuttered Atlanta plastics manufacturing plant has alleged it was the company's disgruntled former financial chief who authored a letter offering to pay off the attorney representing sibling plaintiffs in a federal discrimination lawsuit, in a response this week to a sanctions bid.

  • April 15, 2025

    NJ Law Firm Hit With Bias Suit From Cancer-Stricken Aide

    A former legal assistant at a New Jersey personal injury firm is suing the firm alleging that she was fired for requesting a workplace accommodation after she was diagnosed with and had surgery for ureter cancer.

  • April 15, 2025

    Moye White Says It Was Evicted To Make Way For Tech Co.

    Defunct law firm Moye White LLP is fighting back in Colorado state court against its Denver landlord's nearly $4 million lawsuit, alleging in counterclaims that the landlord unlawfully evicted the firm and its subtenants from a downtown office building in order to make room for a technology business.

  • April 15, 2025

    NJ Atty Disbarred For Misappropriating Estate Funds

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has disbarred an attorney after finding that he knowingly misappropriated funds from a client in an estate matter and then spent years ducking disciplinary authorities and practicing with a suspended license.

  • April 14, 2025

    Susman Godfrey Asks To Block 'Unconstitutional' Order

    Susman Godfrey LLP on Monday asked a D.C. federal judge to immediately restrain the federal government from enforcing President Donald Trump's "unconstitutional" executive order revoking the firm's access to government resources, saying the directive is blatant retaliation for the firm's representation of clients and causes the president doesn't like.

  • April 14, 2025

    Senate Dems Seek Briefing On Threats To Federal Judges

    Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee announced Monday that they're asking the U.S. Marshals Service for a briefing on threats against federal judges.

  • April 14, 2025

    UK Co. Says Ex-Sikorsky Atty Gave 'Inconsistent' Testimony

    A British company locked in a $64 million contract feud with Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft accused its former in-house counsel of giving testimony "blatantly inconsistent" with other evidence at a Connecticut trial, requesting the alleged transgressions be discussed after a Texas bankruptcy judge slammed the lawyer for providing "false statements" in a separate matter.

  • April 14, 2025

    Ex-Allied Wallet Exec Seeks Trial Delay Amid Recusal Bid

    A former executive of payment processing company Allied Wallet asked to pause his criminal bank fraud case Monday while a Massachusetts federal judge considers a recusal motion questioning his impartiality.

  • April 14, 2025

    Conservative Lawyers Seek Ethics Probe Of DC US Attorney

    A group of conservative lawyers and former prosecutors on Monday called for an attorney ethics investigation into President Donald Trump's nominee to be Washington, D.C.'s top federal prosecutor, saying the attorney has shown a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the role.

  • April 14, 2025

    Law Firm Fights 'Career Ending' Calif. Sanctions At Fed. Circ.

    Three attorneys from Texas patent firm Ramey LLP asked the Federal Circuit to press pause on a California magistrate judge's sanctions against them, arguing that their case was not filed in bad faith, they were not practicing law in California without a license and the penalties imposed on them are too harsh.

  • April 14, 2025

    3 Firms Sued By Freight Co. Over $18M Fatal Crash Judgment

    Three U.S. law firms botched their representation of a Canadian trucking company in Garden State personal injury lawsuits, resulting in a judgment of more than $18 million and excess attorney fees, according to a lawsuit filed in New Jersey state court.

  • April 14, 2025

    NY Judge Chided For Tossing Kid's Friend's Traffic Ticket

    A Westchester County, New York, judge who threw her title around while handling her daughter's traffic ticket in a neighboring town, and later tossed a different traffic ticket for her daughter's friend, has been hit with a public admonishment, the state's judicial watchdog announced Monday.

  • April 14, 2025

    NJ Attorney Must Face Land Dispute Malpractice Suit

    A New Jersey state judge has rejected a Fox Rothschild LLP attorney's bid for an early exit from a suit by a pair of sisters accusing him and related parties of malpractice stemming from the mishandling of their late stepfather's estate.

  • April 14, 2025

    Ex-Reed Smith Atty Gets Review Of NJ Bias Damages Limit

    The New Jersey state appeals court has said it will consider a former Reed Smith LLP labor and employment lawyer's appeal of a ruling that damages in her gender discrimination suit against the firm can only go as far back as the start date of a New Jersey equal pay law.

  • April 14, 2025

    McElroy Deutsch Settles Theft Suit Against Former Execs

    McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP has reached a settlement with two former executives who the firm accused of stealing millions through fraudulent bonuses and credit card use, capping off nearly two years of hard-fought litigation.

  • April 14, 2025

    Ga. Judge Faces New Misconduct Charges For Case Delays

    A Georgia state judge has been accused of delaying cases — including taking over two years to provide an order in a probate matter — after he was accused of similar misconduct in October.

  • April 14, 2025

    Colo. Atty Suspended 3 Years For Looting Firm Trust Account

    A Colorado attorney who operates a small criminal defense firm has been suspended from practicing law for three years in the state after admitting to taking tens of thousands of dollars from his firm's trust account for his own use.

  • April 14, 2025

    ABA Scholarship Illegally Bars White Applicants, Suit Says

    The American Bar Association unlawfully discriminates against white law students by excluding them from a scholarship program for racial and ethnic minorities, according to a federal lawsuit from a group founded by the conservative legal strategist who led a successful Supreme Court challenge to affirmative action in university admissions.

  • April 11, 2025

    Susman Godfrey Calls Trump Order 'Threat' To Rule Of Law

    Susman Godfrey LLP on Friday became the latest BigLaw firm targeted by President Donald Trump to hit back in D.C. federal court, saying his executive order revoking the firm's access to government resources needs to be shut down now before a "dangerous and perhaps irreversible precedent" is set.

  • April 11, 2025

    Patent Exec Hasn't Yet Proven Defamation In Baker Botts Case

    A Florida federal judge held Friday that it's too early to rule in favor of a patent licensing company executive accusing a Baker Botts LLP attorney of defamation, ruling that there are still "material facts in dispute."

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

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    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.

  • An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

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    As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.

  • Series

    Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

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    In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.

  • The Implications Of 2024's AI Rules And Regs For Patent Attys

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    Christina Huang, John Smith and Devin Stein at Faegre Drinker review this year's new rules and regulations on the development and use of artificial intelligence — from the Biden administration, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the American Bar Association and various states — as they apply to patent attorneys.

  • When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US

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    As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025

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    The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • How White Collar Defense Attys Can Use Summary Witnesses

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    Few criminal defense attorneys have successfully utilized summary witnesses in the past, but several recent success stories show that it can be a worthwhile trial tactic to help juries understand the complex decision-making at issue, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

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    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

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    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Top 10 Legal Malpractice Defenses As Claims Tick Up

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    As legal malpractice claims and payouts increase, law firms should remember certain time-tested defenses, such as asserting no duty to nonclients, omissions beyond the scope of engagement or lack of proximate cause, say attorneys at Goulston & Storrs.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

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    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

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