Legal Ethics

  • February 24, 2025

    Conn. Solo Wants Willkie Partner's $27K Fee Bid Slashed

    A Connecticut solo practitioner who lost a First Amendment lawsuit after leaking a Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP's partner's landlord-tenant dispute to the New York Post on Monday criticized the partner's bid to recoup his legal fees, arguing $8,250 is more reasonable than his current $27,000 demand.

  • February 24, 2025

    DA Willis Says 'Makes No Sense' To DQ Her From Trump Case

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis is arguing to the Georgia Supreme Court that her disqualification from prosecuting the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump and others was unprecedented, asserting that her ousting over the appearance of impropriety creates a dangerous precedent.

  • February 24, 2025

    Atty Faces $190K Demand After Losing Malicious Litigation Trial

    A trio of Blank Rome LLP attorneys and an aviation company told a Pennsylvania federal court on Friday they are owed combined costs of nearly $200,000 from an attorney who lost a malicious litigation jury trial against them in December.

  • February 24, 2025

    Law Firm Must Face Malpractice Suit Over Home Project Case

    The New Jersey Appellate Division reinstated a malpractice suit against a Garden State firm on Monday in a published decision finding that the plaintiff was allowed to assign some of the proceeds of the case to third parties ahead of time.

  • February 24, 2025

    Texas Atty Dinged For AI-Generated Fake Citations In Briefs

    A Texas lawyer could face a $15,000 personal sanction and other potential discipline for filing three separate briefs using generative artificial intelligence that included fake citations in an Indiana ERISA case, according to a report and recommendation by a federal judge in the Hoosier State.

  • February 24, 2025

    High Court Rejects Dish's Bid For Atty Fees For PTAB Work

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down Dish Network's appeal arguing that, after being cleared in a patent infringement case, it was entitled to attorney fees for its successful Patent Trial and Appeal Board challenge, and from the plaintiff's attorneys.

  • February 21, 2025

    DOJ Hits Judge Weighing Trans Troops Ban With Complaint

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday filed a misconduct complaint against the D.C. federal judge overseeing litigation challenging President Donald Trump's executive order ostensibly banning transgender troops from serving in the military, accusing her of bias after she hammered government attorneys for answers they provided during a hearing earlier this month.

  • February 21, 2025

    Ex-Trump Atty Powell Can't Dodge Michigan Ethics Claims

    The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has denied Sidney Powell's latest attempt to shake misconduct claims over a legal challenge to Michigan's 2020 presidential election results and advancing Donald Trump's election fraud theories, finding that a Texas disciplinary board's decision not to discipline Powell isn't binding on the Michigan proceedings.

  • February 21, 2025

    Death Row Case Offers Window Into Prosecutors' Gender Bias

    As she stood trial for orchestrating her estranged husband's 2001 murder, Brenda Andrew faced an uphill battle convincing an Oklahoma jury of her innocence. The evidence was stacked against her, but perhaps the most powerful weapon in the prosecutors' arsenal wasn't the evidence itself — it was their ability to portray her as a deviant, unfaithful woman who deserved to be executed.

  • February 21, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives Atty's Ownership Claims Over Calif. Winery

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Friday revived an attorney's ownership claims over a California winery, finding factual disputes over an alleged oral agreement with the winery's former owner require a trial, while also upholding a jury's verdict that found a breach fiduciary duty claim against the attorney that awarded no damages.

  • February 21, 2025

    Officers Say NJ Attorney General Can't Avoid Retaliation Suit

    A New Jersey state judge should reject a bid from the state Attorney General's Office to reconsider the denial of its bid to escape a lawsuit accusing the Warren County Prosecutor's Office of retaliating against two officers for their part in uncovering an alleged fraud scheme, the officers told the court this week.

  • February 21, 2025

    Paul Hastings Seeks To End GenapSys Malpractice Action

    Paul Hastings LLP has moved for summary judgment in a malpractice action from GenapSys Inc., saying the case is barred because the genomic sequencing company failed to disclose its possible claim until after confirmation of its bankruptcy plan.

  • February 21, 2025

    Lowenstein Sandler Keeps Up Battle With NJ Dispensary

    Shortly after accusing a cannabis dispensary it is suing for unpaid legal fees of acting in bad faith, Lowenstein Sandler LLP asked a New Jersey Superior Court judge on Friday to reject an investment group's similar bid to prevent it from pursuing certain claims in its suit.

  • February 21, 2025

    Adams Judge Won't Toss Case, Taps Paul Clement For Review

    The federal judge in charge of the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams declined Friday to toss the charges at the request of President Donald Trump's Justice Department, instead appointing litigator Paul Clement to assist in a "careful" decision.

  • February 21, 2025

    Ex-Dechert GC Subpoenaed Over Gerrard Abuse Claims

    An imprisoned Jordanian lawyer can subpoena the former general counsel of Dechert LLP over what the leadership of the law firm knew of alleged human rights abuses committed by a former partner in the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. federal judge has ruled.

  • February 20, 2025

    Judge's Son Concedes Misstatement To Police After Shooting

    The son of a California judge on trial for allegedly murdering his wife with a handgun acknowledged during cross-examination Thursday that he didn't see his father pull the gun out and aim it at the victim before firing, despite telling police otherwise.

  • February 20, 2025

    3rd Circ. Rejects Appeal In Dog Magnet Design Spat

    The Third Circuit on Thursday rejected an appeal in a case in which two businesses accused each other of stealing designs for pet-themed car magnets, saying that, because there is no final judgment in the case, one of the companies can't challenge the lower court's refusal to issue a final judgment.

  • February 20, 2025

    US Atty Pick In DC Probes Dem Lawmakers Over 'Threats'

    President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia, who is already serving on an interim basis, has sent letters to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and at least one other Democratic lawmaker as part of a larger probe into supposed "threats" to Elon Musk and other federal government employees.

  • February 20, 2025

    Ex-Eletson Owners Given Reprieve On Ch. 11 Sanction Bid

    The former owners and managers of Greek shipping group Eletson Holdings Inc. have until Monday to comply with the orders of a New York bankruptcy judge concerning the change in ownership of the business under a court-approved Chapter 11 plan, or they will face daily monetary sanctions.

  • February 20, 2025

    Convicted Fraudster 'Ponzied' His Way To Millions, Jurors told

    The first thing prosecutors told jurors Thursday at the start of the trial of convicted fraudster Eliyahu Weinstein — who was later pardoned and then charged again — were three words they asserted show his intent to steal more than $40 million from over 200 investors. 

  • February 20, 2025

    Texas Judge Threatens Charges Over 'Dead' Expert's Signature

    A Texas federal judge is threatening a prominent Houston attorney and elected official with criminal charges for filing a document allegedly signed by an expert witness who had been dead for nearly a year.

  • February 20, 2025

    FCPA Shake-Up May Open Bribery Loophole

    New guidelines in the works for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration could dramatically alter how American companies do business overseas while potentially opening the door for foreign bribery when it arguably advances U.S. interests, and the looming changes are creating an unsettled environment for attorneys who practice in the space, experts say.

  • February 20, 2025

    Ga. Panel Rips Willis' 'Delay Tactic' Over Trump Case Probe

    A Georgia state Senate committee investigating Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis over her prosecution of President Donald Trump in an election interference case has blasted her attempt to dismiss multiple subpoenas against her as a "bald-faced delay tactic."

  • February 20, 2025

    NJ Law Firm, Ex-COO Settle Sexual Harassment, Bias Suit

    Major New Jersey personal injury firm Garces Grabler & LeBrocq PC has settled a lawsuit with its former chief operating officer, who accused it and attorneys there of sexually harassing her and unfairly burdening her with work that was beneath her position.

  • February 20, 2025

    Calif. Judge Disciplined For Calling Victim 'Manipulative'

    A former California Superior Court judge has been publicly admonished for repeatedly calling a domestic violence victim "manipulative" and saying she "liked being beat up" while telling her partner at a restraining order hearing in May 2023 that he had fallen into the victim's "trap."

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

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    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • Lawyers Must Be Careful When Using Listservs

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    The American Bar Association's formal opinion from May correctly states that attorneys must obtain clients' consent before posing related questions to listservs, but potential risks and drawbacks of using listservs go beyond those highlighted by the ABA, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

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    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

  • Opinion

    States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions

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    Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • Series

    Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.

  • Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice

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    The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

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    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

  • 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.

  • After Chevron

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 37 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.

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