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Legal Ethics
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August 12, 2024
'All Hell Broke Loose,' Wood's Ex-Partner Says Of Social Posts
A former law partner of controversial ex-attorney L. Lin Wood on Monday told a Georgia federal jury that social media posts Wood made accusing her and two other former partners of defamation led to widespread online harassment, damage to her professional reputation and threats.
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August 12, 2024
Judge Won't DQ Asst. US Atty In Standard Chartered FCA Case
A New York federal judge on Monday declined to disqualify an assistant United States attorney from a long-dismissed False Claims Act suit against Standard Chartered Bank, calling the whistleblower's arguments for disqualification meritless "to the point where they verge on vexatious and frivolous."
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August 12, 2024
Young Thug Jury Returns, Told Not To Fret About New Judge
After weeks away from court, jurors weighing racketeering charges against Atlanta rapper Young Thug and his alleged Young Slime Life gang were instructed Monday "not to concern yourselves" with the switch to a new judge and to "disregard" any "disparaging" comments made by the jurist who previously presided over the marathon trial.
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August 12, 2024
Morgan Lewis Escapes DQ Over Dual Rep. In HSBC OT Case
A New York federal judge on Monday refused to disqualify Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP counsel from representing a former HSBC branch manager and key witness in an overtime class action against the bank, which the attorneys also defend, ruling the supposed conflict of interest is speculative and could be corrected if needed with informed consent.
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August 12, 2024
Convicted Fla. Atty Says Bogus Threat Testimony Tainted Trial
A Florida attorney has urged the Eleventh Circuit to toss her criminal wire fraud conviction and six-year prison sentence, because she said the trial court wrongly let prosecutors "throw a loaded grenade" at her by allowing testimony about an "unsubstantiated and uncorroborated claim" that the attorney threatened a co-defendant.
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August 12, 2024
NJ Bar Aims To Nix Opinion Allowing Atty Keyword Search
The New Jersey State Bar Association is urging the state Supreme Court to overturn an ethics advisory opinion allowing attorneys to purchase other attorneys' names to use as keywords in online searches in order to redirect web traffic to their website.
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August 12, 2024
Ex-Seton Hall Prez Fights Amicus Brief In Whistleblower Suit
The former president of Seton Hall University who launched a whistleblower suit against the school in New Jersey state court is opposing a bid by a former university board chair and prominent defense attorney to file an amicus curiae brief, saying he has no "special interest" in the "contract dispute."
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August 12, 2024
Texas Firm Says Recordings Show Call Center Deception
A Texas personal injury law firm asked a federal judge to impose a preliminary injunction on a lawyer referral service, arguing that newly obtained audio recordings from the referral service's call center show the other company deliberately tries to trick the firm's potential clients into signing up with other lawyers.
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August 12, 2024
NJ Atty Beats Malpractice Claims Over Real Estate Dispute
A suspended New Jersey attorney has prevailed over a malpractice complaint from another attorney accusing him of providing bad legal advice on a real estate matter and exposing her to her own malpractice case, according to an order made available Monday.
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August 12, 2024
Court Observers Offer Their Wish Lists For A Judiciary FOIA
Government transparency advocates and court watchers think a recently introduced bill to subject the judiciary to the Freedom of Information Act would increase trust and transparency in the courts, and they have some ideas already of what they'd like to obtain from them.
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August 09, 2024
Judge Won't DQ Prosecutors In Young Thug Trial
In a pair of orders on Thursday, the new judge overseeing Atlanta rapper Young Thug's racketeering and gang conspiracy trial denied motions for a mistrial and to disqualify two Fulton County prosecutors but ordered the "entire prosecution team" to watch a training video in response to alleged evidence violations.
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August 09, 2024
Trump Again Appeals Merchan's Gag Order To NY High Court
Former President Donald Trump is again seeking dismissal of a gag order in his criminal hush money case barring him from threatening court and district attorney staff, telling New York's highest court on Thursday that he disagreed with "each and every part" of a recent intermediate appellate court ruling that found threats remained imminent.
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August 09, 2024
Judge Slams Justices For 'Eschewing' History In Trump Case
The U.S. Supreme Court spurned historical analysis and "fundamentally" changed the presidency when it granted Donald Trump broad criminal immunity from federal charges that he interfered with the 2020 presidential election while in office, a Massachusetts federal judge wrote in a ruling Friday that ended an ex-public defender's sexual harassment lawsuit.
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August 09, 2024
Vidal Can't Be Used Against Ex-Client At PTAB, Fed. Circ. Says
The Federal Circuit said Friday that the initial involvement of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal in a handful of patent challenges during her private practice days at Winston & Strawn LLP isn't enough to prevent the patent board from ever deciding on those petitions.
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August 09, 2024
Wood's Ex-Partner Says Social Posts Threatened His Family
One of three attorneys accusing their former law partner, controversial ex-attorney L. Lin Wood, of defamation took the stand Friday, telling a Georgia federal jury that a payment demand they sent Wood after his firm's dissolution wasn't extortion but was instead an attempt to protect themselves and their families.
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August 09, 2024
Morgan Law Group Can't Escape Ex-Law Partners' Spat
The Morgan Law Group PA can't escape a $20 million dispute between former law partners after a Florida state judge ruled Friday that all but one of the claims against the firm, which now employs one of the partners involved, can proceed.
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August 09, 2024
Vidal's Sanctions Make It Clear: Don't Mess With The PTAB
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has only faced a handful of instances where sanctions took center stage, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director's rulings have made attorneys increasingly aware that pushing ethical boundaries at the board could put their cases and their careers at risk.
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August 09, 2024
NJ Paralegal Resolves Suit Over Firing After Broken Foot
A former paralegal for the Law Offices of Geoffrey D. Mueller LLC has resolved her lawsuit against the Westwood, New Jersey, office after accusing it last year of firing her in violation of state anti-discrimination law after she asked for a leave of absence to recover from a broken foot, according to a notice of settlement filed in Bergen County Superior Court.
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August 09, 2024
Judge Nixes Ex-Defender's Bias Suit, But Calls For Reform
A former public defender in North Carolina failed to show how her equal protection and due process rights were violated during an allegedly botched internal investigation of her sexual harassment claim, a federal judge ruled Friday in a candid opinion that nevertheless called out what he described as a "flawed" dispute resolution process for judiciary employees.
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August 09, 2024
Eckert Seamans Sued Over New Jersey Condo Development
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC simultaneously represented a real estate development company and two of its former managers, and also improperly took compensation for its work before company debts were satisfied, according to a legal malpractice lawsuit filed this week in New Jersey state court.
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August 09, 2024
DOJ, Watchdog Agree To End Dispute Over Justices' Travel Docs
The U.S. Department of Justice and judicial watchdog group Fix the Court said in a Friday filing that they have agreed to dismiss a complaint accusing the department of failing to deliver on requests for reports about travel by U.S. Supreme Court justices.
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August 09, 2024
Cordell & Cordell Can't Escape Ex-Paralegal's Discrimination Suit
A Kansas federal judge ruled Friday that Cordell & Cordell PC must face claims in a discrimination suit brought by a former paralegal at the firm, including an assertion she was fired in retaliation for reporting mistreatment and sexual harassment.
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August 09, 2024
Ex-DOJ Atty Clark Appeals After Suspension Recommendation
Former U.S. Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark has asked the D.C. Court of Appeals to review orders from his disciplinary case after an ethics committee recommended he face suspension, arguing new precedent set in Trump v. United States grants him immunity, though disciplinary counsel said the appeal was improper.
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August 09, 2024
Ex-Boston U Law Instructor Sues Over Course Materials
A former Boston University Law School instructor has sued the university, accusing it of copyright infringement through use of course materials he developed, in violation of a prior settlement agreement.
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August 08, 2024
Investors, Banks Pitch Next Steps In Saved Bond-Rigging Suit
Investors accusing major banks of conspiring to rig corporate bonds have told a New York federal court they want to file a new complaint after the Second Circuit revived the suit last month over a potential conflict with the previous judge, while the defendants say this would take the case "back to square one."
Expert Analysis
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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Perspectives
Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys
As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.
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Opinion
NY Should Pass Litigation Funding Bill To Protect Plaintiffs
New York state should embrace the regulatory framework proposed in the Consumer Litigation Funding Act, which would suppress the unregulated predatory lenders that currently prey on vulnerable litigants but preserve a funding option that helps personal injury plaintiffs stand up to deep-pocketed corporate defendants, says Alan Ripka at Alan Ripka & Associates.
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Series
Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.
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How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case
The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.
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High Court Injunction Case Could Shake Up Fee-Shifting Rules
In agreeing to review a Virginia case rendered statutorily moot before final judgment, the U.S. Supreme Court could finally settle the question of if — and when — a preliminary injunction can win attorney fees for a prevailing party, but all possible answers could disrupt fee-shifting schemes written into major laws, says Laurens Wilkes at Winston & Strawn.
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Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content
From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.
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Series
Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.
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Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance
A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.
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Trump Hush Money Case Offers Master Class In Trial Strategy
The New York criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump typifies some of the greatest challenges that lawyers face in crafting persuasive presentations, providing lessons on how to handle bad facts, craft a simple story that withstands attack, and cross-examine with that story in mind, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Series
Teaching Yoga Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Being a yoga instructor has helped me develop my confidence and authenticity, as well as stress management and people skills — all of which have crossed over into my career as an attorney, says Laura Gongaware at Clyde & Co.
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A Vision For Economic Clerkships In The Legal System
As courts handle increasingly complex damages analyses involving vast amounts of data, an economic clerkship program — integrating early-career economists into the judicial system — could improve legal outcomes and provide essential training to clerks, say Mona Birjandi at Data for Decisions and Matt Farber at Secretariat.