Legal Ethics

  • May 14, 2025

    Judiciary To Share Pros, Cons Of AI For Courts With Congress

    The federal judiciary is looking at the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence for the court system and will share its discoveries with Congress, top officials testified on Wednesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    Judge Beats Ex-Law Student's Suit At 11th Circ.

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday largely upheld the dismissal of a suit from a former law student and federal prosecutors' intern accusing a Florida federal judge and government attorneys of ruining his job prospects, finding that the judge has immunity while the lawyers' acts were mostly part of their jobs.

  • May 14, 2025

    DOJ Says No Hiring Private Counsel From Firms Suing US

    Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has issued a memo directing the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid engaging with firms that are suing the government over its policies or that represent clients in similar suits.

  • May 13, 2025

    Wis. Grand Jury Indicts Judge Accused Of Blocking ICE Arrest

    A Wisconsin federal grand jury on Tuesday returned a two-count indictment against the state judge arrested for allegedly helping an unauthorized immigrant evade arrest by federal immigration officers.

  • May 13, 2025

    Pot Payment Co. Wants Court To Enforce $1.3M Deal

    A Boulder, Colorado, fintech company said its former business associates in a failed joint venture to create a cannabis payment system cannot be trusted to pay the $1.3 million settlement meant to end all claims of fraud, urging a Nevada federal court to step in and force them to follow through.

  • May 13, 2025

    SEC Says Ex-Pot Co. CFO Can't Cite Atty Advice As Shield

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told a New York federal judge that a former executive of cannabis company Acreage Holdings Inc. accused of falsifying the company's financials cannot allege he was relying on advice from attorneys without forgoing the attorney-client privilege that would shield those communications.

  • May 13, 2025

    Boeing Slams Defunct Airline's Sanctions Bid In 737 Max Spat

    Boeing has fired back at defunct airline Comair's bid to get the major American aerospace company sanctioned for deleting evidence of a side letter that purportedly assured Comair that its deposit for the purchase of 737 Max jets was refundable, telling a Washington federal court that no such assurances were made in the nonexistent letter.

  • May 13, 2025

    Did AI Co. Anthropic's Expert Cite AI-Hallucinated Study?

    Music publishers claiming artificial intelligence company Anthropic infringed their works to train its AI models told a California federal magistrate judge Tuesday that an Anthropic expert witness cited a "fictitious" AI-generated study in a recently filed declaration, urging the judge to sanction the company's Latham & Watkins attorneys for not catching the issue.

  • May 13, 2025

    IT Worker Accuses Feds Of Malware Trial Evidence 'Ambush'

    A former IT worker at an Ohio power management company has asked for a new trial on charges that he intentionally corrupted his employer's computer system with malware, saying prosecutors withheld evidence until the last minute that directly rebutted a key aspect of his defense.

  • May 13, 2025

    Law Firms Expected To Settle Veteran's TCPA Suit

    A veteran told a North Carolina federal judge he expects to settle a suit accusing several law firms and lawyers of badgering him about representing him in litigation over Camp Lejeune's drinking water even though he was never stationed at the base.

  • May 13, 2025

    Buzbee Beats Suit Claiming He Coerced Client To Settle

    Texas attorney Anthony Buzbee, who is making headlines by filing sexual abuse lawsuits against music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, has defeated a malpractice suit filed in Louisiana federal court by a ship captain alleging that the attorney pushed him to settle a work injury claim, then took 98% of the final disbursement.

  • May 13, 2025

    CFTC Faces Sanctions For 'Bad Faith' Actions In Forex Case

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is staring down sanctions in a case accusing a foreign exchange firm of fraud, with a special master recommending Tuesday that the agency pay the firm's legal fees for acting in bad faith in order to gain a "tactical advantage" in the case.

  • May 13, 2025

    MoFo DQ Sought In IP Case After Perkins Coie Ouster

    A software developer pursuing intellectual property claims against another technology company in San Francisco federal court has followed through with its threat to seek removal of Morrison & Foerster LLP after it succeeded in disqualifying Perkins Coie LLP, arguing the firms worked closely together and new counsel is necessary to avoid prejudice.

  • May 13, 2025

    Ga. Justices Nix Atty Immunity Doctrine, Uphold Tossing Case

    The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a long-standing attorney immunity doctrine that a lower court found shielded Barnes & Thornburg LLP from a legal malpractice suit, but the justices concluded that a onetime client's claims still fell short.

  • May 13, 2025

    Ex-Defender Can't Block Mystery Info In Sex Bias Case Appeal

    The federal government can submit additional documents from a district court case record in an appeal by a former assistant public defender in North Carolina who accused the federal judiciary of sex bias, the Fourth Circuit ruled Tuesday over the assistant public defender's objections.

  • May 13, 2025

    Insurers Say McCarter Can't Blame NY Town In $22M Loan Suit

    Two insurers asked a Connecticut judge to nix four of McCarter & English LLP's defenses in a $22.3 million lawsuit over the firm's role in crafting loans for recreational improvements in a Long Island, New York, town, saying the firm can't blame municipal officials while defending contract and malpractice claims.

  • May 13, 2025

    Suspended Atty Accused Of Bomb Threat Seeks To DQ Judge

    A suspended attorney accused of threatening to firebomb a Nashville, Tennessee, federal courthouse wants to disqualify the judge handling his case, claiming he harbors a "deep-seated antagonism" toward his defense counsel over a previous trial that ended in "disaster."

  • May 13, 2025

    Fla. Medical Cos. Sue Akerman For Malpractice, Fight Fees Bid

    After Akerman LLP filed suit against Rennova Health Inc. and medical laboratories for unpaid fees last month, the healthcare services company swung back with a motion to dismiss that case, while the labs filed their own malpractice lawsuits.

  • May 13, 2025

    Attys Push 11th Circ. To Weigh Judge Shopping Sanctions

    The Eleventh Circuit can hear three attorneys' appeal of sanctions against them for judge shopping during their legal challenge to an Alabama law criminalizing gender-affirming care, because the underlying case was dismissed, making the jurisdictional question moot, two of those lawyers told the appellate court.

  • May 13, 2025

    Ga. Judge Resigns To End Ethics Probe Over Spending

    A Georgia chief probate judge resigned Friday as part of a deal to end a state judicial ethics investigation into allegations that she improperly voided traffic payments to the court in multiple instances and used a county-issued card for a personal trip and lodging.

  • May 13, 2025

    Venable Wants Out Of 'It Ends With Us' Subpoena

    Venable LLP asked a D.C. federal judge to toss a subpoena of the firm stemming from litigation between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni over the movie "It Ends with Us," accusing Baldoni and his production company of embarking on an "unwarranted fishing expedition."

  • May 13, 2025

    Attys Invoke 5th Amendment In Mexican Bank Discovery Row

    Lawyers for a Mexican businessman told a Houston federal court that sanctions are not warranted in their response to a subpoena amid discovery by a Mexican bank, arguing their client is justified in preserving his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

  • May 12, 2025

    3M Says It'll Pay $285M To End Past, Future NJ PFAS Claims

    3M has agreed to shell out $285 million to put to rest environmental claims brought by New Jersey officials over purported PFAS contamination at the Chamber Works manufacturing facility in Salem County as well as statewide claims the Garden State may have in the future, according to an announcement made Monday.

  • May 12, 2025

    Missouri Hit With Sanctions In Generics Price-Fixing Fight

    A Connecticut federal judge Monday agreed to sanction and potentially dismiss for good the state of Missouri from antitrust litigation by state enforcers accusing generic-drug makers of conspiring to raise drug prices, finding Missouri violated a court order by ignoring the drugmakers' repeated discovery requests.

  • May 12, 2025

    DC Judge Grapples With Jurisdiction In ABA Grant Row

    A D.C. federal judge wrestled with his court's jurisdiction Monday as the American Bar Association sought a court order reviving terminated federal grant funding for its Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence.

Expert Analysis

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • What Lawyers Can Learn From High School AI Suit

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    A pending Massachusetts lawsuit regarding artificial intelligence use in an academic setting underscores the need for attorneys to educate themselves on AI technology and tools that affect their clients so they can advise on establishing clear expectations and limits around the permissible use of AI, say attorneys at Hinckley Allen.

  • Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks

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    A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Mitigating Defamation Liability Risks Of AI-Generated Content

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    Until Congress and the courts provide clear guidance about defamation liability stemming from generative artificial intelligence tools, companies should begin building controls to prevent the creation of defamatory content, says Michael Gerrity at Accenture.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records

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    Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    Why States Should Adopt ABA's 'Duty To Inquire'

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    State bars should codify the American Bar Association's proposed rule on a lawyer's duty to scrutinize each representation as it provides guardrails for lawyers, supports self-regulation of the profession, and helps avert money laundering and other crimes, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Trump Faces Uphill Battle If He Tries To Target Prosecutors

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    On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump promised to go after the state and federal prosecutors who had investigated and prosecuted him, but few criminal statutes would be applicable — to say nothing of the evidence required to substantiate any charges against prosecutors, says William Johnston at Bird Marella.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

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