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Legal Ethics
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September 11, 2024
5th Circ. To Rethink Houston Firm's Poaching Suit Removal
The Fifth Circuit agreed on Wednesday to rethink its decision not to touch a dispute between Abraham Watkins Nichols Agosto Aziz & Stogner and one of its former attorneys over whether the ex-employee waived his right to remove the firm's poaching suit to federal court.
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September 11, 2024
Kirkland Can't Shake Former Associate's Bias Suit
A California federal judge has mostly rejected efforts by Kirkland & Ellis to pare down the discrimination suit of a former intellectual property associate, while also backing a prior order that prevented the firm from subpoenaing her former BigLaw employers for confidential personnel information.
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September 11, 2024
Calif. Judge Admonished For Silencing Harassment Defendant
A California state judicial ethics watchdog publicly reprimanded a San Mateo County judge on Tuesday over her refusal to hear evidence from a defendant who had failed to show up to a previously scheduled civil restraining order proceeding in the judge's court.
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September 11, 2024
Barrister Accused Of Groping Paralegal At Work Dinner
A barrister with One Essex Court groped a legal assistant during a work dinner, the Bar Standards Board told a tribunal Wednesday.
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September 10, 2024
SEC Files New Insider Case Tied To Stolen Covington Info
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday brought a new insider trading case tied to the theft of confidential merger information from a Covington & Burling LLP lawyer, suing the cousin of a former FBI trainee who was sentenced to prison for filching the Merck & Co. deal info at the heart of the case and then tipping off others.
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September 10, 2024
Colo. DA Faces Disbarment After Probe Of Murder Case Judge
A split Colorado disciplinary board on Tuesday ordered the disbarment of an elected local prosecutor who directed an investigation into the background of a judge who had sanctioned her office for discovery violations, ruling that the investigation and other ethical violations warranted taking away her law license.
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September 10, 2024
Philly Firm Says It's Owed Referral Fee On Injury Case
The Rothenberg Law Firm LLP is going after a fellow personal injury firm in Pennsylvania for alleged breach of contract, contending it has refused to pay referral fees on a civil rights case against the city of Scranton that was settled for $900,000.
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September 10, 2024
Ex-Conn. Town Atty Slams Official's Defamation Suit Defense
The former attorney for Newington, Connecticut, and the town's tax assessor bickered over whether the latter's allegedly defamatory sentiments linked to now-dismissed ethics complaints were made publicly, with the lawyer insisting the statements were made to select groups of individuals and therefore weren't motivated by concern for the municipality's citizens.
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September 10, 2024
Will Tom Girardi's Age Impact His Sentence?
Disbarred attorney Tom Girardi's age and mental decline did not help him avoid conviction last month on charges that he stole millions in client funds, but it's an open question how much these factors will affect his sentencing, set for December.
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September 10, 2024
Symbion Claims 'Serious Defects' In Power Plant Arbitration
A U.S. power engineering company has urged a New York federal court to rip up an arbitral award issued over a sourced project in Madagascar, arguing that the process was tainted by "a myriad of serious defects" that led to an unfair decision.
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September 10, 2024
Fulton County Tries To Chop Court Staffer's Harassment Suit
A Georgia county this week fired back against a former courts employee's claims she was disciplined, passed over for promotion and threatened with a longer commute for speaking out about a supervisor's sexual abuse, contending her lawsuit is missing key supporting facts.
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September 10, 2024
Philips Balks At Dentons' Request To Exit IP Case
Dutch health technology conglomerate Philips Medical Systems Nederland BV is balking at Dentons US LLP's request to withdraw as counsel for Transtate Equipment Co. Inc. in a wide-ranging copyright and unfair competition case, insinuating that the move is a stalling tactic to avoid a final judgment.
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September 10, 2024
FAMU Must Face Law Professor's Race Bias Claims
A Florida federal judge won't toss a Florida A&M University College of Law professor's suit claiming that she was subjected to race-based discrimination, ruling that although her latest complaint could benefit from "significant refinement," it properly alleges her claims.
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September 09, 2024
Klayman's PGA Tour Antitrust Case Tossed By Fla. Court
Conservative legal firebrand Larry Klayman said Friday he will appeal a Florida court's decision to dismiss his lawsuit accusing the PGA Tour of colluding with the Official World Golf Ranking and others to kill the LIV Golf tour and overcharging spectators.
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September 09, 2024
Spain Hit With $18B Claim Over Massive Malaysia Award
Spain is facing an $18 billion claim asserted by a group of Filipinos who accuse the country of stymying their efforts to enforce a $14.9 billion arbitral award against Malaysia, which they won following a land use dispute over a portion of territory along the northern coast of Borneo.
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September 09, 2024
Lewis Brisbois Denied Early Win In Real Estate Broker's Suit
A Los Angeles judge on Monday declined to dismiss a breach of contract suit brought against Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP by a real estate broker, saying that although he has some problems with the pleadings, they meet the standard to survive the law firm's demurrer.
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September 09, 2024
Wash. Justices Disbar Atty For Theft From Cannabis Investors
Washington state's high court has ordered an attorney be disbarred for mishandling client funds, lying to investors who poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into a cannabis venture and failing to disclose conflicts of interest, adopting the state bar association's disciplinary recommendations despite objections from the lawyer.
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September 09, 2024
NY Courts' Limits On Ethics Data Broke Law, Watchdog Says
In a rebuke to the New York state court system, an official transparency watchdog has said current restrictions on public access to judges' financial disclosures violate the state's Freedom of Information Law.
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September 09, 2024
Durbin Calls For Justice Thomas To Recuse Over Wife's Email
A top Democratic lawmaker called on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to bow out of cases involving a conservative Christian legal organization following reports his wife praised the group for fighting court reform efforts, saying Monday her comments create a "clear appearance" of partiality requiring the justice's recusal.
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September 09, 2024
Mass. High Court Hints At Notice Rule To Open Clerk Hearings
Justices of Massachusetts' highest court on Monday appeared to signal that 28 men accused of patronizing high-end brothels catering to attorneys, political figures and other high-profile clients should have been given a chance to oppose a request by news organizations to open what are normally closed-door hearings.
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September 09, 2024
Dems To Bring Back Judiciary Accountability Bill
In the coming weeks, Democrats in the House and Senate will be reintroducing a bill that they say will better protect the approximately 30,000 federal judiciary employees from discrimination and sexual harassment, two lawmakers said on Monday.
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September 09, 2024
DC Circ. Revives Legal Malpractice Suit Over Terrorism Case
The D.C. Circuit has revived legal malpractice claims brought by the family of a bombing victim who was killed in Jerusalem in 1997 by Hamas militants, after the family claimed their counsel's slow progress deprived them of a chance at a larger recovery in a mass disbursement of Iranian assets to terrorism victims.
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September 09, 2024
Conn. Atty Defaults In Real Estate Client's Overcharge Suit
A Connecticut Superior Court clerk has entered a default judgment against a law firm accused of botching a real estate transaction, leaving the firm's namesake attorney to face allegations that he distributed home sale proceeds to unknown people and wrote a bad check to the true beneficiary of a trust.
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September 09, 2024
Zeta MDL Judge Limits Talk Of Arnold & Itkin Billing 'Scheme'
A Harris County judge said on Monday she would limit what questions a drilling rig owner could ask witnesses about where they received medical care during an upcoming trial amid allegations that attorneys for seamen injured while on the ship during Hurricane Zeta engaged in a scheme to inflate medical bills.
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September 09, 2024
No Re-Do In Ex-Defender's Sex Bias Case Against Judiciary
A Massachusetts federal judge declined on Monday to reconsider his ruling that the federal judiciary did not violate the rights of a former North Carolina public defender because the attorney had not adequately put her office on notice of her sexual harassment claims.
Expert Analysis
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How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond
As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.
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Series
Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer
My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.
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How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'
Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.
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Opinion
Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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The Ethics of Using Generative AI In Environmental Law
The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools is challenging environmental lawyers, consultants and government agencies to determine when and how these tools can be responsibly, ethically and productively integrated into their practices to streamline research, predictive analytics and regulatory compliance, say Ahlia Bethea and Pamela Esterman at Sive Paget.
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What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
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Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
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Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: August Lessons
In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers certification cases touching on classwide evidence of injury from debt collection practices, defining coupon settlements under the Class Action Fairness Act, proper approaches for evaluating attorney fee awards in class action settlements, and more.
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Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Crypto Gatekeepers May Be The Next Front Of Enforcement
Lawyers and other professionals who advise cryptocurrency companies should beware regulators' increasing focus on gatekeeper accountability, and should take several measures to fulfill their ethical and legal obligations, including implementing a robust vetting mechanism when representing crypto clients, say Temidayo Aganga-Williams and Xinchen Li at Selendy Gay.
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Series
Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.