Legal Ethics

  • July 15, 2025

    Funding 'Crisis' Jeopardizes Indigent Defense, Judiciary Says

    The judiciary rang the alarm on Tuesday that funding has been exhausted for the private attorneys who represent indigent federal criminal defendants, and this predicament is expected to last for three months.

  • July 15, 2025

    Atty Suspended In Fla. After Conviction In Fatal Texas Crash

    The Florida Supreme Court has suspended a Texas-based attorney who was also admitted to practice in the Sunshine State after he struck and killed two people while driving to a city council meeting in November 2021.

  • July 15, 2025

    Reed Smith Says Docs Slipped Through Stay In Eletson Row

    Reed Smith has asked the Second Circuit to again step in and block new owners of reorganized Greece-based international shipping company Eletson from viewing communications between the firm and the company's prior owners, saying that, despite a stay already in place, the new owners were allowed to acquire some files.

  • July 14, 2025

    BCBS Defends $2.8B Provider Antitrust Deal Amid Objections

    Blue Cross Blue Shield asked an Alabama federal judge on Friday to approve a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement with hospitals and other healthcare providers over its territorial policies, arguing that recent objections to the deal's release provision are meritless and the settlement preserves "key, procompetitive features" of the insurance system.

  • July 14, 2025

    WilmerHale DQed From Representing Verizon In Patent Row

    A federal magistrate judge in Texas has disqualified WilmerHale from representing Verizon on the eve of a trial over allegations that the telecommunications company infringed wireless communications patents owned by Headwater Research.

  • July 14, 2025

    Mich. Judge Claims Watchdog's Process Violates Due Process

    A Michigan judge accused by the state's judicial watchdog of creating a "climate of fear" among court staff is fighting the accusations, saying interpersonal issues were related to her "desire for accurate records, professionalism and respect" and calling the commission's pursuit of charges "misdirected and unfair."

  • July 14, 2025

    Fla. Landlord Accuses Akerman Of Botching Lease Language

    Real estate investor Turner Healthcare Facilities Fund LP on Monday accused its former Akerman LLP counsel in a south Florida state court of having committed a $45 million "mistake" by approving unenforceable clauses in leases on properties the investor owned.

  • July 14, 2025

    Girardi Keese CFO Gets 5 Concurrent Years For Aiding Theft

    Girardi Keese's former accounting head should serve more than five years alongside the 10 he's already logging for his role in helping Tom Girardi steal millions from plane crash clients who'd settled their cases in Chicago, an Illinois federal judge said Monday.

  • July 14, 2025

    Ga. Judge Calls Atty 'Unworthy Of Belief' As Ethics Case Ends

    A Georgia superior court judge facing ethics charges on Monday urged the state's judicial watchdog to either privately reprimand or suspend her for no more than 30 days if it decides punishment is needed in the case brought against her by the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission. 

  • July 14, 2025

    San Francisco DA: 'Tough On Crime' Can Also Be Thoughtful

    In 2022, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins took charge of an office in turmoil after leading a successful recall effort against her predecessor, whom she criticized as too soft on crime. Now, Jenkins is under harsh public scrutiny as she works to shift the office's priorities. In this audio interview with the new Criminal Practice Law360, she discusses some of the challenges — and opportunities — of one of the highest-profile and most politicized prosecutors' offices in the nation.

  • July 14, 2025

    CFTC Must Pay $3M In Atty Fees As Sanctions In Forex Case

    A New Jersey federal judge ordered the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday to pay back over $3.1 million in attorney fees to a foreign exchange company after dismissing the regulator's case for bad-faith sanctionable behavior.

  • July 14, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Reexamine Sentence Of Convicted Fla. Atty

    The Eleventh Circuit has rejected a Florida lawyer's request to reconsider her 75-month prison sentence for a COVID-19 loan fraud scheme.

  • July 14, 2025

    End Of NJ Municipal Court Official's Harassment Suit Upheld

    A former New Jersey municipal court administrator cannot sue the state Administrative Office of the Courts in a sexual harassment case because she was never an employee of the office, the state Appellate Division said Monday in a published opinion.

  • July 14, 2025

    UAE Prisoner Voluntarily Drops Suit Against Ex-Dechert GC

    A Jordanian lawyer imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates has permanently dropped a Philadelphia civil suit seeking discovery against Dechert LLP's former general counsel in the U.S. over what the law firm's leadership knew of alleged human rights abuses committed by a former partner.

  • July 14, 2025

    Firing Of DOJ Ethics Chief Draws Watchdog Groups' Concerns

    Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired the attorney responsible for advising the U.S. Department of Justice's top officials on matters of ethics, according to a Monday social media post by that ethics lawyer.

  • July 11, 2025

    Adams Loses Suit Seeking Reelection Campaign Match Funds

    A Brooklyn federal judge Friday backed the New York City Campaign Finance Board's decision to deny Mayor Eric Adams $3.5 million in reelection campaign matching funds, saying the board didn't deny the funds solely due to now-tossed corruption charges against the mayor.

  • July 11, 2025

    4th Circ. Tosses Ex-Baltimore Prosecutor's Fraud Conviction

    A split Fourth Circuit on Friday tossed the mortgage fraud conviction of former Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, finding that the jury was improperly instructed on where the crime occurred, but upheld her perjury conviction.

  • July 11, 2025

    Ill. Judge Wants Limited Ethics Claim Info In Aid-Fixing Suit

    An Illinois federal judge weighing ethical fee concerns in an aid-fixing suit against several elite universities said Friday that the class attorney who raised the issue should outline his dispute in a sealed filing before the court decides whether discovery should be taken over it.

  • July 11, 2025

    3rd Circ. Revives Benicar MDL Fees Suit Against NJ Law Firm

    The Third Circuit on Friday revived a proposed class action against Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman LLC attorneys that claims they took excessive fees from plaintiffs' settlements in multidistrict litigation over the blood pressure drug Benicar, remanding the dispute for the district court to determine whether it has jurisdiction over the case.

  • July 11, 2025

    NJ Libel Suit Against 'Legal Edutainer' Tossed For Good

    A New Jersey federal judge on Friday tossed for good claims that a self-proclaimed online "legal edutainer" defamed the founder of a company that aims to help celebrities in mental health crises, finding that the complaint failed to remedy earlier complaints' pleading defects.

  • July 11, 2025

    7th Circ. Affirms End To Vandalism Dispute Over Key Records

    The Seventh Circuit upheld discovery sanctions against an Indianapolis hotel owner after an Indiana federal court found it repeatedly failed to hand over records relating to whether the property was deemed "vacant" per the terms of its property insurance policy with a Liberty Mutual unit.

  • July 11, 2025

    Ramey IP Atty Sanctioned But Beats Netflix's Contempt Bid

    A California federal judge sanctioned a prolific patent plaintiff's former counsel William Ramey and the Ramey LLP law firm for sharing Netflix's confidential information with a third party while pursuing patent infringement claims against Netflix, but he declined to review whether Ramey should be held in civil contempt.

  • July 11, 2025

    Feds Flag Possible Atty Conflict In Cuellar Bribery Case

    Federal prosecutors on Friday asked for a hearing in the bribery case of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas to determine if one of his lawyers should bow out because he previously represented a witness whom he helped set up a consulting firm allegedly used to funnel money to the congressman.

  • July 11, 2025

    Bove Faults 'Heavy-Handed' Jan. 6 Cases

    Third Circuit nominee Emil Bove, who is currently serving in the U.S. Department of Justice, in his post-hearing questionnaire obtained by Law360 on Friday, drew what he says is a distinction between condemning violence against law enforcement officers and over-prosecution of Jan. 6 rioters.

  • July 11, 2025

    Pa. Panel Won't Give Town Official Immunity For Atty Insult

    A Pennsylvania township commissioner isn't entitled to immunity for remarks he made at a meeting about an attorney and her opposition to a neighbor's use of his property, since he was not speaking at his own meeting or addressing a matter of public importance, a state appellate panel has ruled

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Immigration Atty Tips For Avoiding Prosecution Under Trump

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    Under the incoming Trump administration, immigration attorneys may need to protect themselves from prosecution when advising clients who may not qualify for relief sought by choosing their words carefully and keeping other key factors in mind, says Michele Carney at Carney & Marchi.

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