Legal Ethics

  • October 22, 2024

    The 2024 Prestige Leaders

    Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.

  • October 22, 2024

    How Law Firms Get And Keep Elite Status

    For decades, a handful of New York-based law firms thoroughly dominated the national consciousness when it came to power, profitability and prestige. But in today's legal market, increased movement of partners and clients from one firm to the next has begun to shake things up and create opportunities for go-getters to ascend the ranks.

  • October 22, 2024

    Grassley Probes Delayed Charges For Threat To Trump Judge

    U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is seeking answers as to why it took the U.S. Department of Justice four months to indict an Illinois man for allegedly threatening to kidnap and murder the Florida federal judge who handled Donald Trump's classified documents case.

  • October 22, 2024

    Ex-Ga. Insurance Commissioner Gives Up Law License

    Georgia's justices accepted John Oxendine's voluntary surrender of his law license on Tuesday, months after the former state insurance commissioner was sentenced to prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar medical testing kickback scheme.

  • October 22, 2024

    Reebok Settles Testy TM Suit With Italian Shoemaker

    Reebok has settled a suit claiming Italian shoemaker Autry USA LLC ripped off several of the sneaker giant's trademarks, ending a contentious case that saw Reebok seek to sanction its rival for what it termed "underhanded" tactics.

  • October 22, 2024

    Ga. Justices Toss Young Thug Atty's Contempt Conviction

    The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out the contempt conviction of the attorney representing the rapper Young Thug over the lawyer's refusal to disclose how he learned about a judge's closed-door meeting with prosecutors and a witness, saying that judge was "involved in the controversy" and thus should not have handled the contempt hearing.

  • October 21, 2024

    Ex-Holland & Knight Atty Slams 'Incendiary' Client Info Suit

    A former Holland & Knight LLP partner asked a Pennsylvania federal judge Monday to toss a lawsuit alleging he unlawfully accessed a client's confidential documents in order to gain an upper hand in his contentious divorce, saying the "incendiary and defamatory" complaint is vague and fails to state viable claims.

  • October 21, 2024

    Target Wants Sanctions For 'Bogus' BIPA Suit

    An Illinois federal judge should sanction a group of Target customers and their lawyers for pursuing a facial recognition privacy case even though the plaintiffs had seen evidence their legal theory was "bogus," the retail giant says.

  • October 21, 2024

    Firm Fired HR Manager Because Of Pregnancy, Fla. Jury Told

    The lawyer for a former human resources manager at a South Florida law firm told a federal jury Monday that she was fired for being pregnant, saying that her ex-employer made her come into work despite a doctor's note telling her to stay home after determining that she had a high-risk pregnancy.

  • October 21, 2024

    Wade Says Trump Probe Plans Began Before Willis Took Office

    Former Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade told Georgia House Judiciary Committee staff last week that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis planned to pursue charges against former president Donald Trump before she officially took the job and admitted to meeting with White House officials at least twice during the Georgia investigation.

  • October 21, 2024

    Calif. Atty Disbarred For Gambling With Client Cash

    A California attorney has been disbarred after misappropriating almost $117,000 from his clients and using much of that money for his gambling habit while claiming to be terminally ill with cancer.  

  • October 21, 2024

    Disbarred Conn. Atty Owed $52K In Fees, Appeals Court Told

    An attorney disbarred for making false claims in a judicial recusal motion is seeking $52,100 in fees derived from a State Farm car accident settlement and various other sources, telling the Connecticut Appellate Court on Monday that a trial judge improperly weighed the fees during her later discipline case.

  • October 21, 2024

    Atty's Brother Says Sibling Feud Is Harassment Campaign

    A Michigan attorney's brother and former business partner has accused the attorney of filing baseless lawsuits and harassing his employees in an attempt to squeeze money out of him, as the businessman countered a motion to block him from attending depositions.

  • October 21, 2024

    Seton Hall Ex-Chair Fights Transfer Of Whistleblower Suit

    Seton Hall University's former board chair on Monday sought to prevent the transfer of a whistleblower case from the school's former president out of New Jersey's Essex County state court due to a supposed conflict of interest, following a similar motion last week from the university itself.

  • October 21, 2024

    Ex-Florida Bar Prez Accused Of Malpractice In Divorce Case

    A former Florida Bar president has been sued in state court by an ex-client who accused the attorney of legal malpractice in a divorce case, saying she breached her duty by dragging out the proceeding and causing damages stemming from a disagreement over a marital residence.

  • October 21, 2024

    Last-Minute Letter Delays Mich. Atty's Voting Machine Trial

    A Michigan state judge delayed a jury trial Monday for a lawyer accused of unlawfully accessing 2020 voting machines, after the attorney accused prosecutors overnight of hiding a letter outlining county clerks' "prerogative" to release the machines to some parties.

  • October 21, 2024

    9th Circ. Revives Atty's ADA Suit Against Calif. Bar

    The State Bar of California may not have sovereign immunity that would allow it to duck an attorney's federal lawsuit claiming it failed to provide him with adequate disability accommodations during a bar exam amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ninth Circuit said Monday.

  • October 21, 2024

    Ga. Atty Admits To Role In $1.3B Tax Shelter Scheme

    A Georgia attorney has pled guilty in federal court related to helping orchestrate a $1.3 billion tax scheme involving fraudulent conservation easements, making him the 12th person convicted over the plot, including another attorney who was handed a 23-year prison sentence.

  • October 21, 2024

    Philly Judge Challenges Sanction For Unapproved Absence

    A Philadelphia Municipal Court judge is appealing sanctions ordered by a Pennsylvania disciplinary court which found she had committed an ethical violation when she prematurely signed court paperwork in order to take an unapproved personal day to travel to Florida.

  • October 21, 2024

    Judge Cites University Ties To Bow Out Of Aid-Fixing Suit

    An Illinois federal judge has recused herself from a proposed antitrust class action against 40 private colleges, reasoning that she has a relationship with one of the university defendants.

  • October 21, 2024

    Conn. Firm Says Attys, Restaurants Filed 'Malicious' Suit

    A restaurant chain and its attorneys abused the legal process by "frivolously and maliciously" suing a plaintiff-side firm after it ran ads alerting workers they might have wage claims against the restaurant, a lawsuit filed in Connecticut state court has alleged.

  • October 21, 2024

    Justices Pass On Cohen Suit Blaming Trump For Prison Stint

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a case brought against Donald Trump by his former personal attorney Michael Cohen, who claimed that he was vindictively put in prison for writing a memoir that painted the former president in a negative light.

  • October 21, 2024

    Nurick Law Group Settles NJ Suit Over Whistleblower Case

    Pennsylvania-based Nurick Law Group LLC has settled a legal malpractice case brought by a former employee of an HVAC company who claimed that the firm mishandled his whistleblower case.

  • October 21, 2024

    Litigation Funding Firms Aim To Escape Hurricane Ad Suit

    Two litigation funders are urging a Texas federal court to adopt a magistrate judge's recommendation to toss claims against them in a proposed class action alleging a law firm deceptively advertised to hurricane victims.

  • October 21, 2024

    Fla. Dept.'s Ex-GC Says Gov.'s Office Directed TV Ad Letters

    The former general counsel for the Florida Department of Health said Monday that he was directed by Gov. Ron DeSantis' office to send out letters threatening television stations with criminal prosecution if they did not pull a campaign ad promoting an abortion rights ballot initiative.

Expert Analysis

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Asserting 'Presence-Of-Counsel' Defense In Securities Trials

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    As illustrated by the fraud trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, defense attorneys in securities trials might consider arguing that counsel had some involvement in the conduct at issue — if the more formal advice-of-counsel defense is unavailable and circumstances allow for a privilege waiver, say Joseph Dever and Matthew Elkin at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Key Takeaways From DOJ's Recent FARA Advisory Opinions

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    The U.S. Department of Justice recently published several redacted advisory opinions on the Foreign Agents Registration Act, clarifying its current thinking on when a person or entity is required to register as a foreign agent under the statute, and when they may qualify for an exemption, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley Rein.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • 1st Tax Easement Convictions Will Likely Embolden DOJ, IRS

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    After recent convictions in the first criminal tax fraud trial over allegedly abusive syndicated conservation easements, the IRS and U.S. Department of Justice will likely pursue other promoters for similar alleged conspiracies — though one acquittal may help attorneys better evaluate their clients' exposure, say Bill Curtis and Lauren DeSantis-Then at Polsinelli.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys

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    Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.

  • Series

    Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.

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