Legal Ethics

  • June 28, 2024

    Baldwin Loses Third Bid To Dismiss 'Rust' Shooting Case

    A New Mexico state judge on Friday rejected Alec Baldwin's argument that his indictment on involuntary manslaughter charges in the "Rust" film shooting case should be thrown out because forensic tests damaged the actor's gun, a key piece of evidence in the case.

  • June 28, 2024

    Buchanan Ingersoll Can't Dump Harrisburg Incinerator Row

    A Pennsylvania appellate court won't let Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC exit long-running litigation over a trash incinerator project that sent the state's capital city into financial distress, ruling Friday that there was still ambiguity about whether the law firm's advice had been correct.

  • June 28, 2024

    NY Law Firm Botched Gas Co. Sale, Ex-Client Says

    Albany, New York-based Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP is facing a lawsuit in New York federal court alleging it failed to properly structure the sale of a gas company and caused its owner to incur an avoidable tax liability.

  • June 28, 2024

    Retired Calif. Judge Known For Ethics Work Dies At 87

    Retired Los Angeles County Judge David M. Rothman, known for writing three editions of the California Judicial Conduct Handbook, died Tuesday in Berkeley, California, at age 87.

  • June 28, 2024

    Eric Trump Can Shield Most Docs In Ex-Aide's Retaliation Suit

    Eric Trump can assert attorney-client privilege to avoid turning over most of a batch of emails sought by Trump 2016 campaign aide Arlene "AJ" Delgado in her pregnancy retaliation suit claiming she was banished from former President Donald Trump's orbit after a fellow staffer got her pregnant.

  • June 28, 2024

    GOP Rep. Says 'Inherent Contempt' Vote Coming After Recess

    The Republican lawmaker spearheading a new inherent contempt effort for Attorney General Merrick Garland said it has the backing of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and would occur after the July 4 congressional recess.

  • June 28, 2024

    Pashman Stein Can't Escape Negligence Claims, NJ Atty Says

    A New Jersey attorney who countersued Pashman Stein Walder Hayden PC after the firm accused him of ducking a nearly $100,000 legal bill is urging a state court to reject what he says are the firm's "frivolous" calls to toss his negligence counterclaims.

  • June 28, 2024

    Indicted Brown & Connery Atty Removed From Rutgers Board

    Brown & Connery LLP partner William Tambussi, who was indicted last week for his alleged role in a wide-ranging extortion scheme led by powerful Garden State businessman George Norcross III, has been removed from his seat on the Rutgers University Board of Governors, officials confirmed Friday.

  • June 28, 2024

    Bannon Can't Dodge Prison In Contempt Appeal

    Steve Bannon must go to prison Monday, according to a U.S. Supreme Court order Friday rejecting the former Trump White House chief strategist's bid to stave off his four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.

  • June 28, 2024

    High Court Enters July With 3 Rulings To Go

    In a rare move, the U.S. Supreme Court will issue opinions into the beginning of July as the court tries to clear its merits docket of three remaining cases dealing with presidential immunity, whether governments can control social media platforms' content moderation policies and the appropriate deadline to challenge agency action. 

  • June 27, 2024

    Ozy Media's Gov't Misconduct Claims Won't Derail Fraud Case

    A New York federal judge on Thursday rejected a bid by Ozy Media and the defunct company's founder to toss the criminal fraud case against them, saying they hadn't shown they were prejudiced by a U.S. attorney's office's social media post or that documents obtained by prosecutors were protected by attorney-client privilege.

  • June 27, 2024

    Roche Freedman, Ousted Ex-Partner Settle Ahead Of July Trial

    The law firm formerly known as Roche Freedman LLP and ousted partner Jason Cyrulnik informed a New York federal judge Thursday they've cut a confidential deal to resolve their contentious legal battle over Cyrulnik's departure, ending the litigation weeks before the case was set to go to a jury trial.

  • June 27, 2024

    Criticism Of Fla. Judge's Order Is Free Speech, ACLU Says

    The American Civil Liberties Union came to the defense of two Florida attorneys facing discipline before the state's high court over critical remarks about an Orlando judge's order in a discrimination case, arguing that suspending their licenses for 30 days would violate the First Amendment.

  • June 27, 2024

    Paxton Attys To Testify In Federal Probe, 5th Circ. Indicates

    A federal grand jury impaneled to weigh Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's alleged abuses of office is set to continue hearing witness testimony next week, a recently published Fifth Circuit opinion indicates.

  • June 27, 2024

    North Carolina's Western District Issues AI Standing Order

    Attorneys in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina will now have a tougher time experimenting with generative artificial intelligence, after the court's judges issued a standing order requiring lawyers to file a certification alongside every brief stating that AI was not used to help prepare the brief.

  • June 27, 2024

    Judge Slams 'Unacceptable' Misstated Case Law In PFAS Suit

    A federal magistrate judge in North Carolina chastised class counsel for Tar Heel State residents suing The Chemours Co. and DuPont De Nemours over toxic "forever chemicals" purportedly discharged in their wastewater, after the attorneys "misstated the language of various cases" they cited in a briefing.

  • June 27, 2024

    Colo. GOP Atty Sent Client's $375K To Hacker, Suit Says

    A Colorado attorney and conservative radio personality is facing breach of contract claims in state court after he allegedly wired a client's $375,000 divorce settlement to a purported investment account in Hong Kong despite what the plaintiff, a garden center worker making $14.77 per hour, called clear signs of fraud.

  • June 27, 2024

    AG Says Trump Recusal Bid Relies On 'Distortion Of Facts'

    New York's attorney general says Donald Trump is relying on a "distortion of facts" in seeking to oust the judge who ordered the former president to pay $465 million in penalties in his civil fraud case.

  • June 27, 2024

    Title IX Firm Conspired To File Frivolous Grievance, Suit Says

    A Michigan law firm that specializes in defending college students from Title IX claims alleged another firm conspired with a former joint client to file a grievance complaint to gain leverage in a separate lawsuit over the firms' soured business relationship.

  • June 27, 2024

    House Panel Votes To Hold Biden Ghostwriter In Contempt

    The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-11 along party lines on Thursday, to advance the contempt effort for Mark Zwonitzer, President Joe Biden's ghostwriter, for not turning over documents and recordings related to his work on the president's memoirs that were mentioned in a special counsel's report on the president's handling of classified documents.

  • June 27, 2024

    Ex-Mayoral Candidate Loses Law License For 1 Year In Fla.

    The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday suspended former Miami Beach mayoral candidate Michael Grieco's law license for one year after determining he had accepted an illegal campaign contribution and made misleading public statements about his involvement in a political committee.

  • June 27, 2024

    Fla. Judge Denies Trump's Bid To Toss Mar-A-Lago Warrant

    The Florida judge overseeing Donald Trump's federal criminal case involving allegations of illegally keeping classified documents after leaving the White House denied the former president's bid Thursday for a hearing on the validity of the Mar-a-Lago search, but said she'd consider an evidence suppression hearing.

  • June 27, 2024

    Feds Back Debevoise Bid To Avoid Cognizant Trial Testimony

    The U.S. Department of Justice would like a New Jersey federal court to throw out a subpoena compelling trial testimony from a Debevoise & Plimpton LLP partner regarding an investigation into an alleged bribe the government believes two former Cognizant Technology Solutions executives supplied to an Indian company.

  • June 26, 2024

    Ga. High Court Told To Skip Inventor's 'Clerical Mistake' Fight

    A unit of the analytics giant Clarivate is telling Georgia's highest court that a neurosurgeon's $102 million legal malpractice case over "a clerical mistake" in a patent filing from an aggrieved former FisherBroyles client is definitely "not a cert-worthy case."

  • June 26, 2024

    Disbarred Colo. Injury Atty Faces Another Malpractice Suit

    A Colorado woman is suing a disbarred attorney for malpractice after he allegedly blew the deadline to file her personal injury suit against a grocery store, the third such case against the former lawyer, who faces a $1.2 million default judgment and warrant for his arrest in another malpractice suit.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money

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    As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.

  • Series

    Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

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    Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.

  • Considerations For Lawyer Witnesses After FTX Trial

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    Sam Bankman-Fried's recent trial testimony about his lawyers' involvement in FTX's business highlights the need for attorney-witnesses to understand privilege issues in order to avoid costly discovery disputes and, potentially, uncover critical evidence an adversary might seek to conceal, says Lawrence Bluestone at Genova Burns.

  • Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success

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    Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.

  • Series

    Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.

  • Opinion

    History Reveals Folly Of Absolute Presidential Immunity

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    As a federal appeals court grapples with former President Donald Trump’s claims that he’s immune from prosecution on election interference charges, it’s a fitting time for lawyers to reflect on the rule of law — from 13th century jurisprudence to Watergate and the Clinton impeachment — and how the idea of absolute presidential immunity is unwise, says attorney Steven Reske.

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.

  • Perspectives

    6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

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    Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?

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    Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.

  • Wachtell-X Ruling Highlights Trend On Arbitrability Question

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    A growing body of case law, including a California state court's recent decision in X Corp. v. Wachtell, holds that incorporation of specific arbitral body rules in an arbitration provision may in and of itself constitute clear and unmistakable evidence of delegation of arbitrability to an arbitrator, and thus such clauses should be drafted carefully, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • 7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond

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    The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.

  • On The Edge: Lessons In Patent Litigation Financing

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    A federal judge's recent request that the U.S. Department of Justice look into IP Edge patent litigation, and that counsel be disciplined, serves as a reminder for parties asserting intellectual property rights — and their attorneys — to exercise caution when structuring a litigation financing agreement, say Samuel Habein and James De Vellis at Foley & Lardner.

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