Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Courts
-
Seattle Atty, Judge Lead Contested Wash. State Justice Race
A Seattle attorney and a municipal judge were leading late Tuesday in a four-way primary race for a contested seat on the Washington State Supreme Court.
-
Girardi Used Client Funds As 'Personal Piggy Bank,' Jury Told
The prosecution and defense painted starkly different portraits of Tom Girardi during opening statements Tuesday in the disbarred attorney's criminal fraud trial, with a California federal prosecutor saying Girardi stole millions from vulnerable clients while his lawyer described him as an "old man" losing his memory and exploited by an underling.
-
Possible Juror Naps Don't Tank Conviction, Conn. Justices Rule
A man's murder conviction and 65-year prison sentence will stand despite his protests that the trial judge should have intervened more strongly when a juror seemed to fall asleep several times on the first day of testimony, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
-
Ex-Judge Jones, Jackson Walker To Defend Meeting
Former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David R. Jones and Jackson Walker LLP will have to explain during a hearing Wednesday why they had an "off-the-record" conversation with each other in July, as a messy court case stemming from Jones' secret romance with a onetime lawyer at the firm hits several hurdles during discovery.
-
McBurney Steps Down From Ga. Judicial Watchdog Panel
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert C.I. McBurney is stepping down as head of Georgia's Judicial Qualifications Commission hearing panel and will be replaced by Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Brian Rickman, the Georgia Supreme Court said Tuesday.
-
39 Law Firms Call On 6th Circ. To Reverse FirstEnergy Ruling
Dozens of law firms have signed on to an amicus curiae brief urging the Sixth Circuit to reverse a decision in a FirstEnergy shareholder litigation, the latest voices in the legal, insurance and business communities to call on the appellate court to reverse an Ohio federal judge's ruling they warn will threaten attorney-client privilege.
-
Former Judge's Misconduct May Spark Fights Over Conflicts
Many of the defendants in criminal cases presided over by disgraced District of Alaska Judge Joshua Kindred could try to have their convictions or sentences overturned due to the judge's allegedly inappropriate relationships with attorneys, with ethics experts saying such attempts could prove successful but also challenging.
-
'Rust' Prosecutor Says Confused Judge Tossed Baldwin Case
A New Mexico prosecutor has denied hiding exculpatory evidence or lying under oath during Alec Baldwin's botched trial in the "Rust" shooting, contending in a court filing that a confused judge wrongly threw out involuntary manslaughter charges against the actor.
-
Fla. Judicial Ethics Panel Sets Parameters For Elections
Florida's Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee has handed down a pair of opinions for judges navigating elections involving a judicial assistant and a judge's spouse.
-
ABA Tells States To Nix Rape Disclosures For Bar Applicants
The American Bar Association unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday that calls on state admission authorities to stop asking would-be lawyers to disclose their experiences of sexual violence and harassment during the attorney licensure process.
-
Feds Say Marathon Bomber Can't Oust Judge Amid Retrial Bid
Federal prosecutors said lawyers for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev misconstrued a local rule in seeking a different judge to consider his bid for a new sentencing trial.
-
5th Circ. Finds No Misconduct In Judges' Columbia Boycott
Eight federal judges did not violate ethical rules or standards when they decided earlier this year not to hire alumni of Columbia University or its law school as clerks in response to its handling of student protests over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council decided Friday.
-
Justices Reject Missouri's Bid To Block Trump's NY Gag Order
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Monday an effort by Missouri's Republican attorney general to lift convicted former President Donald Trump's gag order on First Amendment grounds and delay sentencing in his New York criminal hush money case until after the general election.
-
New Colo. Chief Justice Angles For More Judges
Colorado Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez said Monday she is preparing to ask state lawmakers for more money to expand the state court bench, including possible additions to the intermediate court of appeals, which a National Center for State Courts report found is understaffed.
-
Del. Court Declines To Reopen Biden Documents Case
Delaware's Superior Court on Monday declined to reopen litigation from two conservative organizations that sued for access to a trove of documents U.S. President Joe Biden donated to the University of Delaware in 2012, concluding that newly discovered evidence wasn't relevant enough to change the case.
-
Deficient Defense Warrants New Trial, Mich. Panel Says
A split Michigan appellate panel has given a second chance at trial to a man accused of evading and resisting arrest, with judges finding his defense counsel was deficient in his first trial — failing to object to prosecutors' presentation of an unredacted warrant and assertion he is "a criminal."
-
Girardi's Defense May Stand On His Deteriorating Mind
Although a federal judge ruled disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi mentally competent to stand trial this month for wire fraud, the 85-year-old's defense team may use his dementia diagnosis to attack prosecutors' allegations he knowingly and intentionally stole millions of dollars from his clients, experts said.
-
With Death Of 1st Black Justice, NJ 'Lost One Of Its Treasures'
James H. Coleman Jr., a sharecropper's son who rose to become New Jersey's first Black state Supreme Court justice, first Black Appellate Division judge and a force for civil rights in the Garden State, has died, according to a Sunday announcement.
-
Atlanta, County Say Cops' Firing Claims 'Rife With Conjecture'
Fulton County, Georgia, and the city of Atlanta are urging the Eleventh Circuit to reject the "unadorned conspiracy theories" of two police officers who allege they were wrongly fired and arrested over their widely publicized shooting of a Black man in the city in the summer of 2020.
-
Dems Unearth Another Thomas Trip Paid For By Harlan Crow
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas took a previously undisclosed trip between Hawaii and New Zealand on a billionaire Republican donor's private jet in 2010, lawmakers revealed in a letter Monday that offered the donor a "final opportunity" to explain how that trip and others don't constitute a tax fraud scheme.
-
.jpg)
Jackson Walker, Ex-Judge Could Face Sanctions Over Chat
A Texas bankruptcy court is demanding answers and threatening sanctions over an "off-the-record" interview between former bankruptcy judge David R. Jones and attorneys for Jackson Walker LLP, in the midst of a federal investigation into Jones' secret romantic relationship with a onetime Jackson Walker attorney.
-
Kirkland & Ellis Adds Ex-Prosecutor As IP Partner In Calif.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP has bolstered its intellectual property litigation capabilities in its Bay Area office with the addition of a seasoned senior federal prosecutor, who has experience with high-profile cases like that of the attempted kidnapping of then-Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and the attack on her husband.
-
Meet The Attorneys In Tom Girardi's Criminal Fraud Trial
When Tom Girardi's criminal fraud trial gets underway this week, the notorious disbarred attorney will be facing a team of seasoned federal prosecutors who've convicted several former Los Angeles City Council members, a sitting U.S. congressman, insider traders, Ponzi schemers and con artists who bilked millions from their victims.
-
The 'No Nonsense' Calif. Judge Overseeing Girardi's Trial
The California federal judge who will preside over the closely watched criminal trial of disgraced attorney Tom Girardi is a veteran jurist who runs a tight ship, but is also known for being extraordinarily thorough and thoughtful.
-
What To Watch Out For During Girardi's Trial
With evidence of allegedly stolen millions and attempted escapes to the Bahamas taking center stage, disgraced attorney Tom Girardi's criminal trial is set to begin Tuesday at the murky intersection of client theft and TV celebrity, where attorneys will grapple with novel legal issues like the use of evidence from a bankruptcy trustee.
Expert Analysis
-
Ditch The Frills And Start Writing Legal Letters In Plain English
To become more effective advocates, lawyers need to rethink the ridiculous, convoluted language they use in correspondence and write letters in a clear, concise and direct manner, says legal writing instructor Stuart Teicher.
-
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can I Negotiate My Separation Agreement?
Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey discusses how a law firm associate can navigate being laid off, what to look for in a separation agreement and why to be upfront about it with prospective employers.
-
DoNotPay Cases Underscore Hurdles For AI-Fueled Legal Help
Recent legal challenges against DoNotPay’s "robot lawyer” application highlight pressing questions about the degree to which artificial intelligence can be used for legal tasks while remaining on the right side of both consumer protection laws and prohibitions against the unauthorized practice of law, says Kristen Niven at Frankfurt Kurnit.
-
For The Future Of Legal Practice, Let's Learn From The Past
At some level, every practicing lawyer is experiencing the ever-increasing speed of change — and while some practice management processes have gotten more efficient, other things about the legal profession were better before supposed improvements were made, says Jay Silberblatt, president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
-
Why All Law Firms Should Foster Psychological Capital
Law firms will be able to reap great long-term benefits if they adopt strategies to nurture four critical components of their employees' psychological wellness and performance — hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism, says Dennis Stolle at the American Psychological Association.
-
ChatGPT Is A Cool Trick, But AI Won't Replace Lawyers
Generative AI applications like ChatGPT are unlikely to ever replace attorneys for a variety of practical reasons — but given their practice-enhancing capabilities, lawyers who fail to leverage these tools may be rendered obsolete, says Eran Kahana at Maslon.
-
Pro Bono Work Is Valuable In IP And Continued Learning
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent elimination of a rule that partially counted pro bono work toward continuing legal education highlights the importance of volunteer work in intellectual property practice and its ties to CLE, and puts a valuable tool for hands-on attorney education in the hands of the states, say Lisa Holubar and Ariel Katz at Irwin.
-
Increasing Public Access To Legal Services: A Practical Plan
Recommendations recently issued by a special committee of the Florida Bar represent a realistic, pragmatic approach to increasing the accessibility and affordability of legal services, at a time when the disconnect between the legal profession and the public at large has widened considerably, says Gary Lesser, president of the Florida Bar.
-
Priorities For Improving The Legal Industry In Texas
To assist Texas lawyers in effectively executing their duties, we should be working on succession planning, attorney wellness, and increasing understanding of the grievance system by both bar members and the public, says Laura Gibson, president of the State Bar of Texas.
-
Leading Your Law Firm's Creation Of A New Practice Group
Marjorie Peerce and Peter Jaslow at Ballard Spahr discuss the challenges of building a new law firm practice group from the ground up, and how sustained commitment, communication and collaboration are the key ingredients for success.
-
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Do I Relay Shortcomings To Associates?
Michael Cohen at Duane Morris discusses the best ways to articulate how an associate is not meeting expectations, and why documentation of performance management is crucial for their growth and protecting the firm from discrimination suits.
-
10 Principles For Effective Partner Reward Systems
Several forces are reshaping partners’ expectations about profit-sharing, and as compensation structures evolve in response, firms should keep certain fundamentals in mind to build a successful partner reward system, say Michael Roch at MHPR Advisors and Ray D'Cruz at Performance Leader.
-
Why Interdisciplinarity Is Key To Designing The Future Of Law
The legal profession faces challenges that urgently demand new solutions, and lawyers and firms can address this by leaning on other industries that have more experience practicing, teaching and incorporating innovation into their core business and service models, says Jennifer Leonard at the University of Pennsylvania.
-
Incorporating ADA Guidance Into Lawyer Wellness Movement
The Americans with Disabilities Act and rules of professional conduct may help the legal profession promote lawyer well-being by focusing on mental conditions' actual impact, rather than on associated stereotypes, says Alex Long at the University of Tennessee College of Law.
-
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can New Partners Generate Business?
Christine Wong at MoFo discusses how newly elected partners can prioritize business development by creating a strategic plan with the firm's marketing team and strengthening relationships with professional and personal networks.