Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Legal Ethics
-
August 05, 2024
Ex-GC Says Steakhouse Chain Can't Ax Or Arbitrate Bias Suit
A former general counsel at steakhouse chain Palm Management is asking a New York federal judge not to toss her lawsuit or force her into arbitration, calling the arbitration clause in her employment agreement "unenforceable due to unconscionability based on the content of the clause."
-
August 05, 2024
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.
-
August 05, 2024
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.
-
August 05, 2024
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.
-
August 04, 2024
DOD Yanks Plea Deals With 9/11 'Mastermind,' 2 Accomplices
U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has killed plea agreements reached last week that would have spared the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. and two other defendants the death penalty.
-
August 02, 2024
Split 2nd Circ. Orders Partial Redo In Docs', Attys' Injury Scam
A divided Second Circuit panel on Friday upheld the convictions of three men who recruited patients for a more than $31 million trip-and-fall fraud scam that personal injury lawyers and doctors orchestrated, but remanded the case for further findings on the number of bogus accidents involved in the scheme.
-
August 02, 2024
Wolverine, Travelers Drop Coverage Claims Over PFAS Suits
Footwear company Wolverine and various Travelers units have agreed to end their coverage battle over underlying lawsuits accusing the company of injuring individuals through its leather tannery operations and exposing individuals to so-called forever chemicals, the parties told a Michigan federal court.
-
August 02, 2024
Bid To Get Ex-Judge Jones' Phone Records Blocked, For Now
A Texas judge has temporarily barred JCPenney's bankruptcy administrator from accessing former Judge David R. Jones' cellphone records amid the scandal involving his concealed romantic relationship with an ex-Jackson Walker LLP partner and firm fees he approved in various cases, including JCPenney's bankruptcy.
-
August 02, 2024
Fla. Atty Cops To Attempted DC Bombing, Explosion In Texas
A Florida criminal defense attorney pled guilty on Friday to federal charges stemming from an attempted bombing outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., in 2023 and the bombing of a satirical sculpture of communist leaders in San Antonio, Texas, in 2022.
-
August 02, 2024
Cognizant Bribery Trial Delayed Again — Until 2025
Trial in a five-year-old case alleging two former Cognizant executives authorized a bribe to a government official in India has been delayed again, this time by six months, so prosecutors can complete necessary depositions in that country, according to a federal court order handed down Friday.
-
August 02, 2024
Mich. Judge DQ'd Over 'Disdain' Of Ineffective-Counsel Claims
A Michigan state judge showed bias in favoring a criminal defendant's trial counsel who had previously clerked for the court, a state appeals court found Thursday, disqualifying the judge from presiding over the defendant's ineffective-assistance of counsel hearing.
-
August 02, 2024
St. Louis Attys Can't Get Acquittal In $4M Tax Avoidance Case
Two Missouri-based attorneys, a father and daughter duo found guilty of participating in a $4 million tax avoidance scheme, will not be granted a new trial or an acquittal, despite their assertions that a number of errors tainted their trial, a North Carolina federal judge ruled Friday.
-
August 02, 2024
Defamation, Assault Suit Among Ex-Atty Colleagues Trimmed
A Pennsylvania federal judge this week tossed part of a former Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP attorney's defamation suit against two former colleagues, saying the statements the colleagues made about his actions were found credible by a Delaware court when it confirmed a protection for abuse order.
-
August 02, 2024
Manhattan DA Slams Trump's 'Regurgitated' Recusal Bid
The Manhattan district attorney pilloried Donald Trump's renewed request for the judge overseeing his hush money case to recuse himself, branding it a "regurgitated" attempt to rehash issues the court already decided without any new facts — besides Kamala Harris' presidential bid.
-
August 02, 2024
Ex-Lewis Brisbois Partner's Pay Bias Suit Sent To Arbitration
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP can arbitrate its former partner's gender discrimination suit claiming she was retaliated against for raising concerns about the firm's "unethical billing practices," a California state court judge ruled Friday, staying the entire case pending arbitration.
-
August 02, 2024
Prosecutors To Remain On Young Thug Trial, Judge Rules
Two of the prosecutors in the long-running gang trial of rapper Young Thug will be allowed to stay on the case over defense attorneys' objections that they should be disqualified for their role in a secret meeting with the trial's former judge, the case's new presider ruled Thursday.
-
August 01, 2024
Lewis Brisbois Slams RICO Claims Alleging 'Sham' Suits
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP has urged a California federal judge Tuesday to toss Chinese investors' accusations that its attorneys filed lawsuits to cover their failure to read "draconian" contract terms that led the investors to lose their $92.5 million stake in a $2.5 billion Los Angeles mixed-used development.
-
August 01, 2024
Georgia Judge Can't Order Woman To Pay For Jury Costs
A Georgia appeals court on Thursday said a trial court erred when it ordered a woman who voluntarily dismissed a personal injury suit during jury selection to pay more than $2,000 for jury and bailiff costs, saying there is no statute authorizing such an order.
-
August 01, 2024
Duane Morris Atty Says White Men Get Unfair Leg Up On Pay
A Black attorney sued Duane Morris LLP in California federal court, alleging the firm systemically underpaid female and nonwhite attorneys while also engaging in an employee misclassification scheme that allowed it to offload firm expenses onto nonequity partners.
-
August 01, 2024
No Sanctions In Mom's $13.4M Feud With Conn. Group Home
A Connecticut state court judge has ruled that no sanctions are immediately necessary in a post-verdict feud between a group home accused of dodging depositions and an 81-year-old mother seeking to collect a $13.4 million judgment surrounding her son's death.
-
August 01, 2024
Colo. Judges Can't Tell Magistrates To Redo Rulings
Colorado state courts that reject a magistrate's order can't send it back to the magistrate for reconsideration, a state appellate panel ruled Thursday, stating in a published opinion that district judges must issue a new ruling themselves.
-
August 01, 2024
Reed Smith Says NJ High Court Ruling Limits Ex-Atty's Claims
A recent New Jersey Supreme Court ruling "dramatically changes the landscape and scope" of a former Reed Smith LLP attorney's discrimination suit, the firm has told a state court judge in a brief asking that discovery and damages be limited and one claim be dismissed.
-
August 01, 2024
Judge Maintains Bulk Of Ex-Rutgers Law Student's Bias Suit
A New Jersey state judge on Thursday rebuffed for the most part an attempt by Rutgers University to prune a former law student's lawsuit alleging antisemitic discrimination, saying dozens of passages the school sought to excise from the 260-paragraph complaint are relevant to the case.
-
August 01, 2024
DC Panel Wants 2-Year Sanction For Ex-DOJ Atty Jeffrey Clark
A Washington, D.C., attorney disciplinary panel on Thursday recommended a two-year suspension for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, finding he acted "with truly extraordinary recklessness" when he sought to promote former President Donald Trump's efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election.
-
August 01, 2024
Fla. Justices Sanction Paralegal For Immigration Practice
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday told a paralegal and the immigration legal services businesses she has operated that she must reimburse clients who were misled into believing they were working with licensed attorneys.
Expert Analysis
-
The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
-
Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'
The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.
-
What Panama Canal Award Ruling Means For Int'l Arbitration
As the prevalence of international arbitration grows, the Eighth Circuit’s recent decision in Grupo Unidos v. Canal de Panama may change how practitioners decide what remedies to seek and where to raise them if claims are rejected, says Jerry Roth at FedArb.
-
Opinion
Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.