Legal Ethics

  • February 25, 2025

    Ex-NJ Judge Says Judiciary Still Retaliating In Pension Fight

    A former New Jersey Superior Court judge has asked a state court to amend her suit challenging the denial of her disability pension application a second time, alleging that the state judiciary has further retaliated against her by requiring her to spend over $200,000 to qualify for a deferred early retirement pension.

  • February 25, 2025

    Federal Judiciary Repeats Request For More Judges

    A federal circuit judge, speaking on behalf of the federal judiciary, repeated on Tuesday the need for more federal judges to alleviate the overwhelmed courts after President Joe Biden vetoed legislation late last year that would have added seats to the bench.

  • February 25, 2025

    NJ Atty Suspended Over Secret Outside Legal Work

    A Garden State lawyer has been suspended for two years by the state's Supreme Court for surreptitiously accepting payments for legal services while never opening a file at his former firm for the clients or sharing profits with the firm, but instead had clients pay him directly.

  • February 25, 2025

    Referral Co. Barred From $5.54B Swipe Fee MDL Settlement

    A New York federal judge has blocked a referral partner of a claims filing service from any role in the $5.54 billion settlement of long-running multidistrict litigation accusing Visa and Mastercard of charging improper merchant fees, after the referral partner allegedly improperly used class member information to submit claims.

  • February 25, 2025

    Masimo Aims To DQ Hueston Hennigan As Ex-CEO's Counsel

    Masimo Corp. is urging the Delaware Chancery Court to disqualify Hueston Hennigan LLP from representing its founder and former CEO in a lawsuit over his quest for a $450 million payout from the medical technology company, arguing the firm has a conflict of interest.

  • February 25, 2025

    Family Of Wife Killed By Ex-BigLaw Atty Still Fighting For Funds

    The cousins of the woman killed by her former BigLaw partner husband urged a Georgia state court to reject a bid to deprive them of the settlement proceeds from the underlying wrongful death suit, saying the court shouldn't rely on the ex-lawyer's assertions that she wanted the funds to go to her godson.

  • February 25, 2025

    Calif. Bar Touts Reduction In Racial Disparity In Atty Discipline

    The State Bar of California has reported what it calls "significant" shifts toward equity in attorney discipline in the five years since a watershed study showed a decades-long trend of disparity, including that Black male attorneys were more than three times as likely to be placed on probation or disbarred compared to their white counterparts.

  • February 25, 2025

    Patent Exec Says Starbucks Is Liable For Atty's Statements

    A patent-licensing company executive pushed back on Starbucks Corp.'s attempt to exit his defamation lawsuit over statements from counsel for Starbucks, arguing the Florida federal court has jurisdiction partly because the executive lives in the district.

  • February 25, 2025

    King & Spalding Beats Bias Suit Over Summer Program

    King & Spalding LLP won't have to face a discrimination suit filed by a straight white woman who says she was dissuaded from applying to a summer associate program open only to "diverse" applicants, a Maryland federal court has ruled, saying she has not sufficiently demonstrated a real intent to apply to the position and therefore lacks standing.

  • February 25, 2025

    Lawyer Who Became Client's 'Punching Bag' Scores Case Exit

    A Connecticut attorney who claimed he became his Massachusetts client's "punching bag" can exit her medical negligence lawsuit against two doctors accused of misplacing or destroying her embryos, a Milford judge ruled Tuesday.

  • February 25, 2025

    10th Circ. Asked To Rethink Denying Atty's Racing Deductions

    A Denver personal injury lawyer asked the Tenth Circuit to reconsider its decision barring his $300,000 tax deduction for car-racing costs as professional advertising, saying the court deprived him of due process in dismissing his argument that the IRS wrongly denied him a chance to settle.

  • February 25, 2025

    High Court Orders New Trial In Okla. Death Row Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for an Oklahoma inmate whose conviction and death sentence for a 1997 murder, the state confesses, was the product of prosecutors withholding evidence and knowingly presenting false testimony.

  • February 24, 2025

    Ex-Judge Hopes To Avoid Testimony In Atty Romance Probe

    Former Texas bankruptcy judge David R. Jones said Monday that he's been talking with the U.S. Trustee with the aim of avoiding "live trial testimony" in the probe of his undisclosed romantic relationship with a former Jackson Walker LLP partner, arguing that he's already given a deposition.

  • February 24, 2025

    Injury Attys Sanctioned Over AI-Hallucinated Case Citations

    A Wyoming federal judge overseeing a personal injury lawsuit against Walmart sanctioned the plaintiffs' attorneys from Morgan & Morgan PA and the Goody Law Group after they filed pretrial motions containing case law hallucinated by artificial intelligence, but acknowledged Monday their "remedial steps, transparency and apologetic sentiments."

  • February 24, 2025

    Okla. Attorneys Say Tribes Can't Intervene In Jurisdiction Row

    Two Oklahoma district attorneys are fighting bids by the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations to intervene in the federal government's challenges to the DAs' attempts to prosecute tribal citizens for crimes committed in Indian Country, saying the tribes are adequately represented by the United States.

  • February 24, 2025

    Judge Who Ordered Pages Restored Put On Impeachment List

    A Republican U.S. congressman announced Monday he has introduced articles of impeachment against a Washington, D.C., federal judge, following the judge's ruling ordering public health agencies temporarily to restore the web pages they took down in response to a Trump administration order to scrub pages of "gender ideology."

  • February 24, 2025

    Lloyd's Says Cadwalader's Suit Claims Nonexistent Tort

    A Lloyd's of London syndicate has urged a North Carolina judge to toss part of Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP's coverage lawsuit stemming from a data breach, saying there's no tort remedy for the allegation that the insurer exposed the firm's confidential information in a court filing.

  • February 24, 2025

    Trump Media Co. Wants TRO Against Brazilian Justice

    President Donald Trump's media company and online video sharing platform Rumble Inc. have asked a Florida federal court for a temporary restraining order blocking a Brazilian Supreme Federal Court justice's gag orders, arguing they illegally suppress political speech in the United States.

  • February 24, 2025

    Conn. Solo Wants Willkie Partner's $27K Fee Bid Slashed

    A Connecticut solo practitioner who lost a First Amendment lawsuit after leaking a Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP's partner's landlord-tenant dispute to the New York Post on Monday criticized the partner's bid to recoup his legal fees, arguing $8,250 is more reasonable than his current $27,000 demand.

  • February 24, 2025

    DA Willis Says 'Makes No Sense' To DQ Her From Trump Case

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis is arguing to the Georgia Supreme Court that her disqualification from prosecuting the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump and others was unprecedented, asserting that her ousting over the appearance of impropriety creates a dangerous precedent.

  • February 24, 2025

    Atty Faces $190K Demand After Losing Malicious Litigation Trial

    A trio of Blank Rome LLP attorneys and an aviation company told a Pennsylvania federal court on Friday they are owed combined costs of nearly $200,000 from an attorney who lost a malicious litigation jury trial against them in December.

  • February 24, 2025

    Law Firm Must Face Malpractice Suit Over Home Project Case

    The New Jersey Appellate Division reinstated a malpractice suit against a Garden State firm on Monday in a published decision finding that the plaintiff was allowed to assign some of the proceeds of the case to third parties ahead of time.

  • February 24, 2025

    Texas Atty Dinged For AI-Generated Fake Citations In Briefs

    A Texas lawyer could face a $15,000 personal sanction and other potential discipline for filing three separate briefs using generative artificial intelligence that included fake citations in an Indiana ERISA case, according to a report and recommendation by a federal judge in the Hoosier State.

  • February 24, 2025

    High Court Rejects Dish's Bid For Atty Fees For PTAB Work

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down Dish Network's appeal arguing that, after being cleared in a patent infringement case, it was entitled to attorney fees for its successful Patent Trial and Appeal Board challenge, and from the plaintiff's attorneys.

  • February 21, 2025

    DOJ Hits Judge Weighing Trans Troops Ban With Complaint

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday filed a misconduct complaint against the D.C. federal judge overseeing litigation challenging President Donald Trump's executive order ostensibly banning transgender troops from serving in the military, accusing her of bias after she hammered government attorneys for answers they provided during a hearing earlier this month.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • What Law Firms Should Know Amid Rise In DQ Motions

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    As disqualification motions proliferate, law firms need to be aware of the types of conflicts that most often lead to disqualification, the types of attorneys who may be affected and how to reduce their exposure to these motions, says Matthew Henderson at Hinshaw.

  • Data Protection Steps To Consider After Biden Privacy Order

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    A recent White House executive order casts a spotlight on the criticality of securing sensitive content communications, presenting challenges and necessitating a recalibration of practices, especially for lawyers, says Camilo Artiga-Purcell at Kiteworks.

  • Surveying Legislative Trends As States Rush To Regulate AI

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    With Congress unlikely to pass comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation any time soon, just four months into 2024, nearly every state has introduced legislation aimed at the development and use of AI on subjects from algorithmic discrimination risk to generative AI disclosures, say David Kappos and Sasha Rosenthal-Larrea at Cravath.

  • How Duty Of Candor Figures In USPTO AI Ethics Guidance

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    The duty of candor and good faith is an important part of the artificial intelligence ethics guidance issued last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and serious consequences can visit patent and trademark applicants who violate that duty, not just their attorneys and agents, says Michael Cicero at Taylor English.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Why Incorporating By Reference Is Rarely Good Practice

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Promptu Systems v. Comcast serves as a reminder that while incorporating by reference may seem efficient, it is generally prohibited by courts and can lead to sanctions when used to bypass a word count limit, says Cullen Seltzer at Sands Anderson.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

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