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Legal Ethics
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November 07, 2024
NC Panel Affirms Axing Sex Abuse Suit As Sanction For Delay
A North Carolina appeals panel found in a precedential ruling that a trial court was right to toss a man's sex abuse suit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh as an appropriate sanction for his counsel having "deliberately and unreasonably delayed service of process."
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November 07, 2024
Boston Firm Says Atty Diverted Leads To Keches Law Group
Personal injury firm Keches Law Group has been hit with a Massachusetts state court complaint alleging it secretly worked with an associate at a smaller firm to obtain leads on potential cases.
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November 07, 2024
Trump's Victory Muddles NY Sentencing: 'No Playbook Here'
The fate of President-elect Donald Trump's criminal conviction in New York remains unclear following his resounding electoral victory Tuesday night, as last-minute motions, a pending decision on presidential immunity and appeals may derail or delay a punishment slated to be handed down before Thanksgiving.
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November 06, 2024
Chicago Pol Urges Narrow Reading Of False Statement Law
The U.S. Supreme Court should narrowly interpret the federal statute barring people from using false statements to influence certain financial institutions because backing the government's broad reading could expose borrowers to criminal liability that was never intended, former Chicago alderman Patrick Daley Thompson argued Wednesday.
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November 06, 2024
Seattle Judge Wants Plaintiff's Comms In IPad Antitrust Suit
A Seattle federal judge has ordered Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP to produce its communications with a client who allegedly ghosted the firm before determining if the attorneys may withdraw from representing the class representative in a proposed antitrust class action against Apple and Amazon.
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November 06, 2024
Ex-Ga. DA To Face Arbery Obstruction Charges In January
The former Georgia district attorney accused of obstructing the investigation of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery will stand trial in January, a state court judge said Tuesday, after her defense attorney was recently freed up by the conclusion of the prosecution of Atlanta rapper Young Thug.
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November 06, 2024
9th Circ. Revives Retaliation Suit By Ex-Santa Clara Deputy DA
The Ninth Circuit partially revived a lawsuit by a former Santa Clara County, California, deputy district attorney who alleged First Amendment retaliation when he was unlawfully transferred after publishing an op-ed that disagreed with the views of his boss, the district attorney.
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November 06, 2024
Tesla Defeats Sanctions Bid Over Atty's Mediation Appearance
A widow suing Tesla Inc. for the wrongful death of her late husband can't pursue sanctions against the automaker for allegedly wasting her time in mediation, a California federal judge ruled Wednesday.
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November 06, 2024
Lawyer's Suit Against Ex-Partner Can Proceed, NJ Panel Says
A New Jersey state appeals court ruled Wednesday that a lawyer who is suing a former law partner may continue pursuing the case in open court, because a contract signed years earlier between the lawyers doesn't require a private arbitration.
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November 06, 2024
Lowenstein Sandler Sues Firm Over Dispensary Fee Dispute
A New Jersey law firm accused of helping forcibly dismantle a medical cannabis dispensary to deprive Lowenstein Sandler LLP of over $750,000 in fees for work on the dispensary's behalf has asked the New Jersey state court to let it exit the suit, arguing Lowenstein Sandler failed to state a claim.
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November 06, 2024
Fla. Judge Invokes Free Speech Protection In Ethics Case
A Florida state judge facing ethics charges over previous campaign statements has again claimed that authorities should be blocked from presenting evidence or argument that her "philosophical beliefs" and comments violate judicial ethics guidelines, saying they are protected by the First Amendment.
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November 06, 2024
Texas High Court Delays Rule Changes For Non-Atty Services
The Texas Supreme Court has delayed the effective date of rules for allowing non-attorneys to perform some legal services, saying it will take the extra time to "give due consideration to the comments received."
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November 06, 2024
Suit Over Legal Ads Was Abuse Of Process, Firm Says
The Hartford law firm Hayber McKenna & Dinsmore said in a Connecticut state court complaint that opposing counsel in a class action lawsuit abused the legal process by accusing the firm of unfair trade practices when it advertised a search for more members of the class.
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November 06, 2024
Ga. Judge Cops To 9 Ethics Charges Over Case Delays
A Georgia judge facing ethics charges for delaying a series of cases, the most severe of which has sat open for more than seven years, has admitted to nine of the 10 counts lodged against him but denied that his actions were prejudicial to the administration of justice.
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November 05, 2024
Trump Has Official Immunity. What About His Aides?
Whether the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity extends to subordinates who follow a president's orders has become a more pressing question in the wake of Donald Trump's projected election win, according to legal experts.
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November 05, 2024
How Trump Can Quash His Criminal Cases
Donald Trump's projected victory at the polls also translates to a win in the courts, as the second-term president will have the power to end both of his federal criminal cases. And the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity would shield him from any consequences for ordering his charges to be dismissed, experts say.
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November 05, 2024
An Early Look At Trump's Supreme Court Shortlist
With former President Donald Trump projected to win the 2024 presidential election and the Republicans' success in securing the U.S. Senate majority, Trump may now get the chance to appoint two more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, cementing the court's conservative tilt for decades to come.
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November 05, 2024
GOP's Senate Win Hands Future Of The Judiciary To Trump
Republicans were projected to take back the White House and Senate and possibly the House early Wednesday, putting the GOP in position to back Donald Trump's agenda and his slate of young, conservative judicial nominees.
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November 05, 2024
The Firms With An Inside Track To A New Trump Admin
Law firms that have represented Donald Trump and the Republican Party on everything from personal legal woes to election-related lawsuits could see the risks of that work pay dividends as Trump is projected to secure a second term in office.
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November 05, 2024
Colo. Voters OK Overhaul Of Judicial Discipline Process
Colorado voters on Tuesday approved a series of constitutional changes aimed at limiting the state judiciary's influence over the judicial discipline process.
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November 05, 2024
'Fat Leonard' Gets 15 Years For Navy Bribery Scheme
Leonard Francis, the Malaysian defense contractor and ex-fugitive known as "Fat Leonard" who led a sprawling bribery scheme that authorities say caused over $20 million in losses for the U.S. Navy, was sentenced Tuesday in California federal court to 15 years behind bars, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
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November 05, 2024
Feds Say Girardi's Behavior At Trial Shows He Is Competent
Prosecutors told a California federal judge on Tuesday that Tom Girardi should not receive a new trial following his conviction for misappropriating $15 million in client settlement funds, saying the disbarred attorney's arguments that he was not competent to stand trial are completely undercut by his behavior during the trial.
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November 05, 2024
Father, Daughter Attys Ask To Avoid Prison For Tax Scheme
Father and daughter attorneys convicted of participating in a multimillion-dollar tax avoidance scheme asked a North Carolina federal court to spare them prison sentences, with the daughter saying her father should have protected her and the father highlighting his mental illness.
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November 05, 2024
Hagens Berman Defends Bid To Ditch AWOL Apple Suit Client
A Washington federal judge expressed skepticism on Tuesday that Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP was within its rights to substitute a proposed class representative in an antitrust case against Amazon and Apple earlier this year when the lead plaintiff stopped communicating with the firm.
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November 05, 2024
Paxton Seeks Sanctions In Immigration Nonprofit Row
The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked an El Paso federal judge to sanction an immigrant rights nonprofit, claiming that it resisted a civil investigation by making misrepresentations to the court.
Expert Analysis
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Caregiver Flexibility Is Crucial For Atty Engagement, Retention
As the battle for top talent continues post-pandemic, many firms are attempting to attract employees with progressive hybrid working environments — and supporting caregivers before, during and after an extended leave is a critically important way to retain top talent, says Manar Morales at The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.
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How Judicial Privilege Shields Attys Facing Wiretap Violations
A recent ruling from the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, as well as past rulings across the country, indicates that the judicial privilege is applicable to alleged violations of wiretapping laws, so attorneys presented with audio evidence beneficial to their case should not fear being sued, says David Scott at Kang Haggerty.
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In-Office Engagement Is Essential To Associate Development
As law firms develop return-to-office policies that allow hybrid work arrangements, they should incorporate the specific types of in-person engagement likely to help associates develop attributes common among successful firm leaders, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Perspectives
A Judge's Pitch To Revive The Jury Trial
Ohio state Judge Pierre Bergeron explains how the decline of the jury trial threatens public confidence in the judiciary and even democracy as a whole, and he offers ideas to restore this sacred right.
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How To Recognize And Recover From Lawyer Loneliness
Law can be one of the loneliest professions, but there are practical steps that attorneys and their managers can take to help themselves and their peers improve their emotional health, strengthen their social bonds and protect their performance, says psychologist and attorney Traci Cipriano.
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Noncompetes Hold Atty Privilege Pitfalls For Health Industry
Providers negotiating with medical professionals bound by enforceable restrictive covenants must tread carefully due to not only risk of breaching physicians' covenants but also risk of wrongful conduct that pierces attorney-client privilege, says Scott O'Connell at Holland & Knight.
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Opinion
Litigation Funding Disclosure Should Be Mandatory
Despite the Appellate Rules Committee's recent deferral of the issue of requiring third-party litigation funding disclosure, such a mandate is necessary to ensure the even-handed administration of justice across all cases, says David Levitt at Hinshaw.
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Recalling USWNT's Legal PR Playbook Amid World Cup Bid
As the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team strives to take home another World Cup trophy, their 2022 pay equity settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation serves as a good reminder that winning in the court of public opinion can be more powerful than a victory inside the courtroom, says Hector Valle at Vianovo.
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Opinion
Guardrails Needed Against Politically Motivated Atty Discipline
As illustrated by revelations about disbarred attorney Tom Girardi’s influence, there is a need to revamp attorney discipline to protect the public, but any reforms to misconduct rules must also consider how bar-directed disciplinary hearings are increasingly used as a political weapon, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.
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Groundbreaking Nev. Law May Alter Insurance Landscape
The Nevada Legislature recently passed a law prohibiting insurers from issuing liability policies with eroding limits provisions that has the potential to create massive shifts in the marketplace — and specifically in areas like professional liability, cyber, and directors and officers insurance, says Will Bennett at Saxe Doernberger.
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Perspectives
Mallory Gives Plaintiffs A Better Shot At Justice
Critics of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern claim it opens the door to litigation tourism, but the ruling simply gives plaintiffs more options — enabling them to seek justice against major corporations in the best possible court, say Rayna Kessler and Ethan Seidenberg at Robins Kaplan.
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Durham Hearing Shows Common Cross-Examination Errors
Trial attorneys can glean several key cross-examination lessons from the mistakes made by several members of the U.S. House of Representatives during a recent hearing on special counsel John Durham’s FBI probe, say Luke Andrews and Asha Laskar at Poole Huffman.
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Opinion
When Corporate Self-Disclosure Threatens Individuals' Rights
The prosecution of former Cognizant executives in New Jersey federal court demonstrates how the U.S. Department of Justice’s corporate enforcement policy can contravene the constitutional rights of individual defendants who are employed by cooperating companies, says Gideon Mark at the University of Maryland.
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Pitfalls Of Attorney AI Use In Brief Prep Has Judges On Alert
Some lawyers are attempting to leverage generative artificial intelligence as a brief drafting tool, which may serve to greatly reduce the burden of motion practice, but several recent cases show that generative AI is not perfect and blind reliance on this tool can be very risky, say Matthew Nigriny and John Gary Maynard at Hunton.
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Courts Can Overturn Deficient State Regulations, Too
While suits challenging federal regulations have become commonplace, such cases against state agencies are virtually nonexistent, but many states have provisions that allow litigants to bring suit for regulations with inadequate cost-benefit analyses, says Reeve Bull at the Virginia Office of Regulatory Management.