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Legal Ethics
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July 23, 2024
Malpractice Insurer Escapes Conn. Firm's Suit For Coverage
A Connecticut law firm and its principal will not have their legal bills reimbursed by their malpractice insurer after a state judge granted an early win to the insurance company, noting the firm admitted it was already facing a misconduct claim when its policy went into effect.
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July 23, 2024
Atty Argues Fla. Ethics Charges Are 1st Amendment Attacks
A Georgia-based attorney is fighting accusations from the Florida Bar that he disparaged an opponent running for 20th Judicial Circuit state attorney in 2018, arguing that the bar's bid to suspend his Florida law license is a violation of his First Amendment rights because it would punish him for protected speech.
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July 23, 2024
No Victims, No Fraud, Trump Says In $465M Judgment Appeal
Donald Trump has appealed the $465 million judgment against him, arguing that the New York attorney general exceeded her authority in her civil fraud suit against the former president because the statute in question does not apply to victimless transactions.
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July 23, 2024
NY Judge OKs Public Disclosure In Atty Misconduct Cases
A New York federal judge ruled Monday that the First Amendment does allow those who filed grievances against attorneys to access disciplinary hearings before the Appellate Division's Second Judicial Department, records related to those hearings and some of the grievance committee's final dispositions.
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July 24, 2024
UPDATED: NJ Firm Malpractice Dismissal Order Filed In Error
A New Jersey state court has deleted an order dismissing a malpractice suit against Nurick Law Group LLC, saying Tuesday it was "uploaded in error."
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July 23, 2024
Ga. Judge Slams Ethics Charges As Demands For 'Perfection'
A Georgia state judge has denied violating ethical rules, arguing that her call to a personal friend about a pending child custody case — and other actions — shouldn't amount to public sanctions and said the judicial ethics watchdog's charges violate the state's constitution.
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July 23, 2024
Schnader Harrison Must Face Ex-Firm Atty's Class Action
The former equity partners of defunct law firm Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP must face a proposed class action accusing them of improperly spending employee money intended for the firm's retirement plan, after a Pennsylvania federal judge shot down their motion to dismiss.
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July 23, 2024
Brennan Center Gets $30M For High Court Reform Unit
The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law announced Tuesday that philanthropist and businessman Jim Kohlberg has committed $30 million for the establishment of a new unit focused on U.S. Supreme Court reform.
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July 23, 2024
Chamber Rips Multibillion-Dollar Atty Fee Bid In Musk Pay Suit
The nation's largest business organization has urged Delaware's Court of Chancery to adopt sweeping curbs to jumbo plaintiff attorney fee awards, declaring a multibillion-dollar fee bid following the cancellation of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's stock-based pay plan "shocks the conscience."
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July 23, 2024
Firm Says Rival's Trademark Merely 'Common Spanish Phrase'
A Houston-based immigration law firm wants claims trimmed in a suit brought by a rival Washington state firm claiming unfair competition and trademark violation, also filing a counterclaim for declaratory judgment that calls the supposed trademark a "common Spanish phrase."
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July 23, 2024
11th Circ. Should Uphold Tax Court Protection, IRS Says
The Eleventh Circuit should uphold a U.S. Tax Court ruling that denied a widow tax relief and also rejected her claim that Tax Court judges have unconstitutional job protection, the Internal Revenue Service told the circuit court.
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July 22, 2024
Chicago Firm Seeks $2M For Ex-Atty's Alleged Client Poaching
Chicago firm Loftus & Eisenberg Ltd. has filed suit in Illinois state court accusing a former attorney's new firm of helping the lawyer poach clients by encouraging them to leave with him, even though the new firm couldn't support his practice.
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July 22, 2024
Wash. Atty Accused Of Offering Witness Incentive Resigns
A Washington attorney has resigned after he was accused of offering a witness a substantial financial incentive to back his clients who were seeking millions of dollars in damages in a civil suit, according to a Washington State Bar Association document.
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July 22, 2024
LegalForce Says Legal Finance Group Is Infringing Its Logo
LegalForce RAPC Worldwide PC has filed a federal trademark infringement suit against Law Finance Group Inc. in the San Francisco Bay Area, accusing it of violating the firm's "LF" trademark in providing legal services.
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July 22, 2024
Lack Of 'Smoking Gun' Sinks J&J's Bid To DQ Beasley Allen
The Beasley Allen Law Firm may represent plaintiffs in multicounty talc injury litigation in New Jersey state court, after a judge found Johnson & Johnson failed to show a former Faegre Drinker outside counsel shared information he learned representing the company in earlier talc litigation.
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July 22, 2024
Judge Limits Girardi Clients' Injury Details In Upcoming Trial
Jurors in former celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi's upcoming fraud trial will be spared detailed testimony about the severe injuries that drove his alleged victims to hire his law firm, a Los Angeles federal judge has ruled, saying the former clients' injuries are a key part of their stories, but graphic details are not necessary.
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July 22, 2024
Ex-NJ Judge Wants Chief Justice Deposed In Pension Suit
A former Bergen County Superior Court judge told a New Jersey state court that she must be allowed to depose Chief Justice Stuart Rabner of the New Jersey Supreme Court because he has information about the state's decision to deny her disability benefits application that no one else has.
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July 22, 2024
Morgan & Morgan Unit Faces Malpractice Class Claims
Personal injury giant Morgan & Morgan PA's Jacksonville, Florida, unit allegedly misled a Georgia deputy sheriff in his back injury case, costing him potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a proposed class action the firm has removed to federal court.
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July 22, 2024
Ex-Fed. Judge's Misconduct Prompts New Criminal Trial Bid
Alleged misconduct by former Alaska federal Judge Joshua Kindred and a prosecutor he had a relationship with should undo a defendant's recent cyberstalking conviction in the judge's court, that defendant has said.
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July 22, 2024
After Kindred Case, Questions Linger About Clerk Safeguards
When Alaska federal Judge Joshua Kindred resigned, it was the culmination of an 18-month inquiry into a hostile and inappropriate work environment he'd fostered in chambers. During that investigation, it seems he continued to supervise law clerks. Experts say that may signal a gap in protections for clerks.
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July 19, 2024
Utility, Attys 'Colluded' On $178M Ore. Wildfire Deal, Court Told
Berkshire Hathaway-owned utility PacifiCorp is facing allegations from plaintiffs firms that it "colluded" with a trio of other law firms to reach a "paltry" $178 million settlement with survivors of deadly Oregon wildfires allegedly sparked by the utility's equipment, according to a filing in Oregon state court.
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July 19, 2024
Bankruptcy Judge's Affair Sank Barge Company, Ex-CEO Says
The former CEO of a now-defunct barge company claims that a Houston bankruptcy judge's affair with a Jackson Walker attorney helped destroy his business, saying that Jackson Walker shouldn't escape racketeering claims because it hid its part in the lucrative relationship.
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July 19, 2024
'Texit' Atty Sues State Rep., Judge Over Defamation Fees
A civil rights attorney who has represented the group behind the "Texit" movement filed a lawsuit against a state representative and court officials in a North Texas county, accusing the group of colluding to run up attorney fees against him in a defamation case connected to the pro-Texas-secession group.
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July 19, 2024
Tweeting Holdout Ga. Juror's Removal Demands New Trial
The Georgia Court of Appeals on Thursday ordered a new trial for a man convicted of child molestation, ruling that the trial judge wrongly replaced a holdout juror even though he'd described himself on social media as "walking grounds for a mistrial."
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July 19, 2024
McCarter & English Pushes To End Biotech Malpractice Row
McCarter & English LLP faced accusations Friday in New Jersey state court that it was making "fictitious" defenses in a malpractice suit by a biotechnology company, saying in response that it was being treated as a "scapegoat."
Expert Analysis
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Insurance Coverage For ChatGPT Legal Fiasco: A Hypothetical
William Passannante at Anderson Kill draws on the recent case of an attorney sanctioned by the Southern District of New York for submitting a ChatGPT-authored brief to discuss what the insurance coverage for the attorney's hypothetical claim might look like.
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Level Up Lawyers' Business Development With Gamification
With employee engagement at a 10-year low in the U.S., there are several gamification techniques marketing and business development teams at law firms can use to make generating new clients and matters more appealing to lawyers, says Heather McCullough at Society 54.
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Mallory Ruling Leaves Personal Jurisdiction Deeply Unsettled
In Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway, a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court recently rolled back key aspects of its 2017 opinion in Daimler AG v. Bauman that limited personal jurisdiction, leaving as many questions for businesses as it answers, say John Cerreta and James Rotondo at Day Pitney.
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Handling Hostile Depositions: Keep Calm And Make A Record
When depositions turn contentious, attorneys should, among other strategies, maintain a professional demeanor and note any objectionable conduct on the record, thereby increasing chances of a favorable outcome for the client while preserving the integrity of the legal process, say attorneys at Steptoe & Johnson.
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5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World
As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.
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A Midyear Look At How AI Is Affecting Lawyers
The past six months have been a notable period for advancements in artificial intelligence and generative AI, and as we head into the second half of the year, we must review the implications that AI has for the legal industry, including how lawyers will be advising clients on use of AI technology, says Natasha Allen at Foley & Lardner.
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Opinion
Bar Score Is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action
After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies, law firms looking to foster diversity in hiring should view an applicant's Multistate Bar Examination score as the best metric of legal ability — over law school name or GPA, says attorney Alice Griffin.
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New Health Data Compliance Considerations For Pa. Lawyers
Given the regularity with which attorneys handle private health information, it is important for Pennsylvania firms to understand recent significant amendments to the state's data breach law, which address information not currently covered by federal law, says Mark Mattioli at Post & Schell.
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Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback
Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.
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Steps To Success For Senior Associates
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.
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Legal Profession Must Do More For Lawyers With Disabilities
At the start of Disability Pride month, Rosalyn Richter at Arnold & Porter looks at why lawyers with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in private practice, asserting that law firms and other employers must do more to conquer the implicit bias that deters attorneys from seeking accommodations.
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Opinion
Appellate Funding Disclosure: No Mandate Is Right Choice
The Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules' recent decision, forgoing a mandatory disclosure rule for litigation funding in federal appeals, is prudent, as third-party funding is only involved in a minuscule number of federal cases, and courts have ample authority to obtain funding information if necessary, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.
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Case Law Is Mixed On D&O Coverage For Gov't Investigations
As the Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in Brown Goldstein v. Federal Insurance Co. demonstrates, federal appeals courts take different approaches to determine whether government investigations are covered by directors and officers liability insurance, so companies and individuals must review their policy language, say Chloe Law, Jan Larson and Caroline Meneau at Jenner & Block.
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How Attys Can Avoid Exposing Their Firms To Cyberattacks
Attorneys are the weakest link in their firms' cyberdefenses because hackers often exploit the gap between individuals’ work and personal cybersecurity habits, but there are some steps lawyers can take to reduce the risks they create for their employers, say Mark Hurley and Carmine Cicalese at Digital Privacy & Protection.
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Virginia 'Rocket Docket' Slowdown Is Likely A Blip
After being the fastest or second-fastest federal civil trial court for 14 straight years, the Eastern District of Virginia has slid to 18th place, but the rocket docket’s statistical tumble doesn't mean the district no longer maintains a speedy civil docket, says Robert Tata at Hunton.