Legal Ethics

  • January 10, 2025

    J&J Talc Claimants Seek Sanctions Over Morelli No-Show

    A group of attorneys representing talc claimants in Johnson & Johnson unit Red River Talc's Chapter 11 case has urged a Texas bankruptcy judge to sanction Morelli Law Firm PLLC's founding partner, Benedict Morelli, for allegedly failing to appear in person at a December hearing and falsely claiming to have resolved a dispute with the talc group.

  • January 10, 2025

    Ex-Yale Student's Suit Over Amici Remarks Is Tossed

    A Connecticut state court judge has dismissed claims brought by an expelled Yale University student against a Michigan law firm, an attorney and numerous nonprofit organizations over a rejected amicus brief that contained remarks about a sexual assault case that ended in his acquittal, finding that the litigation privilege shields all 16 defendants.

  • January 10, 2025

    11th Circ. Backtracks, Ends Ousted Fla. Atty's DeSantis Suit

    Suspended Florida prosecutor Andrew Warren's yearslong legal battle against Gov. Ron DeSantis has all but come to an end after the Eleventh Circuit on Friday vacated a previous opinion and called the case moot after Warren's term in office expired.

  • January 10, 2025

    Wright Must Detail $108M Damages Claim Against Accusers

    Joshua Wright, a former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, must reappear for a deposition to answer previously unanswered questions posed by two women he's suing for defamation on the details of his $108 million damages claim against them, a Virginia judge ruled Friday.

  • January 10, 2025

    Lawyer Seeks New Trial Against Blank Rome Attorneys

    A lawyer who lost her malicious-litigation case against Blank Rome LLP attorneys and an aviation company in Philadelphia last month has moved for a new trial in Pennsylvania federal court, citing what she called "numerous errors committed by the district court" in her first trial.

  • January 10, 2025

    Trump Avoids Jail As Judge Points To Presidential Status

    A New York state judge on Friday spared President-elect Donald Trump any incarceration for his 34-count felony hush money conviction, citing the changed legal landscape, which affords the chief executive with "extraordinary legal protections."

  • January 09, 2025

    Alec Baldwin Sues New Mexico Prosecutors For Rust Charges

    Actor-producer Alec Baldwin on Thursday accused the Santa Fe, New Mexico, district attorney, two special prosecutors and other local officials of mishandling evidence, defaming him and maliciously abusing the judicial process in their unsuccessful pursuit of charges against him in the wake of the fatal shooting on the "Rust" set.

  • January 09, 2025

    CFPB Bars Ex-Agency Attys From Revived Innovation Policies

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has said it will not consider applications for its rebooted no-action letter and compliance sandbox policies when those applications are submitted by financial service companies represented by former bureau attorneys as outside counsel.

  • January 09, 2025

    Vape Laptop Hacking Suit Belongs In Court, Co. Says

    A vape-maker has urged a California federal court to deny a bid by the founder of vape distributor Next Level to arbitrate the manufacturer's claims that he broke into a laptop to access its confidential information, saying he's not a signatory to an underlying arbitration agreement.

  • January 09, 2025

    Law Firm Cleared, Murdaugh Pal Liable In Insurance Trial

    A federal jury in South Carolina has found that a lawyer tied to Alex Murdaugh owes insurer Nautilus over $1 million for a role in an insurance fraud that was perpetrated when Murdaugh's housekeeper died, while a law firm was cleared of liability.

  • January 09, 2025

    Tribe's Atty Looks To Ax Remaining Claims In $14.6M Suit

    An attorney who has represented the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma as general counsel has asked a federal judge in a $14.6 million racketeering and breach of contract dispute against a computer management company to toss the case or pause it pending a circuit court appeal.

  • January 09, 2025

    Pharma Co. Says Ex-CEO's Bias Allegations Come Up Short

    Canadian biopharmaceutical company FSD Pharma Inc. is urging the Third Circuit to affirm the enforcement of a $2 million arbitral award against its ex-CEO, arguing Wednesday that the former executive's allegations of bias against the arbitrator have already been rejected.

  • January 09, 2025

    Suspended Atty Seeks To Avoid Prison Over Payroll Tax Fraud

    A suspended Ohio attorney who managed his wife's dental practice and admitted causing a $750,000 tax loss by failing to pay over employment taxes asked a federal court Thursday to spare him a prison sentence, saying he is not the "greedy liar" depicted by federal prosecutors.

  • January 09, 2025

    Supreme Court Declines To Halt Trump's NY Sentencing

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday denied Donald Trump's request to halt New York criminal proceedings in his hush money case, clearing the way for a state judge to sentence the president-elect on Friday, days before he takes the oath of office.

  • January 09, 2025

    Ex-Knick Wants MSG Sanctioned Over Lost Emails

    Former New York Knicks player Charles Oakley informed a Manhattan federal judge he intends to seek sanctions over a set of lost emails involving a group of Madison Square Garden employees that he alleges assaulted him when he was ejected as a spectator from a 2017 game.

  • January 09, 2025

    Arkansas Justices At Odds Over Chief's Bid To Revive Firings

    Members of the Arkansas Supreme Court are at an impasse over the chief justice's attempt to fire 10 state court employees after her fellow justices blocked the move, with her issuing an order to vacate their ruling and them saying her order is a mere dissent with no effect.

  • January 09, 2025

    Alito-Trump Phone Call Sparks Unanswered Calls For Recusal

    Democratic lawmakers' calls for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to recuse from considering Donald Trump's bid to stay sentencing in his New York hush money case due to a phone call the pair had shortly before the emergency application was filed went unaddressed Thursday.

  • January 09, 2025

    NJ Firm Accused Of Malpractice Hid Facts, Insurer Says

    An insurer has told a New Jersey federal court that a law firm it insured had no coverage for malpractice allegations because it knew its attorney was accused of bilking a man's heirs out of estate assets years before the firm was sued for wrongdoing, but never told the insurer.

  • January 09, 2025

    Atty Survives Ex-Young Conaway Coworker's Assault Claim

    A Pennsylvania federal judge said Thursday that a former Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP attorney's assault claim against a onetime colleague at the firm is unviable because substantial proof exists to show that the actions in question were done to defend another person.

  • January 09, 2025

    Judge Nixes Bid To Depose SEC Counsel In $73M Fraud Case

    A New Jersey federal magistrate judge has denied a credit reporting agency's bid to depose four U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission attorneys and to compel the production of their witness interview notes in a civil enforcement action over an alleged $73 million fraud, ruling the information sought is protected by the work-product doctrine.

  • January 09, 2025

    Top Oversight Dem Seeks Report On Trump Classified Docs

    The top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Thursday asked the U.S. Department of Justice for a look at the special counsel report on former President Donald Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents, days after a federal court blocked its publication.

  • January 08, 2025

    Consumers Get Class Cert. In Suit Over Law Firm's Robocalls

    A West Virginia federal judge has granted class status to consumers who are accusing a plaintiffs' firm of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by blasting them with unsolicited calls seeking their participation in litigation against the federal government over contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

  • January 08, 2025

    Atty Wants Sanctions Mention Axed In NFL Merch Case

    An attorney representing himself in a lawsuit seeking a court order saying he is allowed to sell unlicensed NFL merchandise took exception with a federal judge's suggestion that the league's merchandising arm may want to move for sanctions.

  • January 08, 2025

    Reed Smith Accused Of 'Causing Chaos' In $102M Award Fight

    The new owners of reorganized international shipping group Eletson Holdings are continuing their battle with the company's former owners and their counsel at Reed Smith in litigation over a $102 million arbitral award, alleging the BigLaw firm's "obstructionist conduct" is "causing chaos."

  • January 08, 2025

    Madigan Denies Extorting Developers For Law Firm Business

    Ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan testified Wednesday that he never wanted a Chicago alderman to leverage his chairmanship of a powerful city council committee to steer business to Madigan's law firm, saying he merely asked for introductions to developers and felt "surprise and concern" when the alderman referenced a quid pro quo deal.

Expert Analysis

  • Mitigating Defamation Liability Risks Of AI-Generated Content

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    Until Congress and the courts provide clear guidance about defamation liability stemming from generative artificial intelligence tools, companies should begin building controls to prevent the creation of defamatory content, says Michael Gerrity at Accenture.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records

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    Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    Why States Should Adopt ABA's 'Duty To Inquire'

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    State bars should codify the American Bar Association's proposed rule on a lawyer's duty to scrutinize each representation as it provides guardrails for lawyers, supports self-regulation of the profession, and helps avert money laundering and other crimes, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Trump Faces Uphill Battle If He Tries To Target Prosecutors

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    On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump promised to go after the state and federal prosecutors who had investigated and prosecuted him, but few criminal statutes would be applicable — to say nothing of the evidence required to substantiate any charges against prosecutors, says William Johnston at Bird Marella.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

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