Legal Ethics

  • November 27, 2024

    Myman Greenspan Accused Of Wrongfully Firing Assistant

    Motion picture and television law firm Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light LLP used a "transparent pretext" to illegally fire an assistant who had a health condition and was over the age of 50, according to a suit alleging wrongful termination in California state court.

  • November 27, 2024

    Better, Faster, Stranger: What Attys Think Of Our AI Future

    Law firms are increasingly embracing the use of artificial intelligence, wary of its limitations but enchanted by its potential to transform the practice of law through smaller headcounts and cheaper litigation.

  • November 27, 2024

    How Trump's Ga. Allies Could Walk Back Their Guilty Pleas

    If any of President-elect Donald Trump's four co-defendants who secured early plea deals in the Georgia election meddling prosecution regret their decisions now that scandal has engulfed the case and Trump is returning to the White House, they might have some long shot options left on the table.

  • November 27, 2024

    Rikers Faces Federal Takeover As NYC Held In Contempt

    A Manhattan federal judge found New York City and its corrections department in civil contempt for failing to fix the "unconstitutional danger" for inmates at Rikers Island, indicating a receivership is the solution.

  • November 26, 2024

    Developer Accuses Fla. Attys Of 'Fraudulent Billing' Scheme

    A real estate developer embroiled in a dispute with Conrad & Scherer LLP over unpaid legal fees has filed a new lawsuit against two of the firm's partners, claiming they operated a "bait and switch" scheme to overbill him for their work in litigation over a loan to finance construction of a $76 million Aspen home.

  • November 26, 2024

    Fla. Bar Alleges Atty Delayed Trial Over His Broken Tooth

    The Florida Bar has launched a complaint against a criminal attorney in the Florida Supreme Court, accusing him of violating state bar rules by refusing to proceed with a jury trial because he had a broken tooth.

  • November 26, 2024

    Beasley Allen Escapes Sanctions For J&J Deposition No Show

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Tuesday laid ground rules for documents and communications to be shared in a messy discovery phase of the Chapter 11 of Red River Talc, Johnson & Johnson's latest liability spinoff, while also saying he wouldn't sanction a Beasley Allen attorney who didn't appear at a deposition last week. 

  • November 26, 2024

    Prosecutor Defends Outside Counsel Hires To Mich. Justices

    A Michigan county's elected prosecutor told the state Supreme Court his stymied request to seek legal advice from outside law firms was valid, arguing he should be able to consult attorneys to manage risk after the county's corporation counsel refused to represent him. 

  • November 26, 2024

    Madigan Pushed Land Transfer After Law Biz Pitch, Jury Told

    A former Chicago alderman testifying against ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan told jurors Tuesday he connected prospective developers to Madigan, who lobbied to take on their legal work and soon after pushed legislation that would clear the way for their project.

  • November 26, 2024

    Affinity Bar Groups Decry Colo. No-Poach Restrictions

    Several attorney groups told Colorado's justices that barring lawyers from recruiting colleagues before officially leaving a firm would take away professional autonomy and harm lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds the most, filing briefs in support of a lawyer's challenge to her contract with a personal injury firm. 

  • November 26, 2024

    Law Firms' Tobacco Fee-Sharing Showdown Revived In Texas

    A split Texas appeals panel has remanded a dispute between an attorney and an ex-attorney over a fee-sharing agreement in tobacco litigation, finding that the contract was ambiguous and that a trial court was wrong to conclude otherwise.

  • November 26, 2024

    Paul Hastings Seeks GenapSys CEO Depo In Malpractice Suit

    Paul Hastings LLP has called on a California court to compel the founder and former CEO of GenapSys to sit for a deposition in a legal malpractice suit alleging that the firm improperly drafted board documents that invited an expensive lawsuit and led to the genetic sequencing company's "demise and liquidation."

  • November 26, 2024

    Texas Atty Sanctioned For Citing Bogus Cases After Using AI

    A Texas lawyer pursuing a wrongful termination lawsuit against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has been sanctioned for submitting a brief that included citations to nonexistent cases generated by an artificial intelligence tool, a Texas federal judge ordered this week.

  • November 26, 2024

    Fulton County DA Seeks To Reinstate Trump Election Charges

    The Fulton County District Attorney's Office told the Georgia Court of Appeals on Monday that six criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others should be reinstated as they have an "abundance" of information to prepare their defense against allegations of trying to subvert the results of the November 2020 election.

  • November 26, 2024

    Ga. Law Firm Faces DQ Bid Over 'Hopeless' FCA Case Conflict

    The former employee of a tool company has called on a Georgia federal court to disqualify Smith Gilliam Williams & Miles PA and one of its attorneys from representing the company in his False Claims Act case because another firm attorney represented him in a domestic matter.

  • November 26, 2024

    Nadine Menendez's Atty Seeks Trial Delay Due To Jan. 6 Case

    Counsel for Nadine Menendez in a bribery case that toppled her husband, former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, asked a New York federal judge to delay her January trial date because it would likely conflict with the trial of another client facing charges in March in the 2021 Capitol insurrection.

  • November 26, 2024

    NJ Law Firm Hit With Whistleblower Suit From Fired Atty

    New Jersey law firm Post Polak PA has been hit with a state whistleblower lawsuit from a former associate alleging that she was fired over her handling of a public records case against Englewood Cliffs and her disagreements with the town mayor.

  • November 26, 2024

    Ex-Faegre Drinker Atty Files Disability Bias Suit

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP was hit with a disability discrimination lawsuit on Monday by a Denver attorney who says she was pushed out after seeking accommodations for hip problems.

  • November 26, 2024

    Victim Shares Blame For $1.4M Scam, Connecticut Atty Says

    A New Jersey real estate development company is at least partly to blame after it transferred more than $1.4 million to a fraudster without taking proper precautions, a Connecticut attorney said Tuesday in response to a federal lawsuit that accuses her of involvement in the scam.

  • November 26, 2024

    NJ Equal Pay Law Date Will Guide Atty's Discrimination Suit

    Discovery and damages in a former Reed Smith LLP labor and employment attorney's suit claiming gender discrimination will be limited to the effective date of New Jersey equal pay law, a state judge ruled, saying the law doesn't apply retroactively.

  • November 26, 2024

    Giuliani's New Atty Faults Previous Counsel As NY Trial Nears

    A Manhattan federal judge declined Tuesday to delay a January trial over whether Rudy Giuliani must turn over his Florida condo and World Series rings to fund a $148 million defamation judgment, after the former New York City mayor's new lawyer criticized outgoing counsel.

  • November 25, 2024

    Mich. Atty's Voting Machine Criminal Trial Delayed Again

    A Michigan state judge on Monday yet again delayed the criminal trial of an attorney accused of accessing 2020 voting machines after reiterating that he would not disqualify special prosecutors from arguing the case, giving more time for others similarly charged to chime in about newly discovered evidence.

  • November 25, 2024

    Gibson Dunn Treated Crypto Client Like 'Hot Potato,' Suit Says

    Crypto trading firm Swan Bitcoin hit Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP with a malpractice lawsuit in California court Friday, alleging Gibson Dunn dumped Swan "like the proverbial 'hot potato'" in underlying trade secret litigation and tried to take on Swan's rival as a client after a lateral hire created a conflict of interest.

  • November 25, 2024

    Samsung Inks Deal In Suit Nixed Over Rival's Atty Misconduct

    Samsung has reached a settlement with patent owner Techiya, a deal that comes after Samsung defeated the $300 million patent infringement suit based on attorney misconduct by former in-house counsel that a Texas federal judge called "repugnant to the rule of law," according to a motion filed Sunday.

  • November 25, 2024

    Texas AG Loses 'Unserious' Bid For Jack Smith Doc Order

    A Texas federal judge refused Monday to enter an emergency order preserving special counsel Jack Smith's records, saying there is no reason to think the U.S. Department of Justice will not follow document retention laws and slamming Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's allegations to the contrary as "unserious."

Expert Analysis

  • What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

    Author Photo

    Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

    Author Photo

    The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
    Author Photo

    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Asserting 'Presence-Of-Counsel' Defense In Securities Trials

    Author Photo

    As illustrated by the fraud trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, defense attorneys in securities trials might consider arguing that counsel had some involvement in the conduct at issue — if the more formal advice-of-counsel defense is unavailable and circumstances allow for a privilege waiver, say Joseph Dever and Matthew Elkin at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Key Takeaways From DOJ's Recent FARA Advisory Opinions

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice recently published several redacted advisory opinions on the Foreign Agents Registration Act, clarifying its current thinking on when a person or entity is required to register as a foreign agent under the statute, and when they may qualify for an exemption, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley Rein.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Legal Ethics archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!