Legal Ethics

  • April 10, 2026

    Calif. Atty Avoids Sanctions For Filing Bogus Citations With AI

    A California attorney has avoided sanctions over his use of artificial intelligence for a filing in a civil rights case, which resulted in false citations.

  • April 10, 2026

    Hicks Thomas DQ'd Over Aide's Past Work For Other Side

    Siding with two lower courts, the Texas Supreme Court on Friday held that Hicks Thomas LLP must be disqualified from a long-running suit over a hospital project because of a firm legal assistant's past work for the other side of the case.

  • April 10, 2026

    Closed Captioner Seeks $200K In Atty Fees In Wage Deal

    A former Vitac Corp. employee has urged a Colorado federal judge to award $200,000 in attorney fees after the transcription and closed captioning company settled a class action alleging it didn't pay workers for preparation tasks necessary to perform their jobs.

  • April 10, 2026

    6th Circ. Won't Revisit EFAA Ruling Against Adams & Reese

    The Sixth Circuit said it won't reconsider its ruling that a law barring mandatory arbitration of sexual harassment cases kept a former Adams & Reese LLP paralegal's sex harassment and disability bias suit in court, concluding that the firm's objections were already considered.

  • April 10, 2026

    DLA Piper Partner Rejects Pregnant Atty's Account Of Firing

    The DLA Piper partner who fired a pregnant associate said she did so lawfully, telling a Manhattan federal jury her former employee was "in over her head" and disputing that the associate raised pregnancy bias concerns on a termination call.

  • April 09, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Chief Feels 'Bright-Line Rule Coming' For IP Marking

    As a Federal Circuit panel reprimanded embattled attorney William Ramey on Thursday for the "disrespect" shown in his failed 3D glasses patent litigation against Volkswagen, the Federal Circuit's chief judge suggested precedent may be needed to define the role of marking in admissionless settlements.

  • April 09, 2026

    Sinclair Wants Judge To Rethink Order To Disclose Docs

    Sinclair Broadcast Group is trying to convince an Illinois federal judge that she messed up by commanding it to hand over more than 6,000 documents it claims are attorney-client communications, saying the court's previous ruling "relies on a manifest error of law that will significantly and unfairly prejudice" the company.

  • April 09, 2026

    Va. Bar Suspends Atty For Misleading Client In Amazon Deal

    The Virginia State Bar's disciplinary arm notified the District of Maryland on Thursday that it suspended a Maryland attorney from practicing law in Virginia for six months after finding he misled his client about the consequences of a proffered employment discrimination settlement from Amazon.

  • April 09, 2026

    Burke Williams Accused Of Botching Real Estate Fraud Case

    California Mid-Law firm Burke Williams & Sorensen LLP is facing legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty claims in state court for allegedly dropping the ball on an ailing client's fraud and identity theft case by not providing adequate counsel at a damages trial and not communicating with his representatives.

  • April 09, 2026

    Holland & Knight Says RE Advice Can't Cause Malpractice Suit

    Holland & Knight LLP told a Texas state court Thursday that transactional advice it gave years ago cannot form the basis of a malpractice suit because the statute of limitations expired, saying the two-year clock started ticking when judgment was reached in the underlying suit.

  • April 09, 2026

    Insurer Says Atty's Shoddy Defense Resulted In $92M Verdict

    A Munich Re unit said an Oklahoma-based law firm is to blame for a $92 million judgment entered against it in a coverage dispute over an apartment fire, telling a federal court Thursday that its attorney failed to object to opposing counsel's inappropriate conduct or preserve evidence for appellate review.

  • April 09, 2026

    Trade Secrets Suit Is A 'Far-Flung Conspiracy,' Law Firm Says

    A Georgia law firm wants a Nevada federal court to throw out a lawsuit accusing it of stealing trade secrets from litigation lead generator Archetype Capital Partners, calling the whole case "a far-flung conspiracy."

  • April 09, 2026

    Wash. Justices Oust Judge Pro Tem Over Forged Parking Doc

    Washington's highest court voted unanimously Thursday to remove a substitute judge from his King County District Court post for forging a court document in an effort to save $10 on daily parking costs.

  • April 09, 2026

    Taft, Ex-Client Can't Ditch Defamation Suit, Illinois Judge Says

    An Illinois state judge refused on Wednesday to let a Taft Stettinius & Hollister partner, the firm and a former client escape defamation claims from a park district's executive director, who says they wrongly claimed he fired the former client's late wife to protect a subordinate with whom he was having an affair.

  • April 09, 2026

    Lewis Brisbois Accused Of Ignoring Racism, Unethical Billing

    A former national billing director of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP filed a lawsuit in California state court this week accusing the firm of ignoring racist conduct and sexual harassment by partners, and alleging unethical billing practices and even embezzlement.

  • April 09, 2026

    Report Finds No Evidence Mass. Judge, Prosecutor Had Affair

    A former Massachusetts state court judge and a county prosecutor were cleared in a special master's report made public Thursday about anonymous accusations that they were having an affair while he was presiding over her cases.

  • April 09, 2026

    MMA Law Accuses Lawyer, Insurance Co. Of RICO Scheme

    Embattled Texas firm MMA Law has filed nearly a score of complaints amid an ongoing bankruptcy action, including accusing a Louisiana attorney, his wife and an insurer of working together to "target, dismantle and destroy" the firm in an effort to avoid sharing a cut of legal fees stemming from storm damage claims.

  • April 09, 2026

    Law Grad Loses Wrongful Incarceration Award After 2nd Review

    The Connecticut Claims Commissioner's Office has rescinded a $75,456 award to a pardoned Vanderbilt Law School graduate who said he was wrongfully incarcerated after defending himself in a March 2008 fight among teenagers, expressing doubt that its analysis was sound enough to justify it.

  • April 09, 2026

    McCarter & English, Port Authority Rip Atty's Veteran Bias Suit

    McCarter & English LLP, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Port Authority chair Kevin O'Toole blasted a veteran discrimination suit from a former McCarter & English attorney as based on an unfounded conspiracy theory in motions to dismiss this week.

  • April 09, 2026

    Ecolab Says Personal Injury Law Firm Holding Back $148K

    Ecolab and its self-funded employee benefit plan have accused a North Carolina personal injury firm of withholding around $148,000 in settlement funds the food safety company says it's owed for covering a worker's medical bills after a car accident.

  • April 09, 2026

    Juul Pricing Case Tossed Following Another Reversal

    An Illinois federal court has again dismissed a price discrimination case against Juul Labs over e-cigarette sales, after finding that a reversal of a previous ruling tossing the lawsuit was based on facts misrepresented by the wholesaler bringing the case.

  • April 08, 2026

    AEG, BigLaw Atty In Hot Seat As Live Nation Trial Nears End

    Live Nation on Wednesday concluded its defense case with glowing testimony about it from the manager for rap star Drake, while the Manhattan federal judge overseeing the case said rival company AEG Worldwide and a Hogan Lovells lawyer may face sanctions for revealing confidential information about a witness.

  • April 08, 2026

    Ex-US Atty Rollins Eyes Boston DA Comeback After Probes

    Former Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins, who stepped down amid multiple ethics investigations, pulled papers Wednesday to run for a return to her former office as Suffolk County district attorney, an elections official confirmed.

  • April 08, 2026

    Mich. Federal Judge Pleads No Contest In Drunk-Driving Case

    A Michigan federal judge pled no contest Wednesday to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge in Emmet County court in connection with an incident where he crashed his Cadillac and registered a 0.27% blood alcohol level, apologizing and saying he "looks forward" to continuing his judicial service.

  • April 08, 2026

    NY Panel Backs DLA Piper's $482K Fee Win In Malpractice Suit

    A New York appellate court affirmed Tuesday the dismissal of a Chinese software company's legal malpractice suit against DLA Piper, along with a $482,000 sanctions order against the company and its counsel, noting that the company's frivolous claims also drew a $635,000 sanctions ruling in "mirror" federal court litigation.

Expert Analysis

  • When Atty Ethics Violations Give Rise To Causes Of Action

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    Though the Model Rules of Professional Conduct make clear that a violation of the rules does not automatically create a cause of action, attorneys should beware of a few scenarios in which they could face lawsuits for ethical lapses, says Brian Faughnan at Faughnan Law.

  • Series

    Practicing Stoicism Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Practicing Stoicism, by applying reason to ignore my emotions and govern my decisions, has enabled me to approach challenging situations in a structured way, ultimately providing advice singularly devoted to a client's interest, says John Baranello at Moses & Singer.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Texas, One Year In

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    A year after the Texas Business Court's first decision, it's clear that Texas didn't just copy Delaware and instead built something uniquely its own, combining specialization with constitutional accountability and creating a model that looks forward without losing touch with the state's democratic and statutory roots, says Chris Bankler at Jackson Walker.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Educating Your Community

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    Nearly two decades prosecuting scammers and elder fraud taught me that proactively educating the public about the risks they face and the rights they possess is essential to building trust within our communities, empowering otherwise vulnerable citizens and preventing wrongdoers from gaining a foothold, says Roger Handberg at GrayRobinson.

  • 5 Crisis Lawyering Skills For An Age Of Uncertainty

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    As attorneys increasingly face unprecedented and pervasive situations — from prosecutions of law enforcement officials to executive orders targeting law firms — they must develop several essential competencies of effective crisis lawyering, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For The Judiciary To Fix Its Cybersecurity Problem

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    After recent reports that hackers have once again infiltrated federal courts’ electronic case management systems, the judiciary should strengthen its cybersecurity practices in line with executive branch standards, outlining clear roles and responsibilities for execution, says Ilona Cohen at HackerOne.

  • Series

    Writing Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Writing my debut novel taught me to appreciate the value of critique and to never give up, no matter how long or tedious the journey, providing me with valuable skills that I now emphasize in my practice, says Daniel Buzzetta at BakerHostetler.

  • Trader Joe's Ruling Highlights Trademark Infringement Trends

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Trader Joe's Co. v. Trader Joe's United explores the legal boundaries between a union's right to advocate for workers and the protection of a brand's intellectual property, and illustrates a growing trend of courts disfavoring early dismissal of trademark infringement claims in the context of expressive speech, say attorneys at Mitchell Silberberg.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Arbitrator's Conviction Upheld

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    The Supreme Court of Spain recently upheld the criminal conviction of arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa for grave disobedience to judicial authority, rejecting the proposition that an arbitrator's independence can prevail over a court order retroactively disabling the very judicial act conferring arbitral jurisdiction, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

  • SDNY OpenAI Order Clarifies Preservation Standards For AI

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    The Southern District of New York’s recent order in the OpenAI copyright infringement litigation, denying discovery of The New York Times' artificial intelligence technology use, clarifies that traditional preservation benchmarks apply to AI content, relieving organizations from using a “keep everything” approach, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • In NY, Long COVID (Tolling) Still Applies

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    A series of pandemic-era executive orders in New York tolling state statutes of limitations for 228 days mean that many causes of action that appear time-barred on their face may continue to apply, including in federal practice, for the foreseeable future, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.

  • Opinion

    High Court, Not A Single Justice, Should Decide On Recusal

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    As public trust in the U.S. Supreme Court continues to decline, the court should adopt a collegial framework in which all justices decide questions of recusal together — a reform that respects both judicial independence and due process for litigants, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • Reel Justice: 'One Battle After Another' And The Limits Of Zeal

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    The political thriller “One Battle After Another,” following a former revolutionary who became a recluse, offers a potent metaphor for attorneys on diligence and the ethical boundaries of zealous advocacy, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University School of Law.

  • Series

    Traveling Solo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Traveling by myself has taught me to assess risk, understand tone and stay calm in high-pressure situations, which are not only useful life skills, but the foundation of how I support my clients, says Lacey Gutierrez at Group Five Legal.

  • 6th Circ. FirstEnergy Ruling Protects Key Legal Privileges

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    The Sixth Circuit’s recent grant of mandamus relief in In re: First Energy Corp. confirms that the attorney-client privilege and work-product protections apply to internal investigation materials, ultimately advancing the public interest, say attorneys at Cooley.

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