Legal Ethics

  • June 03, 2025

    Indicted Judge Seeks Info On His 'Disgruntled' Ex-Workers

    A Pennsylvania state judge accused of misusing COVID-19 unemployment relief money to pay his law firm's staff is seeking employment records from their other jobs to determine the credibility of who he calls "disgruntled employees" who made the claims about him to the government.

  • June 03, 2025

    Mich. High Court To Weigh Warrantless DNA Testing Legality

    The Michigan Supreme Court will consider whether to take on an appeal from a man convicted of murder who says the police's warrantless testing of his clothes while he was jailed on unrelated warrants was unlawful.

  • June 03, 2025

    NJ Fights Investment Fund's Push To DQ Connell Foley

    New Jersey told a federal judge Monday that he was correct in rejecting a Black-owned investment fund's bid to disqualify Connell Foley LLP from representing the state in its bias suit, saying there was no previous attorney-client relationship.

  • June 03, 2025

    Ex-Bank GC Can Easily Pay $2.5M Fraud Restitution, Feds Say

    The former general counsel of Stamford-based Webster Bank has chipped away at a $7.4 million restitution order since being sentenced to four years in prison for a yearslong fraud scheme and is capable of paying back the full amount in a lump sum, prosecutors have told a Connecticut federal judge.

  • June 03, 2025

    'Frivolous' Defamation Suit From Diddy Security Guard Tossed

    A New York federal judge has thrown out a defamation suit brought by the former head of security for Sean "Diddy" Combs against high-profile attorney Gloria Allred and her client in a sexual assault suit against Combs, finding several of the claims "frivolous."

  • June 03, 2025

    Conn. Judge Narrows McCarter's Defenses In $22M Loan Suit

    A Connecticut state court trimmed McCarter & English LLP's defenses in a $22.3 million suit over its role crafting loans for recreational improvements in a Long Island, New York, town, saying the firm cannot pursue a comparative negligence defense but can proceed with its fraud argument.

  • June 03, 2025

    Butler Snow Calls Bogus AI Citations An 'Isolated Event'

    Butler Snow LLP has told an Alabama federal court that fake citations in two of its filings in a prison abuse case that were the result of AI-generated "hallucinations" were an "isolated event," and it is revising policies and procedures to ensure such mistakes won't happen again.

  • June 03, 2025

    Estate, Lawyer And Law Firm Clash Over Malpractice Liability

    Wachtel Missry LLP and a former client's estate are once again at odds in Brooklyn federal court after a judge found a September jury verdict unclear on liability in the case of a former law firm partner's alleged abuse of an elderly client, with all three parties arguing over the scope of a new trial.

  • June 03, 2025

    Tom Girardi Sentenced To Over 7 Years For $15M Client Fraud

    A California federal judge sentenced Tom Girardi on Tuesday to over seven years in prison for his wire fraud conviction, granting some leniency to the disbarred attorney on his 86th birthday by imposing a sentence below the guidelines in recognition of his age and ailing health. 

  • June 03, 2025

    The Law360 400: A Look At The Top 100 Firms

    A rebound in client work sent the nation’s largest law firms into growth mode last year, driving a wave of hiring, mergers and strategic moves that reshaped the top tier of the Law360 400. Here's a preview of the 100 firms with the largest U.S. attorney headcounts.

  • June 03, 2025

    Text To Sanctions Trial Witness Just An 'Error,' Judge Agrees

    A Manhattan federal judge declined on Tuesday to revoke bail for a businessman accused of helping a Russian banker evade sanctions on assets worth nearly $150 million, after his lawyer said his text to a trial witness was merely a phone flub.

  • June 02, 2025

    Jenner & Block Ruling 'Meant What It Said,' Judge Tells Feds

    The order striking down the Trump administration's executive order targeting Jenner & Block LLP "meant what it said," a Washington, D.C., federal judge ruled Monday, saying the government must rescind enforcement of all parts of the president's directive.

  • June 02, 2025

    Fla. Sanitizer Co. Faces Penalties Over Fake AI Legal Citations

    Two Florida federal judges have ordered a disinfectant sprayer business to explain why artificial intelligence-generated fake citations and quotes appeared in filings in lawsuits over corporate wrongdoing from a Canadian breach of contract case, saying it could face serious penalties for alleged intentional misrepresentations.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ga. Panel Urged To Back $17M Honda Seatbelt Verdict

    A Georgia man whose wife was killed after being ejected from her Honda SUV asked a Georgia appellate panel Monday to uphold a $17 million verdict against the automaker, urging the court to reject Honda's arguments that it was wrongly denied the chance to defend itself after its attorneys introduced prohibited materials at the trial's opening.

  • June 02, 2025

    Girardi's Dropped Pants Don't Sway Judge From Sentencing

    A California federal judge ruled Monday she will sentence Tom Girardi this week for his wire fraud conviction, finding him mentally competent enough to potentially serve prison time following a bizarre hearing where the disbarred attorney made an appearance on the witness stand that culminated in his pants falling down.

  • June 02, 2025

    Judge Finds Exec Sought To Dodge Chicago Hotel Fraud Order

    A construction company and executive found by a jury in 2022 of misusing millions intended for Chicago's Nobu Hotel are facing contempt orders from an Illinois federal judge for concealing cash withdrawals and construction work as an investor attempts to collect a $22 million judgment.

  • June 02, 2025

    Jackson Walker, US Trustee Agree To Mediator In Fees Case

    Jackson Walker LLP and the federal government's bankruptcy watchdog have agreed to mediation in their fee dispute stemming from an ethics scandal in Texas, with the two sides agreeing that retired judge Joan N. Feeney should mediate.

  • June 02, 2025

    Third Round Of Fixes Sought In Botched Calif. Bar Exam

    The California state bar's committee of bar examiners has approved two additional remedies in an effort to help applicants who failed the troubled February exam, including asking the state Supreme Court to approve a further scoring adjustment that would bring the passing rate up to about 63%.

  • June 02, 2025

    Feds Want 12½ Years For Ex-Ill. Speaker Convicted Of Bribery

    Prosecutors are urging an Illinois federal judge to sentence former state House Speaker Michael Madigan to prison for 12½ years for bribery, conspiracy and fraud, saying his conduct adds "another sordid chapter to Illinois' storied reputation of corruption" while Madigan, armed with more than 200 letters of support, seeks only probation.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ga. Appeals Court To Review Arbitration Of Firm Fee Fight

    The Georgia state court of appeals on Monday agreed to consider whether a law firm's lawsuit against its former client over legal fees should move forward in the trial court that ordered the case to arbitration, with both sides accusing the other of "gamesmanship."

  • June 02, 2025

    Judicial Clerk Boycott May Be Unethical, Circ. Judge Says

    A North Dakota federal judge's pledge not to hire law clerks from Columbia University because of the school's response to campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza may "cross an important line," the Eighth Circuit's chief judge said, even as he dismissed an ethics complaint stemming from the boycott.

  • June 02, 2025

    Retired Judges Call Wis. Judge's Prosecution 'Dangerous'

    The Trump administration's prosecution of a Wisconsin state judge who refused to help federal agents arrest an immigrant is an "extraordinary and direct assault on the independence of the entire judicial system," according to a bipartisan group of 138 former state and federal judges.

  • June 02, 2025

    J&J Again Seeks To Block Beasley Allen In NJ Talc Litigation

    Johnson & Johnson has opposed a New Jersey talc claimant's motion for the pro hac vice admission of two attorneys from The Beasley Allen Law Firm, claiming the partners' conduct in its talc unit's bankruptcy proceedings warrants denial of the application.

  • June 02, 2025

    Womble Bond Atty Asks 4th Circ. To Undo Contempt Order

    A series of federal court errors led to a Womble Bond Dickinson partner being wrongly held in contempt over a $28 million trademark dispute between a Dutch technology company and its former U.S. partner, the lawyer told the Fourth Circuit in a brief Friday, urging the appeals panel to reverse the order.

  • June 02, 2025

    MSG Tries Again To Have Ex-Knick's Assault Suit Tossed

    Madison Square Garden has returned fire against former New York Knicks icon Charles Oakley in their battle in New York federal court over his 2017 ejection from a game, demanding summary judgment in an assault suit he brought against it and asking for sanctions against Oakley six weeks after he requested sanctions against the organization.

Expert Analysis

  • Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession

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    For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.

  • 1st Circ. IMessage Ruling Illustrates Wire Fraud Circuit Split

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    The First Circuit’s recent decision that text messages exchanged wholly within Massachusetts but transmitted by the internet count as interstate commerce spotlights a split in how circuits interpret intrastate actions under the federal wire fraud statute, perhaps prompting U.S. Supreme Court review, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • Why A Rare SEC Dismissal May Not Reflect A New Approach

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    While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's pending dismissal of its case against Silver Point is remarkable to the extent that it reflects a novel repudiation of a decision made during the prior commission, a deeper look suggests it may not represent a shift in policy approach, say attorneys at Weil.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • 9 Considerations For Orgs Using AI Meeting Assistants

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    When deciding to use artificial intelligence meeting assistants, organizations must create and implement a written corporate policy that establishes the do's and don'ts for these assistants, taking into account individualized business operations, industry standards and legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • A Reminder On Avoiding Improper Venues In Patent Cases

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision in the Symbology and Quantum cases shows that baseless patent venue allegations may be subject to serious Rule 11 sanctions, providing venue-vetting takeaways for plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Bond Schoeneck.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • What SDNY Judge Can And Can't Do In Adams Case

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    The federal judge in the Southern District of New York overseeing the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams deferred making a decision on the government's motion to dismiss the indictment, and while he does have limited authority to deny the motion, that would ultimately be a futile gesture, says Ethan Greenberg at Anderson Kill.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

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