Legal Ethics

  • October 23, 2025

    Man Who Pled Guilty To Killing Parents Wins Chance At Retrial

    A New York appeals court ruled Thursday that a man who pled guilty to murdering his parents in 1996 can argue that ineffective counsel led him to that plea choice, having been advised that his life-without-parole sentence would be reduced if the death penalty were struck down in the state.

  • October 23, 2025

    5th Circ. Vacates Lewis Brisbois' $1.5M Trademark Award

    The Fifth Circuit vacated a $1.5 million damages award Thursday that Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP won against three attorneys who registered a business with the same name, saying the Texas federal judge who granted the award had not explained his reasoning under the relevant statutes.

  • October 23, 2025

    Calif. Injury Atty Convicted Of Manslaughter Over DUI Crash

    A Southern California personal injury attorney has been convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter for driving while intoxicated and causing a 2019 freeway collision that resulted in the death of a U.S. Postal Service big rig driver, according to Orange County prosecutors.

  • October 23, 2025

    Ex-NY Atty Gets Sentence Reduced In Grand Larceny Case

    A New York appeals court on Thursday ruled that a prison term for a disbarred attorney who pled guilty to stealing over half a million dollars from the estate he was hired to represent was too high, ordering that it be reduced.

  • October 23, 2025

    Triumph Tries Again To Dump Pork Price-Fixing Claims

    Triumph Foods urged a Minnesota federal court to reconsider throwing out claims against it concerning alleged price-fixing in the pork industry, saying it shouldn't be held responsible for the alleged actions of hog farmers and the company that sells the pork it processes.

  • October 23, 2025

    Conference Set In Discovery Fight Amid $900K Fee Dispute

    A Connecticut state judge has called a status conference but denied a request for an "urgent" evidentiary hearing in a fee dispute between two law firms stemming from a $900,000 personal injury settlement, noting in an order that the conference would be held to discuss outstanding discovery issues ahead of trial.

  • October 23, 2025

    NJ Appellate Panel Revives Malpractice Suit Against Firm

    A New Jersey appellate panel on Thursday revived a former Woodbridge Township police officer's malpractice suit against an Edison-based law firm and one of its partners, alleging incompetent representation in a personal injury case.

  • October 23, 2025

    Conn. Panel Doubts Ex-Alex Jones Atty Can Skirt Suspension

    Connecticut appellate judges expressed skepticism Thursday that an attorney who previously represented conspiracy theorist Alex Jones can avoid serving the remainder of a two-week suspension, voicing doubt that a lower court abused its discretion in crafting the sanction for violating a confidentiality order.

  • October 23, 2025

    Telecom Co. Viasat Shakes Off Patent Suit In Calif.

    A California federal judge has cleared telecommunications company Viasat in a suit accusing it of infringing a pair of Sandisk digital content and buffering patents, telling Sandisk's attorneys that they also have to prove why they should not be sanctioned for conduct in the case.

  • October 23, 2025

    Fla. Judicial Ethics Panel Taps GC As Next Exec Director

    Florida's Judicial Qualifications Commission has selected its general counsel to take over as executive director of the agency tasked with handling claims of judicial misconduct in the state.

  • October 23, 2025

    Fla. Judge Recuses After Remark About Shooting Attys

    A Florida state court judge has recused himself from cases involving a brother and sister fighting over their mother's estate after he told the attorneys in the case during a hearing that he "would like to tell the deputy to pull his gun and shoot all three of you."

  • October 23, 2025

    Mich. Defense Atty Charged With Smuggling Drugs Into Prison

    A Michigan criminal defense lawyer has been accused of attempting to smuggle drugs into a state prison during a client visit, according to court records.

  • October 23, 2025

    Judge Dings Law Profs In Judge-Shopping Sanctions Case

    The federal judge behind a controversial sanctions order accusing three attorneys of judge shopping while challenging an Alabama gender care law is pushing back on claims that he lacked jurisdiction, as the ruling is on appeal in the Eleventh Circuit.

  • October 23, 2025

    Derailment Counsel Fee Provision 'Troubles' 6th Circ. Judge

    A three-judge Sixth Circuit panel on Thursday seemed skeptical that counsel representing victims of the fiery 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, was blindsided by a "quick-pay" provision in the attorney fee agreement that saw class lawyers get paid before their clients.

  • October 23, 2025

    Musk Can't Lean On Atty Defense In Twitter Investor Dispute

    A New York federal judge on Thursday blocked Elon Musk from asserting that he relied on his attorneys' advice in deciding when to disclose that he had taken an ownership interest in Twitter, saying it wouldn't be fair to the platform's former shareholders to allow him to move forward with that defense.

  • October 23, 2025

    NJ Atty Accused Of Groping Paralegal At Holiday Party

    A former paralegal is suing New Jersey-based personal injury firm Corradino & Papa LLC in federal court alleging that a name partner groped her at a holiday party last year and that the firm didn't investigate her attempts to report the incident.

  • October 23, 2025

    Del. Justices Won't Reconsider Gellert Seitz Malpractice Ruling

    The Delaware Supreme Court on Oct. 23 rejected a request to reconsider its decision affirming the dismissal of a legal malpractice suit against Gellert Seitz Busenkell & Brown LLC over damages a homebuilder said it suffered due to the firm's negligence handling loan-restructuring disputes, saying the request is "without merit."

  • October 23, 2025

    McGuireWoods Asks NC Justices To Stay Defamation Case

    McGuireWoods LLP and a former partner are asking North Carolina's highest court to halt a defamation case over statements made in connection with an investigation into the former CEO of a managed care organization, saying they risk permanently losing their immunity defense if the suit is allowed to move forward.

  • October 23, 2025

    Shipbuilders' Discovery Demands Go Too Far, Engineer Says

    One of the naval engineers suing the nation's largest military shipbuilders over an alleged no-poach agreement said she's already identified 20 witnesses and produced more than 3,000 pages of documents in discovery, but the companies are still asking for attorney work product in their latest demands.

  • October 23, 2025

    Judges Admit AI Missteps After Grassley's Oversight Push

    Federal judges in New Jersey and Mississippi admitted their staff used artificial intelligence in faulty orders they had to redo over the summer, according to correspondence released Thursday by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who is investigating the matter.

  • October 23, 2025

    Biden Judicial Noms Atty To Lead Progressive Nonprofit

    The American Constitution Society, a progressive legal nonprofit, has named a White House Senior Counsel from former President Joe Biden's administration as its next president, who in his time working at Pennsylvania Avenue oversaw a historic number of judicial confirmations.

  • October 22, 2025

    Blake Lively Seeks Sanctions Over 'Untraceable' Messages

    Blake Lively told a New York federal judge Wednesday her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni, his production company and other defendants in her defamation case should be sanctioned for using Signal's auto-delete function in an attempt to erase evidence of their alleged retaliatory smear campaign against the actress.

  • October 22, 2025

    Baker McKenzie Partner Hired Security In Dispute With Ex-Atty

    The managing partner of Baker McKenzie's Washington, D.C., office told a Maryland state judge Wednesday that he has had to employ a protective detail because of harassment and threats from a former firm associate who he says falsely accused him of sexual assault.

  • October 22, 2025

    'Danger Zone': 9th Circ. Judge Warns Atty Battling L'Oreal

    A Ninth Circuit judge warned an attorney Wednesday he was in a "danger zone" and should have considered never appealing a district court's order throwing out his client's trade secrets case against L'Oreal USA Inc., saying the lower court's finding that his client fabricated evidence puts the attorney in the panel's crosshairs.  

  • October 22, 2025

    Phillips 66 Can't Undo $805M Trade Secrets Trial Loss

    Phillips 66 can't get a new trial after its $805 million loss on claims it stole startup Propel Fuels' intellectual property during due diligence for an acquisition, a California state judge has ruled, saying the jury's findings, including malicious misconduct, are well-supported.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

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    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.

  • An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

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    As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.

  • Series

    Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

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    In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.

  • The Implications Of 2024's AI Rules And Regs For Patent Attys

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    Christina Huang, John Smith and Devin Stein at Faegre Drinker review this year's new rules and regulations on the development and use of artificial intelligence — from the Biden administration, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the American Bar Association and various states — as they apply to patent attorneys.

  • When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US

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    As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025

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    The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • How White Collar Defense Attys Can Use Summary Witnesses

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    Few criminal defense attorneys have successfully utilized summary witnesses in the past, but several recent success stories show that it can be a worthwhile trial tactic to help juries understand the complex decision-making at issue, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

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    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

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    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Top 10 Legal Malpractice Defenses As Claims Tick Up

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    As legal malpractice claims and payouts increase, law firms should remember certain time-tested defenses, such as asserting no duty to nonclients, omissions beyond the scope of engagement or lack of proximate cause, say attorneys at Goulston & Storrs.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

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    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

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