Legal Ethics

  • July 29, 2025

    NY Judge Faces Recusal Request Over Gilead Stock Holdings

    A criminal defendant who admitted to taking part in a black market HIV drug scam has asked the Manhattan federal judge presiding over his case to step away after the judge disclosed brief ownership of nearly 9,000 shares of Gilead Sciences Inc., while the defendant was fighting her $2 million restitution order.

  • July 29, 2025

    Court Didn't Justify Seals In OneCoin Fraud, 2nd Circ. Says

    A New York district court inadequately justified its decision to seal exhibits attached to a sentencing memorandum filed by an accomplice in the global OneCoin cryptocurrency scheme, the Second Circuit ruled in a published opinion, ordering the court to reconsider.

  • July 28, 2025

    Retired Judges Say DOJ Suit 'Threatens' Core Of Judicial Role

    A group of retired federal judges on Monday threw their support behind Maryland federal judges targeted in a Trump administration lawsuit over their habeas petitions standing order, arguing that the suit "threatens the judicial role to its core" and is trying to block judges from employing "a commonplace docket-management technique."

  • July 28, 2025

    New Jersey US Atty Faces Authority Challenge In Drug Case

    A New Jersey man facing federal drug and firearms charges is mounting what appears to be the first formal legal challenge to Alina Habba's continued role as acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, arguing that her appointment is unlawful and undermines the legitimacy of his prosecution.

  • July 28, 2025

    Bondi Says Judge Boasberg Hit With 'Misconduct Complaint'

    U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Justice filed a "misconduct complaint" against Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, the D.C. federal judge who found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for violating his order blocking deportations.

  • July 28, 2025

    Ex-Munchkin GC Sues Over 'War On Families' At Baby Co.

    Munchkin Inc.'s former general counsel says he was fired for trying to sound the alarm about the baby products brand's "war on families" and culture of discrimination against working mothers and families, in a $10 million suit filed in California state court on Friday.

  • July 28, 2025

    SEC Pushes $630K Penalty Against Atty In Stock Fraud Suit

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission renewed its motion Monday for a more than $630,000 civil penalty and final judgment against securities attorney Henry Sargent, after years of litigation in Massachusetts federal court alleging he orchestrated a sham merger, saying Sargent "has never recognized the wrongfulness of his conduct."

  • July 28, 2025

    Texas Judge 'Perplexed' By 5th Circ. Sanction Reversal

    A Texas federal judge said he was "perplexed" by a Fifth Circuit panel's decision to reverse his sanction order against an attorney, saying in a Monday opinion that the attorney seemingly flouted the case governing litigation conduct by opposing a bid for an extension to reply.

  • July 28, 2025

    Mich. Justices Revive Ex-Prosecutor's Whistleblower Suit

    The Michigan Supreme Court has reinstated a lawsuit brought by a former Saginaw County assistant prosecutor who says she was retaliated against for fighting an unlawful plea agreement, with the justices finding the county must face the suit because it is an employer under the Whistleblowers' Protection Act.

  • July 28, 2025

    Qui Tam Relator's Atty Admits Fake Citations In DC FCA Suit

    An attorney representing the estate of a Washington, D.C.-based construction company's former director in a False Claims Act suit launched against the contractor has withdrawn from the suit due to "recent failure to provide adequate representation" after his co-counsel alleged that the attorney used AI to file a brief "riddled with citation errors."

  • July 28, 2025

    Firms Rip Ford's 'Retaliatory' RICO Suit Over Lemon Law Bills

    Knight Law Group LLP and other firms urged a California federal judge Friday to toss The Ford Motor Co.'s allegations they conspired to dupe clients and defraud automakers by inflating billing, arguing that the racketeering claims are "retaliatory," insufficient and time-barred, and the firms are shielded under the Noerr-Pennington doctrine.

  • July 28, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Panel Calls For Extending Newman's Suspension

    A three-judge Federal Circuit panel recommended Monday that U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman remain suspended, saying her refusal to undergo medical tests by doctors chosen by the court is a "serious form of continuing misconduct" that is hindering an investigation into her health.

  • July 28, 2025

    Fla. Firm Must Pay $320K Sanction For Not Probing IP Claims

    Peter Ticktin and Ticktin Law Group PA have been ordered by a Florida federal judge to pay roughly $321,000 in attorney fees as a sanction for "flagrant conduct" involving their failure to properly investigate patent infringement claims filed on behalf of a client related to smart glass technology.

  • July 28, 2025

    Remand 'Futile' In Atty Contempt Case, Mich. Justices Find

    A Michigan attorney accused of making disrespectful comments "in direct view of" a judge has ducked a second criminal contempt trial, with a split state Supreme Court ruling that, as order had been restored, there was no pathway to continue to pursue the claim.

  • July 28, 2025

    Jackson Walker Settles Judge Romance Claims For $485K

    Jackson Walker LLP has reached a $485,000 settlement with two former bankruptcy clients to resolve a dispute related to the concealed romance of a former partner and former Texas bankruptcy judge David R. Jones, according to a motion filed Friday.

  • July 28, 2025

    Firm Can't Escape Atty's Whistleblower Suit​ In Fla.

    A Florida state judge has rejected Matthiesen Wickert & Lehrer SC's bid to dismiss a whistleblower case by the former leader of its Jacksonville office.

  • July 28, 2025

    J&J Loses Bid To Probe Beasley Allen Talc Litigation Funding

    A special master found Monday there is no reason to believe third-party funders are influencing Beasley Allen Law Firm's decisions in a massive talc litigation in New Jersey, defeating a subpoena from Johnson & Johnson digging into alleged third-party litigation funding.

  • July 28, 2025

    State Justices' Financial Disclosures 'Didn't Get Worse' In '24

    Several states are making information about their Supreme Court justices' finances and potential financial conflicts somewhat more accessible, according to a new report.

  • July 28, 2025

    Atty Loses Pro Hac Vice Status In NC For Habitual Practice

    A North Carolina Business Court judge has yanked a Minnesota lawyer's temporary permission to appear in his court based on a prolific number of previous appearances, saying North Carolina bars attorneys from "practicing habitually" in its courts without a North Carolina license.

  • July 28, 2025

    Attys Behind Pot Biz Say No Default In $60M Loan Suit

    A pair of attorneys with Loevy & Loevy have urged a New York federal court to throw out a lawsuit alleging they defaulted on and redirected funds from $60 million in loans for a cannabis development, saying a federal judge in New Jersey found in a related case that there was no default.

  • July 28, 2025

    Judge To Weigh If FTX Prosecutors Broke Plea Promise

    A Manhattan federal judge said Monday he will investigate an allegation by crypto lobbyist Michelle Bond that she was charged with campaign finance crimes despite a promise that a guilty plea by her husband, former FTX executive Ryan Salame, would leave her in the clear.

  • July 28, 2025

    Biotech GC Says She Was Ousted Amid 'Systemic' Bias

    A former general counsel at Massachusetts life sciences firm Repligen has filed a lawsuit in state court claiming that a pervasive culture of gender bias led to her and other women being treated differently and paid less.

  • July 25, 2025

    6th Circ. Upholds Rape Charge, Says Defense Was Reasonable

    The Sixth Circuit has ordered a lower court to deny the habeas petition from a man who was convicted of raping a woman at a party, finding that, because his attorney was reasonable in defending the man, he cannot request that his sentence be tossed.

  • July 25, 2025

    Pullman & Comley Didn't Flag 'Falsified' $16M Loan, Suit Says

    Pullman & Comley LLC didn't discover that the executive director of a Connecticut municipal housing authority had allegedly forged a connected company's $16.2 million loan application before penning a letter claiming the deal appeared solid, the lender, who was not a client, has alleged in a lawsuit.

  • July 25, 2025

    Law Firm Can't Reshape Retrial In $26M Malpractice Case

    A Brooklyn federal judge refused to change the parameters of upcoming retrial proceedings that could put Wachtel Missry LLP on the hook for a much greater share of a $26 million verdict for a former partner's alleged financial exploitation of an elderly client.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    A Tale Of 2 Trump Cases: The Rule Of Law Is A Live Issue

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week in Trump v. U.S., holding that former President Donald Trump has broad immunity from prosecution, undercuts the rule of law, while the former president’s New York hush money conviction vindicates it in eight key ways, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

    Author Photo

    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 37 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

    Author Photo

    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: June Lessons

    Author Photo

    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers two recent decisions from the Third and Tenth Circuits, and identifies practice tips around class action settlements and standing in securities litigation.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

    Author Photo

    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

    Author Photo

    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

    Author Photo

    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence

    Author Photo

    As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • How Associates Can Build A Professional Image

    Author Photo

    As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.

  • Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age

    Author Photo

    As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.

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.