Legal Ethics

  • October 10, 2025

    High Court To Eye Limits On Appeal Waivers In Plea Deals

    The U.S. Supreme Court will consider which exceptions might apply to criminal appeal waivers, which are common in plea deals, the court announced Friday.

  • October 10, 2025

    11th Circ. Says Insurer Must Defend Atty Malpractice Suit

    A law firm's professional liability insurer has a duty to defend it and one of its attorneys in an underlying malpractice lawsuit stemming from their representation of defendants that faced civil forfeiture claims, the Eleventh Circuit ruled Friday, finding that a "misappropriation exclusion" did not wholly foreclose coverage.

  • October 10, 2025

    Atty's Due Process Claims Challenging Disbarments Trimmed

    A former attorney has had most of a due process suit fighting his disbarment in Florida and reciprocal discipline in Massachusetts and New York thrown out, with a Manhattan federal judge finding that New York lacks personal jurisdiction over out-of-state disciplinary officials.

  • October 10, 2025

    Ex-Judge Claims Illegal Arrest May Have Cost Him Reelection

    A former Washington state judge claims in a new lawsuit that his roadside stop and subsequent arrest by Grays Harbor County sheriff's deputies violated his constitutional rights and may have cost him his seat on the bench, noting that a county prosecutor later challenged him in an election and won.

  • October 10, 2025

    Retribution, Intent Claims May Defuse Bombshell James Case

    The Trump administration's indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James is tightly crafted and offers a straightforward presentation of the government's case, but experts say James appears to have a strong argument that she did not intend to break the law and is being unfairly targeted for what amounts to a minor offense.

  • October 10, 2025

    More Disciplinary Info On Atty Sent To Judge In Flores Case

    An attorney representing the NFL in the racial discrimination dispute with former head coach Brian Flores has informed a New York federal judge of additional disciplinary action against the former attorney for one of Flores' co-plaintiffs, as the judge is investigating whether the lawyer misrepresented his license to practice.

  • October 10, 2025

    Atty Can't Win AI Misconduct Sanctions In Malpractice Case

    A New York federal judge will not sanction a plaintiff over alleged misuse of generative artificial intelligence in a malpractice case against her former lawyer, finding the attorney seeking sanctions had also "vexatiously protracted" the nearly decade-long litigation.

  • October 10, 2025

    Pa. Law Firm Settles Ex-Paralegal's Disability Bias Suit

    A Pennsylvania law firm has agreed to settle a former paralegal's lawsuit claiming she was fired for taking medical leave to undergo treatment for a panic disorder, according to a filing in federal court Friday.

  • October 10, 2025

    Bill Would Let Judges, Prosecutors Carry Concealed Guns

    Two Republicans have introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate that would allow current and retired federal judges and state, local and federal prosecutors to carry concealed firearms in response to increasing concerns about judicial security.

  • October 10, 2025

    Ex-Fla. Detective Cops To Lesser Charge In DEA Bribe Case

    A former Florida police detective told a Manhattan federal judge Friday that he was aware of bribes being paid to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, pleading guilty to a charge of misprision of a felony after initially facing more serious bribery counts.

  • October 10, 2025

    Influencer Slams Atty DQ Bid Over Brief Call As Delay Tactic

    A social media optimization company's push to disqualify the law firm representing an influencer it is suing in a copyright dispute in Texas federal court is nothing more than an attempt to use a "procedural weapon to delay proceedings, increase costs, and peddle false narratives," according to a court filing.

  • October 10, 2025

    NJ Senate President Calls For Monitor Of State AG Unit

    New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari on Friday called for the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee the state's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, saying it has been troubled with failed prosecutions, botched investigations and misconduct.

  • October 09, 2025

    9th Circ. Changes Stance On Appeals Of Anti-SLAPP Denials

    The full Ninth Circuit on Thursday held that denials of California anti-SLAPP motions can no longer be appealed in the midst of litigation, diverging from 22-year-old circuit precedent and finding that such orders aren't immediately appealable because they don't resolve issues "completely separate from the merits."

  • October 09, 2025

    NY Atty General Indicted Following Pressure From Trump

    New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted in Virginia federal court Thursday on charges related to mortgage fraud, three weeks after President Donald Trump wrote a social media post encouraging U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action because James and two other political opponents were "guilty as hell."

  • October 09, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Gets Shutdown Extension For Newman Response

    The D.C. Circuit on Thursday gave the judges on the Federal Circuit an extension until after the government shutdown ends to respond to Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's request for the rehearing of a decision upholding the dismissal of her suit against the colleagues who suspended her.

  • October 09, 2025

    Megan Thee Stallion Wins Sanctions Over Deleted Messages

    A Florida magistrate judge Thursday sanctioned online personality Milagro "Mobz World" Cooper for deleting thousands of text messages and WhatsApp data after being told to preserve evidence in rapper Megan Thee Stallion's defamation and cyberstalking suit against her.

  • October 09, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Backs PTAB Wins For Samsung In Earpiece Cases

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday shot down appeals of a series of Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions that found claims across three patents covering earpieces and attached microphone technology invalid.

  • October 09, 2025

    Ineffective Counsel Claim Could Afford Immigrant Legal Status

    A Guatemalan man who lost his path to U.S. citizenship after being convicted of breaking into a car has been offered another chance at a new trial if he can show his attorney failed to inform him of his right to appeal, Massachusetts' intermediate appeals court said Thursday.

  • October 09, 2025

    'Moonlighting' Atty Must Arbitrate Wage Claims, Ga. Firm Says

    John Foy & Associates PC told a Georgia federal court that a former firm attorney breached her employment agreement by "moonlighting" with another firm during her employment and then filing a wage suit against John Foy & Associates instead of pursuing her claims in confidential arbitration.

  • October 09, 2025

    Baldoni Atty Faces LA Malpractice Suit Over Client 'Betrayal'

    Entertainment attorney Bryan Freedman has been accused in Los Angeles County Superior Court of turning his back on a former client, allegedly convincing him to sign an unfavorable settlement on trademark claims against "It Ends With Us" star Justin Baldoni, only to later begin representing the actor and director.

  • October 09, 2025

    Ga. Prosecutors Get More Time To Replace DA In Trump Case

    A Georgia state judge has extended its deadline requiring a prosecutors group to replace a disqualified district attorney to oversee the election interference case against President Donald Trump and others, rejecting two defendants' opposition to anything beyond the original two-week deadline.

  • October 09, 2025

    False-Statement Case Puts Comey In Rare Company

    Former FBI director James Comey is the latest addition to the relatively short list of government officials who have been criminally charged over the past several decades with making false statements to Congress.

  • October 09, 2025

    Sullivan & Cromwell Impersonators Hit With NY Fraud Claims

    New York Attorney General Letitia James is attempting to take down a slew of businesses whose names are variants of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, accusing them of attempting a scheme to fraudulently redirect checks meant for the global corporate law firm.

  • October 09, 2025

    Judge Rejects Sanctions Bid In Ace Fire Loss Suit

    A Georgia federal court has rejected a Chubb unit's sanctions bid in a fire loss coverage dispute, finding that although its insureds failed to adequately join two individual defendants in a broader attempt to defeat the court's diversity jurisdiction, such conduct wasn't frivolous nor amounted to bad faith.

  • October 09, 2025

    Ga. Panel Revives Broad & Cassel Malpractice Claims

    The Georgia Court of Appeals has partially revived a legal malpractice suit filed against Broad & Cassel LLP over allegations that one of its partners blew an auto dealership's lawsuit in the midst of a mental health crisis, ruling that the claims may not have been filed too late after all.

Expert Analysis

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

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    Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.

  • Ex-Chicago Politician's Case May Further Curb Fraud Theories

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear Thompson v. U.S. to determine whether a statement that is misleading but not false still violates federal law, potentially heralding the court’s largest check yet on prosecutors’ expansive fraud theories, with significant implications for sentencing, say attorneys at the Law Offices of Alan Ellis.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

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    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

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    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

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    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

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