Legal Ethics

  • March 31, 2026

    FTC Backs Florida's Move To Kill ABA's Accreditation Monopoly

    The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that it supports the Florida Supreme Court's recent decision to end the American Bar Association's longstanding accreditation monopoly, agreeing with the finding that it is "not in Floridians' best interest for the ABA to be the sole gatekeeper" in deciding who sits for the bar exam.

  • March 31, 2026

    9th Circ. Won't Rethink Apple App Store Injunction

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday refused Apple's bid to reconsider part of a panel decision in Epic Games Inc.'s favor that largely affirmed an injunction blocking Apple from charging developers "prohibitive" commissions on iPhone app purchases made outside its payment systems, declining to clarify what fees Apple can charge.

  • March 31, 2026

    UK Co. Must Pay Sikorsky $15.1M In Helicopter Sale Feud

    A British company must pay Lockheed Martin-owned helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky more than $15.1 million to cover lost profits from the delayed sale of two helicopters, a Connecticut federal judge has ordered, nearly four years after a bench trial over a botched sale agreement.

  • March 31, 2026

    7th Circ. Scolds Ex-Judge For Citing Fake Cases In Brief

    A Seventh Circuit panel admonished an attorney and former chief federal immigration judge for submitting a brief citing two nonexistent cases and a false quotation, saying while such errors can be "tell-tale signs" of AI hallucinations, her denial she used AI is "plausible" and the court won't consider further sanctions.

  • March 31, 2026

    Protest Targets Noem-Approved $641M Border Barrier Deal

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection violated federal contracting law when it awarded a $641 million contract to construct waterborne barriers in the Rio Grande Valley without conducting a competitive bidding process, a joint venture told the U.S. Government Accountability Office on Monday.

  • March 31, 2026

    Moye White, Ex-Landlord Settle $4M Denver Lease Dispute

    Days before the start of a bench trial between a Denver landlord and defunct law firm Moye White LLP in state court, the two parties reached a settlement, ending the litigation where the landlord accused the firm of owing almost $4 million.

  • March 31, 2026

    Michigan Judge OKs Lawyers' Exit From Atty's Retaliation Suit

    A Michigan federal judge has allowed a trio of lawyers to withdraw from representing an attorney accusing her former mentor of sexual harassment and her former law firm of retaliation.

  • March 31, 2026

    Ga. Prosecutor Suspended Over AI Errors In Murder Case

    A county prosecutor in Georgia has been suspended from her role in the district attorney's office after filing a document that contained fabricated case citations reportedly caused by generative artificial intelligence amid a criminal defendant's bid for a new trial following a criminal murder conviction, according to a letter prosecutors filed Tuesday.

  • March 31, 2026

    Beasley Allen Seeks Stay Of DQ In Federal J&J Talc MDL

    The Beasley Allen Law Firm asked a New Jersey federal court on Monday to hold off on disqualifying it from talc litigation against Johnson & Johnson while it appeals the disqualification order which it called "unprecedented and incorrect."

  • March 31, 2026

    Habba, Ex-Firm Get Defense Redo In Suit Over Divorce Advice

    A New Jersey appeals court gave former acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba another chance to pursue an anti-abusive litigation motion against an attorney suing her for malicious prosecution on Tuesday.

  • March 31, 2026

    Libre Sale Voided Under $811M CFPB, State AG Judgment

    A Virginia federal judge has overturned the sale of an immigration bond company found liable for predatory lending practices, ruling the transaction knowingly violated the terms of an $811 million judgment entered just days before the deal was signed.

  • March 31, 2026

    NC Attys Oppose DOJ Interference In State Ethics Complaints

    A group of North Carolina lawyers is opposing the U.S. Department of Justice's proposed rule allowing the attorney general to review state-level ethics complaints against the department's attorneys, saying such a change would undercut the Tar Heel State's ability to regulate government lawyers.

  • March 31, 2026

    Lack Of Harm Dooms Ex-Estate Firm Partner's Bid For Notices

    The founding partner of a trusts and estates law firm lost his bid to have the North Carolina Business Court order the firm to notify thousands of clients of his departure and hand over their contact information, with the judge ruling the lawyer failed to show he suffered irreparable harm.

  • March 31, 2026

    IRS Can Collect $371M From Convicted Ex-Atty, 7th Circ. Says

    The Internal Revenue Service can assess and collect restitution against a former attorney who served prison time in connection with $7 billion in tax fraud, making the amount immediately due and payable, the Seventh Circuit ruled, saying it was the first circuit court to address the issue.

  • March 31, 2026

    Sanctions Nixed In Suit Over Calif. County's Hemp Destruction

    A California federal judge has vacated sanctions imposed on Kern County's attorney in a suit alleging the county and state law enforcement illegally destroyed 500 acres of legal hemp owned by Apothio LLC, saying a magistrate judge didn't follow the proper rules in imposing those sanctions.

  • March 31, 2026

    Ex-FirstEnergy Execs' Bribe Trial Ends After Jury Hits Impasse

    An Ohio judge on Tuesday dismissed a jury weighing charges that two former FirstEnergy Corp. executives bribed a utility regulator to help secure a controversial $1.3 billion bailout for two of the company's nuclear plants, after the jury reported an impasse following more than a week of deliberations.

  • March 30, 2026

    Law Firm Blew Fraud Suit Against Ex-Partners, Pot Co. Says

    A law firm overbilled, underworked and generally dropped the ball in a fraud suit brought by a cannabis cultivator and manufacturer against ex-business partners, the company told a California state court, saying it's seeking at least $500,000 from the firm.

  • March 30, 2026

    Justices Won't Touch Ex-CTA Worker's Deleted Text Sanction

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up the appeal of a former Chicago Transit Authority employee whose retaliation lawsuit was dismissed by the Seventh Circuit as a sanction for spoiling evidence.

  • March 30, 2026

    Georgia Firm Says 'Corporate Mole' Aided Archetype Capital Suit

    An Atlanta-area law firm has accused a Nevada litigation funder of using cloak-and-dagger methods and an "attorney turned corporate mole" to steal the firm's toxic tort trade secrets, only to make a "heel turn" and play the victim by suing the law firm last year.

  • March 30, 2026

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    The Delaware Chancery Court's docket this past week featured disputes involving globally recognized companies, high-dollar contract fights, revived claims from the state's high court and the resolution of a closely watched de-SPAC case.

  • March 30, 2026

    Charlotte, NC, Prosecutor Fires Paralegal After Deadly Crash

    A paralegal with the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office in Charlotte has been fired over criminal charges including felony death by vehicle following a Saturday collision, according to the office.

  • March 30, 2026

    Ex-Laffey Bucci Atty Accused Of Stealing Over $1.3M

    Laffey Bucci D'Andrea Reich & Ryan has accused a former name partner in a Pennsylvania state court suit of misdirecting more than $1.3 million in referral and case fees through a secret agreement with another firm and misusing the plaintiffs firm's resources for personal expenses, including an affair with a client.

  • March 30, 2026

    Ex-Asst. AG Blames 'Con Woman's' Influence For Shoplifting

    A former assistant attorney general for the state of Alaska told a Pennsylvania disciplinary board Monday that she had fallen under the influence of a "career con woman" when she was caught shoplifting more than $1,000 worth of shoes, but took responsibility for her actions in her request to get her law license back.

  • March 30, 2026

    Chancellor Rejects Musk Recusal Bid But Transfers Tesla Suits

    The top judge of the Delaware Chancery Court on Monday rejected Elon Musk's bid to force her off three high-profile cases involving stockholders and Tesla, but reassigned the litigation anyway, citing concerns that intense public attention could undermine confidence in the proceedings.

  • March 30, 2026

    NY State Lender, Servicer Escape Foreclosure Fraud Claims

    A New York federal court has dismissed a proposed class action alleging that a state-run mortgage lender and servicer schemed to inflate interest calculations in foreclosure cases after finding that all the lead plaintiff's claims were time-barred.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

    Author Photo

    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

    Author Photo

    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • Opinion

    State Bars Must Probe Misconduct Claims, Even If It's The AG

    Author Photo

    The Florida Bar’s recent refusal to look into misconduct allegations against Attorney General Pam Bondi is dangerous for the rule of law, and other lawyer disciplinary bodies must be prepared to investigate credible claims of ethical lapses against any lawyer, no matter their position, say attorneys James Kobak and Albert Feuer.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

    Author Photo

    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

    Author Photo

    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

    Author Photo

    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

    Author Photo

    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

    Author Photo

    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

    Author Photo

    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • Series

    Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.

  • DOJ Atty Firing Highlights Tension Between 2 Ethical Duties

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent firing of a prosecutor-turned-whistleblower involved in the Abrego Garcia v. Noem case illustrates the tricky balancing act between zealous client advocacy and a lawyer’s duty of candor to the court, which many clients fail to appreciate, says David Atkins at Yale Law School.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

    Author Photo

    Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

    Author Photo

    Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

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.