Legal Ethics

  • September 26, 2025

    Miss America Dispute Turns On Dueling Fraud Claims

    A real estate developer and his attorney have hit back at claims they should be sanctioned for allegedly submitting fake contracts as evidence they own the company that runs the Miss America pageant, asserting in a Florida federal court filing that their litigation opponents are the ones "engaging in fraud."

  • September 26, 2025

    Board Admonishes NJ Atty Over Remarks To Medical Provider

    A New Jersey attorney was admonished by the state's disciplinary review board for threats issued against a medical professional seeking payment for services, which the board said violated the rules of professional conduct.

  • September 26, 2025

    Texas' Eastern District Tightens Sealed-Document Procedures

    Chief U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III of the Eastern District of Texas issued new protocols Wednesday for filing sealed documents that will prohibit electronic access effective immediately, a move that comes amid escalating cyberattacks on the federal judiciary's case management system.

  • September 25, 2025

    Ex-FBI Head Comey Indicted Days After Va. US Atty Replaced

    A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia on Thursday indicted former FBI Director James B. Comey on making a false statement and obstruction of Congress charges, just days after Donald Trump's former personal attorney took over as interim U.S. attorney in the district.

  • September 25, 2025

    Justice Thomas Says High Court Precedent Isn't 'Gospel'

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Thursday that he doesn't view the high court's prior rulings as "the gospel," and that any precedent that doesn't respect the U.S. Constitution or the country's legal traditions is ripe for reconsideration.

  • September 25, 2025

    Girardi's Son-In-Law Urges No Prison For Chicago Contempt

    Tom Girardi's son-in-law has argued he should not receive prison time following his contempt plea over millions of dollars in settlement funds Girardi stole from several Lion Air crash clients, saying he fought for months to get the clients paid but recognizes he "could and should" have done more.

  • September 25, 2025

    Ex-Highland CEO Tells High Court Judge's Novels Show Bias

    The founder and president of hedge fund Highland Capital Management has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on a bankruptcy judge's refusal to recuse herself from proceedings involving the company after she published two novels that he says contain veiled commentary about the case.

  • September 25, 2025

    Hagens Berman Not Very Contrite About AI Errors, Judge Says

    A California federal judge chided attorneys from Hagens Berman on Thursday over what he called a lack of contrition after submitting briefs that contained errors lifted from ChatGPT in a proposed class action against the online platform OnlyFans, saying the attorneys seemed more interested in excuses.

  • September 25, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Snubs Patent Atty's Bid To Join Toddler Mat IP Case

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday denied an attorney's bid to appear in a patent infringement case over toddler dining mats, in which the lower court found that his misrepresentation of prior art during prosecution was "purposeful, deliberate, and egregious."

  • September 25, 2025

    Judge Grants Limited Sanctions In Sports Betting Secrets Suit

    A Nevada federal judge has granted some sanctions requested by a gambling technology company locked in a trade secrets case, finding that the rival litigant won't be allowed to introduce some evidence.

  • September 25, 2025

    Convicted Atty Lacks Moral Fitness, Ethics Panel Says

    Connecticut's statewide grievance committee says an attorney convicted 10 years ago for filing false federal tax returns doesn't have the moral character to return to the legal profession.

  • September 25, 2025

    Atty's 'Horrible' Mistake Rooted In Firm Biz, NJ Justices Hear

    Former Sacks Weston attorney Scott Diamond's counsel urged the New Jersey Supreme Court on Thursday to refrain from disbarring him for fraudulently resolving cases behind his former firm's back, arguing during a hearing that his actions stemmed from a "bona fide" business dispute.

  • September 25, 2025

    AI-Created Attack Video Among Threats Facing State Judges

    State judges sounded the alarm Thursday over "disturbing" threats leveled against them and fellow jurists across the country, from unsolicited pizza deliveries to an artificial intelligence-generated video of a jurist being murdered with a hatchet.

  • September 25, 2025

    Pence Group Backs 7th Circ. Pick Attacked By Conservatives

    Former Vice President Mike Pence's organization has come out in support of Seventh Circuit nominee Rebecca Taibleson following attacks against her from other conservative groups.

  • September 25, 2025

    Margolis Edelstein Denies Repping Insurer Claiming Malpractice

    Margolis Edelstein has asked a New Jersey state court to throw out an insurance company's malpractice suit over an alleged overvaluation in a settlement, arguing it had not represented the insurer in the settlement and therefore the malpractice claim "obviously" cannot survive.

  • September 25, 2025

    Texas Atty Loses Appeal In Ex-Client's Fraud Suit

    A Texas appellate court ruled Thursday that a Lone Star State lawyer's counterclaims against a former client suing him for fraud should be tossed under the state's free speech law, and denied the attorney's bid for dismissal under the anti-SLAPP statute because it was filed past the deadline.

  • September 25, 2025

    3rd Circ. Won't Revive Debt Collection Suit Against NJ Firm

    The Third Circuit rejected a bid Thursday from a woman suing Cohn Lifland Pearlman Herrmann & Knopf LLP to revive her proposed class action over allegedly unfair debt collection practices after a federal trial court ruled that she filed her suit too late.

  • September 25, 2025

    Jackson Walker Reaches 2 New Deals Over Judge Romance

    Jackson Walker LLP has reached two new settlements to resolve claims related to a concealed romance between a former firm attorney and a onetime bankruptcy judge, marking at least five such settlements since the scandal broke.

  • September 25, 2025

    'Jailhouse Lawyer' Gets 16½ Years For Defrauding Inmates

    A Manhattan federal judge sentenced a recidivist fraudster to 16½ years in prison Thursday, saying the "jailhouse lawyer" cheated inmates out of at least $550,000 by getting them to pay for unauthorized legal filings and calling him an "incorrigible" con man.

  • September 25, 2025

    Driver Says Mazda's Sanctions Bid Is Itself Sanctionable

    The leader of a proposed class of Mazda drivers suing over an alleged oil burning defect is firing back at the automaker's call for sanctions for what it called "frivolous" postjudgment filings, saying Mazda's filing is legally baseless and filled with ad hominem attacks on his attorney, so the company is the one that should face sanctions.

  • September 25, 2025

    Bondi Faces Key 'Test' As Trump Orders Prosecutions

    Attorney General Pam Bondi has reached a crossroads less than eight months into her tenure as she faces an extraordinary directive from President Donald Trump to wield the U.S. Department of Justice against his political enemies.

  • September 25, 2025

    Coalition Urges Senate To Block Bills Threatening DC Law

    More than 270 individuals and organizations, including law firms, bar associations and advocacy groups, on Thursday urged the Senate to reject two House bills that they say would usurp the judicial selection process in Washington, D.C., and the independence of D.C.'s attorney general.

  • September 25, 2025

    NY Judge Who Left For Anderson Kill Had Faced Ethics Case

    A longtime New York judge who joined Anderson Kill last week had resigned from the bench amid ethics charges for alleged "demeaning" conduct toward his court staff and claims that he threatened retaliation against a witness and attorneys for the state's judicial ethics watchdog.

  • September 24, 2025

    Boies Schiller Partner Admits AI Errors In Scientology Case

    A Boies Schiller Flexner LLP partner representing women who allege the Church of Scientology harassed them for reporting convicted actor Daniel Masterson's sexual assaults has asked a California appeals court to strike a brief containing artificial intelligence-generated citation errors, saying he "very much regrets" the errors, but they shouldn't impact his clients' case.

  • September 24, 2025

    Minn. Judge Suspended For Attempting To Boost Staffer's Pay

    A Minnesota state judge should not have presided over proceedings to increase his longtime court reporter's salary, the state Supreme Court said, disciplining him with a public censure and a suspension for nine months without pay.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

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    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Key Ethical Issues For Gov't Attys Moving To Private Practice

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    Transitioning from government service to private practice presents complex ethical challenges for attorneys, including navigating conflicts of interest, confidential information rules and post-employment restrictions, say attorneys at HWG.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • 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.

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