Legal Ethics

  • April 11, 2024

    Pro-Trump Mich. Atty Gets New Trial Date After Skipping Court

    A Michigan attorney accused of accessing voting machines after the 2020 presidential election said Thursday her old lawyer was dragging his feet in sharing critical documents as a judge rescheduled her trial for July following her attorney swap and her arrest for failing to appear in court.

  • April 11, 2024

    11th Circ. Denies Atty DQ Bid From Gold Star Wives

    The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday denied a request from Gold Star Wives of America Inc. to disqualify an attorney representing a former president of the organization in an appeal over a trademark suit settlement, rejecting its argument that the lawyer's time serving the group should prevent him from guiding its former leader.

  • April 11, 2024

    Ex-Atlanta Worker Says City's Missing Docs Merits Sanctions

    Counsel for a former city of Atlanta department head who says she was fired after blowing the whistle on failures in its immigrant outreach services urged a Georgia federal judge on Thursday to hit the city with sanctions for reportedly destroying communications related to her termination.

  • April 11, 2024

    Software Co., NC Officials Want Out Of Digital Courts Row

    Software company Tyler Technologies, North Carolina court administrators and two sheriffs have asked a federal court to release them from a proposed class action alleging the state's new digital filing system has led to unlawful arrests and detentions.

  • April 11, 2024

    Ex-COO Sues NJ Law Firm, Claiming Sexual Harassment

    The former chief operating officer of New Jersey personal injury giant Garces Grabler & LeBrocq PC sued the firm Wednesday for sexual harassment and discrimination, alleging firm leaders unfairly impeded her from doing her job and made lewd comments about her.

  • April 11, 2024

    Insurer Says Firm Not Covered For Bogus Check Scheme

    An insurance firm has filed a complaint in Washington federal court seeking a declaration that it doesn't owe coverage to a Seattle-area firm and its sole attorney, who are embroiled in litigation with a bank after the firm fell prey to a counterfeit check scheme.

  • April 11, 2024

    NC Justices Hint Holtzman Vogel Immune In Defamation Case

    The North Carolina Supreme Court's Republican majority seems poised to reverse a Court of Appeals decision forcing Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak PLLC to face voters' defamation claims, with one justice lamenting that revoking the law firm's privilege defense could upend decades of case law in the Tar Heel State.

  • April 11, 2024

    State Bar Attys Fight Eastman's Bid To Activate Law License

    The State Bar of California has formally opposed John C. Eastman's motion to stay a March order placing him on inactive status pending appeal of a recommendation that he be disbarred.

  • April 11, 2024

    Houston Atty Beats Real Estate Deal Malpractice Suit

    In a split decision Thursday, a Houston attorney accused of malpractice was handed a win by the majority of a three-justice Lone Star State appellate panel that cleared her of negligence in connection with a 2014 contract inked between the owner of a property management company and a pair of apartment complex investors, finding that she obtained no "improper benefit" from representing both sides.

  • April 11, 2024

    Ex-Ellenoff Grossman Atty Faces Possible Firing Suit Remand

    A former Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP associate's suit saying she was fired for protesting sexual harassment should return to state court, a New York federal judge recommended, saying the federal court can't enforce arbitration pacts invalidated by a 2022 amendment to the Federal Arbitration Act.

  • April 11, 2024

    Conn. Attorney Accused Of Unreasonable Fees In VW Case

    Connecticut's attorney disciplinary authority has accused an attorney of charging an unreasonable fee to a plaintiff in a 2022 defective product claim against Volkswagen of America and not providing documentation to support the fee, in violation of professional conduct rules.

  • April 10, 2024

    Nationwide Injunctions Spike Politicizes Judiciary, Study Says

    Nationwide injunctions have dramatically increased in recent years, particularly during the Trump administration, a trend that has politicized the judiciary and risks further politicization without reforms, according to a study published in the Harvard Law Review on Wednesday.

  • April 10, 2024

    US News Fights Uphill To Block SF's 'Best Hospitals' Probe

    A California federal judge indicated Wednesday he'll likely dismiss U.S. News & World Report's lawsuit challenging the San Francisco City Attorney's subpoenas seeking information about its methodology for ranking hospitals, saying the issue isn't ripe since the subpoenas aren't self-enforcing and the city hasn't yet sued for the information.

  • April 10, 2024

    DOJ's Apple Antitrust Suit Gets New Judge After Recusal

    The New Jersey federal judge overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice's recent iPhone antitrust case against Apple recused himself from the litigation Wednesday, according to a text order posted to the docket reassigning the case.

  • April 10, 2024

    3rd Circ. Won't Revive White And Williams Malpractice Suit

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday declined to revive a $30 million legal malpractice suit brought by a home improvement product manufacturer against White and Williams LLP, finding the claim should have been brought in an earlier action between the parties.

  • April 10, 2024

    Dems Introduce Bill To Codify Policy Barring Judge Shopping

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., along with 37 other Democratic and two independent senators, introduced legislation on Wednesday to codify the new Judicial Conference of the United States policy against judge shopping after pushback from Republicans and a Texas court.

  • April 10, 2024

    Chicago Man Wants New Judge In Facebook Defamation Suit

    A Chicago-area resident suing Meta over allegedly false sexual misconduct accusations on an "Are We Dating the Same Guy?" Facebook page wants a different judge to handle his case, arguing his current judge's "extensive professional relationship" with Meta's counsel warrants her recusal.

  • April 10, 2024

    Deported Man Can't Undo Fraud Conviction After Feds' Error

    A deported Nigerian national who confessed to fraud on promises that prosecutors would submit a letter to immigration authorities supporting his deportation defense couldn't convince the Eighth Circuit to toss his guilty plea after prosecutors mistakenly disavowed the letter.

  • April 10, 2024

    Wells Fargo Can't Bar Atty From Deposition, NC Judge Rules

    Wells Fargo lost its bid to stop the lawyer of a fired investment director, who is accusing the bank of disability discrimination, from questioning his former supervisor, with a North Carolina federal judge saying the bank fell short of showing that the attorney's previous representation of the supervisor was related in any way to the current action.

  • April 10, 2024

    'Varsity Blues' Judge Won't Recuse From Bid For Plea Redo

    The Boston federal judge overseeing the waning "Varsity Blues" college admissions case said Wednesday he should be the one to decide whether a parent who pled guilty in the scandal's early days should be able to have the conviction erased, calling her recusal bid "fraught with judge-shopping."

  • April 10, 2024

    Fla. Lawyer Seeks 'Compassion' After Loan Fraud Conviction

    Fresh off a failed bid to have her wire fraud conspiracy conviction nixed, a Florida attorney found guilty of fraudulently obtaining federal COVID-19 relief loans asked a Georgia federal judge for leniency in her upcoming sentencing.

  • April 10, 2024

    Fla. Atty Gets 8 Years For Fraudulent Tax Shelter Scheme

    A Florida attorney was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to tax evasion and defrauding the U.S. government through a tax shelter scheme he pitched to clients that involved making purported charitable contributions so his clients could claim millions of dollars in tax deductions they weren't qualified to receive.

  • April 10, 2024

    Trump Fails Again To Halt NY Trial Over Claim Judge Is Biased

    Donald Trump on Wednesday tried and failed for the third time in as many days to delay his upcoming hush-money trial, after arguing the judge should be removed for supposed bias and that the judge's rules were preventing him from defending himself.

  • April 10, 2024

    Alston & Bird Pushes Arbitration Of COVID Vax Claims

    Alston & Bird LLP urged a Georgia federal court to reject a former aide's objection to a magistrate judge's recommendation to force her to arbitrate her claims alleging she was fired after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

  • April 10, 2024

    Fla. Judge Cops To Trimmed Charges Over Campaign Talk

    A Florida county circuit court judge may face a shorter 25-day suspension over public statements he made favoring law enforcement during his 2022 campaign for his seat after the Florida Supreme Court rejected a 30-day suspension agreement because of an incorrect reading of the rules of conduct.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    When Corporate Self-Disclosure Threatens Individuals' Rights

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    The prosecution of former Cognizant executives in New Jersey federal court demonstrates how the U.S. Department of Justice’s corporate enforcement policy can contravene the constitutional rights of individual defendants who are employed by cooperating companies, says Gideon Mark at the University of Maryland.

  • Pitfalls Of Attorney AI Use In Brief Prep Has Judges On Alert

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    Some lawyers are attempting to leverage generative artificial intelligence as a brief drafting tool, which may serve to greatly reduce the burden of motion practice, but several recent cases show that generative AI is not perfect and blind reliance on this tool can be very risky, say Matthew Nigriny and John Gary Maynard at Hunton.

  • Courts Can Overturn Deficient State Regulations, Too

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    While suits challenging federal regulations have become commonplace, such cases against state agencies are virtually nonexistent, but many states have provisions that allow litigants to bring suit for regulations with inadequate cost-benefit analyses, says Reeve Bull at the Virginia Office of Regulatory Management.

  • Tales From The Trenches Of Remote Depositions

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    As practitioners continue to conduct depositions remotely in the post-pandemic world, these virtual environments are rife with opportunities for improper behavior such as witness coaching, scripted testimony and a general lack of civility — but there are methods to prevent and combat these behaviors, say Jennifer Gibbs and Bennett Moss at Zelle.

  • Insurance Coverage For ChatGPT Legal Fiasco: A Hypothetical

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    William Passannante at Anderson Kill draws on the recent case of an attorney sanctioned by the Southern District of New York for submitting a ChatGPT-authored brief to discuss what the insurance coverage for the attorney's hypothetical claim might look like.

  • Level Up Lawyers' Business Development With Gamification

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    With employee engagement at a 10-year low in the U.S., there are several gamification techniques marketing and business development teams at law firms can use to make generating new clients and matters more appealing to lawyers, says Heather McCullough at Society 54.

  • Mallory Ruling Leaves Personal Jurisdiction Deeply Unsettled

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    In Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway, a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court recently rolled back key aspects of its 2017 opinion in Daimler AG v. Bauman that limited personal jurisdiction, leaving as many questions for businesses as it answers, say John Cerreta and James Rotondo at Day Pitney.

  • Handling Hostile Depositions: Keep Calm And Make A Record

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    When depositions turn contentious, attorneys should, among other strategies, maintain a professional demeanor and note any objectionable conduct on the record, thereby increasing chances of a favorable outcome for the client while preserving the integrity of the legal process, say attorneys at Steptoe & Johnson.

  • 5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World

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    As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.

  • A Midyear Look At How AI Is Affecting Lawyers

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    The past six months have been a notable period for advancements in artificial intelligence and generative AI, and as we head into the second half of the year, we must review the implications that AI has for the legal industry, including how lawyers will be advising clients on use of AI technology, says Natasha Allen at Foley & Lardner.

  • Opinion

    Bar Score Is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies, law firms looking to foster diversity in hiring should view an applicant's Multistate Bar Examination score as the best metric of legal ability — over law school name or GPA, says attorney Alice Griffin.

  • New Health Data Compliance Considerations For Pa. Lawyers

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    Given the regularity with which attorneys handle private health information, it is important for Pennsylvania firms to understand recent significant amendments to the state's data breach law, which address information not currently covered by federal law, says Mark Mattioli at Post & Schell.

  • Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback

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    Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.

  • Steps To Success For Senior Associates

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.

  • Legal Profession Must Do More For Lawyers With Disabilities

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    At the start of Disability Pride month, Rosalyn Richter at Arnold & Porter looks at why lawyers with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in private practice, asserting that law firms and other employers must do more to conquer the implicit bias that deters attorneys from seeking accommodations.

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