Legal Ethics

  • April 22, 2026

    Lockheed Birth Defect Trial Judge 'Disappointed' By Attys

    A Florida federal judge said Tuesday he's "puzzled and disappointed" in counsel who appear "unprepared" on the eve of trial in a suit by children who blame their birth defects on Lockheed Martin's chemical handling practices at an Orlando defense system manufacturing and research facility.

  • April 22, 2026

    Hunter Biden Blasts Winston & Strawn Tactics In Fee Row

    As a discovery dispute between Hunter Biden and Winston & Strawn LLP drags on amid a suit over allegedly unpaid legal bills, the former president's son accused the BigLaw firm, which once represented him in a Delaware criminal case and other matters, of resorting to "what is uncomfortably close to an ad hominem attack" against him.

  • April 22, 2026

    Sorrento, M3 Get Pause On RICO Suit Naming Jackson Walker

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Wednesday agreed to put on hold a lawsuit in California federal court alleging Jackson Walker LLP and executives at Sorrento Therapeutics and M3 Partners conspired to forum shop in Texas so the drug developer could seek Chapter 11 protection there.

  • April 22, 2026

    Georgia Judge Faces DQ Bid Over Racial Bias Concerns

    An attorney and his client in a personal injury case have asked that the chief judge for the Southern District of Georgia be recused, arguing that the federal judge made unfounded accusations that the lawyer was unethical in a separate case and has created "an appearance of personal and racial bias."

  • April 22, 2026

    Norton Rose Faces $100M Suit Over Withdrawn Patent App

    Norton Rose Fulbright was sued in Illinois state court Tuesday by an advertising tech company claiming that the law firm mishandled a patent application and caused it to be deemed withdrawn, but kept the company in the dark about the loss of its valuable patent rights for over a year.

  • April 22, 2026

    SPLC Taps Bradley Arant Atty, Ex-Prosecutor For Defense

    The Southern Poverty Law Center has hired a former federal prosecutor and longtime white collar defense attorney from Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP to defend against a criminal case that claims the organization paid informants to "stoke racial hatred."

  • April 22, 2026

    Insurer Escapes Covering Ga. Atty In $750K Fraud Suit

    A Georgia attorney's professional liability insurer owes no coverage for an underlying suit alleging the lawyer conspired with a client to enrich themselves from a litigation funding company by claiming a fictitious suit over a canceled FEMA contract, an Atlanta federal court has ruled, finding that making misrepresentations does not constitute "professional services" under the policy.

  • April 22, 2026

    Paint Co. Says Injury Firm Used Stolen Data To Solicit Clients

    A paint company has asked a North Carolina federal court to boot the opposing counsel in a putative data breach class action, accusing them of finding stolen data on the dark web and using it to solicit potential plaintiffs before victims were even notified of the breach.

  • April 22, 2026

    Ex-Conn. Prosecutor Fights Drug Co. Bid To Appeal DQ Denial

    Insurers Humana Inc. and Molina Healthcare Inc. urged a federal judge to turn down a group of generic-drug makers' request for an immediate trip to the Third Circuit, arguing the drugmakers' bid for a second chance to disqualify Connecticut's former assistant attorney general from an antitrust case was not qualified for an interlocutory appeal.

  • April 22, 2026

    Bondi's Proposed Rule Change May Shield Her In Ethics Case

    A federal rule change that Pam Bondi proposed before she was fired as U.S. attorney general could stymie an ethics complaint against her in Florida, which is expected to be refiled after the state bar declined to take up the case during her tenure, experts say.

  • April 22, 2026

    Developer Says Power Broker, Atty Brother Seek Rushed Ruling

    A Philadelphia-based developer has told a New Jersey state court that South Jersey power broker George Norcross and his attorney brother's opposition to his bid to amend his suit is really an effort to get an untimely ruling.

  • April 21, 2026

    Pillsbury Unlawfully Fired Pregnant Recruiter, Bias Suit Says

    The former Black female director for associate recruiting at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP says she was unlawfully fired just weeks after disclosing her high-risk pregnancy to her supervisor, according to her discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed Tuesday in Tennessee federal court.

  • April 21, 2026

    Georgia Panel Tosses $123K Fee Award After Defense Win

    A Georgia appellate panel tossed on Tuesday an award of $123,000 in attorney fees to defense counsel after their win in a medical malpractice trial, ruling that a state judge failed to show how she arrived at the figure.

  • April 21, 2026

    Atty Loses Latest Bid To Delay Prison In $22M Tax Fraud Case

    The U.S. Bureau of Prisons is capable of handling a St. Louis attorney's outpatient needs, a North Carolina federal judge said, denying her request to delay her prison report date after she was convicted of helping perpetrate a $22 million tax fraud scheme.

  • April 21, 2026

    Texas Panel Says Flooding Fact Issues Save Malpractice Suit

    A Texas appellate court on Tuesday kept in play a property owner's malpractice case accusing a Houston law firm of negligent representation over flood damage claims, ruling that factual disputes remain over whether the claims were time-barred.

  • April 21, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Keeps Banner Witcoff And Saiber Off Patent Case

    The Federal Circuit kept intact the disqualification of two law firms from a patent ownership fight on Tuesday, saying it had not been shown a district judge made a clear error in removing them.

  • April 21, 2026

    Students Want MoloLamken As New Lead For Aid-Fixing Case

    Students in an antitrust case against Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania and other elite schools have asked an Illinois federal judge to appoint trial lawyer Steven F. Molo and his firm MoloLamken LLP as lead counsel, touting his courtroom experience and the firm's track record in high-stakes complex litigation.

  • April 21, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Won't Stay Ramey Sanctions, $171K Fee Bill

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday denied patent litigator William P. Ramey III's attempt to stay a California court's order that he self-report to various disciplinary authorities that he was sanctioned for practicing law without a license, as well as pay a six-figure attorney fee award, pending an appeal.

  • April 21, 2026

    Ga. Attorney Gives Up License After Wire Fraud Conviction

    The Georgia Supreme Court signed off Tuesday on removing the law license of an attorney who pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in December and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors against a co-conspirator in a scheme involving fraudulent commercial and real estate deals.

  • April 21, 2026

    Ex-Wis. Judge Argues ICE Case Reversal Backs Her Acquittal

    Former state Judge Hannah Dugan asked a Wisconsin federal judge Tuesday to reconsider an order not to overturn her felony obstruction conviction for directing a defendant in her courtroom away from immigration agents, arguing the Fourth Circuit recently reversed a decision the trial court repeatedly relied upon.

  • April 21, 2026

    Calif. Sex Abuse Boutique Sues Wood LLP For Bad Tax Advice

    A West Hollywood boutique law firm formed to represent victims of sex abuse on UCLA's campus has filed a professional negligence and breach of fiduciary duty suit against Robert W. Wood and Wood LLP, claiming in California state court that their allegedly faulty financial advice caused the loss of $2 million in interest.

  • April 21, 2026

    Feds Pan Nadine Menendez's Bail Bid Months After Appeal

    Prosecutors have urged a New York federal judge to reject a bid by Nadine Menendez for bail while she appeals her bribery and corruption conviction, saying her argument falls short of the high bar for release.

  • April 21, 2026

    Sullivan & Cromwell Alerts SDNY To AI Errors In Ch. 15 Case

    Sullivan & Cromwell LLP told a New York bankruptcy judge Saturday that an emergency motion it filed in Prince Global Holdings Ltd.'s Chapter 15 case contained several inaccurate citations and other errors, including what the firm described as artificial intelligence "hallucinations."

  • April 21, 2026

    Philly Zantac Judge Again Declines To Recuse From Cases

    A Philadelphia judge overseeing the Zantac mass tort litigation against GlaxoSmithKline has once again denied a motion to recuse himself from the cases, claiming that his wife's affiliation with a firm representing a defendant in the litigation did not present a conflict that required him to step away.

  • April 21, 2026

    Insurer Says Firm Owes $2.2M For Botched Representation

    A Wisconsin-based insurer has sued the law firm it hired to defend an auto policyholder in a crash suit, telling a California federal court that the firm's inadequate representation has cost it more than $2.2 million.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Quick Emotional Resets For Lawyers With Conflict Fatigue

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    Though the emotional wear and tear of legal work can trap attorneys in conflict fatigue — leaving them unable to shake off tense interactions or return to a calm baseline — simple therapeutic techniques for resetting the nervous system can help break the cycle, says Chantel Cohen at CWC Coaching & Therapy.

  • Series

    Playing Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    An instinct to turn pain into purpose meant frequent trips to the tennis court, where learning to move ahead one point at a time was a lesson that also applied to the steep learning curve of patent prosecution law, says Daniel Henry at Marshall Gerstein.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Judicial Use Informs Guardrails

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    U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell at the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado discusses why having a sense of how generative AI tools behave, where they add value, where they introduce risk and how they are reshaping the practice of law is key for today's judges.

  • Presidential Pardon Brokering Can Create Risks For Attys

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    The emergence of an apparent “pardon shopping” marketplace, in which attorneys treat presidential pardons as a market product, may invite investigative scrutiny of counsel and potential criminal charges grounded in bribery, wire fraud and other statutes, says David Klasing at The Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 5 Tips From Ex-SEC Unit Chief

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    My move to private practice has reaffirmed my belief in the value of adaptability, collaboration and strategic thinking — qualities that are essential not only for successful client outcomes, but also for sustained professional satisfaction, says Dabney O’Riordan at Fried Frank.

  • Prisoners' Access To Health Info Should Have No Bars

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    To safeguard against unnecessary deaths in custody, courts and policymakers should clarify that incarcerated individuals’ constitutional right to medical care also includes access to sufficient information about their medical conditions, lifting current restrictions that can lead to crucial information being withheld, says Jaehyun Oh at Jacob Fuchsberg Law.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Start A Law Firm

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    Launching and sustaining a law firm requires skills most law schools don't teach, but every lawyer should understand a few core principles that can make the leap calculated rather than reckless, says Sam Katz at Athlaw.

  • Series

    Hosting Exchange Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Opening my home to foreign exchange students makes me a better lawyer not just because prioritizing visiting high schoolers forces me to hone my organization and time management skills but also because sharing the study-abroad experience with newcomers and locals reconnects me to my community, says Alison Lippa at Nicolaides Fink.

  • How A 1947 Tugboat Ruling May Shape Work Product In AI Era

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    Rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence test work-product principles first articulated in the U.S. Supreme Court’s nearly 80-year-old Hickman v. Taylor decision, as courts and ethics bodies confront whether disclosure of attorneys’ AI prompts and outputs would reveal their thought processes, say Larry Silver and Sasha Burton at Langsam Stevens.

  • Navigating Privilege Law Patchwork In Dual-Purpose Comms

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    Three years after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to resolve a circuit split in In re: Grand Jury, federal courts remain split as to when attorney-client privilege applies to dual-purpose legal and business communications, and understanding the fragmented landscape is essential for managing risks, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Considerations In Building Guardrails For AI Use In Arbitration

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    A recent California federal court case involving allegations of artificial intelligence ghostwriting an arbitration award, prior analogous practice on tribunal delegation, and emerging generative AI recommendations all support building a forward-looking framework for arbitration rules to minimize the risk of AI-based challenges, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Series

    Fly-Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Much like skilled attorneys, the best anglers prize preparation, presentation and patience while respecting their adversaries — both human and trout, says Rob Braverman at Braverman Greenspun.

  • 4 Ways GCs Can Manage Growing Service Of Process Volume

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    As automation and arbitration increase the volume of legal filings, in-house counsel must build scalable service of process systems that strengthen corporate governance and manage risk in real time, says Paul Mathews at Corporation Service Co.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Forming Measurable Ties

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    Relationship-building should begin as early as possible in a law firm merger, as intentional pathways to bringing people together drive collaboration, positive client response, engagements and growth, says Amie Colby at Troutman.

  • Wis. Sanctions Order May Shake Up Securities Class Actions

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    A Wisconsin federal court’s recent decision to impose sanctions on a plaintiffs law firm for filing a frivolous Private Securities Litigation Reform Act complaint in Toft v. Harbor Diversified may cause both plaintiffs and defendants law firms to reconsider certain customary practices in securities class actions, says Jonathan Richman at Brown Rudnick.

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