Legal Ethics

  • October 28, 2024

    Mich. Firm Can't Get More Fees From Nassar Suits, Jury Finds

    A Michigan federal jury said Monday a personal injury firm already got what it was owed as local counsel for survivors of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse, rejecting the firm's claims against a Colorado firm for another $500,000.

  • October 28, 2024

    NJ Suspends Ex-Carter Ledyard Partner After NY Disbarment

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has ordered the indefinite suspension of a former Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP partner, two years after a New York state appeals court disbarred the lawyer for ignoring subpoenas and failing to cooperate in a fee investigation.

  • October 25, 2024

    Fla. Bar Seeks 2-Year License Suspension Against Klayman

    The Florida Bar is asking the state's high court for a two-year license suspension of conservative activist attorney Larry Klayman due to alleged ethical violations in another jurisdiction, saying a more than reciprocal term of punishment is needed in the Sunshine State because Klayman continues to dispute the findings.

  • October 25, 2024

    VLSI Urges Fed. Circ. To Punish OpenSky After Vidal Didn't

    U.S. Patent Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal vowed to sanction OpenSky Industries "to the fullest extent of [her] power" for filing a bad faith patent challenge, but then imposed sanctions that, if anything, rewarded the misconduct, VLSI Technology has told the Federal Circuit.

  • October 25, 2024

    Bangladesh Rips DC Judge's Arrest Warrant On IMF Officials

    The government of Bangladesh said Friday it is "unprecedented" that a D.C. federal judge ordered the arrest of two high-ranking Bangladeshi officials to force their depositions in a power company's lawsuit to enforce $31.9 million in arbitration awards.

  • October 25, 2024

    Eternal Optimism Is Key To A Mediator's Mind, Top Judge Says

    Colorado's chief federal magistrate judge told mediators on Friday that after holding more than 1,400 settlement conferences, he's learned to remain steady even when parties are "going crazy" from last-minute revelations, citing an instance in which a former postal worker confronted with evidence of illegal gun possession ran from the courthouse.

  • October 25, 2024

    2nd Circ. Says Man Can't Challenge Removal Over Atty Failure

    The Second Circuit on Friday denied a man's bid to reopen removal proceedings based on his former attorney's failure to submit important documents, saying the man should have provided evidence supporting his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel earlier.

  • October 25, 2024

    Ga. Court Admin Says Retaliation Suit Must Go Ahead In Full

    A former Georgia municipal court administrator who said she was forced out of her position after reporting corruption by a city council member has asked a federal judge to preserve her suit in full, arguing a federal magistrate misapplied a sexual harassment standard to what was better characterized as retaliation claims.

  • October 25, 2024

    Trump Co-Defendants Stuck In Ga. State Court, 11th Circ. Says

    The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday rejected attempts from four co-defendants of former President Donald Trump to have their Georgia election interference cases moved from state to federal court.

  • October 25, 2024

    Ga. Atty Can't Beat Contempt Charge Over Trial Tardiness

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Friday rejected an attorney's argument that his due process rights were violated when he was found in contempt, finding that his tardiness to a trial — where the judge sent the jury home due to the absence of the lawyer and his client — was direct contempt.

  • October 25, 2024

    Congress Urged To Further Inspect FBI's Kavanaugh Probe

    More than 50 civil rights groups have called on members of the U.S. Congress to further investigate the Trump White House's role in restricting the FBI's investigation into sexual misconduct allegations lodged against U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 confirmation process.

  • October 25, 2024

    Ex-Judge Can't Hide Bank Records In Romance Cash Probe

    A Texas bankruptcy court on Friday shot down a former judge's bid to shield his banking records from a U.S. Trustee's Office inquiry into his concealed romantic relationship with a former Jackson Walker LLP partner, giving Bank of America NA one week to provide six years of the former judge's bank statements.

  • October 25, 2024

    Baldwin 'Rust' Judge Rejects State's Bid To Revive Case

    A New Mexico judge declined to reconsider a decision throwing out the "Rust" movie shooting case against actor-producer Alec Baldwin based on prosecutorial misconduct, according to an order released Friday.

  • October 24, 2024

    Trump Again Argues Jack Smith's Appointment Was Illegal

    Former President Donald Trump on Thursday said a D.C. federal court should throw out prosecutors' election interference case, repeating the argument he made in the classified documents case against him in Florida and contending that the appointment of special prosecutor Jack Smith was illegal.

  • October 24, 2024

    4th Circ. Backs Sanctioning Firm $1M For 'Defiance' Of Court

    The Fourth Circuit on Thursday upheld a roughly $1 million sanction against the law firm of New York plaintiffs attorney Paul J. Napoli for its purportedly frivolous filings in a battle with another firm over asbestos litigation client referrals, saying the firm's misconduct was in "direct defiance" of a Maryland federal court's authority.

  • October 24, 2024

    Alex Jones Atty Laments Sharing Sandy Hook Families' Info

    The lead attorney in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Sandy Hook Elementary School defamation trial in Connecticut acknowledged Thursday that he "erred" when he allowed a hard drive containing the plaintiffs' confidential records to be transmitted to other attorneys, an act that led to ongoing disciplinary proceedings that threaten his law license.

  • October 24, 2024

    Incoming NJ Judge Wins Appellate Ruling To Collect Pension

    A former deputy attorney general and Camden County prosecutor will be able to collect her state pension while serving on the Superior Court of New Jersey, a state appeals court ruled Thursday in a published opinion.

  • October 24, 2024

    Ga. Bar Eyes Atty Guardrails On Use Of Third-Party Vendors

    A board for the State Bar of Georgia has said in a proposed ethics opinion that lawyers could be on the hook for the alleged misconduct of third-party vendors they use to request documents from a nonparty, such as medical records or bills.

  • October 24, 2024

    Private Enforcer Sues LA-Area Immigration Consulting Firm

    A California organization that acts as a private enforcer of state rules that govern immigration consulting companies has sued a Los Angeles-area business, claiming it falsely presented itself to the public as an immigration law firm.

  • October 24, 2024

    Giuliani Admissions Sink Bid To Shield Fla. Condo, Court Told

    Two former Georgia poll workers seeking to collect a $148 million defamation judgment against disgraced ex-lawyer Rudy Giuliani argued this week that the former New York City mayor has admitted he was not living in his luxury Florida condo around the time they filed a lien on it, and thus cannot prevent a sale of the property.

  • October 24, 2024

    Conn. High Court Snapshot: $13M Tax Appeals, Will Dispute

    The Connecticut Supreme Court's second term of the 2024-2025 season will commence Monday with a dispute over whether an attorney bungled a will that sought to divide a $845,368 TD Ameritrade account among five beneficiaries, only one of whom received any cash.

  • October 24, 2024

    Atty Escapes Suspension Over $1M Fee Bid For $125K Awards

    A Pennsylvania Supreme Court panel on Thursday denied a 90-day suspension recommendation by the Disciplinary Board against a Lackawanna County personal injury attorney who filed a petition for more than $1 million in attorney fees from an insurance company he sued on behalf of his client.

  • October 24, 2024

    Judge Orders Bangladeshi Officials Arrested In $32M Arb. Row

    A D.C. federal judge on Thursday issued bench warrants for the arrest of two Bangladeshi officials whom a power company wants to depose as it seeks to enforce a collective $31.9 million in arbitration awards against Bangladesh, prompting an immediate appeal from the Bangladeshi government.

  • October 24, 2024

    Ex-Moody's GC Gets Prison For Tax-Filing Fail On $54M In Pay

    The former general counsel for Moody's Corp. was sentenced Thursday to eight months in prison for willfully failing to file federal income tax returns for four years in which he collected $54 million in income.  

  • October 24, 2024

    Conn. Firm Botched €1.6M Settlement For UK Client, Suit Says

    Connecticut firm Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP is responsible for the loss of €1.6 million ($1.7 million) a U.K. client paid toward a failed global bankruptcy settlement agreement, according to a legal malpractice suit filed in Connecticut state court.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

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    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • Series

    Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.

  • How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'

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    Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.

  • Opinion

    Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process

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    Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.

  • The Ethics of Using Generative AI In Environmental Law

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    The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools is challenging environmental lawyers, consultants and government agencies to determine when and how these tools can be responsibly, ethically and productively integrated into their practices to streamline research, predictive analytics and regulatory compliance, say Ahlia Bethea and Pamela Esterman at Sive Paget.

  • What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires

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    Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.

  • Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support

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    A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: August Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers certification cases touching on classwide evidence of injury from debt collection practices, defining coupon settlements under the Class Action Fairness Act, proper approaches for evaluating attorney fee awards in class action settlements, and more.

  • Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where

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    During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Crypto Gatekeepers May Be The Next Front Of Enforcement

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    Lawyers and other professionals who advise cryptocurrency companies should beware regulators' increasing focus on gatekeeper accountability, and should take several measures to fulfill their ethical and legal obligations, including implementing a robust vetting mechanism when representing crypto clients, say Temidayo Aganga-Williams and Xinchen Li at Selendy Gay.

  • Series

    Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.

  • Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing

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    Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Opinion

    The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address

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    A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union

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    As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act

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    In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.

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