Legal Ethics

  • April 09, 2026

    Law Grad Loses Wrongful Incarceration Award After 2nd Review

    The Connecticut Claims Commissioner's Office has rescinded a $75,456 award to a pardoned Vanderbilt Law School graduate who said he was wrongfully incarcerated after defending himself in a March 2008 fight among teenagers, expressing doubt that its analysis was sound enough to justify it.

  • April 09, 2026

    McCarter & English, Port Authority Rip Atty's Veteran Bias Suit

    McCarter & English LLP, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Port Authority chair Kevin O'Toole blasted a veteran discrimination suit from a former McCarter & English attorney as based on an unfounded conspiracy theory in motions to dismiss this week.

  • April 09, 2026

    Ecolab Says Personal Injury Law Firm Holding Back $148K

    Ecolab and its self-funded employee benefit plan have accused a North Carolina personal injury firm of withholding around $148,000 in settlement funds the food safety company says it's owed for covering a worker's medical bills after a car accident.

  • April 09, 2026

    Juul Pricing Case Tossed Following Another Reversal

    An Illinois federal court has again dismissed a price discrimination case against Juul Labs over e-cigarette sales, after finding that a reversal of a previous ruling tossing the lawsuit was based on facts misrepresented by the wholesaler bringing the case.

  • April 08, 2026

    AEG, BigLaw Atty In Hot Seat As Live Nation Trial Nears End

    Live Nation on Wednesday concluded its defense case with glowing testimony about it from the manager for rap star Drake, while the Manhattan federal judge overseeing the case said rival company AEG Worldwide and a Hogan Lovells lawyer may face sanctions for revealing confidential information about a witness.

  • April 08, 2026

    Ex-US Atty Rollins Eyes Boston DA Comeback After Probes

    Former Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins, who stepped down amid multiple ethics investigations, pulled papers Wednesday to run for a return to her former office as Suffolk County district attorney, an elections official confirmed.

  • April 08, 2026

    Mich. Federal Judge Pleads No Contest In Drunk-Driving Case

    A Michigan federal judge pled no contest Wednesday to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge in Emmet County court in connection with an incident where he crashed his Cadillac and registered a 0.27% blood alcohol level, apologizing and saying he "looks forward" to continuing his judicial service.

  • April 08, 2026

    NY Panel Backs DLA Piper's $482K Fee Win In Malpractice Suit

    A New York appellate court affirmed Tuesday the dismissal of a Chinese software company's legal malpractice suit against DLA Piper, along with a $482,000 sanctions order against the company and its counsel, noting that the company's frivolous claims also drew a $635,000 sanctions ruling in "mirror" federal court litigation.

  • April 08, 2026

    Colo. Woman Drops Debt Relief Suit Against Ga. Law Firm

    A woman has dropped her lawsuit in Colorado federal court accusing a Georgia law firm of charging her over $40,000 for debt settlement and credit repair services while doing little on her behalf. 

  • April 08, 2026

    NJ Power Broker, Atty Brother Push To End Developer's Suit

    South Jersey powerbroker George Norcross and his brother, Parker McCay PA shareholder Philip A. Norcross, asked a New Jersey state court this week to toss a civil racketeering suit from a real estate developer, which closely tracked a now-dismissed criminal indictment, arguing the allegations were settled in previous litigation and are time-barred.

  • April 08, 2026

    Colorado Firm Drops Google Suit Over Deleted Biz Profile

    A Colorado state judge has granted a bankruptcy attorney's request to dismiss his complaint against Google, in which he accused the company of removing his firm's business profile without explanation.

  • April 08, 2026

    ABA Says Attys Must Reveal When A Judge Needs To Recuse

    Attorneys have an ethical obligation to speak up when they have information that could lead to a judge's disqualification from a case, according to a new ethics opinion released by the American Bar Association on Wednesday.

  • April 08, 2026

    Firm Fights DQ Bid Against US Counsel In Chinese Arbitration

    A Chinese law firm suing a Washington resident over unpaid arbitration bills has slammed an effort to disqualify its Seattle-based local counsel, saying that while one of its attorneys had worked at the law firm representing the woman, the attorney was entirely walled off from the case.

  • April 08, 2026

    Insurer Says NC Law Firm's $130K Forgery Loss Isn't Covered

    Law firm Narron and Holdford PA isn't owed close to $130,000 in coverage for a forged cashier's check and wire transfer because the incident doesn't trigger coverage under the insurance policy it has with a pair of insurance companies, the insurers have told a North Carolina federal court. 

  • April 08, 2026

    ABA, State Bars Blast DOJ Proposal To Block Bar Probes

    The American Bar Association and a chorus of state and local bar groups have come out against a proposed rule that would allow the U.S. Department of Justice to pause and review state-level ethics complaints against its attorneys, calling the proposal "unlawful and unconstitutional."

  • April 08, 2026

    DLA Piper Offered Pregnant Atty 'Dignified' Exit, Jury Told

    A former DLA Piper associate who claims she was unlawfully fired after announcing her pregnancy was offered a chance to transition out of the firm "without anyone knowing that her work was subpar," a partner told a Manhattan federal jury Wednesday.

  • April 08, 2026

    Bondi To Skip Epstein Deposition After DOJ Cites AG Exit

    Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not sit for her scheduled deposition next week on the Epstein files now that she has left the role, and the Justice Department has asked the House Oversight Committee to withdraw its subpoena.

  • April 07, 2026

    Fee And Atty Row Splinters Mass Medical Pot Licensing Suit

    An attorney's departure, fee disputes and clashes over who actually represents Oklahoma medical marijuana companies has caused a fissure in the litigation seeking to overturn the state's residency requirements, resulting in some plaintiffs being forced to file a separate lawsuit.

  • April 07, 2026

    SEC Says Firm, Atty Ran $6M High-Yield Investment Scheme

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday sued an investment firm, its owner and an attorney in Florida federal court for allegedly misappropriating $2.4 million from at least eight investors in a purported high-yield investment program that promised access to global financial tools.

  • April 07, 2026

    11th Circ. Faults Job Seeker's Atty But Upholds $3.4M Win

    The Eleventh Circuit declined Tuesday to grant a trucking company a new trial on a $3.4 million verdict handed to an applicant who claimed the business walked back a job offer after learning that he is Black, ruling his attorney's "improper" arguments didn't taint the trial's outcome.

  • April 07, 2026

    Law Firms Dodge Online Casinos' NY Retaliatory Litigation

    A New York state judge has tossed a malicious prosecution suit by online casinos against two law firms attempting to arbitrate consumer claims alleging illegal gambling, finding that the speech targeted by the suit falls within a state law protecting citizens from strategic lawsuits against public participation.

  • April 07, 2026

    Judge Who Quit Bench Amid Ethics Probe Hired By Fani Willis

    A Georgia trial court judge who resigned this year before facing the prospect of removal from the bench over a range of misconduct charges has been hired by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a spokesperson for Willis confirmed Tuesday.

  • April 07, 2026

    States, DC Back NY AG James In DOJ Probe Appeal

    Backed by amici including the attorneys general of 20 states and the District of Columbia, New York Attorney General Letitia James is fighting the U.S. Department of Justice's bid to reopen an investigation into her office launched by a federal prosecutor found to have been serving unlawfully.

  • April 07, 2026

    FTC Must List Potential Remedies In Amazon Antitrust Case

    A Washington federal court ordered the Federal Trade Commission to respond to Amazon's discovery request asking for a list of remedies enforcers intend to seek in the antitrust case alleging its merchant rules drive up online retail prices.

  • April 07, 2026

    DOJ Pushes To End Former Immigration Judge's Bias Suit

    The U.S. Department of Justice moved to dismiss a former Ohio immigration judge's discrimination suit in D.C. federal court this week, calling the complaint "heavy on conclusory statements and speculation and light on allegations of fact."

Expert Analysis

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

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    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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'

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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