Legal Ethics

  • September 18, 2025

    Ex-La. Prosecutor Convicted In Pretrial Program Bribery Case

    A former Lafayette assistant district attorney was convicted Thursday in Louisiana federal court of bribery and other charges for conspiring to solicit kickbacks and accept bribes while overseeing the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office's pretrial intervention program, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

  • September 18, 2025

    Conn. Justice 'Embarrassed' By State's Atty Discipline Rules

    A Connecticut Supreme Court justice said Thursday that he was "embarrassed" by the "terribly unclear" ethics rules at the center of an attorney discipline case, appearing sympathetic to the argument that a trial court should have entertained the lawyer's constitutional challenge to the grievance process.

  • September 18, 2025

    Brothers Blame Associate For $90M HIV Drug Fraud Scheme

    Two Maryland brothers accused of selling $90 million worth of mislabeled HIV drugs told a Florida federal jury on Thursday that their charges stem from an associate hired for his pharmaceutical industry connections, but who instead lied about the medication's black market origins and told them it was purchased legitimately.

  • September 18, 2025

    Pipe Maker Gets 2nd Shot At Bringing Asbestos RICO Claims

    An Illinois federal judge has said a Los Angeles pipe manufacturer can bring amended civil racketeering claims over a St. Louis-area law firm's alleged conspiracy to bring meritless asbestos claims, after the company argued information from confidential whistleblowers warranted an attempt to fix earlier pleading deficiencies.

  • September 18, 2025

    Calif. County Deputy DA Loses Free Speech Retaliation Suit

    A California federal judge has tossed a retaliation suit from a former Santa Clara County, California, deputy district attorney.

  • September 18, 2025

    Ex-Trump Atty Says Fla. Discipline Case Is Over 'Void' Charges

    Former Trump campaign attorney Kenneth Chesebro told the Supreme Court of Florida this week to reject a push to discipline him over his conviction in Georgia's election interference racketeering case, arguing his name was cleared by a court order invalidating the charge to which he pled guilty.

  • September 18, 2025

    Law Firm Files Fee Suits Over Texas Mass Shooting Litigation

    A law firm has launched two separate Texas state court lawsuits alleging it is owed more than $2 million in legal fees for work it performed on behalf of victims of a 2017 mass shooting at a Lone Star State church in Sutherland Springs.

  • September 18, 2025

    Jay-Z, Buzbee Conspiracy Suits Sent To Texas State Court

    A Texas federal judge has sent two conspiracy lawsuits brought by clients of Texas personal injury attorney Tony Buzbee against Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's company Roc Nation and his attorneys back to state court in Houston, finding the court lacks jurisdiction in the case despite the defendant's argument that law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP was "improperly joined."

  • September 18, 2025

    Ga. Bar Again Seeks To Shut Down Atty's Racial Bias Suit

    The State Bar of Georgia has asked an Atlanta federal judge to toss a proposed class action alleging it engaged in a pattern of racial discrimination in disciplining Black attorneys, arguing that even though the Eleventh Circuit revived the claims on jurisdictional grounds, the parties have immunity.

  • September 18, 2025

    Fla. Supreme Court Disbars Atty For Misusing Client Funds

    The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday disbarred an Orlando-area attorney for misconduct, including improperly diverting funds from homebuyers he represented in real estate closings to a construction marketing entity he was affiliated with that was the seller in the transactions.

  • September 18, 2025

    Atty Apologizes For Bribery Accusation In Defamation Case

    A former Holland & Knight LLP partner has formally apologized for communicating with his ex-wife, less than a week after his text to her — suggesting a Philadelphia federal judge had taken a bribe while presiding over a personal injury firm's lawsuit — prompted the judge to stay the case.

  • September 18, 2025

    NJ Atty Sanctioned For Citing AI-Generated Fake Case Law

    A New Jersey federal judge on Thursday issued a $3,000 monetary sanction on an attorney for violating Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure by submitting a reply brief including fabricated case law citations and later acknowledging that his use of generative artificial intelligence contributed to the errors.

  • September 18, 2025

    Dems Demand Even More Funds For Courts, Judicial Security

    An alternative continuing resolution unveiled by the Democrats in the House and Senate on Wednesday evening includes more funding for judicial security and the courts than the Republicans' version, but it's unlikely it will be adopted as is.

  • September 18, 2025

    Auto Co. Accuses Conn. Revenue Dept. Of Fumbling Depos

    An auto wholesaler accusing Connecticut's tax commissioner of levying a double tax on warranties attached to vehicles sold out of state wants the Department of Revenue Services sanctioned for failing to properly prepare two witnesses for Sept. 12 depositions.

  • September 18, 2025

    Uber Says Philly Law Firm, Doctors Fabricated Injuries

    Ride-sharing company Uber has accused personal injury firm Simon & Simon PC and a network of healthcare providers of fabricating medical records to inflate accident complaints, according to a RICO suit filed in Philadelphia federal court.

  • September 18, 2025

    Florida Judge Accused Of Making Improper Political Donations

    A Florida state judge who donated almost $30,000 in more than 900 total contributions to political organizations — thereby becoming the "most prolific offender" of the rule barring judges from making those types of donations — may receive a public reprimand for her actions.

  • September 17, 2025

    Winston & Strawn Blamed For 'Anti-Woke' Fintech $1.7B Crash

    The trustee of bankrupt "anti-woke" financial technology startup GloriFi on Wednesday launched malpractice litigation against Winston & Strawn LLP in Texas bankruptcy court, accusing the firm and one of its managing partners of putting the interests of the company's founder first and costing the business $1.7 billion in valuation.

  • September 17, 2025

    Feds Want 3 Years For Girardi Son-In-Law's Chicago Contempt

    Tom Girardi's son-in-law should receive a three-year prison sentence for his admitted role in helping the once-celebrated plaintiffs' lawyer steal millions from Lion Air crash victims, federal prosecutors in Chicago argued Wednesday.

  • September 17, 2025

    Del. Judge's US Atty Application Plan Draws Blanche's Ire

    Delaware's chief district judge, a Trump appointee, is seeking applications for the state's U.S. attorney position to prepare for an upcoming vacancy in the interim position, a move that drew the ire of Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday.

  • September 17, 2025

    Morgan & Morgan Hauls Disney Into Court Over TM Concern

    Law firm Morgan & Morgan sued Disney on Wednesday, asking a Florida federal court to declare that an advertisement it plans to run featuring elements from the animated short film "Steamboat Willie" does not infringe on Disney's intellectual property because the work entered the public domain last year.

  • September 17, 2025

    Judges Pan Chris Cuomo's Arbitrator Bias Claim On Appeal

    A majority of the justices on a New York appellate court panel voiced skepticism of ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo's arguments that the arbitrator was biased against him in his $125 million wrongful termination case against the news network.

  • September 17, 2025

    House Votes To End DC Judicial Nominations Commission

    The U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-211 along party lines on Wednesday to eliminate the commission that vets and picks potential judicial nominees for Washington, D.C.'s local courts.

  • September 17, 2025

    Magistrate Says Cloud IP Suit Dismissal Should Be Permanent

    A federal magistrate judge in Texas has recommended that the voluntary dismissal of a patent infringement suit between two cloud computing companies be made permanent after one side complained a doctored screenshot was used as evidence.

  • September 17, 2025

    2nd Circ. Won't Block Eletson Doc Transfer In Shipping Row

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday declined Reed Smith LLP's emergency request to block the turnover of client files created amid its representation of Greece-based shipping company Eletson Holdings prior to an October 2024 reorganization, but agreed to refer the stay motion to a three-judge panel for consideration.

  • September 17, 2025

    Ex-Calif. Judge Gets 35 Years For Shooting Wife To Death

    Former California state court judge Jeffrey M. Ferguson lost his bid for a new trial Wednesday and was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison for shooting his wife to death at home in a drunken rage, with the presiding judge expressing sympathy for his "extraordinary" son who tried to save his mother's life.

Expert Analysis

  • Mitigating Defamation Liability Risks Of AI-Generated Content

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    Until Congress and the courts provide clear guidance about defamation liability stemming from generative artificial intelligence tools, companies should begin building controls to prevent the creation of defamatory content, says Michael Gerrity at Accenture.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records

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    Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    Why States Should Adopt ABA's 'Duty To Inquire'

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    State bars should codify the American Bar Association's proposed rule on a lawyer's duty to scrutinize each representation as it provides guardrails for lawyers, supports self-regulation of the profession, and helps avert money laundering and other crimes, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Trump Faces Uphill Battle If He Tries To Target Prosecutors

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    On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump promised to go after the state and federal prosecutors who had investigated and prosecuted him, but few criminal statutes would be applicable — to say nothing of the evidence required to substantiate any charges against prosecutors, says William Johnston at Bird Marella.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

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