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Legal Ethics
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May 08, 2024
Cannabis Law Firm Accused Of $5M Error In Pot Shop Deal
A cannabis retailer has sued Vicente LLP in Massachusetts state court, alleging the law firm negligently drafted an amendment to a purchase agreement that prevented the company from recovering nearly $5 million in damages when the deal fell through.
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May 08, 2024
NJ Court Reverses Order Piercing School Board Atty Privilege
A New Jersey appellate court has reversed trial court orders compelling a school district to produce communications with its attorneys in a discrimination and malicious prosecution suit brought by a former administrator, finding that she had not established any Sixth Amendment right at stake to necessitate piercing attorney-client privilege.
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May 08, 2024
ABA Directs Attys To Avoid Sharing Client Info On Listservs
It is in the best interest of clients for their legal counsel to avoid sharing information related to representation while seeking advice in an online listserv forum, if the comments or questions could be connected to a client's identity, according to American Bar Association guidance published Wednesday.
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May 08, 2024
In Story Of Sex And Lies, Can Cohen Write Final Chapter?
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has told a story of scandal and scheming to the jury in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial, setting the stage for the prosecution's star witness to take the stand and wrap up the narrative.
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May 08, 2024
Disbarred Mich. Atty Jailed For Stealing $140K From Client
A Michigan attorney will spend more time in prison than planned after failing to keep up his side of a plea agreement he made with the state attorney general when he admitted to stealing more than $140,000 from an elderly client.
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May 08, 2024
Hurricane Ads Suit Paused For Law Firm Amid Ch. 11 Case
In light of its recent bankruptcy filing, a Texas federal judge has paused class claims against a beleaguered Texas law firm accused of misconduct in soliciting clients in hurricane-related property damage cases, but the case remains active against a legal funding outfit and other defendants.
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May 08, 2024
Conn. Justices To Hear McCarter & English Damages Demand
The Connecticut Supreme Court has accepted a certified question from a federal district court judge in McCarter & English LLP's yearslong fee feud with a former client, agreeing to decide whether the firm can recover punitive damages after years chasing Jarrow Formulas Inc. and winning a jury verdict last year.
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May 08, 2024
Disbarred Pennsylvania Atty Gets Prison Time For Forgery
A disbarred Pennsylvania attorney has been sentenced to 30 days to a year in prison after pleading guilty on Friday for having presented fake court documents to clients with forged signatures, including those of judges, and misrepresenting the status of their cases.
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May 08, 2024
ABA Will Study Rape Questions' Necessity For Bar Applicants
An American Bar Association commission will issue a report and recommendations by August on the practice of requiring would-be lawyers to disclose and discuss their experiences of sexual violence during the attorney licensure process.
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May 08, 2024
Ethics Panel Says Philly Judge's Political Posts Flouted Rules
In a case of first impression, Pennsylvania's Court of Judicial Discipline has ruled that a state court judge violated ethics rules by making political comments online that called into question his impartiality.
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May 08, 2024
Ga. Appeals Court Will Review Trump DQ Bid In Election Case
The Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday agreed to review a judge's ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis to continue prosecuting the election interference case she brought against former President Donald Trump.
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May 07, 2024
US News' Suit Over SF Ranking Probe Premature, Judge Says
A California federal judge on Tuesday tossed without prejudice 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 suit jumps the gun because U.S. News is not bringing a valid pre-enforcement claim.
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May 07, 2024
Colo. Judge Tells Cos. Their Warring Briefs Aren't Helping
A Colorado federal judge has warned a medical device distributor and a Stryker subsidiary warring over a $2.3 million sanctions request that neither of their briefs appeared to provide "meaningful assistance" to help him determine what to award.
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May 07, 2024
PNC Bank Entitled To Atty Fees In Defamation Suit, Court Says
The Georgia Court of Appeals granted an appeal by PNC Bank to receive attorney fees from a customer-launched defamation suit it defeated, finding that the award is mandatory under Georgia law while also ruling that the bank does not have to turn over documents requested by the suing customer.
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May 07, 2024
Remote Atty Is No Reason For Mistrial, 10th Circ. Says
In a published opinion Tuesday, a Tenth Circuit panel ruled that the remote court appearance of a plaintiff's attorney who contracted COVID-19 was not grounds to declare a mistrial after a Black utility worker lost his Title VII workplace discrimination case in Kansas, finding that the plaintiff could not show that he was prejudiced by his lead counsel's absence.
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May 07, 2024
Florida Judge Delays Trump's Classified Docs Trial Indefinitely
The Florida judge overseeing the criminal case that accuses former President Donald Trump of holding onto classified documents upon leaving office extended indefinitely the planned May 20 start of the trial, citing "myriad and interconnected pretrial" issues regarding the Classified Information Procedures Act, according to a federal court order filed on Tuesday.
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May 07, 2024
Insurer Seeks Hearing Cancellation In Arbitrator Bias Dispute
An insurer seeking the removal of an arbitrator in a Bermuda reinsurance coverage dispute told the Second Circuit on Tuesday that a hearing on the issue should be canceled as an award was issued in the arbitration, rendering the dispute moot.
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May 07, 2024
Judge Forged Note For Parking Discount, Watchdog Says
A Washington state judicial conduct board has accused a part-time district court judge of forging a note embossed with a court seal and using another judge's signature stamp to get a reduced parking rate offered to government employees.
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May 07, 2024
NJ Law Firm Scores Exit In Benicar MDL Fees Suit
A New Jersey federal judge on Tuesday granted Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman LLC attorneys a quick win in a proposed class action claiming they took excessive fees from plaintiffs' settlements in multidistrict litigation over the blood pressure drug Benicar, ruling the suit alleges identical claims to another suit that has been dismissed.
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May 07, 2024
Prepetition Waivers Sway Invitae Judge On Kirkland Hire
A New Jersey bankruptcy judge approved the retention of Kirkland & Ellis LLP as bankruptcy counsel for debtor Invitae Corp. Tuesday, the same day he approved a $239 million sale of its assets to Labcorp.
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May 07, 2024
1st Circ. Questions SEC Walk-Back In Conn. Atty's Fraud Case
A First Circuit panel indicated Tuesday that the Securities and Exchange Commission is trying to have it both ways by avoiding a retrial of a fraud case against a Connecticut attorney while keeping in place an earlier win.
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May 07, 2024
Texas Law Firm's Claims Partly Tossed In Click-To-Call Ad Suit
A Texas federal judge has partially dismissed a Houston-based personal injury outfit's claims against a legal referral service it accuses of buying internet keywords that infringe the firm's trademarks in a "click-to-call" scheme meant to steal clients and business from the firm, finding some of the allegations were "conclusory" and that others were unsupported by the facts.
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May 07, 2024
Pashman Stein Sued For Malpractice Over Firm Breakup Work
A New Jersey intellectual property attorney facing claims from Pashman Stein Walder Hayden PC that he owes $88,000 in unpaid legal fees denied those allegations and countered with his own claims that Pashman Stein committed malpractice in representing him in the breakup of his old firm.
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May 07, 2024
7th Circ. Ruling Imperils Anonymity In NCAA, Netflix Cases
Anonymous plaintiffs suing the NCAA and Netflix in separate cases in Indiana federal court must explain why they should be allowed to keep their identities hidden following a recent Seventh Circuit ruling that established "a stringent standard" relating to anonymity, a magistrate judge has ruled.
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May 07, 2024
Margolis Edelstein Gets Rehearing In Del. Malpractice Case
Delaware's Supreme Court has granted Margolis Edelstein's bid for a rehearing by the full five-justice court of an April ruling that revived an insurer's malpractice suit claiming its incompetence caused the insurer to have to settle a case for $1.2 million.
Expert Analysis
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How To Deal With Difficult Clients, Practically And Ethically
Meredith Stoma at Lewis Brisbois discusses common obstacles for counsel working with difficult clients and provides guidance on ethically managing or terminating these challenging relationships — as, for example, counsel for Ye have recently done.
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Fed. Circ. Rulings That Gave Patent Law A New Spin In 2022
Keith Grady at Tucker Ellis looks at critical 2022 Federal Circuit rulings and their impact on patent law, including the February Caltech v. Broadcom decision expanding estoppel rules relating to inter partes review practices and the June Centripetal Networks v. Cisco Systems clarification on blind trusts.
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Opinion
Federal Courts Should Adopt Supreme Court's Amicus Stance
The federal courts of appeals should adopt the U.S. Supreme Court's new approach to amicus curiae briefs, which allows the friend-of-the-court submissions to be filed without consent from the court or the parties, says Lawrence Ebner at Atlantic Legal Foundation.
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3 Pricing Trends In Law Firm Use Of Litigation Funding
As BigLaw firms increasingly include litigation funding as a financing option for clients, internal pricing groups are taking the lead on standardizing and centralizing firm processes, and aggregating risk budgets, says Brendan Dyer at Woodsford Group.
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Safeguarding Attorneys' Greatest Asset: Our Mental Health
Attorneys who understand that mental fitness is their most valuable characteristic should prioritize mental health care accordingly, including with certain activities they may not realize qualify as self-care, says Wendy Robbins at Holland & Knight.
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Opinion
Law Schools Are Right To Steer Clear Of US News Rankings
By opting out of participating in the U.S. News & World Report annual rankings, law schools abandon a profoundly flawed system and free up their resources to adapt to the tsunami of changes overtaking the profession, says Nicholas Allard at Jacksonville University College of Law.
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Opinion
Litigation Funders Seek Transparency In Disclosure Debate
Litigation funders want to correct the record on calls for funding disclosure in the name of transparency, as this purported justification obscures the disclosure's adverse effects — prejudicing plaintiffs' cases and discouraging the assertion of meritorious legal claims, say Dai Wai Chin Feman and William Weisman at Parabellum Capital.
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5 Principles For Better Professional Development Programs
The pandemic and ensuing "great resignation" have resulted in a more transient legal work force, but law firms can use effective professional development programs to bridge a cultural gap with new associates and stem associate attrition, says Matthew Woods at Robins Kaplan.
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Series
My Favorite Law Prof: How I Learned To Practice With Passion
First Circuit Judge Gustavo Gelpí recalls how Suffolk University Law School's Joseph Glannon taught the importance of the law as both a tool and a profession, and that those who wish to practice law successfully must do so with love, enthusiasm and passion.
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Questions To Ask Before Making A Lateral Move As Partner
Law firm partners considering lateral moves should diligently interview prospects — going beyond standard questions about compensation to inquire about culture, associate retention and other areas that can provide a more comprehensive view, says Lauren Wu at VOYLegal.
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Series
My Favorite Law Prof: How I Learned To Argue Open-Mindedly
Queens College President Frank Wu reflects on how Yale Kamisar’s teaching and guidance at the University of Michigan Law School emphasized a capacity to engage with alternative worldviews and the importance of the ability to argue for both sides of a debate.
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ABA's No-Contact Rule Advice Raises Questions For Lawyers
The American Bar Association's ethics committee recently issued two opinions concerning the no-contact rule — one creates an intuitive and practical default for electronic communications, while the other sets a potential trap for pro se lawyers, say Lauren Snyder and Deepika Ravi at HWG.
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4 Key Skills For An Effective Attorney Coaching Conversation
As BigLaw firms are increasingly offering internal coaching as one of many talent strategies to stem ongoing lawyer attrition, Stacey Schwartz at Katten discusses how coaches can help attorneys achieve their goals.
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Perspectives
How Civilian Attorneys Can Help Veterans
With legal aid topping the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' annual list of unmet needs of veterans facing housing insecurity, nonmilitary volunteer attorneys can provide some of the most effective legal services to military and veteran clients, say Anna Richardson at Veterans Legal Services and Nicholas Hasenfus at Holland & Knight.
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Series
My Favorite Law Prof: How I Learned That Culture Shapes Law
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff of the Southern District of New York considers how a class with Jerry Cohen at Harvard Law helped him understand culture and history’s influence on jurisprudence, and how even seemingly settled law can evolve — all while espousing a more humanistic approach to teaching that restored Judge Rakoff's pride in being a lawyer.