Legal Ethics

  • September 09, 2025

    Franchise Law Firm Can't Dump Trash Co.'s Malpractice Suit

    A Charlotte, North Carolina-based law firm can't escape a trash compactor company's claims that it botched franchise agreements in 2019 and 2020, after a federal judge said it was too early for a final ruling on a statute of limitations defense.

  • September 09, 2025

    Contractors Settle Hartford Apartment Construction Suit

    A subcontractor and general contractor litigating federal claims over a Hartford, Connecticut, apartment construction project have reached a settlement in the case ahead of a trial, following a conference Monday.

  • September 09, 2025

    Quinn Emanuel Fights DQ Bid In Trade Secrets Fight

    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP-represented Rippling is urging a Delaware state court to reject a bid to disqualify the firm from representing the human resources and payroll company in an ongoing trade secrets fight with competitor Deel Inc., saying the request is a misguided tactical move.

  • September 09, 2025

    Expedia Wants $2.75M Sanction For 'Lies' In Cuba Land Suit

    A family descended from Cuban landowners and its counsel in a suit over property seized by the Cuban government should face seven-figure sanctions for knowingly bringing bogus Helms-Burton Act claims against travel company Expedia, the company has told a Delaware federal judge following its win in a jury trial.

  • September 09, 2025

    NY AG James Hires Munger Tolles For Federal Probes

    New York Attorney General Letitia James recently retained top attorneys at Munger Tolles & Olson LLP amid ongoing federal investigations related to her office's past cases against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association.

  • September 09, 2025

    Feds, State Push Fla. Justices To Reject Bondi Ethics Probe

    The federal government and the state of Florida both threw their support behind the Florida Bar and its decision not to investigate U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for alleged unethical conduct, calling a Sunshine State lawyer's attempt to force an investigation "lawfare."

  • September 09, 2025

    2nd Circ. Allows NY AG To Curb Nonprofit's Debtor Coaching

    The Second Circuit vacated a lower court order that prevented New York Attorney General Letitia James from stopping a bankruptcy education nonprofit from advising low-income debtors Tuesday, saying that while the state's unauthorized practice of law statutes regulate speech, they are content neutral and should be reviewed under intermediate scrutiny.

  • September 09, 2025

    'Whiz Honor' Judge Accused Of Trying To Sway Sentencing

    A Philadelphia judge under investigation for ethics violations related to the promotion of his wife's cheesesteak shop faces new disciplinary charges over allegations that he attempted to influence a fellow judge's sentencing decision for an associate of rapper Meek Mill.

  • September 09, 2025

    US Atty Habba Seeks To Nix NJ Mayor's False Arrest Suit

    New Jersey's acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba told a federal judge Tuesday that Newark Mayor Ras Baraka's lawsuit over his arrest outside an immigration detention center should be tossed since both the government and Habba are immune from suit, and the court cannot impose a damages remedy under U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

  • September 08, 2025

    Litigation Funder Says Ex-GC Stole Secrets To Launch Rival

    A Houston-based litigation funding company has hauled its former general counsel into Texas state court, accusing him of diverting its business opportunities and using confidential business information when secretly forming a new rival litigation funder.

  • September 08, 2025

    Split Colo. Justices Back DA's Disbarment Over Judge Probe

    The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday ruled to uphold a disciplinary board's disbarment of former 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley in a split 4-2 decision that found the issue of whether the presiding disciplinary judge should have recused himself a "close call."

  • September 08, 2025

    9th Circ. Axes Ruling Trader Joe's 'Weaponized Legal System'

    A California federal judge hastily found that Trader Joe's cooked up borderline-frivolous theories of trademark infringement to punish union organizers, the Ninth Circuit held Monday, finding that union merchandise looks "strikingly similar" to the grocer's well-known logo.

  • September 08, 2025

    Calif. Judge Convicted Of Murdering Wife Seeks Trial Do-Over

    A California judge convicted of murdering his wife earlier this year moved for a new trial, arguing the court's denial of his request to postpone the retrial was a "miscarriage of justice" because it limited his expert witness testimony and violated his right to present his defense that the shooting was accidental.

  • September 08, 2025

    VLSI Argues PQA Was Formed Illegally In Renewed Fraud Suit

    VLSI Technology LLC is once again trying to persuade a Virginia state judge that Patent Quality Assurance LLC owes it more than $3 million for misconduct at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, raising a new argument Monday that PQA's existence as a limited liability company was never legal.

  • September 08, 2025

    Atty In Judge Newman Suspension Feud Moves To DOJ

    An attorney who has been representing Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman in the legal battle over her suspension has jumped from the New Civil Liberties Alliance to work at the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • September 08, 2025

    FDIC Bests Farella Braun In Dispute Over SVB Legal Fees

    A California federal judge has sided with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in a dispute over $48,800 in unpaid legal bills that Farella Braun & Martel LLP sought for work it did before Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, finding the firm's invoices lacked key details like hours and billing rates.

  • September 08, 2025

    FisherBroyles Can't Nix Stem Cell Patent Malpractice Claim

    A California judge on Monday denied FisherBroyles LLP's motion to toss a claim in a $10 million malpractice suit brought against it by a stem cell treatment center, ruling the firm missed a deadline to file the motion. 

  • September 08, 2025

    Grassley Blocked On Quick US Attorney Confirmations

    Senate Judiciary Committee chair Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tried Monday to quickly confirm 10 nominees for U.S. attorneys, but was blocked by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

  • September 08, 2025

    Atty Tells Disciplinary Panel $250K Demand Wasn't Blackmail

    A Pennsylvania attorney facing discipline for allegedly threatening to blackmail a client's debtor was rightfully trying to collect on a long-standing, highly litigated debt, a state disciplinary hearing panel heard Monday.

  • September 08, 2025

    Exotic Dancers Too Early With Quick Win Bid In Wage Suit

    A former exotic dancer for an Illinois club cannot snag a partial win in a lawsuit claiming she and her coworkers were misclassified as independent contractors and faced illegal kickbacks, a federal judge ruled Monday, saying she "put the cart before the horse."

  • September 08, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Trump Donor's Tax, Foreign Agent Convictions

    A venture capitalist whose 12-year prison term for evading taxes and making illegal campaign contributions through foreign clients was commuted by President Donald Trump did not plead guilty to the crimes involuntarily, the Ninth Circuit found in affirming his convictions, rejecting his claim that his attorney hid information from him.

  • September 08, 2025

    Watchdog Wants Discipline For Atty Ensnared In Murder Case

    Connecticut's legal ethics watchdog is targeting an attorney who was convicted of interfering with an officer in a high-profile murder case, saying in a court filing that he's "guilty of misconduct" and should face discipline from the state.

  • September 08, 2025

    Attys Accused Of Filing Fake Docs In Miss America Dispute

    A real estate developer, his associates and his current and past attorneys submitted fake contracts as evidence of their ownership of the company that runs the Miss America pageant in a $500 million lawsuit and should face sanctions, the plaintiffs — who allege they're the rightful owners — told a Florida federal judge Saturday.

  • September 08, 2025

    Conn. Tax Atty Wants Full Appeals Court To Rethink Her Firing

    Connecticut's former tax legal director has asked the full Connecticut Appellate Court to reconsider an appellate panel's ruling that found her firing was proper after she used her work computer to send unauthorized draft legislation to a lobbyist, arguing that as a case of first impression it is important for the full court to weigh in.

  • September 08, 2025

    Appeal Limited To NJ US Atty DQ Ruling, 3rd Circ. Told

    The federal government and defense counsel have agreed that the scope of a Third Circuit appeal is limited to the disqualification of New Jersey Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba from overseeing two cases.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

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    Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.

  • Ex-Chicago Politician's Case May Further Curb Fraud Theories

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear Thompson v. U.S. to determine whether a statement that is misleading but not false still violates federal law, potentially heralding the court’s largest check yet on prosecutors’ expansive fraud theories, with significant implications for sentencing, say attorneys at the Law Offices of Alan Ellis.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

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    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

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    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

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    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

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