Legal Ethics

  • December 03, 2025

    Firms Seek End To Ch. 7 Creditor's Malpractice Suit

    Two law firms have urged a Connecticut state court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a creditor in a Chapter 7 case that accused them of failing to ably represent its interests in the underlying bankruptcy and a related dispute, saying the former client's claims were too vague.

  • December 03, 2025

    LA Atty Accused Of Using AI 'Hallucinations' Sanctioned

    A California state appeals court has ordered an attorney accused of including artificial intelligence "hallucinations" in a client's opening brief to pay $7,500 to the court, saying in a published opinion that the attorney is subject to sanctions for inaccuracies, regardless of whether they were the result of AI.

  • December 03, 2025

    5th Circ. Skeptical Of Swindler Texas Atty's 50-Year Sentence

    A Fifth Circuit panel seemed dubious of the government's argument that a former Texas lawyer at the center of a sweeping Ponzi scheme knew he was agreeing to a 50-year stint in prison by pleading guilty, saying Wednesday that nobody signs up to die in prison.

  • December 03, 2025

    Trump Would Prefer Jack Smith Testify In Public

    Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, subpoenaed former counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday for a closed-door deposition, to which President Donald Trump said he would rather see a public testimony.

  • December 03, 2025

    Virginia Bar Declines To Investigate Interim US Atty Halligan

    The Virginia State Bar has declined to investigate whether Lindsey Halligan should face discipline over her scandal-plagued tenure as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, just days after a federal judge ruled she was not properly appointed to that post.

  • December 03, 2025

    Ex-Seton Hall Prez Denies Filing Confidential Info In Court

    Seton Hall University's former president is pushing back against the school's bid for sanctions because he revealed information through a filing in New Jersey state court about an opposing litigant's daughter and her attendance at Seton Hall Law School, arguing that the material is not confidential.

  • December 03, 2025

    Ex-Stone Hilton Assistant Pushes For Texas OAG Subpoena

    A former Stone Hilton PLLC executive assistant has doubled down on her bid to subpoena the Texas Office of the Attorney General in her suit accusing former OAG attorneys and firm founders Judd Stone and Christopher Hilton of sexual harassment.

  • December 03, 2025

    ABA Urges Attys To Guard Confidentiality In Withdraw Motions

    The American Bar Association on Wednesday advised attorneys that they must leave information about their representation of a client out of any motions they file to withdraw as their counsel unless they have an explicit exception to existing confidentiality rules or the client's consent.

  • December 03, 2025

    Mass. Court Says Plea Deal Inattention May Be Ineffectiveness

    Massachusetts' highest court on Wednesday concluded that a lawyer's failure to seek a plea bargain if asked to do so by a defendant may amount to ineffective assistance of counsel requiring a new trial under certain circumstances.

  • December 03, 2025

    NJ Seeks $195M Fee Award In $2.5B DuPont PFAS Case

    New Jersey asked a Garden State federal judge this week to approve $195 million in attorney fees to its special counsel team of four firms whose six years of litigation work resulted in two landmark settlements that serve to clean up some of the state's most contaminated sites.

  • December 03, 2025

    1st Circ. Doubts Ex-BigLaw Atty's Campaign Finance Appeal

    The First Circuit on Wednesday expressed misgivings about a former BigLaw attorney's argument that a jury that convicted him of a campaign finance scheme during a failed run for Congress should have been required to unanimously find that each specific transaction was illegal.

  • December 03, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Pushes DC Circ. Not To Rethink Newman Decision

    The Federal Circuit has urged the D.C. Circuit to ignore Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's request to rehear a decision upholding the dismissal of her suit against the colleagues who suspended her, saying the judiciary has the right to police its own internal matters.

  • December 02, 2025

    5th Circ. Skeptical Of NLRB Dinging Starbucks For Subpoenas

    A Fifth Circuit panel seemed skeptical of the National Labor Relations Board's claim that it can slap Starbucks Corp. with a labor law violation after it allegedly sent overbroad subpoenas to pro-union employees, saying Tuesday it seemed like the board created a "liability trap."

  • December 02, 2025

    Dentons Sees Ex-Partner's Appeal Nixed In California

    California's highest court has quietly tossed litigation filed by a former Dentons partner who was fired over a $34 million contingency fee due from a Chinese client following an arbitration matter, several months after advising the parties to prepare for oral arguments.

  • December 02, 2025

    Atty's 'Reptile Theory' Argument Sparks Assault Suit Retrial

    A California state appeals court has greenlit a new trial in a case where a jury awarded $1 million to a woman who was allegedly assaulted by a hotel owner during an eviction dispute, saying plaintiff's counsel improperly used the "reptile theory" trial technique to sway the jury.

  • December 02, 2025

    Ex-Amerant Bank Exec Claims Retaliation For Whistleblowing

    Amerant Bank has been hit with a suit in Florida state court accusing it of ousting a senior vice president for speaking out against alleged prohibited activity at the bank, including several violations the former executive says were carried out by the bank's trust department.

  • December 02, 2025

    Ex-Estate Trustee Dodges Jail In $16M Mismanagement Suit

    A Connecticut state court judge has declined to jail or otherwise sanction a former trustee in a discovery dispute over his use of $16 million in family trust assets to secure lines of credit and invest in Vietnamese real estate, but he wants document production issues resolved "as expeditiously as possible."

  • December 02, 2025

    Hagens Berman Referred To DOJ For Alleged Misconduct

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday recommended to the U.S. Department of Justice that it investigate powerhouse plaintiffs firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP's conduct in connection with several since-dropped product liability cases that a special master found to be filed in bad faith.

  • December 02, 2025

    Miss America Sanctions Bid Must Be Axed, Fla. Court Told

    The plaintiffs in a Florida federal court battle over the ownership of the Miss America pageant have pushed back against a sanctions bid against their attorneys, saying the court should reject it because it's "wholly meritless."

  • December 02, 2025

    Twitter Investors Lose Bid To DQ Musk Counsel Spiro

    A California federal judge has denied an attempt by Twitter investors to have Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP partner Alex Spiro disqualified from serving as both lead counsel for Elon Musk and a witness in a trial over claims that Musk tried to tank Twitter's stock.

  • December 02, 2025

    Accusers Seek To Revive Katt Williams Suit Over Judicial Bias

    Four women whose suit against comedian Katt Williams was tossed by a Georgia federal judge on a finding that the claims related to a 2016 altercation outside a nightclub were time-barred, asked the court Tuesday to reconsider on the basis that the judge is hostile to their lawyer and did not render an impartial decision.

  • December 02, 2025

    4th Circ. Rejects Rehearing In Ex-Defender's Harassment Case

    Former assistant public defender Caryn Devins Strickland lost her bid to have the full Fourth Circuit rehear her sexual harassment suit against the federal judiciary, as judges ruled they didn't overlook her pro bono legal team's withdrawal on the eve of her bench trial.

  • December 02, 2025

    DeCotiis Beats DQ Bid In NJ Turnpike Discrimination Suit

    A New Jersey state appellate panel on Tuesday rejected a bid to disqualify DeCotiis Fitzpatrick Cole & Giblin LLP from representing the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and two employees in a discrimination case filed by a medical facility and doctors who performed work for authority members.

  • December 02, 2025

    Approach The Bench: Judge Robart On Living Under Threats

    It's been nearly nine years since U.S. District Judge James Robart blocked President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order barring travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, and though the judge has had a long career — including groundbreaking patent and securities decisions — he still occasionally gets recognized as that "so-called judge."

  • December 01, 2025

    Ex-Immigration Judge Accuses DOJ Of Political Retaliation

    A former Ohio immigration judge sued the U.S. Department of Justice in D.C. federal court Monday, alleging she was discriminated against and unconstitutionally fired for her liberal political beliefs while slamming the Trump administration's recent "unprecedented assault" against longstanding civil service laws that protect millions of federal employees.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • Why A Rare SEC Dismissal May Not Reflect A New Approach

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    While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's pending dismissal of its case against Silver Point is remarkable to the extent that it reflects a novel repudiation of a decision made during the prior commission, a deeper look suggests it may not represent a shift in policy approach, say attorneys at Weil.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • 9 Considerations For Orgs Using AI Meeting Assistants

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    When deciding to use artificial intelligence meeting assistants, organizations must create and implement a written corporate policy that establishes the do's and don'ts for these assistants, taking into account individualized business operations, industry standards and legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • A Reminder On Avoiding Improper Venues In Patent Cases

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision in the Symbology and Quantum cases shows that baseless patent venue allegations may be subject to serious Rule 11 sanctions, providing venue-vetting takeaways for plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Bond Schoeneck.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • What SDNY Judge Can And Can't Do In Adams Case

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    The federal judge in the Southern District of New York overseeing the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams deferred making a decision on the government's motion to dismiss the indictment, and while he does have limited authority to deny the motion, that would ultimately be a futile gesture, says Ethan Greenberg at Anderson Kill.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work

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    Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

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