Legal Ethics

  • January 09, 2026

    Feds Seek To DQ Ex-Boxer's Atty Over Juror Bribery Probe

    Prosecutors urged a Brooklyn federal judge Friday to disqualify three attorneys who represent a former heavyweight boxer accused of participating in a $1 billion cocaine trafficking scheme, arguing that one of the lawyers is under investigation related to the alleged attempted bribery of a juror at his client's trial.

  • January 09, 2026

    Gov't Can't Use NYT Article As Evidence In Goldstein Trial

    A Maryland federal judge on Friday barred prosecutors from pre-admitting Thomas Goldstein's statements in a New York Times article as evidence in the SCOTUSblog co-founder's tax fraud trial, but she left open the possibility for the government to call either Jeffrey Toobin, the article's author, or a Times fact-checker, as a witness.

  • January 09, 2026

    7th Circ. Upholds Ex-Atty's Conviction In Burke Bribery Case

    The Seventh Circuit on Friday kept in place the conviction and 32-month prison sentence of a Chicago real estate developer and former attorney for offering legal work to ex-Alderman Edward Burke as a bribe for help with a zoning permit, finding the government presented sufficient evidence to support a guilty verdict and arguments to the contrary were "unavailing."

  • January 09, 2026

    Ramey Ducks BlackBerry's Sanctions Bid Over 'Frivolous' Suit

    Patent attorney Bill Ramey has avoided sanctions requested by BlackBerry Corp. for what the smartphone company called the "frivolous and unreasonable" way he litigated a case brought on behalf of Silent Communications LLC.

  • January 09, 2026

    10th Circ. Says Judge Didn't Cross A Line In Plea Deal Dispute

    A federal judge who told a man that a plea deal for distributing methamphetamine could be rescinded if he did not agree to it did not act inappropriately, a unanimous Tenth Circuit panel ruled Friday, finding the lower court had not interfered with negotiations by providing factual information.

  • January 09, 2026

    Texas Justices Say Judges Can Refuse Same-Sex Marriages

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday told the Fifth Circuit that judges can refuse to perform same-sex marriages on moral or religious grounds, opening the door for the federal appeals court to find that state judges can refuse to perform the unions.

  • January 09, 2026

    Biz Owner's RICO Suit Says 5 Calif. Attys Helped Loot IT Co.

    A business owner has filed a lawsuit accusing five attorneys from five different small California law firms of conspiring with his ex-business partner to steal assets from a company the two had jointly owned.

  • January 09, 2026

    Judge Blocks Edwards' $945M Heart Valve Deal

    A D.C. federal judge issued an order on Friday preventing Edwards Lifesciences Corp. from moving ahead with its planned $945 million deal for JenaValve Technology Inc., torpedoing the merger challenged by the Federal Trade Commission.

  • January 09, 2026

    Panel OKs Sentence In Ex-Ky. Prosecutor Sex Bribe Scandal

    A former Kentucky state prosecutor must serve 41 months behind bars after a Sixth Circuit panel upheld his conviction on wire fraud and government bribery charges tied to his alleged criminal scheme of assisting a criminal defendant in exchange for sexual favors and explicit photos.

  • January 09, 2026

    Ex-Prosecutor OK For Drug Pricing MDL, Special Master Says

    Former Connecticut Assistant Attorney General Joseph Nielsen and his law firm, Lowey Dannenberg PC, should not be disqualified from representing insurers in multidistrict litigation over generic drug price-fixing because he did not have any special knowledge that the states suing drugmakers hadn't already shared with the private plaintiffs, according to a special master's report and recommendation.

  • January 09, 2026

    Calif. Wage Suit Settles Months After Atty Admits To AI Mishap

    A proposed wage and hour class action that drew the legal world's attention in November after the plaintiff's counsel admitted to using a half-dozen artificial intelligence tools to prepare a botched motion has now ended, with a Northern California federal judge granting a joint dismissal following a settlement agreement.

  • January 09, 2026

    NY Courts Open To Attys Using AI To Prep Filings

    Lawyers should not be barred outright from using artificial intelligence tools to prepare court documents, a New York court system advisory committee said in its annual report on Thursday.

  • January 09, 2026

    Bruce Fein Unauthorized To Represent Maduro, Atty Says

    When constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein entered an appearance as counsel for former Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro on Tuesday, it was without having ever spoken to the client, according to a Thursday filing by Maduro's attorney Barry Pollack seeking to remove Fein from the case.

  • January 09, 2026

    Texas Law Firm Sues Former Clients Over $11M Unpaid Fees

    Law firm Williams Simons & Landis PC is suing a group of its former clients, saying they breached a representation contract by failing to pay more than $11 million owed to the firm after a successful trade secrets suit against Walmart.

  • January 09, 2026

    Calif. Law Firm Wins $3M From Deal Made Without Client's OK

    A California state appeals court ruled that a Los Angeles personal injury law firm was entitled to over $3 million in payout from a $6 million settlement even though the firm initially entered into the deal without its client's consent and was later fired.

  • January 08, 2026

    Calif. Judge Will Resign, Cop To Workers' Comp Fraud

    A California state judge has agreed to resign and plead guilty to a felony fraud charge after prosecutors alleged he knowingly hired a physician previously convicted of healthcare fraud to prepare medical reports to submit to the state's workers' compensation program, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

  • January 08, 2026

    Walgreens Gets $392K Sanction Against Blue Cross Insurers

    A Chicago federal judge on Thursday ordered a host of Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers to pay Walgreens more than $392,000 in attorney fees and expenses for discovery misconduct in their suit that accuses the drugstore company of fraudulently overcharging for prescription drugs.

  • January 08, 2026

    Venezuela Says Citgo Auction Marred By Conflicts

    Venezuela pressed the Third Circuit Thursday to overturn an order greenlighting the nearly $6 billion sale of Citgo to satisfy billions of dollars of the country's debt, arguing that the underlying attachment orders are void and that the proceeding was marred by "obvious" conflicts of interest.

  • January 08, 2026

    4th Circ. Says Fraud On Optional Visa Docs Is Still Criminal

    A split Fourth Circuit panel on Thursday affirmed the visa fraud convictions of a Maryland man who prosecutors said submitted fraudulent applications for clients of his immigration "legal center," with the majority ruling that knowingly making false statements on documents that aren't necessarily required can still be criminal.

  • January 08, 2026

    Ex-Budget Official's Atty Stays On Case At Judge's Urging

    Despite an order allowing him to withdraw over a $65,000 fee dispute, a lawyer for former Connecticut budget official Konstantinos Diamantis late on Thursday agreed to remain on a case after a federal judge urged him to consider seeking payments under the Criminal Justice Act.

  • January 08, 2026

    House OKs $540M For Imperiled Legal Services Corp.

    The "minibus" appropriations bill that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Thursday includes a lifeline $540 million allocated toward the nonprofit Legal Services Corp. — representing a reduction of $10 million, or 3.6%, compared to fiscal year 2025's budget — whose funding the White House previously suggested should be slashed.

  • January 08, 2026

    New Assistant AG For Fraud Will Report To White House

    Vice President JD Vance announced on Thursday the creation of a new assistant attorney general role for fraud, which will be overseen by him and the president.

  • January 08, 2026

    Mass. Court Affirms DQ Of Pot Shop Lawyer

    An intermediate appellate court in Massachusetts on Thursday affirmed the disqualification of an attorney who sought to represent both an LLC seeking to open a cannabis dispensary and one of its members in a dispute with the other member.

  • January 08, 2026

    Ga. Panel Orders New Fee Calculation Against Attorney

    The Georgia Court of Appeals said a trial court shouldn't have imposed a $50,500 lump sum legal fee award against an attorney who brought a frivolous suit on behalf of his clients, sending the case back for the lower court to do the appropriate award calculations.

  • January 08, 2026

    Judge's 'Grudges' Book, Obscenities Spur Conduct Complaint

    A Pennsylvania magisterial judge has been charged by the state's Judicial Conduct Board with professional misconduct, including keeping a "book of grudges" and a desk calendar with sexually explicit jokes, and shutting a defendant outside of her courtroom during a hearing in his case, court administrators announced Thursday.

Expert Analysis

  • AI Will Soon Transform The E-Discovery Industrial Complex

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    Todd Itami at Covington discusses how generative artificial intelligence will reshape the current e-discovery paradigm, replacing the blunt instrument of data handling with a laser scalpel of fully integrated enterprise solutions — after first making e-discovery processes technically and legally harder.

  • When Innovation Overwhelms The Rule Of Law

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    In an era where technology is rapidly evolving and artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere, it’s worth asking if the law — both substantive precedent and procedural rules — can keep up with the light speed of innovation, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Imagine The Possibilities Of Openly Autistic Lawyering

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    Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law, who was diagnosed with autism about midway through her career, discusses how the legal profession can create inclusive workplaces that empower openly autistic lawyers and enhance innovation, and how neurodivergent attorneys can navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with disclosing one’s diagnosis.

  • Disciplinary Rule Updates Every Texas Lawyer Needs To Know

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    Sweeping amendments to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct that recently went into effect provide essential clarity and modernity to rules governing conflicts of interest, client confidentiality and duties to prospective clients, says Robert Tobey at Johnston Tobey.

  • Series

    Documentary Filmmaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a documentary filmmaker has allowed me to merge my legal expertise with my passion for storytelling, and has helped me to hone negotiation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are important to both endeavors, says Robert Darwell at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Litigation Funding Disclosure Debate: Strategy Considerations

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    In the ongoing debate over whether courts should require disclosure of litigation funding, funders and plaintiffs tend to argue against such mandates, but voluntarily disclosing limited details about a funding arrangement can actually confer certain benefits to plaintiffs in some scenarios, say Andrew Stulce and Marc Cavan at Longford Capital.

  • Opinion

    Firing Of Jack Smith's Team Is A Threat To Rule Of Law

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    The acting attorney general’s justifications for firing prosecutors who worked on the criminal cases against President Donald Trump rest on a mischaracterization of legal norms, and this likely illegal move augurs poorly for the rule of law, say Bruce Green at Fordham University and Rebecca Roiphe at New York Law School.

  • Series

    Adventure Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Photographing nature everywhere from Siberia to Cuba and Iceland to Rwanda provides me with a constant reminder to refresh, refocus and rethink the legal issues that my clients face, says Richard Birmingham at Davis Wright.

  • 5 Ways To Create Effective Mock Assignments For Associates

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    In order to effectively develop associates’ critical thinking skills, firms should design mock assignments that contain a few key ingredients, from messy fact patterns to actionable feedback, says Abdi Shayesteh at AltaClaro.

  • Navigating Arbitration Confidentiality Challenges In Age Of AI

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    Artificial intelligence is already significantly involved in various aspects of arbitration and posing challenges for maintaining confidentiality, but relatively quickly implementable practices can be utilized as safeguards as AI tools continue to be integrated, says David Coher at CoherADR.

  • The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2024

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    Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2024, and explain how they may affect issues related to mass arbitration, consumer fraud, class certification and more.

  • Mentorship Resolutions For The New Year

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    Attorneys tend to focus on personal achievements or career milestones when they set yearly goals, but one important area often gets overlooked in this process — mentoring relationships, which are some of the most effective tools for professional growth, say Kelly Galligan at Rutan & Tucker and Andra Greene at Phillips ADR.

  • What Insurers Should Know About AI Use In Litigation

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    As the use of artificial intelligence in litigation evolves, insurers should note standing court orders, instances of judges utilizing AI to determine policy definitions and the application of evidentiary standards to expert evidence that incorporates AI, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • Series

    Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

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    Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

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