Legal Ethics

  • October 22, 2025

    'Danger Zone': 9th Circ. Judge Warns Atty Battling L'Oreal

    A Ninth Circuit judge warned an attorney Wednesday he was in a "danger zone" and should have considered never appealing a district court's order throwing out his client's trade secrets case against L'Oreal USA Inc., saying the lower court's finding that his client fabricated evidence puts the attorney in the panel's crosshairs.  

  • October 22, 2025

    Phillips 66 Can't Undo $805M Trade Secrets Trial Loss

    Phillips 66 can't get a new trial after its $805 million loss on claims it stole startup Propel Fuels' intellectual property during due diligence for an acquisition, a California state judge has ruled, saying the jury's findings, including malicious misconduct, are well-supported.

  • October 22, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Faults PTAB Ax In Centripetal Case But Not Recusal

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday vacated the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's invalidation of Centripetal Networks LLC cybersecurity patent claims challenged by Cisco Systems Inc. in a high-stakes dispute, but rejected Centripetal's argument that the case was tainted by a PTAB judge's ownership of Cisco stock.

  • October 22, 2025

    Ohio Derailment Attys Can Start Contempt Bid Before Audit

    An Ohio federal judge has granted a request from class counsel to advance a bid to hold the administrator of Norfolk Southern's $600 million derailment settlement in contempt without having to wait for the results of a court-ordered audit. 

  • October 22, 2025

    Tax Court Judge Warns Against Unchecked AI Use In Filings

    A U.S. Tax Court judge cautioned attorneys Wednesday against relying on artificial intelligence to write filings without verifying the information it generates, saying recent "unfortunate incidents" have prompted the court to double down on accuracy in using such tools.

  • October 22, 2025

    Privilege 'Dramatization' Won't Shield 7K Docs In Ads MDL

    An Illinois federal judge took Meredith, Nexstar, Sinclair and other broadcasters to task Monday for trying to withhold 6,893 documents in multidistrict litigation alleging a television advertising price-fixing scheme, finding it "necessary to level set with defendants" on their own failings to justify withholding the material from ad buyers.

  • October 22, 2025

    Feds Fight Early Release For Atty Convicted Of $550M Fraud

    Federal prosecutors on Tuesday opposed compassionate release of a Kentucky lawyer who fled the country after pleading guilty to a $550 million Social Security fraud scheme, telling the Sixth Circuit that the lawyer's medical conditions are being adequately treated in prison and the seriousness of his crimes warranted more time behind bars.

  • October 22, 2025

    NY Atty Shouldn't Bring FCA Suit Against Ex-Client, Bar Says

    A New York attorney has been cautioned that, in most cases, it is unethical to act as a relator in a qui tam False Claims Act suit against his former client, with new guidance warning against using information gained during representation to later bring such claims against former clients.

  • October 22, 2025

    Calif. Judge Censured For Delayed Rulings, Lying About Them

    A California state judge has been publicly censured for taking more than six months to issue some decisions and lying about those delays on his salary affidavits, according to the state's judicial ethics body.

  • October 22, 2025

    Ex-NY AGs Say James Case Will Rally Office: 'Fuel To The Fire'

    New York Attorney General Letitia James' criminal prosecution is unlikely to have any significant effect on the day-to-day operations of her office, including its suits against the federal government and an appeal in President Donald Trump's nearly $500 million civil fraud case, but former leaders of the office say it could strengthen the resolve of her staff.

  • October 21, 2025

    Apple Slams 'Fatally Broad' App Store Injunction At 9th Circ.

    Apple urged the Ninth Circuit Tuesday to scrap a mandate blocking it from charging any commission on iPhone app purchases made outside its systems, slamming the district court's "fatally broad" injunction and arguing that the court's zero-commission rule is "the antithesis of a proper civil contempt remedy."

  • October 21, 2025

    Uber MDL Judge Sets Litigation Funding Disclosure Deadline

    A California federal judge ruled Tuesday in multidistrict litigation accusing Uber Technologies Inc. of failing to prevent drivers from sexually assaulting passengers that plaintiffs' counsel must disclose any ties to third-party litigation funding companies by next week, but stopped short of ordering all plaintiffs' counsel to affirmatively deny any connection.

  • October 21, 2025

    Baker McKenzie Can't Get Illinois Malpractice Suit Tossed

    An Illinois state judge has refused to dismiss a private equity firm's malpractice suit accusing Baker McKenzie of botching a client's bid to reacquire a Russian coal mine, saying the plaintiffs have sufficiently pled claims sustainable under both Illinois and Russian law at this stage of the case.

  • October 21, 2025

    NY Courts Can't Shield Memos To State Judges

    The New York State Office of Court Administration may have to finally turn over a batch of "secret memos" that instruct state judges on how to interpret the law, the state's highest court ruled Tuesday.

  • October 21, 2025

    Cybersecurity Co. Wants Sanctions For 'Frivolous' Patent Suit

    A Georgia-based cybersecurity firm facing allegations that it ripped off a software developer's patent called for sanctions Tuesday against the developer for his "frivolous" lawsuit, arguing his complaint misrepresents the "clear and unmistakable" language of a deal to give the company use of the technology.

  • October 21, 2025

    Colo. Federal Courts Halt Atty Discipline For Shutdown

    The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado has suspended all attorney discipline investigations in light of the government shutdown.

  • October 21, 2025

    Fla. Investor Sues NY Atty Over Litigation Funding 'Scheme'

    A New York lawyer is facing state court claims alleging he scammed a Florida investor out of more than $2.5 million by "effectively running a Ponzi scheme" under the guise of a litigation finance investment.

  • October 21, 2025

    Georgia Atty Can't Shake Contempt Conviction For Tardiness

    An attorney who was hours late for jury selection in a felony case in Georgia received adequate notice that the matter was set for trial and cannot avoid a judge's criminal contempt finding, a state appellate panel ruled Tuesday.

  • October 21, 2025

    Connell Foley Hit With $40M Suit Over NJ Hotel Project

    A hotel developer is mounting a $40 million malpractice lawsuit against Connell Foley LLP in New Jersey state court, alleging the firm steered it into costly arbitration with a contractor on a hotel construction project.

  • October 21, 2025

    NJ Attys Face Greater Transparency For Client Testimonials

    New Jersey lawyers must follow new transparency requirements in using client testimonials in their advertising, according to a new opinion published on Tuesday.

  • October 21, 2025

    NY Atty Blames Another Lawyer For AI-Faked Case Citations

    A New York attorney on Tuesday denied ever having used artificial intelligence in his law practice and said the fake, AI-hallucinated cases cited in a motion to dismiss a case against his client were prepared by another attorney.

  • October 21, 2025

    Judge Won't Rush Ruling On Proposed Comey 'Filter Team'

    A Virginia federal judge rejected prosecutors' request for him to quickly rule on a proposed "filter team" to review potentially privileged evidence in their case against James Comey on Monday, ruling that the standard 14-day period for the former FBI director's team to fully respond to the proposal balances speed and fairness.

  • October 20, 2025

    'Unacceptable': NC DOJ Rebuked For Repeat Rule Violations

    A Raleigh, North Carolina, federal judge has sanctioned the state's Department of Justice, accusing one of its prosecutors of filing a frivolous motion in order to delay trial in an illegal detention lawsuit, while noting this isn't the first time the office has "tested the patience" of the federal judiciary.

  • October 20, 2025

    Miami Atty Accused Of Defamation For False Media Campaign

    A Miami luxury homebuilder is suing attorney Javier Lopez and his former firm Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton PA for defamation, claiming he made false statements to the press and to third parties calling the homebuilder a criminal who was under FBI investigation.

  • October 20, 2025

    IT Company Says Plaintiff In Contract Suit Threatened Worker

    An information technology company defending against claims that it committed fraud while performing a contract for online retailer Wayfair LLC told a Texas federal court the plaintiff who brought the suit should be sanctioned for threatening an employee.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Series

    Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.

  • Use The Right Kind Of Feedback To Help Gen Z Attorneys

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    Generation Z associates bring unique perspectives and expectations to the workplace, so it’s imperative that supervising attorneys adapt their feedback approach in order to help young lawyers learn and grow — which is good for law firms, too, says Rachael Bosch at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Opinion

    Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code

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    As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan

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    Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.

  • State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape

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    Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.

  • 8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney

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    A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process

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    In recent decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has markedly transformed judicial processes — from summary judgment standards to notice pleadings — which has, in turn, affected individuals’ substantive rights, and we need to consider how the upcoming presidential election may continue this pattern, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

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