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Legal Ethics

  • September 25, 2025

    Driver Says Mazda's Sanctions Bid Is Itself Sanctionable

    The leader of a proposed class of Mazda drivers suing over an alleged oil burning defect is firing back at the automaker's call for sanctions for what it called "frivolous" postjudgment filings, saying Mazda's filing is legally baseless and filled with ad hominem attacks on his attorney, so the company is the one that should face sanctions.

  • September 25, 2025

    Bondi Faces Key 'Test' As Trump Orders Prosecutions

    Attorney General Pam Bondi has reached a crossroads less than eight months into her tenure as she faces an extraordinary directive from President Donald Trump to wield the U.S. Department of Justice against his political enemies.

  • September 25, 2025

    Coalition Urges Senate To Block Bills Threatening DC Law

    More than 270 individuals and organizations, including law firms, bar associations and advocacy groups, on Thursday urged the Senate to reject two House bills that they say would usurp the judicial selection process in Washington, D.C., and the independence of D.C.'s attorney general.

  • September 25, 2025

    NY Judge Who Left For Anderson Kill Had Faced Ethics Case

    A longtime New York judge who joined Anderson Kill last week had resigned from the bench amid ethics charges for alleged "demeaning" conduct toward his court staff and claims that he threatened retaliation against a witness and attorneys for the state's judicial ethics watchdog.

  • September 24, 2025

    Boies Schiller Partner Admits AI Errors In Scientology Case

    A Boies Schiller Flexner LLP partner representing women who allege the Church of Scientology harassed them for reporting convicted actor Daniel Masterson's sexual assaults has asked a California appeals court to strike a brief containing artificial intelligence-generated citation errors, saying he "very much regrets" the errors, but they shouldn't impact his clients' case.

  • September 24, 2025

    Minn. Judge Suspended For Attempting To Boost Staffer's Pay

    A Minnesota state judge should not have presided over proceedings to increase his longtime court reporter's salary, the state Supreme Court said, disciplining him with a public censure and a suspension for nine months without pay.

  • September 24, 2025

    Trump Lawyer Chesebro Suspended From DC Circ.

    Kenneth Chesebro, the former attorney for President Donald Trump who was indicted for plotting to enlist fake electors to swing the 2020 election result, was suspended Wednesday from practicing in the D.C. Circuit.

  • September 24, 2025

    Pa. Court Will Reconsider Opinion In Probation Violation Case

    A Pennsylvania state appeals court has thrown out its ruling that a man on probation for a bar fight couldn't be found in violation of release conditions for harassing his attorney and judge without being criminally charged and will reconsider the case.

  • September 24, 2025

    DOJ Likely Crossed Line With Mangione Remarks, Judge Says

    Top officials at the U.S. Department of Justice are in hot water for linking alleged insurance CEO killer Luigi Mangione to left-wing terrorism and potentially violating his right to a fair trial, a New York federal judge said Wednesday as she threatened sanctions for future violations.

  • September 24, 2025

    Ga. Judge Rejects DQ Bid, Questions 'Quality' Of Lawyering

    A Georgia federal judge has said he harbors no bias against the four women suing comedian Katt Williams, but he has "concern about the quality of legal representation" they are receiving in light of an explanation given for a brief that contained erroneous case citations generated by artificial intelligence.

  • September 24, 2025

    Ex-Mass. Judge Fined For Giving Dad $450/Hour Role In Case

    A now-former Massachusetts Probate and Family Court justice will pay a $4,000 civil penalty for appointing his father to a $450 an hour special master role in a divorce case, the State Ethics Commission said.

  • September 24, 2025

    Dems Probing Skadden, Kirkland, Paul Weiss' Work For Trump

    Top Democratic legislators are investigating whether pro bono work reportedly being performed by Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP for the U.S. Department of Commerce is in violation of federal law, according to letters the lawmakers sent the firms Wednesday.

  • September 24, 2025

    Firm Sues For $1.7M Fees In Texas Mass Shooting Case

    A Texas law firm is stepping up its litigation efforts to recover $1.7 million in fees it claims it is owed for work performed on behalf of victims of a 2017 mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, namely by filing its third lawsuit in state court this month.

  • September 24, 2025

    Conn. Judges Add 'No-Tolerance' AI Warnings To New Dockets

    Federal judges in Connecticut have begun entering warnings on new case dockets notifying litigants and their counsel of a "no-tolerance policy" when it comes to briefs that include hallucinated arguments and citations, regardless of whether artificial intelligence was used.

  • September 23, 2025

    Attys Must Pay $24K For AI Citations In FIFA Antitrust Case

    Counsel representing the now-shuttered Puerto Rico Soccer League in its antitrust suit against FIFA must pay more than $24,000 in attorney fees and litigation costs to the soccer federation and other defendants for filing briefs that appeared to contain errors hallucinated by artificial intelligence, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

  • September 23, 2025

    Watchdog Calls For DC, Md. Bar Investigations Into Carr

    A government accountability watchdog brought a complaint against Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr to the D.C. Bar Association on Tuesday, claiming Carr violated conduct rules when he threatened to bring FCC action against ABC if it declined to discipline Jimmy Kimmel over his remarks following Charlie Kirk's murder.

  • September 23, 2025

    No Early Out For NY Firm In Insurer's Malpractice Coverage Suit

    A New York-based law firm cannot throw out an insurance company's lawsuit seeking to be let off the hook from covering the firm against a malpractice claim, a Philadelphia federal judge has found, determining that factual questions in the case meant early dismissal was not an option.

  • September 23, 2025

    Atty-Trustee Conflicts Doom Scaife Estate's $26M Tax Refund

    A Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky attorney was also acting as Mellon heir Richard Scaife's lawyer, trustee and media executive when he signed releases that kept Scaife's spending of his inheritance secret from his children, so a resulting $200 million settlement between the children and Scaife's estate was not a bona fide tax-exempt expense, a Pennsylvania appeals court ruled Tuesday.

  • September 23, 2025

    Conn. Atty Denies Blame For Title Co.'s $920K Refinancing Loss

    A Connecticut lawyer sought to fend off arguments in state court by Fidelity National Title Insurance Co. that his alleged mistakes on a $2.5 million refinancing led to a $920,000 loss for the insurer, claiming he and the company owed distinct duties to a policy-holder.

  • September 23, 2025

    Law Firms Sued Over La. Hurricane Claim Fee Scheme

    Two law firms and certain attorneys engaged in a scheme to "grossly and blatantly" inflate damages estimates for hurricane-related property insurance claims in order to "collect an exorbitant fee which they would all share," a group of seven Louisiana residents told a Louisiana federal court.

  • September 23, 2025

    Former NJ Workers' Comp Judge's Firing Suit Trimmed

    New Jersey has been granted partial summary judgment in its defense of a suit from a former workers' compensation judge who alleges that she was unconstitutionally removed from her job, with a state judge tossing her due process claims but letting certain discrimination claims proceed. 

  • September 23, 2025

    Ga. Atty Can't Block State Bar's Revived Bid To Toss Bias Suit

    A Georgia federal court has rejected an attorney's bid to stop the state bar's request to expand its motion to dismiss her racial discrimination lawsuit to include information about her disciplinary proceedings being resolved with no discipline.

  • September 23, 2025

    NJ Justices Won't Hear Challenge To State Bar Diversity Plan

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has allowed to stand an appellate decision approving a New Jersey State Bar Association system for fostering diversity in its leadership, which a state attorney accused of being a discriminatory quota system.

  • September 23, 2025

    Fla. Judge Denies NY Atty's Early Exit From Malpractice Suit

    A Miami federal judge has denied a New York lawyer an early win in a malpractice case stemming from advice she gave a client in an underlying SEC action, finding "reasonable minds" may disagree on whether the lawyer's actions breached the duty of care.

  • September 22, 2025

    Trump Appoints 'Loyal' Aide Following Va. US Atty's Exit

    One of President Donald Trump's White House aides and former personal attorneys Monday was sworn in as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, a day after the resignation of the office's previous Senate-approved top prosecutor, who had declined to bring charges against two of the president's foes.

Expert Analysis

  • DC Circ. Ruling Augurs More Scrutiny Of Blanket Gag Orders

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    The D.C. Circuit’s recent ruling in In re: Sealed Case, finding that an omnibus nondisclosure order was too sweeping, should serve as a wake-up call to prosecutors and provide a road map for private parties to push back on overbroad secrecy demands, says Gregory Rosen at Rogers Joseph.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Negotiation Skills

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    I took one negotiation course in law school, but most of the techniques I rely on today I learned in practice, where I've discovered that the process is less about tricks or tactics, and more about clarity, preparation and communication, says Grant Schrantz at Haug Barron.

  • Opinion

    Bar Exam Reform Must Expand Beyond A Single Updated Test

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    Recently released information about the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ new NextGen Uniform Bar Exam highlights why a single test is not ideal for measuring newly licensed lawyers’ competency, demonstrating the need for collaborative development, implementation and reform processes, says Gregory Bordelon at Suffolk University.

  • A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

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    As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

  • Series

    Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.

  • Supreme Court's Criminal Law Decisions: The Term In Review

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    Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s criminal law decisions in its recently concluded term proved underwhelming by many measures, their opinions revealed trends in how the justices approach criminal cases and offered reminders for practitioners, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • Opinion

    The Legal Education Status Quo Is No Longer Tenable

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    As underscored by the fallout from California’s February bar exam, legal education and licensure are tethered to outdated systems, and the industry must implement several key reforms to remain relevant and responsive to 21st century legal needs, says Matthew Nehmer at The Colleges of Law.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Relevance Redactions

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    In recent cases addressing redactions that parties sought to apply based on the relevance of information — as opposed to considerations of privilege — courts have generally limited a party’s ability to withhold nonresponsive or irrelevant material, providing a few lessons for discovery strategy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    Section 1983 Has Promise After End Of Nationwide Injunctions

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the practice of nationwide injunctions in Trump v. Casa, Section 1983 civil rights suits can provide a better pathway to hold the government accountable — but this will require reforms to qualified immunity, says Marc Levin at the Council on Criminal Justice.

  • Reel Justice: 'Oh, Hi!' Teaches Attys To Return To The Statute

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    The new dark comedy film “Oh, Hi!” — depicting a romantic vacation that turns into an inadvertent kidnapping — should remind criminal practitioners to always reread the statute to avoid assumptions, meet their ethical duties and finesse their trial strategy, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University School of Law.

  • Series

    Playing Soccer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Soccer has become a key contributor to how I approach my work, and the lessons I’ve learned on the pitch about leadership, adaptability, resilience and communication make me better at what I do every day in my legal career, says Whitney O’Byrne at MoFo.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Learning From Failure

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    While law school often focuses on the importance of precision, correctness and perfection, mistakes are inevitable in real-world practice — but failure is not the opposite of progress, and real talent comes from the ability to recover, rethink and reshape, says Brooke Pauley at Tucker Ellis.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From ATF Director To BigLaw

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    As a two-time boomerang partner, returning to BigLaw after stints as a U.S. attorney and the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, people ask me how I know when to move on, but there’s no single answer — just clearly set your priorities, says Steven Dettelbach at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.

  • Opinion

    Prosecutors' Duty To Justice Sometimes Demands Mea Culpa

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    Two recent cases — U.S. v. Lucas and U.S. v. Echavarria — demonstrate that prosecutors’ special ethical duty to seek justice can sometimes be in tension with other obligations and incentives, but it nonetheless requires them to concede their mistakes in the interests of justice, say Eastern District of Texas law clerk Ian Stephens and Texas A&M University law professor Jemila Lea.

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