ĂŰĚŇĘÓƵ

Legal Ethics

  • May 15, 2025

    11th Circ. Upholds Fla. Atty's COVID Relief Fraud Conviction

    The Eleventh Circuit upheld the 75-month sentence given to a Florida lawyer for a COVID-19 loan fraud scheme, finding that the lower court did not err by admitting a co-conspirator's testimony about a threat the attorney allegedly made.

  • May 15, 2025

    Judge Recuses After Atty's Conviction Partially Overturned

    The Boston federal judge who oversaw the trial of an attorney charged with bribing a Massachusetts police chief to secure a local marijuana license recused himself from the case Thursday, after the First Circuit vacated most of the convictions and ordered the lawyer to be resentenced on the remaining guilty finding.

  • May 15, 2025

    Penalty Challenge In $14M Estate Tax Case Heads To Trial

    A woman who failed to file a tax return for her brother's nearly $14 million estate can move forward with a suit challenging the ensuing IRS penalties, a Rhode Island federal judge ruled, saying a jury might excuse the mistake by finding she relied on flawed legal advice.

  • May 15, 2025

    Ex-LA DA's Atty's AI Use 'Affirmatively Misled' Special Master

    The retired California federal judge serving as special master for former Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey's insurance coverage suit — stemming from her husband's holding a gun in their home's doorway in 2020 — has ordered litigation sanctions against Lacey's legal team, finding the lawyers submitted "bogus AI-generated research" that initially tricked the judge.

  • May 15, 2025

    Lima Accuses Foley Hoag Of Conflict In $200M Award Case

    The Peruvian city of Lima has urged a D.C. federal court to vacate its confirmation of about $200 million in arbitral awards favoring a highway contractor, saying the municipality's former counsel at Foley Hoag LLP concealed a conflict of interest.

  • May 14, 2025

    MyPillow CEO Can't Delay Defamation Trial Over Atty AI Errors

    A Colorado federal judge denied MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's request to continue a defamation jury trial set for early June, finding her threat of discipline and media attention over mistakes stemming from defense counsel's use of artificial intelligence in drafting briefs don't warrant delaying trial in the lawsuit.

  • May 14, 2025

    Girardi's Son-In-Law Should Face Ill. Theft Case, Feds Say

    Disbarred attorney Tom Girardi's son-in-law should be ordered to face Chicago charges that he helped the once-celebrated plaintiffs' lawyer steal client money because he "blew through" the deadline for dismissal motions and supported them with arguments that lack merit, federal prosecutors argued Wednesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    Texas Appeals Court Asks If It Can Flip Arbitration Order

    A Texas appeals court questioned Wednesday whether it can flip an order compelling several whistleblowers at the center of a $14 million settlement with JPMorgan Chase Bank NA into arbitration, saying it may not have jurisdiction.

  • May 14, 2025

    Feds Say Ex-BigLaw Atty Must Start Prison In OneCoin Case

    Prosecutors asked a Manhattan federal judge on Wednesday to set a date for a former Locke Lord LLP partner to begin serving his 10-year prison sentence after he was convicted of helping to launder about $400 million in proceeds of the OneCoin cryptocurrency scheme.

  • May 14, 2025

    Judge Rejects DQ Of Smith Gambrell In Defamation Suit

    A New York federal judge denied a former Major Lindsey & Africa recruiter's bid to disqualify Smith Gambrell from representing Major Lindsey in the employee's $75 million federal defamation suit, saying the request wasn't ripe for consideration yet.

  • May 14, 2025

    Pa. Justices Seem OK With Transit Crimes Special Prosecutor

    Elements of Pennsylvania's Constitution seem to support the Legislature's ability to single out Philadelphia and its district attorney, Larry Krasner, for special treatment in a law establishing a "special prosecutor" for crimes committed within its regional transit agency, several state Supreme Court justices suggested during arguments on Krasner's challenge to the law Wednesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    Wis. Judge Seeks To Nix Charges Of Blocking ICE Arrest

    The Wisconsin state judge arrested for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest moved to dismiss the "unprecedented" federal criminal case against her on Wednesday, claiming it blatantly violates the separation of powers principles at the heart of the U.S. Constitution.

  • May 14, 2025

    ExxonMobil Accuses Texas Atty Of Double Repping Company

    Exxon Mobil and XTO Energy have accused a Texas attorney of taking their trade secrets connected to mineral interests and using them to benefit another energy company he is also representing.

  • May 14, 2025

    'Plaintiffs Are Wrong' In New Recusal Bid, Ga. Judge Says

    A Georgia federal judge doubled down Wednesday on his refusal to recuse himself from a defamation case in which the plaintiff's counsel claimed he called their client a "fraud," writing that the "plaintiffs are wrong" that he misstated facts about a related case.

  • May 14, 2025

    Judge Who Defended Remarks As 'Dad Jokes' Is Suspended

    The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday suspended a state judge pending disposition of allegations that he made inappropriate jokes and comments while overseeing a criminal docket that he claimed were mostly inoffensive "dad jokes."

  • May 14, 2025

    Ex-Paralegal's Bias Claims Still Thin, Pennsylvania Firm Says

    A former Zator Law LLC's paralegal's amended complaint claiming that the firm fired her on the basis of her panic disorder condition lacks specific details about her disability that would support her discrimination and retaliation claims, according to a motion to dismiss recently filed by Zator Law.

  • May 14, 2025

    DC Judge Restores Canceled ABA Domestic Violence Grants

    A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday reinstated terminated federal grant funding for the American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence, finding that "the First Amendment prohibits the type of reprisal DOJ appears likely to have taken."

  • May 14, 2025

    NJ Firm Blume Forte Seeks To Arbitrate Disability Bias Claims

    New Jersey personal injury firm Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari PC is seeking to force the arbitration of claims from a former staffer regarding her dismissal after being hospitalized for a seizure.

  • May 14, 2025

    Judiciary To Share Pros, Cons Of AI For Courts With Congress

    The federal judiciary is looking at the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence for the court system and will share its discoveries with Congress, top officials testified on Wednesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    Judge Beats Ex-Law Student's Suit At 11th Circ.

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday largely upheld the dismissal of a suit from a former law student and federal prosecutors' intern accusing a Florida federal judge and government attorneys of ruining his job prospects, finding that the judge has immunity while the lawyers' acts were mostly part of their jobs.

  • May 14, 2025

    DOJ Says No Hiring Private Counsel From Firms Suing US

    Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has issued a memo directing the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid engaging with firms that are suing the government over its policies or that represent clients in similar suits.

  • May 13, 2025

    Wis. Grand Jury Indicts Judge Accused Of Blocking ICE Arrest

    A Wisconsin federal grand jury on Tuesday returned a two-count indictment against the state judge arrested for allegedly helping an unauthorized immigrant evade arrest by federal immigration officers.

  • May 13, 2025

    Pot Payment Co. Wants Court To Enforce $1.3M Deal

    A Boulder, Colorado, fintech company said its former business associates in a failed joint venture to create a cannabis payment system cannot be trusted to pay the $1.3 million settlement meant to end all claims of fraud, urging a Nevada federal court to step in and force them to follow through.

  • May 13, 2025

    SEC Says Ex-Pot Co. CFO Can't Cite Atty Advice As Shield

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told a New York federal judge that a former executive of cannabis company Acreage Holdings Inc. accused of falsifying the company's financials cannot allege he was relying on advice from attorneys without forgoing the attorney-client privilege that would shield those communications.

  • May 13, 2025

    Boeing Slams Defunct Airline's Sanctions Bid In 737 Max Spat

    Boeing has fired back at defunct airline Comair's bid to get the major American aerospace company sanctioned for deleting evidence of a side letter that purportedly assured Comair that its deposit for the purchase of 737 Max jets was refundable, telling a Washington federal court that no such assurances were made in the nonexistent letter.

Expert Analysis

  • Perspectives

    Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys

    Author Photo

    As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.

  • Opinion

    NY Should Pass Litigation Funding Bill To Protect Plaintiffs

    Author Photo

    New York state should embrace the regulatory framework proposed in the Consumer Litigation Funding Act, which would suppress the unregulated predatory lenders that currently prey on vulnerable litigants but preserve a funding option that helps personal injury plaintiffs stand up to deep-pocketed corporate defendants, says Alan Ripka at Alan Ripka & Associates.

  • Series

    Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

    Author Photo

    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • High Court Injunction Case Could Shake Up Fee-Shifting Rules

    Author Photo

    In agreeing to review a Virginia case rendered statutorily moot before final judgment, the U.S. Supreme Court could finally settle the question of if — and when — a preliminary injunction can win attorney fees for a prevailing party, but all possible answers could disrupt fee-shifting schemes written into major laws, says Laurens Wilkes at Winston & Strawn.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

    Author Photo

    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

    Author Photo

    A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

  • Trump Hush Money Case Offers Master Class In Trial Strategy

    Author Photo

    The New York criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump typifies some of the greatest challenges that lawyers face in crafting persuasive presentations, providing lessons on how to handle bad facts, craft a simple story that withstands attack, and cross-examine with that story in mind, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Series

    Teaching Yoga Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Being a yoga instructor has helped me develop my confidence and authenticity, as well as stress management and people skills — all of which have crossed over into my career as an attorney, says Laura Gongaware at Clyde & Co.

  • A Vision For Economic Clerkships In The Legal System

    Author Photo

    As courts handle increasingly complex damages analyses involving vast amounts of data, an economic clerkship program — integrating early-career economists into the judicial system — could improve legal outcomes and provide essential training to clerks, say Mona Birjandi at Data for Decisions and Matt Farber at Secretariat.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data

    Author Photo

    Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • 'Fat Leonard' Case Shows High Bar For Rescinding Guilty Plea

    Author Photo

    Prosecutors’ recent move in the “Fat Leonard” bribery case, supporting several defendants’ motions to withdraw their guilty pleas, is extremely unusual – and its contrast with other prosecutions demonstrates that the procedural safeguards at plea hearings are far from enough, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.

  • Series

    Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.

  • As Arbitrator Bias Claims Rise, Disclosure Standards Evolve

    Author Photo

    The growth in post-award challenges based on arbitrators' alleged conflicts of interest has led to the release of new guidance and new case law on the topic — both supporting the view that professional familiarity alone does not translate to a lack of impartiality, say attorneys at Skadden.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Legal Ethics archive.