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Legal Ethics

  • July 22, 2025

    Judge Nixes 'Ghost' Lawyer's Suit Against Ex-Employee, Atty

    A Florida judge has tossed a lawsuit that an attorney accused of ghosting and defrauding his clients brought against his former paralegal and a legal malpractice lawyer alleging they conspired to steal his clients and trash his reputation.

  • July 22, 2025

    Amazon Pushes Back On FTC's Trial Time Extension Bid

    Amazon has urged a Washington federal court to reject the Federal Trade Commission's bid to extend the agency's trial time in a lawsuit over automatically recurring Prime subscriptions, calling the proposal both unfair and baseless.

  • July 22, 2025

    Ga. Justices Hand Atty Six-Month Suspension Over Lapse

    A longtime Georgia attorney who warned that "'heads' would 'roll'" over a client's allegedly unpaid bill of $2,701 was given a six-month suspension that can only be lifted upon a behavioral health professional's evaluation, after the Georgia Supreme Court found he failed to provide his client with a timely financial accounting.

  • July 22, 2025

    Ethics Appeal Over Columbia Letter Nixed As Judge Joins USDA

    In its first decision of 2025, the Judicial Conference's conduct committee on Tuesday dismissed a challenge to the Seventh Circuit Judicial Council's decision to toss ethics claims against a U.S. Court of International Trade judge who threatened not to hire law clerks from Columbia University over the school's handling of Israel protests.

  • July 22, 2025

    Ex-J&J Atty Slams Bid To Dismiss Her Bias, Retaliation Suit

    A former Johnson & Johnson data privacy lawyer is urging a New Jersey federal court to keep alive her racial bias suit, arguing the pharmaceutical giant's dismissal bid is based on flawed legal arguments.

  • July 22, 2025

    Ch. 11 Judge Escapes Energy Drink Co. Founder's Bias Suit

    A Florida bankruptcy judge was freed Tuesday from a suit alleging he was biased while presiding over the Chapter 11 case of the company behind Bang energy drinks. 

  • July 22, 2025

    YSL Defense Atty Indicted On Tip-Off, Drug Smuggling Counts

    A Georgia attorney part of the defense team in the long-running Young Slime Life racketeering case was indicted on charges that she helped smuggle drugs to her jailed client, and in another case, told a shooting suspect to ditch his cellphone before he was picked up by police.

  • July 22, 2025

    Fiat Chrysler Denies Misleading Court Over Settlement Delays

    Fiat Chrysler told a Michigan federal judge on Monday that changes to management and internal procedures are in part to blame for the continued delay in submitting documents to finalize a deal resolving allegations that the automaker sold vehicles with engines prone to catching fire, urging the court not to sanction the company.

  • July 22, 2025

    NJ Judges End Habba's Tenure, Bondi Removes Replacement

    The New Jersey federal district court brought Alina Habba's run as interim U.S. attorney to an end Tuesday by not extending her tenure in the temporary role past 120 days.

  • July 21, 2025

    Md. Judges Slam 'Unprecedented' Suit Over Habeas Orders

    Maryland federal judges on Monday pressed a Virginia federal judge to throw out the Trump administration's "unprecedented" suit challenging their standing order that temporarily blocks deportation of detained noncitizens who file habeas petitions, warning that if the suit succeeds, "it will not be the last."

  • July 21, 2025

    SEC Lifts FINRA Ban For Atty Accused Of Cheating On Exam

    A divided U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has lifted an industry ban placed on a former SEC enforcement attorney who was deemed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to have cheated on a securities exam, finding there was no conclusive evidence of cheating.

  • July 21, 2025

    Fla. Atty Urges Toss Of Sean Combs' $50M Defamation Suit

    A Miami attorney urged a New York federal judge to toss Sean "Diddy" Combs' $50 million defamation suit alleging she perpetuated false claims of him sexually assaulting inebriated celebrities and minors on recorded video, saying the complaint fails to state a claim or back up accusations with facts. 

  • July 21, 2025

    Fla. Judge Pick Probed On Trump Case, Nomination Timing

    A judicial nominee for the Southern District of Florida has fielded more questions from Democrats who have suggested that he ruled in favor of President Donald Trump and repeated the president's "partisan talking points" while simultaneously being vetted for a federal judgeship.

  • July 21, 2025

    Pay Bias Judge Guts $2.8M Fee Request, Citing Errors At Trial

    A Pennsylvania federal judge sliced an attorney's requested $2.8 million fee award for a pay-discrimination case against a school district Monday, blaming the plaintiff's counsel for errors during the two trials it took to reach a verdict.

  • July 21, 2025

    Colo. Ex-Judge Sanctioned For Using Position To Help Ex-Client

    The Colorado Commission of Judicial Discipline issued sanctions on Friday against a state judge who misused his position to benefit a former client he had an intimate relationship with.

  • July 21, 2025

    Calif. Court Orders Drug Deal Retrial Over Mistaken Admission

    A California state appeals court on Monday demanded a new trial on drug dealing charges for a man who admitted to possessing cocaine while on probation, finding a trial court judge had erroneously admitted botched testimony the man gave in a probation hearing.

  • July 21, 2025

    CWA Unit Decries Use Of Its Funds As 'Personal Piggy Bank'

    A CWA local representing New York City Police Department traffic enforcement agents demanded $1 million in damages in a federal suit aiming to block its placement in a trusteeship, with the affiliate claiming a temporary administrator from the parent union used the local's funds as a "personal piggy bank."

  • July 21, 2025

    Tax-Lien Biz Atty Tells Jury He Didn't Seek To Dupe Lender

    Counsel for a former compliance lawyer accused of pilfering from a $20 million line of credit extended to his tax-lien investment firm told a Manhattan federal jury Monday that the defendant was "sloppy," but never intended fraud.

  • July 21, 2025

    DC Circ. Strikes Down Gag Order On X Corp. Subpoenas

    A D.C. Circuit panel has struck down a lower court's sweeping order blocking X Corp. from informing users about government data requests, with the appeals court finding the district court failed to identify specific harm that would come from keeping users in the loop.

  • July 21, 2025

    Reed Smith's Doc Block Motion 'Hyperbolic,' 2nd Circ. Told

    Reed Smith LLP cannot block the new owners of reorganized Greece-based international shipping company Eletson from viewing files already in its possession, the company has told the Second Circuit, arguing the law firm's emergency motion to stop the new owners from accessing the files was intentionally timed to head off anticipated district court rulings.

  • July 21, 2025

    NY Judge Wants Atty To Explain Bogus AI Citations

    A federal judge wants a New York attorney to explain himself after he potentially used artificial intelligence to write his response to an order she issued concerning his use of AI to write an earlier brief that cited nonexistent cases.

  • July 21, 2025

    Robinson & Cole Ducks Recruiter's Contract Breach Suit

    A Connecticut federal judge has granted summary judgment to Robinson & Cole LLP in a legal recruiter's contract breach suit, determining that under its terms with the recruiter, none of the information disclosed to a second company violated the original agreement between the two sides. 

  • July 21, 2025

    Ex-Eckert Seamans Atty Drops Pa. License Over Cash Scheme

    A onetime Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC attorney who allegedly asked clients for direct payments to circumvent the firm has surrendered his Pennsylvania law license, but is now alleging state disciplinary authorities violated a deal to keep the records private if he agreed to the disbarment.

  • July 21, 2025

    NJ US Atty Accused Of Ethics Violations Amid Possible Exit

    A group of ethics experts and former presidential advisors requested an ethics investigation into interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba on Monday, as she reportedly approaches the end of her run as the top federal prosecutor in the Garden State.

  • July 21, 2025

    Trump DOJ To Appeal Axing Of Order Targeting Jenner & Block

    The U.S. Department of Justice plans to fight a federal judge's ruling that struck down President Donald Trump's executive order targeting Jenner & Block LLP, as it filed a notice of appeal Monday in D.C. federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • 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.

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