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Legal Ethics
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May 15, 2025
Conn. Atty Convicted In Shooting Agrees To Suspension
A longtime Cramer & Anderson LLP partner who was found guilty of manslaughter for shooting and killing a man who attacked the attorney in his Litchfield, Connecticut, law firm's parking lot has agreed to an interim law license suspension, according to a proposed order noting he has no current clients and no lawyer trust account.
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May 15, 2025
Trump Could Claw Back Defense Fees Under New Ga. Law
Georgia taxpayers could end up on the hook for President Donald Trump's legal expenses in his election interference case under a newly signed, Republican-backed state law that allows defendants to seek attorney fees when prosecutors are disqualified from their case.
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May 15, 2025
Memphis Seeks Atty Sanctions In Tyre Nichols Beating Case
The city of Memphis, Tennessee, has asked a judge to impose sanctions on high-profile civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, arguing that they issued a press release that falsely said a lawsuit over the police beating death of Tyre Nichols could not bankrupt the Memphis government.
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May 15, 2025
Judicial Aide's NY Sex Abuse Suit May Survive, Panel Hints
A New York state appellate panel has voiced doubts that a former judicial secretary's sex abuse lawsuit should have been dismissed, challenging the state court system's arguments that it didn't employ her and thus can't be held liable for any harms she suffered.
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May 15, 2025
Feds' Memo In Filing Mishap Is Privileged, NY Judge Says
A New York federal judge has determined that the federal government's mistakenly filed memo in litigation over Manhattan's congestion pricing program is privileged and cannot be cited in the parties' arguments, but the memo won't be sealed because it's already been widely reported on.
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May 15, 2025
Fla. Atty Suspended For 2 Years For Fracturing Wife's Nose
Florida's highest court on Thursday suspended the law license of an Orlando-based attorney over fracturing his wife's nose for two years, rejecting a recommendation of only 90 days after finding that his conduct "reflects adversely on his continued fitness to practice" in the legal profession.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
Expert Analysis
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Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence
As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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Perspectives
Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys
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.
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Opinion
NY Should Pass Litigation Funding Bill To Protect Plaintiffs
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.
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Series
Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case
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.