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Legal Ethics
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June 03, 2025
Sanctions Bid Over Bribe Claims 'Short On Proof,' Judge Says
A Georgia federal magistrate rejected a sanctions bid from two former plastics plant workers who claimed that a company executive tried to bribe their attorney to drop their discrimination claims, writing that their motion was "long on allegations but short on proof."
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June 03, 2025
Indicted Judge Seeks Info On His 'Disgruntled' Ex-Workers
A Pennsylvania state judge accused of misusing COVID-19 unemployment relief money to pay his law firm's staff is seeking employment records from their other jobs to determine the credibility of who he calls "disgruntled employees" who made the claims about him to the government.
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June 03, 2025
Mich. High Court To Weigh Warrantless DNA Testing Legality
The Michigan Supreme Court will consider whether to take on an appeal from a man convicted of murder who says the police's warrantless testing of his clothes while he was jailed on unrelated warrants was unlawful.
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June 03, 2025
NJ Fights Investment Fund's Push To DQ Connell Foley
New Jersey told a federal judge Monday that he was correct in rejecting a Black-owned investment fund's bid to disqualify Connell Foley LLP from representing the state in its bias suit, saying there was no previous attorney-client relationship.
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June 03, 2025
Ex-Bank GC Can Easily Pay $2.5M Fraud Restitution, Feds Say
The former general counsel of Stamford-based Webster Bank has chipped away at a $7.4 million restitution order since being sentenced to four years in prison for a yearslong fraud scheme and is capable of paying back the full amount in a lump sum, prosecutors have told a Connecticut federal judge.
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June 03, 2025
'Frivolous' Defamation Suit From Diddy Security Guard Tossed
A New York federal judge has thrown out a defamation suit brought by the former head of security for Sean "Diddy" Combs against high-profile attorney Gloria Allred and her client in a sexual assault suit against Combs, finding several of the claims "frivolous."
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June 03, 2025
Conn. Judge Narrows McCarter's Defenses In $22M Loan Suit
A Connecticut state court trimmed McCarter & English LLP's defenses in a $22.3 million suit over its role crafting loans for recreational improvements in a Long Island, New York, town, saying the firm cannot pursue a comparative negligence defense but can proceed with its fraud argument.
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June 03, 2025
Butler Snow Calls Bogus AI Citations An 'Isolated Event'
Butler Snow LLP has told an Alabama federal court that fake citations in two of its filings in a prison abuse case that were the result of AI-generated "hallucinations" were an "isolated event," and it is revising policies and procedures to ensure such mistakes won't happen again.
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June 03, 2025
Estate, Lawyer And Law Firm Clash Over Malpractice Liability
Wachtel Missry LLP and a former client's estate are once again at odds in Brooklyn federal court after a judge found a September jury verdict unclear on liability in the case of a former law firm partner's alleged abuse of an elderly client, with all three parties arguing over the scope of a new trial.
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June 03, 2025
Tom Girardi Sentenced To Over 7 Years For $15M Client Fraud
A California federal judge sentenced Tom Girardi on Tuesday to over seven years in prison for his wire fraud conviction, granting some leniency to the disbarred attorney on his 86th birthday by imposing a sentence below the guidelines in recognition of his age and ailing health.Â
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June 03, 2025
The Law360 400: A Look At The Top 100 Firms
A rebound in client work sent the nation’s largest law firms into growth mode last year, driving a wave of hiring, mergers and strategic moves that reshaped the top tier of the Law360 400. Here's a preview of the 100 firms with the largest U.S. attorney headcounts.
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June 03, 2025
Text To Sanctions Trial Witness Just An 'Error,' Judge Agrees
A Manhattan federal judge declined on Tuesday to revoke bail for a businessman accused of helping a Russian banker evade sanctions on assets worth nearly $150 million, after his lawyer said his text to a trial witness was merely a phone flub.
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June 02, 2025
Jenner & Block Ruling 'Meant What It Said,' Judge Tells Feds
The order striking down the Trump administration's executive order targeting Jenner & Block LLP "meant what it said," a Washington, D.C., federal judge ruled Monday, saying the government must rescind enforcement of all parts of the president's directive.
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June 02, 2025
Fla. Sanitizer Co. Faces Penalties Over Fake AI Legal Citations
Two Florida federal judges have ordered a disinfectant sprayer business to explain why artificial intelligence-generated fake citations and quotes appeared in filings in lawsuits over corporate wrongdoing from a Canadian breach of contract case, saying it could face serious penalties for alleged intentional misrepresentations.
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June 02, 2025
Ga. Panel Urged To Back $17M Honda Seatbelt Verdict
A Georgia man whose wife was killed after being ejected from her Honda SUV asked a Georgia appellate panel Monday to uphold a $17 million verdict against the automaker, urging the court to reject Honda's arguments that it was wrongly denied the chance to defend itself after its attorneys introduced prohibited materials at the trial's opening.
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June 02, 2025
Girardi's Dropped Pants Don't Sway Judge From Sentencing
A California federal judge ruled Monday she will sentence Tom Girardi this week for his wire fraud conviction, finding him mentally competent enough to potentially serve prison time following a bizarre hearing where the disbarred attorney made an appearance on the witness stand that culminated in his pants falling down.
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June 02, 2025
Judge Finds Exec Sought To Dodge Chicago Hotel Fraud Order
A construction company and executive found by a jury in 2022 of misusing millions intended for Chicago's Nobu Hotel are facing contempt orders from an Illinois federal judge for concealing cash withdrawals and construction work as an investor attempts to collect a $22 million judgment.
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June 02, 2025
Jackson Walker, US Trustee Agree To Mediator In Fees Case
Jackson Walker LLP and the federal government's bankruptcy watchdog have agreed to mediation in their fee dispute stemming from an ethics scandal in Texas, with the two sides agreeing that retired judge Joan N. Feeney should mediate.
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June 02, 2025
Third Round Of Fixes Sought In Botched Calif. Bar Exam
The California state bar's committee of bar examiners has approved two additional remedies in an effort to help applicants who failed the troubled February exam, including asking the state Supreme Court to approve a further scoring adjustment that would bring the passing rate up to about 63%.
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June 02, 2025
Feds Want 12½ Years For Ex-Ill. Speaker Convicted Of Bribery
Prosecutors are urging an Illinois federal judge to sentence former state House Speaker Michael Madigan to prison for 12½ years for bribery, conspiracy and fraud, saying his conduct adds "another sordid chapter to Illinois' storied reputation of corruption" while Madigan, armed with more than 200 letters of support, seeks only probation.
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June 02, 2025
Ga. Appeals Court To Review Arbitration Of Firm Fee Fight
The Georgia state court of appeals on Monday agreed to consider whether a law firm's lawsuit against its former client over legal fees should move forward in the trial court that ordered the case to arbitration, with both sides accusing the other of "gamesmanship."
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June 02, 2025
Judicial Clerk Boycott May Be Unethical, Circ. Judge Says
A North Dakota federal judge's pledge not to hire law clerks from Columbia University because of the school's response to campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza may "cross an important line," the Eighth Circuit's chief judge said, even as he dismissed an ethics complaint stemming from the boycott.
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June 02, 2025
Retired Judges Call Wis. Judge's Prosecution 'Dangerous'
The Trump administration's prosecution of a Wisconsin state judge who refused to help federal agents arrest an immigrant is an "extraordinary and direct assault on the independence of the entire judicial system," according to a bipartisan group of 138 former state and federal judges.
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June 02, 2025
J&J Again Seeks To Block Beasley Allen In NJ Talc Litigation
Johnson & Johnson has opposed a New Jersey talc claimant's motion for the pro hac vice admission of two attorneys from The Beasley Allen Law Firm, claiming the partners' conduct in its talc unit's bankruptcy proceedings warrants denial of the application.
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June 02, 2025
Womble Bond Atty Asks 4th Circ. To Undo Contempt Order
A series of federal court errors led to a Womble Bond Dickinson partner being wrongly held in contempt over a $28 million trademark dispute between a Dutch technology company and its former U.S. partner, the lawyer told the Fourth Circuit in a brief Friday, urging the appeals panel to reverse the order.
Expert Analysis
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An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025
As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
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Series
Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer
From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
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Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team
In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.
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The Implications Of 2024's AI Rules And Regs For Patent Attys
Christina Huang, John Smith and Devin Stein at Faegre Drinker review this year's new rules and regulations on the development and use of artificial intelligence — from the Biden administration, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the American Bar Association and various states — as they apply to patent attorneys.
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When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US
As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.
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What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025
The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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Series
Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.
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How White Collar Defense Attys Can Use Summary Witnesses
Few criminal defense attorneys have successfully utilized summary witnesses in the past, but several recent success stories show that it can be a worthwhile trial tactic to help juries understand the complex decision-making at issue, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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Opinion
6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School
Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.
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Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware
Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Top 10 Legal Malpractice Defenses As Claims Tick Up
As legal malpractice claims and payouts increase, law firms should remember certain time-tested defenses, such as asserting no duty to nonclients, omissions beyond the scope of engagement or lack of proximate cause, say attorneys at Goulston & Storrs.
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Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out
In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Immigration Atty Tips For Avoiding Prosecution Under Trump
Under the incoming Trump administration, immigration attorneys may need to protect themselves from prosecution when advising clients who may not qualify for relief sought by choosing their words carefully and keeping other key factors in mind, says Michele Carney at Carney & Marchi.
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The Malpractice Perils Of Elder Abuse Liability
Recent cases show that the circumstances under which an attorney may be sued for financial elder abuse remain unsettled, but practitioners can avoid these malpractice claims altogether by taking proactive steps, like documenting the process of evaluating a client's directives under appropriate standards, says Edward Donohue at Hinshaw & Culbertson.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity
Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.