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Legal Ethics

  • July 14, 2025

    Ga. Judge Calls Atty 'Unworthy Of Belief' As Ethics Case Ends

    A Georgia superior court judge facing ethics charges on Monday urged the state's judicial watchdog to either privately reprimand or suspend her for no more than 30 days if it decides punishment is needed in the case brought against her by the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission. 

  • July 14, 2025

    San Francisco DA: 'Tough On Crime' Can Also Be Thoughtful

    In 2022, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins took charge of an office in turmoil after leading a successful recall effort against her predecessor, whom she criticized as too soft on crime. Now, Jenkins is under harsh public scrutiny as she works to shift the office's priorities. In this audio interview with the new Criminal Practice Law360, she discusses some of the challenges — and opportunities — of one of the highest-profile and most politicized prosecutors' offices in the nation.

  • July 14, 2025

    CFTC Must Pay $3M In Atty Fees As Sanctions In Forex Case

    A New Jersey federal judge ordered the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday to pay back over $3.1 million in attorney fees to a foreign exchange company after dismissing the regulator's case for bad-faith sanctionable behavior.

  • July 14, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Reexamine Sentence Of Convicted Fla. Atty

    The Eleventh Circuit has rejected a Florida lawyer's request to reconsider her 75-month prison sentence for a COVID-19 loan fraud scheme.

  • July 14, 2025

    End Of NJ Municipal Court Official's Harassment Suit Upheld

    A former New Jersey municipal court administrator cannot sue the state Administrative Office of the Courts in a sexual harassment case because she was never an employee of the office, the state Appellate Division said Monday in a published opinion.

  • July 14, 2025

    UAE Prisoner Voluntarily Drops Suit Against Ex-Dechert GC

    A Jordanian lawyer imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates has permanently dropped a Philadelphia civil suit seeking discovery against Dechert LLP's former general counsel in the U.S. over what the law firm's leadership knew of alleged human rights abuses committed by a former partner.

  • July 14, 2025

    Firing Of DOJ Ethics Chief Draws Watchdog Groups' Concerns

    Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired the attorney responsible for advising the U.S. Department of Justice's top officials on matters of ethics, according to a Monday social media post by that ethics lawyer.

  • July 11, 2025

    Adams Loses Suit Seeking Reelection Campaign Match Funds

    A Brooklyn federal judge Friday backed the New York City Campaign Finance Board's decision to deny Mayor Eric Adams $3.5 million in reelection campaign matching funds, saying the board didn't deny the funds solely due to now-tossed corruption charges against the mayor.

  • July 11, 2025

    4th Circ. Tosses Ex-Baltimore Prosecutor's Fraud Conviction

    A split Fourth Circuit on Friday tossed the mortgage fraud conviction of former Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, finding that the jury was improperly instructed on where the crime occurred, but upheld her perjury conviction.

  • July 11, 2025

    Ill. Judge Wants Limited Ethics Claim Info In Aid-Fixing Suit

    An Illinois federal judge weighing ethical fee concerns in an aid-fixing suit against several elite universities said Friday that the class attorney who raised the issue should outline his dispute in a sealed filing before the court decides whether discovery should be taken over it.

  • July 11, 2025

    3rd Circ. Revives Benicar MDL Fees Suit Against NJ Law Firm

    The Third Circuit on Friday revived a proposed class action against Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman LLC attorneys that claims they took excessive fees from plaintiffs' settlements in multidistrict litigation over the blood pressure drug Benicar, remanding the dispute for the district court to determine whether it has jurisdiction over the case.

  • July 11, 2025

    NJ Libel Suit Against 'Legal Edutainer' Tossed For Good

    A New Jersey federal judge on Friday tossed for good claims that a self-proclaimed online "legal edutainer" defamed the founder of a company that aims to help celebrities in mental health crises, finding that the complaint failed to remedy earlier complaints' pleading defects.

  • July 11, 2025

    7th Circ. Affirms End To Vandalism Dispute Over Key Records

    The Seventh Circuit upheld discovery sanctions against an Indianapolis hotel owner after an Indiana federal court found it repeatedly failed to hand over records relating to whether the property was deemed "vacant" per the terms of its property insurance policy with a Liberty Mutual unit.

  • July 11, 2025

    Ramey IP Atty Sanctioned But Beats Netflix's Contempt Bid

    A California federal judge sanctioned a prolific patent plaintiff's former counsel William Ramey and the Ramey LLP law firm for sharing Netflix's confidential information with a third party while pursuing patent infringement claims against Netflix, but he declined to review whether Ramey should be held in civil contempt.

  • July 11, 2025

    Feds Flag Possible Atty Conflict In Cuellar Bribery Case

    Federal prosecutors on Friday asked for a hearing in the bribery case of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas to determine if one of his lawyers should bow out because he previously represented a witness whom he helped set up a consulting firm allegedly used to funnel money to the congressman.

  • July 11, 2025

    Bove Faults 'Heavy-Handed' Jan. 6 Cases

    Third Circuit nominee Emil Bove, who is currently serving in the U.S. Department of Justice, in his post-hearing questionnaire obtained by Law360 on Friday, drew what he says is a distinction between condemning violence against law enforcement officers and over-prosecution of Jan. 6 rioters.

  • July 11, 2025

    Pa. Panel Won't Give Town Official Immunity For Atty Insult

    A Pennsylvania township commissioner isn't entitled to immunity for remarks he made at a meeting about an attorney and her opposition to a neighbor's use of his property, since he was not speaking at his own meeting or addressing a matter of public importance, a state appellate panel has ruled

  • July 11, 2025

    NJ Atty's Bias Suit Against McCarter & English Gets Trimmed

    A New Jersey state judge has largely narrowed the scope of a former McCarter & English LLP attorney's anti-veteran discrimination and whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against the firm, but allowed certain claims under a federal veterans rights law to proceed.

  • July 11, 2025

    Ex-Judge Pushes Back Against NJ's Stance On Her Conduct

    A former workers' compensation judge has pushed back in her suit over her removal after the state of New Jersey said her conduct around discovery raises safety concerns of individuals she has targeted, telling a state court it's New Jersey that has engaged in harassing conduct.

  • July 11, 2025

    Litigation Funder Can't Escape Crash Loans Suit, Court Told

    A married couple suing a litigation funding firm and multiple law firms, alleging they steered the couple into high-interest loans, told a New Jersey state court that they adequately pled fraud and urged the court not to dismiss their case against the funder.

  • July 11, 2025

    Calif. Panel Says Arbitration Provider Immune From Fraud Suit

    An arbitration provider is immune from a logistics company's suit accusing it of not properly vetting its arbitrators, including one who oversaw a wage and hour suit against the company, a California appeals panel ruled, affirming a lower court's decision to nix the case.

  • July 11, 2025

    Claims Stack Up Against Texas Judges Accused Of Tampering

    A Texas judge embroiled in a scandal involving allegations of witness tampering has been suspended without pay following a federal indictment alleging she pressured a subordinate to withhold testimony in a separate proceeding against a local justice of the peace.

  • July 11, 2025

    'Sketchy' Details Of Doc's Death Leave Fraud Case In Limbo

    A Manhattan federal judge said Friday that he would consider dismissing charges against a New York City doctor accused of facilitating a $70 million insurance fraud if his death is confirmed, but cited ongoing questions over his purported demise in a boating accident. 

  • July 11, 2025

    11th Circ. Revives Black Worker's Promotion Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit revived a Black worker's suit alleging a Georgia county wouldn't promote her to a more senior tax appraisal position out of racial discrimination, ruling that a jury needs to determine whether she was held to higher standards of qualifications than her non-Black peers.

  • July 10, 2025

    Russian Banker Inks Sanctions DPA After FBI Botches Warrant

    The founder of Bank Otkritie on Thursday secured a deferred prosecution agreement with Manhattan federal prosecutors to resolve allegations of assisting the head of Russian state-backed lender VTB Bank in evading U.S. sanctions, just a month after a swath of email evidence was thrown out over a botched FBI search warrant.

Expert Analysis

  • The Malpractice Perils Of Elder Abuse Liability

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    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.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity

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    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.

  • Plugging Gov't Leaks Is Challenging, But Not A Pipe Dream

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    As shown by ongoing legal battles involving New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Sean “Diddy” Combs, it’s challenging for defendants to obtain relief when they believe the government leaked sensitive information to the media, but defense counsel can take certain steps to mitigate the harm, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Rank-And-File DOJ Attorneys Will Keep Calm And Carry On

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    Career prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice often pride themselves on their ability to remain apolitical in order to ensure consistency and keep the department’s mission afloat, and the incoming Trump administration is unlikely to upend this tradition, says Michael Landman at Bird Marella.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • What Lawyers Can Learn From High School AI Suit

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    A pending Massachusetts lawsuit regarding artificial intelligence use in an academic setting underscores the need for attorneys to educate themselves on AI technology and tools that affect their clients so they can advise on establishing clear expectations and limits around the permissible use of AI, say attorneys at Hinckley Allen.

  • Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks

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    A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Mitigating Defamation Liability Risks Of AI-Generated Content

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    Until Congress and the courts provide clear guidance about defamation liability stemming from generative artificial intelligence tools, companies should begin building controls to prevent the creation of defamatory content, says Michael Gerrity at Accenture.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records

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    Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    Why States Should Adopt ABA's 'Duty To Inquire'

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    State bars should codify the American Bar Association's proposed rule on a lawyer's duty to scrutinize each representation as it provides guardrails for lawyers, supports self-regulation of the profession, and helps avert money laundering and other crimes, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

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