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Legal Ethics
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October 03, 2025
Ga. Judge 'Cannot Be Trusted,' Must Leave Bench, Panel Says
The Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission is recommending that a judge who gave dishonest testimony regarding wide-ranging allegations of misconduct, including the illegal arrest and false imprisonment of a witness, should be kicked off the bench, saying that a judge who "cannot be trusted to tell the truth cannot be trusted to remain in office."
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October 03, 2025
Newman Opposes Fed. Circ.'s Stay Bid Amid Shutdown
The government shutdown is no excuse to halt proceedings in Judge Pauline Newman's case for reinstatement to the Federal Circuit, the judge said in an opposition, noting in a Friday filing that the Federal Circuit was seeking to delay its own litigation while pledging to deny similar motions that come before it.
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October 03, 2025
Calif. Bar Launches Randomized Client Trust Fund Audits
Attorneys in California should be on the lookout for notifications from the state bar regarding client trust fund compliance reviews, as the organization kicks off a five-week mandatory review program during which a small cross-sample of Golden State lawyers will be asked to open their books.
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October 03, 2025
Deceased IP Attys' Names Worth $55K, Conn. Judge Rules
A Connecticut federal judge has declined to upend an expert's valuation amounting to $54,775 in a trademark infringement suit over the names of deceased law partners that appear in the masthead of intellectual property firm Ohlandt Greeley Ruggiero & Perle LLP, determining such a change is unwarranted.
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October 03, 2025
The Roberts Court At 20: How The Chief Is Reshaping America
Twenty years after John Roberts became the 17th chief justice of the United States, he faces a U.S. Supreme Court term that's looking transformative for the country and its institutions. How Justice Roberts and his colleagues navigate mounting distrust in the judiciary and set the boundaries of presidential authority appear increasingly likely to define his time leading the court.
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October 03, 2025
Reed Smith Blasts DQ Attempt As 'Litigation Gamesmanship'
A shareholder of the Venezuelan airline Avior Airlines has urged a Florida federal judge to reject a bid to disqualify his counsel at Reed Smith LLP and attorney Ana R. Ulseth, arguing that the push to disqualify the firm is not about ethics but rather "litigation gamesmanship."
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October 02, 2025
Jackson Walker Can't Duck Judge Romance Suit, Court Told
A group of bondholders Thursday urged a Texas federal judge not to throw out its suit over a former Jackson Walker LLP partner's secret romance with a bankruptcy judge, arguing that the firm "has a problem with telling the truth" and it's "back at it again."
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October 02, 2025
NC Court Rejects McGuireWoods' Immunity In Defamation Suit
A North Carolina appellate court dismissed an interlocutory appeal by McGuireWoods and a former partner in a defamation case over statements about an investigation into the onetime CEO of a managed care organization during a press conference, reiterating its opinion that the statements were "too far afield" to be considered part of a judicial proceeding.
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October 02, 2025
Netflix Escapes Documentary IP Suit From Atty's Film Co.
A film company owned by a trial lawyer this week lost its lawsuit accusing Netflix Inc. of infringing a copyright in its documentary about sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts of America, with a New Jersey federal judge finding the film deals with uncopyrightable facts.
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October 02, 2025
Dentons, Boies Schiller Escape $300M Fraud Suit
A New York federal judge has dismissed with prejudice a $300 million fraud and racketeering lawsuit brought against Dentons and Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, in which the BigLaw firms were accused of misleading a former client with respect to a deal, and later arbitration, involving Senegal's state-owned energy company.
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October 02, 2025
4 Mass. Rulings You May Have Missed In September
One attorney scored an early exit from a malpractice suit, another must face a long-delayed arbitration, and a judge has requested more information on a proposed settlement in a class action brought by gamblers at a Massachusetts casino. Here are four rulings from Suffolk Superior Court's business litigation session in September.
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October 02, 2025
Ex-Firm Can't Revive Malicious Prosecution Suit In 11th Circ.
The Eleventh Circuit has refused to overturn lower court rulings nixing a malicious prosecution lawsuit brought by a now-defunct law firm against a surgical center, as well as a sanctions ruling against the firm's counsel.
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October 02, 2025
Gov't Shutdown Halts Fed. Circ. Response In Newman Case
The Federal Circuit has asked the D.C. Circuit for permission to extend a deadline to respond to U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's petition for an en banc rehearing to reconsider her suspension, citing the ongoing government shutdown.
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October 02, 2025
DOJ Beats Heritage Foundation Suit Over Hunter Biden Docs
A Delaware federal judge has ruled against The Heritage Foundation in its Freedom of Information Act suit against the U.S. Department of Justice regarding documents withheld detailing the investigation of Hunter Biden, saying the government "adequately established" that harm would result from releasing the records.
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October 02, 2025
Comey's 1st Task: Decoding A Cryptic Indictment
The criminal indictment of James B. Comey is unusually sparse for such a high-profile matter, leaving open questions for the ex-FBI director to probe that could shed more light on how the government intends to prove its case and create potential lines of attack for the defense, experts say.
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October 02, 2025
Attys Get Mixed NJ Discipline After Fraud Convictions
The New Jersey Supreme Court has disbarred ex-Sacks Weston attorney Scott Diamond from the practice of law in the Garden State following his conviction for fraudulently resolving cases behind the back of his old firm, according to filings issued Thursday.
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October 02, 2025
Tenn. 'Gag Order' Ruling Against Atty Axed After Rule Change
The Sixth Circuit has vacated a decision that a Nashville attorney lacked standing to challenge a since-rescinded Middle District of Tennessee rule restricting lawyers' so-called extrajudicial statements.
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October 02, 2025
Baker McKenzie Brings New Suit Against Ex-Associate In DC
A former Baker McKenzie tax attorney who publicly accused the firm's Washington, D.C., managing partner of sexual assault was previously in a relationship with the managing partner's son, the firm has said in a revised defamation complaint.
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October 02, 2025
Michigan OKs Anti-Bias Rule For Judges, Delays Atty Version
Michigan's top court adopted a rule Wednesday prohibiting judges from acting with bias or prejudice but held back a companion rule for lawyers for more deliberation.
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October 02, 2025
McCarter & English Won't Face Pretrial Win Bid In $22M Suit
A Connecticut Superior Court judge has denied requests by Phoenix Life Insurance Co. and PHL Variable Insurance Co. to file late partial summary judgment motions in a $22.3 million professional negligence lawsuit against McCarter & English LLP over the law firm's work on a Long Island loan deal.
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October 01, 2025
Tyson Inks $85M Deal To Exit Consumers' Pork Antitrust Suit
Pork consumers asked a Minnesota federal court Wednesday to greenlight an $85 million settlement resolving their claims against Tyson Foods Inc. in major antitrust litigation alleging pork producers conspired with data firm Agri Stats Inc. to inflate pork prices by limiting the supply in the U.S. market.
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October 01, 2025
Conn. Servers Defend Asking Judge To DQ From Wage Case
A class of servers at a Foxwoods Resort Casino steakhouse have defended their request for a Connecticut judge to disqualify herself from overseeing an upcoming trial, saying she violated the presumption of an adversarial court system by generating new defense arguments.
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October 01, 2025
Reed Smith Seeks 2nd Circ. Help Over Eletson Orders
Reed Smith LLP has urged the Second Circuit to nix an order displacing the firm as counsel and requiring it to turn over client files for international shipping group Eletson Holdings Inc. to lawyers representing the company's new owners, saying Eletson's bankruptcy plan has not validly taken effect.
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October 01, 2025
Mich. Panel OKs Fine For Atty's Gender-Based Slur At Judge
A Michigan appellate panel has affirmed a $7,500 fine for a lawyer who called a judge a vulgar term during a virtual hearing, rejecting the lawyer's defense that he thought he had closed out of the video call when he made the remark.
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October 01, 2025
Ex-Burnham Law Atty Claims Pregnancy Bias Behind Demotions
A Colorado law firm is under fire from one of its former attorneys who claims her pregnancy led to her receiving two demotions at the firm and eventually being forced out entirely.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital
Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
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How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition
Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.
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Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate
While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.
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Series
Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.
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Series
Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw
The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.
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Law Firm Executive Orders Create A Legal Ethics Minefield
Recent executive orders targeting BigLaw firms create ethical dilemmas — and raise the specter of civil or criminal liability — for the government attorneys tasked with implementing them and for the law firms that choose to make agreements with the administration, say attorneys at Buchalter.
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Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind
As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.
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How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence
As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.
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Series
Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer
With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.
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Series
Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw
Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.
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Justices' False Statement Ruling Curbs Half-Truth Liability
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Thompson v. U.S. decision clarified that a federal statute used to prosecute false statements made to bank regulators only criminalizes outright falsehoods, narrowing prosecutors’ reach and providing defense counsel a stronger basis to challenge indictments of merely misleading statements, says Tamara de Silva at De Silva Law Offices.
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Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist
Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Opinion
We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment
As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.
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Deportation Flights May End Up A Legal And Strategic Error
Officials in the Trump administration could face criminal contempt charges if a D.C. judge finds that they flouted his orders last weekend to halt deportation flights to El Salvador, which could ultimately make mass deportations more difficult — and proving noncompliance a self-defeating strategy, says Ethan Greenberg at Anderson Kill.
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Series
Performing Stand-Up Comedy Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether I’m delivering a punchline on stage or a closing argument in court, balancing stand-up comedy performances and my legal career has demonstrated that the keys to success in both endeavors include reading the room, landing the right timing and making an impact, says attorney Rebecca Palmer.