ABA Journal

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Giuliani sanctioned for providing 'blobs of indecipherable data,' few documents in discovery

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., entered a default judgment Wednesday against lawyer Rudy Giuliani for failing to provide meaningful discovery to two Georgia poll workers who sued him for defamation after he falsely accused them of election fraud.



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1 of 3 law schools dinged for diversity standard demonstrates compliance

The Baylor University School of Law has demonstrated compliance with an accreditation standard requiring that schools demonstrate “concrete action” showing a commitment to having a diverse and inclusive faculty and staff, according to an ABA notice posted Tuesday.



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Copyright Law and Generative AI: What a mess

“A lot of these [copyright] issues have existed for some time,” says a partner and chair of the software and IT practice at Knobbe Martens in its Seattle office. “It’s coming to the forefront of communications because of the availability [of generative AI].”



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Kentucky litigator has hot TikTok takes on Bama Rush

As sorority rush week played out at the University of Alabama, the world watched. In August, the hashtag #bamarush reached 3.4 billion views on TikTok, Forbes reports. Brandis Bradley, an eastern Kentucky trial-lawyer-turned-social-media-influencer, watched too. She provided commentary on her TikTok channel.



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LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters publish reports on lawyers' attitudes toward AI

LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters published surveys Tuesday gauging the impact that generative artificial intelligence could have on the practice of law.



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Ex-Trump officials target 'woke' companies for diversity efforts

Activision Blizzard Inc. and the Kellogg Co. are the latest companies hit by claims that their efforts to diversify their workforces constitute illegal discrimination.



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To what extent could law school libraries be digital? ABA Legal Ed Section seeks public comment

Proposed revisions to law school library accreditation standards, including language stating that physical books might not be necessary, were approved for notice and comment Friday by the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.



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Lawyer's quest for warrant requirement for border cellphone searches rebuffed by 5th Circuit

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not violate a lawyer’s constitutional rights when it seized his phone as he entered the United States, sent it to a forensics lab to bypass his passcode, and obtained its data after using a “filter team” to protect privileged material, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.



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Appeals judge kicked off bench; 'the judiciary has no place for dishonest persons,' top state court says

The Georgia Supreme Court has removed a state appeals judge from office after concluding that he took advantage of an elderly client and used campaign cash for a vacation.



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5th Circuit faults FDA for expanding access to abortion drug; next move is up to SCOTUS

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration failed to address safety concerns when it expanded access to the abortion drug mifepristone in 2016 and 2021, according to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans.



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Professors, administrators and counsel applaud proposed ABA standard on academic freedom

Following various controversies around campus speech and a U.S. House of Representatives committee request to investigate a Stanford Law School incident, the Strategic Review Committee of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has proposed a new accreditation standard focused on guidance for academic freedom policies.



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Referee faults Florida Bar probe of lawyer accused of improperly soliciting hurricane clients

A Florida partner with a Louisiana law firm did not improperly solicit Florida clients after Hurricane Ian and did not attempt to mislead the public about the nature of a truck, a trailer and a tent set up in a parking lot for client meetings, according to a referee in an ethics case.



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'The Real Game-Changer': Dentons is latest major firm to launch GPT-powered chatbot

Dentons has become the latest major law firm to utilize generative artificial intelligence, announcing that it will roll out a propriety GPT-based chatbot to lawyers to use on client work.



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California Innocence Project harnesses generative AI for work to free wrongfully convicted

Updated: Several major law firms are using generative AI chatbots for their work. But as more and more lawyers adopt the new technology to maintain a competitive edge, there may be an opportunity to deliver speedy and affordable legal services to the public.



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Will the prestige of Purdue University help Concord Law?

As Concord Law School pursues an Indiana Supreme Court rule change so that its graduates can sit for the state bar exam, the fully online institution recently announced it will have a new name, Purdue Global Law School, starting in November.



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Federal judge considers 'burning' legal question—does 'attorney fee' need apostrophe and 's'?

U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew M. Edison of the Southern District of Texas uses a footnote to address “one of the burning legal questions of our generation.” Is the proper term “attorney fees,” “attorneys fees,” “attorney’s fees” or “attorneys’ fees”?



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Citing 1st Amendment rights of students, ABA House passes resolution against book bans



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Impact of trauma on judges, their families and court staff should be studied, ABA House says

At the ABA Annual Meeting in Denver on Tuesday, the House of Delegates supported a resolution encouraging judicial leaders to study the impact of trauma on judges, their families and staff and recommend steps to improve their safety and mental wellness.



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ABA House amends Model Rule to address anti-money-laundering efforts

After a contentious debate, the ABA House of Delegates approved amendments to ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.16, which covers declining or terminating representation, at the ABA Annual Meeting in Denver on Tuesday.



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'Cybersecurity is a journey,' and lawyers' knowledge must be up to date, ABA House says

The House of Delegates approved a trio of cybersecurity-related resolutions that urge lawyers and organizations to tighten cybersecurity measures and urge education about emerging technologies. One resolution was focused on Congress and federal agencies, another on lawyers and law firms, and the third on law schools.



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'To make a difference, we have to be different,' says incoming ABA President-elect Bill Bay

Bill Bay, the incoming president-elect of the American Bar Association, called upon members to break down silos within the organization and join together as they recommit to improving the legal profession. “We must put aside any differences we may have and remember our continuing mission.”



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'Judge shopping' in federal courts should end, House urges

Federal judges should be assigned to cases randomly to prevent the appearance of litigants picking districts and judges offering the most likely path to victory, the House of Delegates agreed on Monday at the ABA Annual Meeting in Denver.



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Pronouns should be respected and trans youths protected, ABA House says

At the ABA Annual Meeting on Tuesday, the ABA House of Delegates adopted a pair of resolutions that address ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQ community.



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Bar admission should not be denied just on basis of immigration status, ABA House urges

On Monday, the ABA House of Delegates at the ABA Annual Meeting in Denver approved Resolution 519, which urges legislative bodies to ensure that bar admission is not denied solely because of immigration status.



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