Disbarred South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh pleaded guilty Friday to 22 state charges for stealing millions of dollars from personal injury clients, a deal that calls for a 27-year sentence.
Updated: A New Jersey lawyer has been suspended after an audit found that she overcharged clients in real estate transactions by collecting fake fees or fee amounts that were higher than the actual expenses incurred.
A former San Antonio lawyer has pleaded to federal charges for persuading his clients to deposit funds with him and then using the money for his benefit.
Disbarred South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh pleaded guilty Thursday to 22 federal charges for stealing millions of dollars from clients and the estate of his late housekeeper.
Lawyers have a duty to prepare and guide witnesses, but attorneys can’t coach a witness in a way that interferes with the integrity of the justice system and obstructs another party’s access to evidence, according to an ethics opinion released Wednesday by the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.
A North Carolina lawyer told a disciplinary commission that she thought that substituting a litigant for her criminal client during an arraignment was “an acceptable strategy.”
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.
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.
Lawyers may train nonlawyer legal assistants to handle client intake matters, but they must ensure that such assistants’ conduct is compatible with the lawyer’s professional obligations, including giving clients an opportunity to consult with the lawyer about questions, according to an ethics opinion from the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released Wednesday.
A New York appeals court has denied bar admission to a 2000 law graduate who practiced law for nearly 10 years without a license, rising to law firm partnership.
A disbarred lawyer who is serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife and one of his sons has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly stealing money from clients and his housekeeper’s family.
Lawyers may not generally avoid the obligation to place client funds into a trust account upon receipt, according to an ethics opinion from the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released Wednesday.
A Lancaster, Ohio, lawyer has been suspended after texting a client that he would like to share a “daddy/daughter dynamic” with her “in and out of the bedroom.”
The ABA Journal wants to host and facilitate conversations among lawyers about their profession. We are now accepting thoughtful, non-promotional articles and commentary by unpaid contributors.
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