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Client Protection

172 ABA Journal Client Protection articles.

Lawyer who represents sex abuse victims is suspended for relationship with ‘vulnerable client’

A Philadelphia lawyer who represents victims of sexual abuse and assault has received a minimum one-year suspension for a personal relationship with an Australian client pursuing allegations against the Church of Scientology.

Jun 4, 2025 3:04 PM CDT

Suspended lawyer charged with theft from client apparently shoots, wounds himself during arrest

A suspended Pennsylvania lawyer was hospitalized Saturday after he apparently shot himself during a brief standoff with police who sought to arrest him for stealing from an elderly client.

Jun 2, 2025 11:23 AM CDT

In opinion with 26 exclamation points, judge finds order against WilmerHale is ‘staggering punishment’

An executive order with a “kitchen sink of severe sanctions” against Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Tuesday.

May 28, 2025 10:32 AM CDT

Lawyer with huge social media following is accused of performing ‘no legal work of value’ for several clients

A California lawyer with more than 60,000 Instagram followers is accused in an ethics complaint of taking fees from several clients while producing “no legal work of value” in return.

May 13, 2025 1:03 PM CDT

‘Is this a throwback to the McCarthy era?’ Judges consider injunction bids by firms targeted in Trump orders

Two federal judges sharply questioned a government lawyer Wednesday as they considered bids by Perkins Coie and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr to permanently enjoin executive orders that target them and their clients.

Apr 24, 2025 10:57 AM CDT

When are lawyers barred from dropping clients because of ‘materially adverse’ effect? ABA ethics opinion addresses issue

A lawyer’s motivation for ending a client representation is not relevant when assessing whether the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct bar the withdrawal because of a “materially adverse” impact, but three other factors matter, according to an ABA ethics opinion released Wednesday.

Apr 3, 2025 9:11 AM CDT

Disbarred lawyer sentenced for using then-girlfriend’s identity to take out over $82K in loans

A disbarred Illinois lawyer has been sentenced to six years in prison for using his then-girlfriend’s identifying information to obtain four bank loans totaling $82,700.

Apr 2, 2025 8:55 AM CDT

Future Forward: How lawyers can embrace sustainability

Sustainable development means more than “being green,” says John Dernbach, an emeritus professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School and the founding director of its Environmental Law and Sustainability Center. Rather, he says, sustainable development balances environmental protection, economic development and social justice.

Apr 1, 2025 3:00 AM CDT

Second, third associate quit Skadden after firm reaches settlement to avoid becoming Trump target

Updated: A second and third associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom have left the law firm amid disagreements over its reaction to President Donald Trump’s punitive actions against disfavored firms.

Mar 31, 2025 3:09 PM CDT

Paul Weiss leader cites potential ‘existential crisis’ as 1 reason for Trump deal; critics include 141 firm alumni

An executive order targeting Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison “could easily have destroyed our firm,” the law firm’s chairman, Brad Karp, told employees in a March 23 statement defending the deal that he reached with President Donald Trump.

Mar 24, 2025 1:49 PM CDT

Lawyer for Infowars host Alex Jones gets reduced suspension over handling of confidential documents

A lawyer who formerly represented Infowars host Alex Jones has received a two-week suspension for careless handling of confidential documents after an appeals court overturned a lengthier suspension on appeal.

Mar 20, 2025 10:06 AM CDT

Lawyers who are victims of clients’ crimes can’t be expected to stay silent, new ABA ethics opinion says

It’s a common scam—someone poses as a potential client online, with the nefarious goal of getting a lawyer to cash and refund a fraudulent check. Reporting the person to law enforcement does not violate an attorney’s duty of confidentiality because there’s an implicit exception when the lawyer is the victim of a client or a potential client’s crime, according to an ethics opinion published Wednesday by the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Mar 5, 2025 10:09 AM CST

Former practice chair allegedly overbilled clients by over $3.5M at 2 BigLaw firms, ethics complaint says

A former partner in the Chicago offices of two large international law firms is facing an ethics complaint alleging that he falsified billing records and caused clients to be overbilled by more than $3.5 million over a period of 20 years.

Feb 26, 2025 12:13 PM CST

Storage company contends it has no obligation to sort through client files allegedly left by defunct law firm

A records management company is asking a court to declare that it has no obligation to clients of a defunct Pittsburgh law firm that allegedly left more than 7,500 boxes in its warehouse that likely contain numerous client files.

Feb 6, 2025 9:36 AM CST

What are ethical obligations for an organization’s counsel when giving legal advice to constituents?

When an organization’s in-house counsel or outside counsel communicates legal advice to its constituents, it should be clear that the lawyer represents the organization, not the individuals, according to a new ABA ethics opinion.

Jan 8, 2025 10:02 AM CST

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