Lawyer Discipline

471 ABA Journal Lawyer Discipline articles.

Lawyer sanctioned for being ‘rude, demeaning and obnoxious’ in depositions

A federal judge has sanctioned a personal injury lawyer nearly $20,000 for his conduct during four depositions last year.

Sep 28, 2023 1:49 PM CDT

Lawyers who lied about capital contribution, cursed on hot mic among those sanctioned in Illinois

The Illinois Supreme Court has disciplined or accepted the resignation of several lawyers and two former judges in a series of orders Sept. 21.

Sep 25, 2023 3:53 PM CDT

As California changes ethics rules, surveyed lawyers express concern about integrity of the profession

Lawyers who back ethics reform are most concerned about maintaining the integrity of the legal profession, according to a survey by Bloomberg Law.

Sep 22, 2023 8:27 AM CDT

Lawyer suspended for trying to attend 2 online CLE programs at once

A lawyer’s Maine law license has been suspended after he tried to get continuing legal education credit for attending online programs that happened at the same time.

Sep 19, 2023 3:27 PM CDT

Indiana AG faces ethics charges for these comments on doc who provided abortion to 10-year-old

Republican Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is facing ethics charges for comments that he made about his investigation of an “abortion activist acting as a doctor” who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old girl.

Sep 18, 2023 12:14 PM CDT

Texas AG Paxton warns Biden administration to ‘buckle up’ after acquittal at impeachment trial

After his acquittal at an impeachment trial Saturday, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleged that the “sham” proceeding was coordinated by the Biden administration along with the “liberal” speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Republican Dade Phelan.

Sep 18, 2023 10:03 AM CDT

‘Torture Memos’ author testifies in ethics hearing to support Eastman’s ideas on Pence as election arbiter

John Yoo, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law—known for the Department of Justice "Torture Memos" that he wrote supporting waterboarding—testified Tuesday in support of one of John Eastman’s legal theories on how to overturn the 2020 election.

Sep 14, 2023 12:00 PM CDT

Criminal charges add twist to Trump lawyers’ disciplinary cases

“Lawyers take an oath, and they have a responsibility that’s not just to their client but to the larger legal community, to the profession and to democracy. When you have lawyers who are working against the rule of law [it’s important] to bring a comprehensive system of accountability,” says Michael J. Teter, the managing director of the 65 Project.

Sep 14, 2023 8:55 AM CDT

Former BigLaw partner temporarily barred from courthouse should be suspended, board says

An Illinois hearing board has recommended suspension for a former federal prosecutor and Polsinelli shareholder who was temporarily barred from the criminal courthouse in Chicago and held in criminal contempt of court four times.

Sep 12, 2023 11:25 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: MoFo changes DEI fellowship; X reacts to BigLaw partner at Burning Man festival

MoFo expands DEI fellowship after suit

Morrison & Foerster has changed the eligibility criteria for a diversity, equity and inclusion fellowship after being sued by a conservative activist who…

Sep 8, 2023 3:14 PM CDT

Do this, not that, when preparing witnesses and during testimony, new ABA ethics opinion says

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.

Sep 6, 2023 10:44 AM CDT

Ex-prosecutor disbarred for disclosure failures in drug-lab scandal; supervisor, underling get different sanctions

A former assistant attorney general who oversaw the investigation and prosecution of a drug-using chemist at a Massachusetts crime lab has been disbarred for failing to disclose the full extent of the worker’s potential misconduct to affected drug defendants.

Sep 5, 2023 9:07 AM CDT

Judge should be admonished after calling double-parked teacher the B-word, commission says

A judge who called a teacher a “stupid b- - - -” because of her double-parked car should be admonished for the episode, according to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Aug 31, 2023 2:11 PM CDT

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.

Aug 30, 2023 1:25 PM CDT

Judge faces censure over ‘profane, demeaning’ Facebook posts

A New York judge is facing a censure by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct for using “profane, demeaning and otherwise-inappropriate language” and engaging in “offensive and otherwise-inappropriate behavior” in comments and posts on social media.

Aug 28, 2023 3:48 PM CDT

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