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Ethics

8825 ABA Journal Ethics articles.

Judge’s ‘disparaging’ courtroom remarks publicly reproved by disciplinary commission

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge who made disparaging remarks and interrupted litigants in court was recently publicly admonished by the state’s judicial disciplinary body for the second time.

May 15, 2026 11:00 AM CDT

Happy to reach out, but how? Do clients prefer texts or emails, and what makes the most sense for counsel?

Texting, lawyers note, is a speedy way to exchange information, but it also encourages informality and blurs the lines between their work and personal lives. While clients increasingly prefer text to email, lawyers say they are balancing efficiency, recordkeeping, professionalism and clarity when picking the best mode of communication.

May 14, 2026 1:41 PM CDT

Former Brooklyn Supreme Court judge arrested for alleged involvement in real estate fraud schemes

A former Brooklyn Supreme Court justice was arrested Tuesday for allegedly participating in numerous schemes to defraud investors in commercial real estate deals.

May 14, 2026 12:13 PM CDT

DOJ sues DC Bar amid fight over disciplining Trump administration attorneys

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the District of Columbia Bar over its efforts to discipline former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark.

May 14, 2026 10:24 AM CDT

Federal judge sentenced to probation in drunk driving case

A federal judge in Michigan has been sentenced to six months of probation after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor drunk driving charge, Reuters reports.

May 14, 2026 10:02 AM CDT

Ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh’s murder conviction overturned; prosecutors vow retrial

Prosecutors in South Carolina said they plan to retry disgraced and disbarred South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh in the shooting deaths of his wife and younger son after the South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned his conviction and life sentence, the Associated Press and other news outlets report.

May 13, 2026 1:59 PM CDT

Trump’s New York US attorney pick committed misconduct, disciplinary investigation finds

President Donald Trump’s appointee for U.S. attorney in Albany, New York, was found to have committed professional misconduct, according to the New York judicial committee that reviews complaints against attorneys.

May 12, 2026 2:35 PM CDT

Lawyer hit with 2 lawsuits alleging use of client trust accounts to run Ponzi scheme

A San Antonio attorney was hit with two lawsuits within weeks of each other, both alleging that he used lawyer trust accounts to collect millions of dollars and then broke promises of huge returns—a move one plaintiff called a Ponzi scheme.

May 12, 2026 9:45 AM CDT

Prosecutor suspended by state supreme court for artificial intelligence use in court docs

A Georgia prosecutor who repeatedly filed documents with artificial intelligence-generated citations that referenced cases that were wrong or fictitious during a murder trial has been suspended for six months from practicing before the Georgia Supreme Court.

May 7, 2026 10:27 AM CDT

Justice Department accuses lawyers of insider trading ring

BigLaw lawyers provided tips on scores of mergers as part of an insider trading ring involving tens of millions of dollars in illegal profits, according to a May 6 press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

May 7, 2026 9:41 AM CDT

DOJ attorney referred for discipline over withheld info regarding detainee wanted for murder

After the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently criticized a federal judge in Rhode Island for releasing a man described as a “violent criminal illegal alien,” the judge said she is referring an assistant U.S. attorney "for disciplinary proceedings" for not disclosing that the detainee was wanted in the Dominican Republic for murder charges.

May 6, 2026 2:57 PM CDT

Yes or No Questions: Getting your client to say less can be difficult, if not impossible, some lawyers say

“Are you sure you don’t want him to keep talking?” It’s a problem that many lawyers face: What can and should they do about a client with the gift of gab? While experienced lawyers have tips on working with loquacious clients, they also agree on one main point: In the end, some clients can’t help it. They can’t shut up.

May 6, 2026 2:06 PM CDT

Texas justice of the peace and teen allegedly get into physical fight at Whataburger

A Texas justice of the peace is under investigation after having a verbal exchange with several teenagers inside a 24-hour burger restaurant that later allegedly escalated into physical blows with one teen.

May 6, 2026 11:39 AM CDT

State Bar of California proposes first AI-specific changes to ethics rules

The State Bar of California is proposing for the first time to change California’s Rules of Professional Conduct to address the use of artificial intelligence.

May 6, 2026 9:58 AM CDT

Criminal defense lawyer allegedly punched in face after client gets maximum sentence for murder

A criminal defense lawyer has said he does not have direct knowledge of allegedly getting punched in the face by a client.

May 4, 2026 2:08 PM CDT

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