Ethics

Judge wielded power ‘like a tyrant’ but is ‘not beyond redemption,’ state supreme court says in removal order

The Indiana Supreme Court has removed a judge from office and permanently banned him from the bench, saying he “wielded his position of power like a tyrant” as he favored certain litigants while degrading others.

Sep 17, 2025 10:49 AM CDT

Suspended lawyer accused of citing hallucinated case in bid to reinstate law license

A suspended Iowa lawyer cited at least one hallucinated case likely generated by artificial intelligence in his bid to return to law practice, according to a motion filed by the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board.

Sep 12, 2025 9:27 AM CDT

LGBTQ rights lawyer faces federal indictment for testimony in ‘judge shopping’ probe

A lawyer working for an advocacy organization for the LGBTQ+ community is facing a federal indictment alleging that he made false statements while testifying in an inquiry into "judge shopping."

Sep 11, 2025 12:15 PM CDT

Judge admonishes BigLaw partner because he ‘apparently felt entitled’ to make misleading statements about expert’s travel

A federal judge in Las Vegas has admonished a partner from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman for making misleading statements about the availability of an expert witness, attributing his conduct to apparent “entitlement.”

Sep 10, 2025 9:21 AM CDT

Justice in Action: With ABA support, Colombia drafts a declaration of judicial ethics

For several years, the American Bar Association's Rule of Law Initiative implemented programs in Colombia to improve the capacity of judges and court personnel, combat human trafficking cases and public corruption, strengthen judicial practice in rural areas, further migrant integration and citizen security, and support environmental defenders in the Amazon region. These programs were funded by the United States government through its Department of State.

Sep 10, 2025 9:08 AM CDT

How lawyers can use generative AI to get a leg up in communicating with clients

An artificial intelligence platform may help lawyers have an advantage when it comes to communication with their clients.

Sep 10, 2025 8:51 AM CDT

Talk to the Animals: If AI can translate whistles, barks and meows, could it be used in court?

Fast-moving developments in artificial intelligence could one day crack the codes to translating animals’ whistles, chirps, clicks and barks—allowing humans and animals to communicate with each other at new levels and spawning a host of legal and ethical questions.

Sep 8, 2025 9:22 AM CDT

As Customs searches more electronic devices, lawyers have some considerations when they cross borders

The government is searching more cellphones and laptops of international travelers than they have in the past, and lawyers need to take extra steps to protect their client information.

Sep 8, 2025 9:02 AM CDT

Real relationships drive real referrals

We all know that lawyer. You know the one. The lawyer who has built their entire practice on the back of a handful of referrals. It looks easy when they do it, real “no big deal” type of stuff. But if it truly is that easy—how is that lawyer so good at it when you don’t even know where to start?

Sep 5, 2025 11:15 AM CDT

Not Chickening Out: The world’s oldest profession is fighting

"Tweedledum and Tweedledee agreed to have a battle; for Tweedledum said Tweedledee had spoiled his nice new rattle." —Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

Sep 3, 2025 2:03 PM CDT

Court is not ‘enforcement division’ for ‘Miss Manners,’ concurring judge says as discipline case is tossed

The Kansas Supreme Court has rejected a recommended censure against a former district attorney who issued a press release questioning a chief judge’s statements about a plan to host jury trials at the county fairgrounds during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 3, 2025 12:35 PM CDT

11th Circuit upholds $144K sanction against food industry lawyer for repeating failed allegations in second suit

A federal appeals court has upheld a $144,000 attorney fees sanction imposed on New York food labeling lawyer Spencer Sheehan for filing a false advertising claim against Big Lots in a Florida federal court that repeated allegations in a failed lawsuit in another jurisdiction.

Aug 28, 2025 12:12 PM CDT

‘Hail Mary legal theory’ in Arizona voting suit didn’t justify attorneys’ sanction, dissenting 9th Circuit judges say

A federal trial judge should not have imposed a $122,200 sanction on two lawyers who filed a lawsuit seeking to replace electronic voting machines in Arizona with hand-counted paper ballots, according to six federal appeals judges who dissented from a refusal to grant an en banc rehearing in the case.

Aug 26, 2025 3:49 PM CDT

Lawyer’s disciplinary probation should be revoked after he ‘failed miserably,’ hearing board says

A Louisiana lawyer should by suspended because he “failed miserably” while on disciplinary probation for mishandling his client trust account, according to a recommendation by a hearing committee of the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board.

Aug 26, 2025 9:20 AM CDT

Ex-judge gets law license back after suspension for taking $90K to do this

A former municipal court judge in Philadelphia has been reinstated to law practice after his suspension for accepting $90,000 from the campaign of a political opponent to drop out of a 2012 congressional campaign in the Democratic primary.

Aug 20, 2025 12:33 PM CDT