Ethics

Master’s report questions why ‘trivial dispute’ over bike rental led to ethics complaint against 2 judges

Two Michigan judges who faced ethics charges stemming from a “trivial dispute” over a $23 Mackinac Island bicycle rental did not commit misconduct, according to two reports by a retired judge appointed as a master in their cases.

Oct 23, 2025 9:38 AM CDT

Lawyer’s popular Instagram account is kaput after no-contest plea to misconduct deemed ‘standard operating procedure’

A California lawyer with a big social media presence should be disbarred after pleading no contest to facts underpinning multiple acts of alleged misconduct involving 10 imprisoned clients and 13 cases, according to a stipulation and conclusions of law approved by a state bar court judge.

Oct 22, 2025 9:33 AM CDT

Name change petition by suspended and retired judge filed ‘with intent to mislead,’ court says

A Minnesota judge who retired after his suspension cannot change his first name to “Judge,” according to a court decision last week.

Oct 20, 2025 2:37 PM CDT

If mediating for unrepresented parties, lawyer must explain role clearly, new ABA ethics opinion says

Sometimes lawyers who work as mediators must explain to unrepresented parties the differences between mediating a case and representing clients and discuss what that means, according to a new ethics opinion by the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Oct 15, 2025 10:02 AM CDT

Lawyer’s defamation claim against attorneys who obtained sanctions is revived by 5th Circuit

A lawyer’s claim for defamation against two attorneys who obtained more than $330,000 in sanctions against him in a state-court racketeering suit isn’t barred by the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Oct 13, 2025 2:54 PM CDT

Fake Sullivan & Cromwell entities used by scammers should be dissolved, suit says

New York’s attorney general is seeking a court order dissolving entities with names that are variations of Sullivan & Cromwell and an injunction barring them from continuing fraudulent acts.

Oct 9, 2025 4:55 PM CDT

Lawyer reportedly tells judge ‘thank you’ followed by slur in remote hearing

Updated: A Michigan appeals court has upheld a $7,500 fine and contempt finding imposed on a lawyer who allegedly said, ” Judge - - thank you. F****** c***,” at the end of a Zoom hearing, in which she ruled against his client.

Oct 9, 2025 12:58 PM CDT

Before joining Anderson Kill, judge was accused of rude behavior on bench, retaliatory threats in ethics case

Updated: A former New York judge who joined Anderson Kill last month told Law360 that he made the move because of family considerations and a looming mandatory retirement when he turns 70 years old in a few years.

Oct 8, 2025 3:36 PM CDT

Prosecutor in Trump protest cases should be suspended for her ‘narrow view’ of disclosure duties, panel says

Updated: The lead prosecutor handling cases against protesters during the January 2017 inauguration of President Donald Trump should be suspended for three months for “simply untenable” discovery conduct, according to a hearing committee of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility.

Oct 8, 2025 12:23 PM CDT

Ex-BigLaw partner gets suspension for $3.4M in ‘artificially inflated’ client bills

A former partner at two international law firms was suspended last month for inflating client bills by $3.4 million over the course of more than 20 years.

Oct 7, 2025 3:19 PM CDT

A primer on artificial intelligence, part 1

In the last couple of years, artificial intelligence has advanced well beyond the wildest expectations of most of us. Generative and reasoning AI is here, and it is transforming industries across the globe, including the legal profession. As lawyers, understanding AI and its applications can significantly enhance our practice, improve client services and streamline operations.

Oct 6, 2025 2:25 PM CDT

Judge who said she showed compassion for sentenced defendant is suspended for disregarding the law

A Nevada judge who argued a state supreme reversal order “could mean a lot of things” has been suspended for failing to comply with the law.

Oct 1, 2025 1:49 PM CDT

Bryan Garner: If your client’s case has bad facts, how can you present them in the best possible light?

Like everyone else, lawyers sometimes find themselves in extremis. A dire circumstance may call for an extreme argument—the classic last-ditch, desperate appeal. The ultimate test is whether the argument wins the day. Typically, the far-fetched argument doesn’t.

Oct 1, 2025 1:20 AM CDT

ABA ethics opinion addresses how to handle criminal offenses that clients commit against lawyers

What happens to the lawyers who get taken in by scams and subsequently defrauded? Are they permitted to disclose the details of the crimes against them to law enforcement, or do they have to stay silent because of their duty of confidentiality toward clients or prospective clients?

Oct 1, 2025 1:15 AM CDT

Presiding over remote court calendar while riding in car among reasons for judge’s suspension

A Minnesota judge was reprimanded and suspended from office without pay for nine months, for abusing his authority in a dispute over his court reporter’s pay and presiding over a remote court calendar from a moving car. But a third allegation concerning bias against noncitizen juveniles was not a factor in the sanction.

Sep 30, 2025 12:03 PM CDT