Litigation Management

Litigation finance tax, limits on contempt power dropped from Senate’s version of budget megabill

Two proposals of concern to many lawyers are being dropped in the U.S. Senate's version of a budget megabill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Jul 1, 2025 9:21 AM CDT

Gains from litigation funding would be taxed at nearly 32% in latest Senate version of budget megabill

The U.S. Senate's version of a budget megabill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, released Saturday sets a proposed tax of 31.8% on earnings from litigation finance contracts, down from 40.8% in the first version of the bill.

Jun 30, 2025 3:19 PM CDT

Federal judge admonishes litigant for ‘absolutely disgusting’ way she disposed of gum in court

A federal judge in Pensacola, Florida, admonished a litigant who admitted—in response to an order to show cause—that she was the person who stuck chewing gum to the underside of a courtroom table where the counsel are seated.

Jun 24, 2025 9:18 AM CDT

Jury awards $6.2M to ex-law firm employee who was paid less than male colleagues

A New York jury has awarded $6.2 million to an attorney who sued her law firm for allegedly firing her after she complained that she was paid less than male attorneys who ranked lower than her.

Jun 16, 2025 12:03 PM CDT

DOJ lawyer blames ‘confluence of administrative errors’ for another El Salvador deportation

A U.S. Department of Justice lawyer last week blamed “a confluence of administrative errors” for the deportation of an immigrant from El Salvador in Central America, despite a federal appeals court order allowing him to remain in the United States during litigation.

Jun 2, 2025 10:26 AM CDT

Sanctions imposed for ‘collective debacle’ involving AI hallucinations and 2 firms, including K&L Gates

A special master has imposed a $31,100 sanction against K&L Gates and a second law firm for submitting a brief with “bogus AI research.”

May 14, 2025 12:50 PM CDT

California state bar sues vendor after troubled exam

Now facing an audit itself, the State Bar of California is suing ProctorU, the vendor that administered the ill-fated February launch of the state’s remote and hybrid exam, alleging the company failed to deliver on its claims that it was capable of handling the needs of bar examinees.

May 7, 2025 9:22 AM CDT

Magistrate judge is breathing fire over law firm’s dragon logo on legal pleadings

A lawyer who wanted his pleadings to stand out has been ordered to remove a large purple dragon watermark from each page of a lawsuit that he filed in federal court.

May 1, 2025 10:32 AM CDT

Litigation boutique firm will pay special bonuses as high as $60K

Litigation boutique law firm Wilkinson Stekloff will pay special bonuses to associates ranging from $25,000 to $60,000, the firm recently told employees in a memo.

Apr 17, 2025 12:51 PM CDT

Nonprofits that challenged mass firings didn’t have standing, Supreme Court says while staying rehiring order

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed a federal judge’s preliminary injunction that required the federal government to rehire as many as 16,000 fired probationary employees.

Apr 8, 2025 1:31 PM CDT

Suits seeking continued US funding will likely be routed to Court of Federal Claims after SCOTUS decision, law prof says

A decision on Friday by the U.S. Supreme Court in a challenge to an education-grant freeze will likely redirect many other lawsuits regarding Trump administration spending decisions to the Court of Federal Claims, according to a law professor.

Apr 7, 2025 11:42 AM CDT

Revoking security clearances includes due process, which is not being followed, says whistleblower lawyer

Whistleblower lawyer Mark Zaid tells the ABA Journal in an interview that his security clearance has recently been revoked by the Trump administration. A registered independent, Zaid says he has never been involved in “a meaningful” way with any political party. “I am strictly a lawyer who represents clients.”

Apr 7, 2025 10:27 AM CDT

Calming down situations in a respectful way is a useful skill for lawyers, former DOJ counsel says

While working at the U.S. Justice Department, lawyer Katharine Manning helped victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida and the investment fraud case involving Bernie Madoff. Now a consultant, she advises entities on creating compassionate work environments where employees and clients feel comfortable sharing difficult experiences.

Apr 1, 2025 1:20 AM CDT

Federal judge who sought female attorneys among class counsel has acknowledged sex-bias concerns, order says

A federal judge who called for female attorneys to be “adequately represented” on the leadership team for plaintiffs in multidistrict contraceptive litigation has “acknowledged the concerns created by her statements,” according to an order closing an ethics inquiry.

Mar 25, 2025 9:21 AM CDT

Federal judge sanctions 3 LGBTQ rights lawyers for ‘malignant practice’ of ‘judge shopping’

A federal judge in Alabama has sanctioned three lawyers for trying to get their cases challenging an Alabama transgender law assigned to a judge deemed more hospitable to their arguments.

Mar 3, 2025 9:44 AM CST