Professional Liability

Weekly Briefs: Judge orders reform of school-funding system; BigLaw malpractice suit settles

School-funding system violates state constitution, judge says A Pennsylvania judge has ruled that the state’s school-funding system, which is heavily dependent on local property taxes, violates the state constitutional rights of students in poor school districts. Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer said the system violates the Pennsylvania Constitution’s education clause and…

Feb 10, 2023 2:44 PM CST

Legal malpractice payouts are the highest on record, insurance broker reports

Payouts for legal malpractice claims are at an all-time high, according to a new survey by insurance broker Ames & Gough. Ames & Gough surveyed 11 leading legal malpractice insurers about claims paid from 2019 to the middle of 2020.

May 18, 2021 8:57 AM CDT

Can businesses require employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine?

Employment lawyers are beginning to field questions from employers about whether they can require workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Dec 8, 2020 1:05 PM CST

Lawyer who represents whistleblowers loses malpractice insurance because of ‘high-profile’ work

The Hanover Insurance Group has refused to renew malpractice coverage for the lawyer representing the whistleblower whose complaint led to impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

Aug 25, 2020 9:38 AM CDT

The new world of litigating workplace disputes with social media

Social media has undoubtedly changed the way we communicate, receive news and stay connected in our personal lives. But social media is a headache, once we consider legal and compliance best practices when such interactions in the workplace go awry.

Jun 17, 2020 8:30 AM CDT

Coronavirus cancellations mean revenue loss, potential liability

The designation of COVID-19 as a pandemic has affected tens of thousands of business and consumer contracts. Lawyers were suddenly swamped with questions about contractual provisions for delays or cancellations, and they found themselves immersed in force majeure provisions, common law doctrine and specifics on business interruption tucked away in insurance agreements.

Apr 2, 2020 9:46 AM CDT

3rd Circuit says lawyer isn’t liable for alleged malpractice of husband who listed partnership on letterhead

A legal malpractice plaintiff can’t hold a lawyer liable for her husband’s legal work when the plaintiff didn’t rely on representations that the lawyers were practicing together, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. In a 2-1 nonprecedential opinion, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Philadelphia affirmed summary judgment…

Aug 23, 2019 12:54 PM CDT

Lawyer’s hip-hop defense fails in case involving ‘an overarching pattern of misconduct’

Maryland’s highest court has disbarred a lawyer for a “myriad of rule violations” that included calling a social worker who testified in one of his cases a “bitch.” The Maryland Court of Appeals explained why it disbarred Garland Montgomery Jarrat Sanderson in a July 23 opinion noted by the Legal…

Aug 1, 2019 10:13 AM CDT