Washington

Nonlawyer entities could provide legal services in Washington in proposed pilot program

Nonlawyer-owned entities would be allowed to deliver legal services in Washington under a pilot program proposed by the Washington State Bar Association and a board created by the Washington Supreme Court.

Sep 11, 2024 2:36 PM CDT

Ballard Spahr announces merger that ‘is just the tip of the next iceberg’ in Pacific Northwest

Ballard Spahr is expanding into the Pacific Northwest through a merger with Lane Powell, the law firms announced Monday.

Sep 10, 2024 9:32 AM CDT

Defenseless: Lack of public defenders creates a crisis for indigent clients and increased caseloads for lawyers

Many states are facing a crisis in public defense because of low pay, excessive caseloads, frequent burnout and a “great resignation” of qualified attorneys that began during the pandemic and shows no signs of ebbing.

Aug 1, 2024 3:00 AM CDT

Sept. 11 defense lawyer, winner of ABA Journal’s 2024 Ross Writing Contest, recognizes humanity of reviled clients

Updated: A former public defender who represents a detainee at Guantanamo Bay is the winner of the 2024 ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction.

Jul 9, 2024 11:08 AM CDT

Lawyer gives up license after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assaults, including one involving associate

A Washington lawyer has agreed to give up his law license, rather than fight allegations stemming from his guilty plea to misdemeanor assaults on a Delta Air Lines flight and after a work-sponsored event.

Jun 5, 2024 9:42 AM CDT

Family members struggle to help University of Chicago law grad who became homeless

Many states are trying to figure out how to help people like 44-year-old lawyer Rob Dart, who is living on the streets of Los Angeles after rejecting his medication for psychosis.

May 6, 2024 11:32 AM CDT

Pulling the Weed: Bankruptcy opinion shows debt restructure path for cannabis workers

While 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana use, it remains a criminal activity under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and bankruptcy courts generally have been a rather hostile forum for debtors employed in the marijuana industry.

Apr 18, 2024 11:35 AM CDT

Budding cannabis law courses are growing—but not fast enough

An increasing number of law schools around the country are offering cannabis law courses, but some professors think that even more are needed. “We’re still playing catch-up.”

Apr 15, 2024 9:30 AM CDT

Blaming Word setting for overlong briefs is ‘somewhat hard to believe,’ federal judge says as she tosses footnotes

A setting in Microsoft Word is to blame for a failure to include footnotes in word counts for briefs filed on behalf of online casino provider High 5 Games, its lawyers told a federal judge in fighting a bid for sanctions.

Apr 1, 2024 11:42 AM CDT

This state is creating a way to skip the bar exam and making it easier to pass for those who take it

The Washington Supreme Court has adopted alternative pathways to a law license, becoming the second state to do so in a little more than four months.

Mar 18, 2024 10:58 AM CDT

2020 Supreme Court decision offers ‘dangerous’ path for stealing election, legal scholars say

A 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision on faithless electors appears to allow state legislatures to pursue a “dangerous strategy” for overturning election results, according to an op-ed in the New York Times by two legal scholars.

Jan 24, 2024 10:13 AM CST

Judge sticks with $268K sanction for fake news article lawyer filed with appeals court

A federal judge in California is requiring a Seattle lawyer to pay $251,000 in attorney fees and nearly $17,000 in interest for filing a fake news story with a federal appeals court in San Francisco.

Jan 10, 2024 8:18 AM CST

Supreme Court declines to consider challenge to conversion-therapy ban; 3 justices would have heard case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a challenge to ban in Washington on conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors, prompting dissents from three justices.

Dec 11, 2023 2:05 PM CST

Lawyer accused of submitting fake news article isn’t sure whether judge signed $268K sanction order

A Seattle lawyer is suggesting that a federal judge didn’t sign an order requiring him to pay more than $268,000 as a sanction for trying to file a fake “Saudi Sun” news article with a federal appeals court.

Oct 26, 2023 11:00 AM CDT

Judge sanctions Buchalter over $147K for ‘unsupported arguments’ and misleading assertions

A federal judge in Seattle has ordered Buchalter to pay more than $147,000 to its opponents for prolonging discovery through "unsupported arguments" and false or misleading assertions in litigation.

Sep 26, 2023 2:42 PM CDT