Legal Ethics
-
5th Circuit, Attorney Misconduct, Bar Exams, Biglaw, California, Divorce Train Wrecks, Edith Jones, John Roberts, Legal Ethics, Morning Docket, Patents, Pro Bono, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Women's Issues
Morning Docket: 06.14.13
* When SCOTUS cases involve public companies and rulings are misinterpreted, it can lead to some pretty volatile stock performance, as was evidenced by yesterday’s highs and lows for Myriad Genetics of BRCA1 patent fame. [Washington Post]
* The ethics complaint against Judge Edith Jones of the Fifth Circuit has been transferred to the D.C. Circuit after receiving a blessing from the Chief Justice of the United States. Uh oh, that’s serious business if Roberts is involved. [Times-Picayune]
* The number of women working in the NLJ 350 is sad. They make up only one-third of all attorneys working in Biglaw, and we’re stuck celebrating the tiniest positive changes. Sigh. [National Law Journal]
* Proskauer Rose’s former CFO, Elly Rosenthal, settled her $10M disability discrimination suit against the firm in anticlimactic fashion, “without costs to any party as against the others.” [Am Law Daily]
* California is obviously trying to one-up New York with this one. In addition to a 50-hour pro bono requirement, they’re pushing for 15 hours of real-world training before bar admission. [The Recorder]
* Try to stop a man from throwing a pie in your husband’s face and in return you’ll be served with your wifely walking papers a few years later. Aww, Rupert Murdoch is such a kind old man. [Bloomberg]
-
Art, Attorney Misconduct, Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Books, Clerkships, Headhunters / Recruiters, Howrey LLP, Legal Ethics, Morning Docket, New Jersey, Privacy, SCOTUS, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 06.10.13
* Edward Snowden, the computer technician who leaked details on the programs the NSA didn’t want you to know about, sacrificed his life to save your privacy’s soul. Thanks a bunch, Technology Jesus! [CNN]
* While we wait for Fisher, DOMA, and Prop 8, if you’d like some background info on the people behind the most controversial and talked about SCOTUS cases of the term, give this one a read. [NBC News]
* If a justice claims he’s never met a homosexual and he’s got a gay law clerk, telling him to “look around [his] chambers” to find one is the NKI. My, how times have changed since the mid-80s. [New York Times]
* In 2012, Justice Sotomayor earned $1.9 million in royalties from her memoir, My Beloved World (affiliate link). Yeah, her world is probably so beloved because she’s rolling around in money. [Blog of Legal Times]
* Howrey going to make use of this empty wall space? If you’re in the market for some art, this bankrupt firm’s decor will be up for auction in D.C. later this week. [Bankruptcy Beat / Wall Street Journal]
* When you’re dealing with the most beautiful people in Biglaw, the price for pretty is high: Davis Polk was slapped with a million-dollar lawsuit over a recruiter’s fee. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Gerald Shargel, criminal defense attorney to the Mafia stars, is retiring his shingle to join Winston & Strawn. Biglaw better keep him entertained — he gets bored easily. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Cory Booker, one of everyone’s favorite Yale Law School grads, announced his candidacy for a New Jersey Senate seat over the weekend. Best of luck in the special election! [The Note / ABC News]
* The feds are seeking a four-year sentence for former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in his campaign funds misuse case. No MJ memorabilia is worth prison time, no matter how big a fan you are. [The Hill]
* “[I]f you ever call me on my cellphone again, I’ll strangle you.” Yikes. Looks like this Kentucky judge won’t have the chance to wring his hands around lawyers’ necks any time soon. [Courier-Journal]
- Sponsored
Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar on April 10th, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Attorney Misconduct, Boutique Law Firms, Lawyer of the Day, Legal Ethics, Litigators, Plaintiffs Firms, Politics, Small Law Firms
Disgraced Plaintiffs' Lawyer Stan Chesley: He's Baaack....
Stan Chesley -- the "Master of Disaster," the "Prince of Torts" -- is not going gently into that good night.
-
5th Circuit, Crime, Death Penalty, Edith Jones, Federal Judges, Federalist Society, Legal Ethics, Minority Issues, Politics, Racism
A Tale of Sound & Fury (But No Transcript): In Defense of Judge Edith Jones
A group of civil rights organizations recently filed a misconduct complaint against Judge Edith Jones of the Fifth Circuit. A former Jones clerk, Tamara Tabo, comes to the judge's defense. -
5th Circuit, Barack Obama, Crime, D.C. Circuit, Edith Jones, Intellectual Property, Judicial Divas, Legal Ethics, Morning Docket, Murder, New Jersey, Patents, Prostitution
Morning Docket: 06.05.13
* Meow! An ethics complaint has been filed against Judge Edith Jones, the judicial diva herself, over insensitive comments about race and the death penalty that she made at Penn Law. [San Antonio Express-News]
* In the pissing contest over judicial confirmations, it’s fair to say that Obama’s recent nominees to the D.C. Circuit won’t receive a hearing, much less be confirmed, any time soon. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)]
* Nobody likes patent trolls, not even the president. Obama went on the offensive yesterday, promising to curb unwarranted intellectual property litigation filed by pesky profiteers. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Speaking of patents, there’s a new exchange being formed for public trading rights. Please welcome the Intellectual Property Exchange International, the first exchange platform of its kind. IP: so hot right now. [DealBook / New York Times]
* After a review of evidence that Colorado movie theater shooting suspect James Holmes was whacked out of his mind at the time of the shooting, he was allowed to enter an insanity plea. [Bloomberg]
* The judge in the Oscar Pistorius case has adjourned the track star’s legal proceedings until August on account of a “trial by media.” We’ll probably continue to speculate about it until then. [New York Times]
* A woman is suing because she got her ass kicked by a gang of hookers at a Florida hotel. She claims the prostitutes thought she was infringing on their territory. Nope — she’s just a Jersey girl. [Fox News]
-
Attorney Misconduct, Crime, Hotties, Legal Ethics, Prostitution, Sex, Sex Scandals, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
Lawyer Ethics Commission Accuses Reema Bajaj of Trading Sex for Office Supplies
What would Reema do for a ream of office paper? Here are the latest allegations against an attractive attorney who pleaded guilty to prostitution. -
Attorney Misconduct, Benchslaps, Divorce Train Wrecks, Kids, Legal Ethics, Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
How Not To Answer the 'Order to Show Cause That You Shouldn't Be Disbarred'
Turning it in late is a bad start. -
Abortion, Attorney Misconduct, Judge of the Day, Legal Ethics, Pregnancy / Paternity, Quote of the Day
Judge McCree Gets Off On Robbing Cradles
Heeeeeee's baaaack. Everyone's favorite Judge of the Day testified at his misconduct hearing. - Sponsored
This AI-Powered Document Tool Will Meet You Where You Are
Lexis Create provides simple access to internal and external knowledge — directly within Microsoft Word. -
Attorney Misconduct, Crime, Hotties, Legal Ethics, Pornography, Prostitution, Sex, Sex Scandals, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
Reema Unchained: Attorney Who Pleaded Guilty To Prostitution Sues A Slew Of Local Lawyers
Reema Bajaj, the comely young Illinois lawyer who pleaded guilty to prostitution, is back -- with a vengeance. -
Attorney Misconduct, Bad Ideas, Biglaw, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Legal Ethics, Partner Issues, Summer Associates, Women's Issues
Lawyer Claims His 'Slut-Shaming' Is Protected By the First Amendment -- Just Like the Founders Intended
Hell hath no fury like a patent practitioner romantically scorned. -
Basketball, Defamation, Divorce Train Wrecks, Intellectual Property, Legal Ethics, Non-Sequiturs, Patents, Sex, Sex Scandals, Sports, Supreme Court, Women's Issues
Non-Sequiturs: 05.13.13
* Joseph Rakofsky has lost his case against, well basically everyone. Including ATL. [Popehat] * EDNY Judge Edward Korman is earning accolades for his sassiness. [Jezebel] * The Supreme Court handed down its decision in the Monsanto case. Reading the decision is not exhausting. Get it? [Patently-O] * Happy Mother’s Day from Kobe Bryant! Black Mamba takes his mom to court. [Legal Blitz] * Sammy Hagar can’t be held liable for defaming a woman. He also can’t drive 55. [Courthouse News Service] * Stealing $100 worth of cigarettes may seem crazy, but $100 worth of cigarettes in Texas would net something like $480,000 in New York City. [Legal Juice] * Intellectual property run amok. And it doesn’t involve Prenda in any way! [Dealbreaker] * As we reported before, being a divorce lawyer is not just for nailing your clients anymore. [Jezebel] -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Legal Ethics
Inside Straight: The Shoemaker's Children Going Barefoot
Mark Herrmann asks: Does your law firm have an adequate compliance program in place? -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Legal Ethics
House Rules: Under the Table
Law firms should follow the model of their institutional clients when it comes to navigating ethical issues.
Sponsored
This AI-Powered Document Tool Will Meet You Where You Are
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Sponsored
How Generative AI Will Improve Legal Service Delivery
Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
-
Attorney Misconduct, Legal Ethics, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns, Texas
Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged (By an Ethics Panel)
Which came first, the power-crazed judge or the power-crazy person running for judge? -
Antitrust, Attorney Misconduct, Biglaw, California, Celebrities, Deaths, Department of Justice, Divorce Train Wrecks, Drinking, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Mergers and Acquisitions, Morning Docket, New Jersey, Pro Bono
Morning Docket: 04.22.13
* With the capture of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, many legal questions are being asked, like if he’ll be Mirandized, where he’ll be tried, and if he’ll be considered an enemy combatant. [New York Times]
* Thanks for kicking this keg, Mr. Baer: the Department of Justice and Anheuser-Busch InBev have settled their antitrust differences with respect to beer brewery’s planned acquisition of Grupo Modelo. [Legal Times]
* Which firm has a “generous tuition reimbursement” program? And by “generous,” we mean 100% of law school tuition, which is awesome. We may have more on this later today. [Capital Business / Washington Post]
* Stan Chesley, the “master of disaster,” is retiring — not because he wants to, but because he’s disbarred in Kentucky and surrendered his Ohio license before the state could take it from him. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)]
* California may soon follow in New York’s footsteps when it comes a pro bono mandate before bar admission, but the New Jersey Bar Association has an active hit out on the idea. [National Law Journal]
* In an effort to avoid a trial that would’ve lasted longer than their sham marriage did in the first place, fauxlebrity Kim Kardashian and NBA player Kris Humphries settled their divorce last week. [Reuters]
* Morris Kramer, an M&A pioneer and part of Skadden’s “Fab Four,” RIP. [DealBook / New York Times]
-
Attorney Misconduct, Crime, Legal Ethics, Sexual Harassment
Attorney Accused of Groping Client's Mother
Not groping people shouldn't be difficult. -
Biglaw, Book Club, Books, D.C. Circuit, Guns / Firearms, Intellectual Property, Jed Rakoff, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Lindsay Lohan, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Patents, Politics, Senate Judiciary Committee, Wall Street Journal, Weddings
Morning Docket: 04.11.13
* “I don’t believe judges should be filibustered.” Tell that to the rest of your Republican pals, Senator Hatch. D.C. Circuit nom Sri Srinivasan faced little drama at the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. [Bloomberg]
* A bipartisan gun regulation deal has been reached in the Senate, and of course the NRA is opposing it — well, except for the parts that expand gun rights. The group really likes those parts. [Washington Post]
* Trolling for patent partners? Bingham recently snagged five IP partners from DLA Piper’s Los Angeles office, including the former co-chair of DLA patent litigation department. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* Time well spent: while Detroit hangs on the precipice of bankruptcy, local politicians are worrying about whether retaining Jones Day poses a conflict of interest for their emergency manager (formerly of Jones Day). [Am Law Daily]
* NYLS — or should we say “New York’s law school” — is revamping its clinical program to kill two birds with one stone (e.g., fulfilling pro bono hours and boosting job prospects). [National Law Journal]
* For all the talk of his being a hard ass, Judge Rakoff is a nice guy after all! The judge gave an ex-SAC trader permission to go on a honeymoon after his release from prison. [DealBook / New York Times]
* If you’ve ever wondered how Lat spends his free time, sometimes he’s off writing book reviews for distinguished publications. Check out his review of Mistrial (affiliate link) here. [Wall Street Journal]
* “Lindsay Lohan is the victim.” What the Heller you talking about? LiLo’s lawyer thinks there’s a conspiracy among the prosecutors on her case that’s resulted in leaks of information to TMZ. [CNN]
-
Attorney Misconduct, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Legal Ethics, Pornography
Prenda Law's Plight: Porn Copyright Lawyers Plead The Fifth When Asked About Dirty Dealings
You can do so much with a law degree, including porn production… wait, what? -
Attorney Misconduct, Judge of the Day, Legal Ethics, Sex, Sex Scandals, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns
Judge of the Day: Sex Was On the Docket in His Chambers
Let's see if this judge has got any "shame in [his] game" now, shall we? -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, David Boies, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Email Scandals, Facebook, Gay, Gay Marriage, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Money, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Patton Boggs, SCOTUS, Student Loans, Supreme Court, Ted Olson
Morning Docket: 03.27.13
* With SCOTUS justices questioning standing in the Prop 8 case, and one even stating that gay marriage is newer than cell phones and the internet, you can guess where the decision is headed. [New York Times]
* “This badge of inequality must be extinguished.” With men like Ted Olson and David Boies representing the plaintiffs in Prop 8, at least we can say that they fought the good fight. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* OMG, remember when DLA Piper allegedly overbilled a client and got dragged through the mud over scandalous emails? Now the firm says they were totally joking. So cray. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Less than a month after handing out pink slips across multiple offices, Patton Boggs named a new managing partner in New York who just so happens to be a Dewey defector. Ominous. [Am Law Daily]
* These are great tips on negotiating financial aid, but try this: tell admissions you’ll happily enroll elsewhere, and watch them throw cash at you. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]
* It looks like Paul Ceglia’s zany misadventures in being fired as a client by Biglaw firms and suing Facebook may finally be at an end thanks this scathing 155-page recommendation of dismissal. [CNET]