Legal Ethics
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.10.23
* Another day, another several hundred grand worth of unethical and undisclosed gifts for Clarence Thomas. [ProPublica]
* ABA encouraging law firms to redouble efforts to expand diversity… before the Supreme Court makes it illegal. [Bloomberg Law News]
* Lawsuit alleges private attorney took on upwards of 600 indigent client criminal cases, collecting huge sums from the city, and then not doing any work. That’s not totally true… the lawsuit alleges that the lawyer was quite diligent about filing motions for fees. [ABA Journal]
* Treasury announcing regulations to curb money laundering through real estate. Maybe Manhattan will be affordable again in 15 years! [Reuters]
* A Wisconsin police department refuses to divulge the name of officers who shoot people citing victim’s rights laws and arguing that if they shot someone they must have felt threatened and therefore are the real victims. [Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel]
* Don’t use AI to write your firm’s web content reports the department of obvious things. [Search Engine Journal]
* Ninth Circuit says text spam is not covered by the TCPA. Great! Just in time for generative AI to remove almost every entry barrier to mass text spamming. [Law360]
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Government
Attorney Faces Criminal Charges For Tampering With Voting Machines After The 2020 Election. Again.
Trump allies under fire for tampering with voting machines. - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Courts
Clarence Thomas RV Financed By Rich Health Care Executive In Least Shocking Development Ever
Clarence Thomas uses his RV to bolster his everyman status. As long as 'every man' has a buddy willing to personally finance it.
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Courts
California Judge Arrested On Suspicion Of Shooting His Wife To Death
One of his sons was reportedly there during the shooting, and tried to perform CPR on his mother. -
Courts
Despite Her Cooperation, Panel Decides To Suspend Pauline Newman For A Year
This is one hell of a way to treat a colleague. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 08.07.23
* Elon claims that X will pay legal fees of users who lost their jobs over deplorable stuff they Tweeted. Bold promise from a guy who won’t even pay his own legal fees. [Fortune]
* Law firm demand is up as the market continues to fret about the recession that never materialized. [Reuters]
* Federal Circuit panel calls for Judge Pauline Newman to be suspended for a year for not submitting to a mental health examination to prove or disprove the mental health allegations that the Federal Circuit seeks to suspend her over. [Bloomberg Law News]
* Convicted war criminal seeks bar admission. In case you were worried about how character & fitness might eye your speeding tickets. [The Intercept]
* Ken Paxton’s lawyers recognize the broad gag order prohibiting them from discussing the case with the media beyond reciting information in public records… so they’re just going on the radio and reading selective, inflammatory passages from their filings. [KABB]
* Attorney David Oscar Markus snagged around 45 minutes with Trump attorney John Lauro. [For the Defense]
* Harvard Law professor Charles Ogletree has passed away. [Politico]
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Courts, Government
Senate Democrats Want Samuel Alito To Recuse In Any Cases Concerning SCOTUS Ethics
Maybe he'll write another op-ed in the WSJ about this request. -
- Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
Courts
No Judge Should Serve Forever
We should hold judges to the highest ethical standards, not the lowest. This necessitates ensuring that those who interpret our laws are fit to serve. -
Legal Ethics
A Possible End To Incivility? Even On Social Media?
Don't worry. Either way, there will still be plenty of incivility in every single other aspect of your daily life. -
Law Schools
Gunners Gonna Gun -- Even On Their Wedding Day
Sure, you may be proud of your class rank but this is a bridge too far. -
Courts
Clarence Thomas Has Been Getting Financed Since Before He Joined The Court
Not that anyone thought he was a grass roots appointee to begin with. -
Podcasts
'Supreme Court Ethics' Achieves Oxymoron Status
Also more mandatory office policies and a brief primer on the Federal Circuit controversy.
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
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Legal Ethics
News Flash: Stealing Your Jailed Client's Money Isn't The Best Idea
Goes to show the MPRE is a better test of memory than ethics. -
Government
Court Refuses To Toss Sanctions For Alan Dershowitz In Election LOLsuit For Kari Lake
But he did get a haircut on the award. And his dignity. -
Small Law Firms
'I Never Sexually Harassed Anybody,' Says Lawyer Facing Ethics Complaint Filled With Sexual Harassment
The 'generation gap' excuse doesn't cut it. -
Biglaw
Biglaw Partner Learns The Hard Way It's Probably Best If You *Don't* Forge Someone's Signature On Legal Documents
Overwork caused the 'moment of madness.' -
Courts
Federal Judge Absolutely NAILS Supreme Court's Ethics Dumpster Fire
If you read one thing about the Supreme Court all day, read this. Or actually read the article this is piece is about. You know what? Read two things. -
Courts
Maybe The Guardian Should Leave The Clarence Thomas Exposés To Pro Publica
Better luck next time. We're like two weeks off another Clarence Thomas scandal at most. -
Courts
Physical Altercation Between Attorneys Allegedly Behind Mistrial
That's one way to get a new trial.