Ethics

Judge’s plan to decide traffic cases before hearing date ‘was not evil in nature,’ disciplinary court says

A Philadelphia municipal judge who ruled on 95 traffic citations one day before the hearing date violated just one ethics rule requiring diligent and competent performance of duties, the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline has ruled.

Mar 13, 2024 9:56 AM CDT

Apology sanctions for misleading court were ‘mild and fitting,’ 3rd Circuit rules in appeal by DA’s office

A federal judge did not abuse his discretion when he imposed “mild and fitting” sanctions on lawyers in the Philadelphia district attorney’s office for misleading statements made when they sought to vacate the death penalty in a double murder case.

Mar 12, 2024 3:55 PM CDT

Convicted alderman keeps law license after recusals prevent state supreme court from acting

A convicted former alderman from Chicago remains licensed to practice law after recusals prevented the Illinois Supreme Court from acting on a petition for an interim suspension.

Mar 12, 2024 10:46 AM CDT

Lawyer accused of filing class action suit at behest of litigation opponent

A California lawyer has been accused of filing a class action lawsuit that had been prepared by a lawyer working for his litigation opponent and then collecting attorney fees when the case settled on terms advantageous to the opponent.

Mar 11, 2024 1:10 PM CDT

Lawyer who wrote on ethics issues is suspended after he is accused of helping client hide assets

An Iowa lawyer has received a two-year suspension for helping a client hide money from creditors and for "furtively" inserting a provision into a custody agreement.

Mar 7, 2024 12:49 PM CST

Lawyers, witnesses used privilege to ‘obfuscate and hide information’ in Eagles stolen-lyrics trial, judge says

A judge in New York City has tossed charges of conspiring to possess stolen property—namely, Eagles handwritten lyrics—after band front man Don Henley waived attorney-client privilege during the trial, leading to late disclosure of 6,000 pages of material, some of which could be helpful to the defense.

Mar 7, 2024 10:54 AM CST

Overwhelmed lawyer blew deadline and faked email to cover it up, disbarment order says

A lawyer who became overwhelmed with her caseload has been disbarred for faking an email to make it appear that her personal injury client fired her before she missed the deadline to file his lawsuit.

Mar 6, 2024 3:17 PM CST

Blank Rome tried to exact financial ruin because lawyer switched sides in airline litigation, her suit alleges

A lawyer in Dunnellon, Florida, has filed a lawsuit alleging that attorneys at Blank Rome filed an “utterly baseless” suit against her in a bid to exact financial ruin, destroy her reputation and send a warning to lawyers who switch sides in litigation involving its aviation clients.

Mar 6, 2024 12:00 PM CST

Lawyer accused of spying on Muslim colleagues gives up law license

A lawyer has resigned from the bar after he was accused of spying on his colleagues at an Ohio-based chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy and civil rights organization.

Mar 5, 2024 12:25 PM CST

DA acknowledges unwarranted prosecution of woman for ‘clearly not criminal’ abortion

The district attorney in Starr County, Texas, has agreed to a one-year probated suspension for the murder prosecution of a woman who had a self-induced abortion.

Mar 4, 2024 9:20 AM CST

Government lawyers’ use of ‘confidential information’ in private practice clarified in new ABA ethics opinion

Lawyers who work in government or serve as public officials have special confidentiality obligations, and they should not use “confidential government information” when representing private clients, according to an ABA ethics opinion released Wednesday.

Feb 28, 2024 10:05 AM CST

‘Known Christian conservative’ judge says his ouster over sexual assault reversal was ‘total political hit job’

A judge who declared that a sexual assault defendant had “plenty of punishment” before reversing the conviction has been removed from the bench.

Feb 27, 2024 10:44 AM CST

Former Texas lawyer accused of bilking clients for at least $20M is sentenced for ‘Ponzi-type scheme’

A former lawyer in San Antonio has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for depositing client money into his accounts and then using it to pay other client debts and support his “extravagant lifestyle,” according to federal prosecutors and court records.

Feb 23, 2024 9:42 AM CST

Contracts imposing $50K in liquidated damages for lawyer departures lead to suspension recommendation

The founding partners of Tully Rinckey should each be suspended for 90 days because of employment and separation agreements that restricted departing lawyers’ right to practice, according to an ethics recommendation.

Feb 22, 2024 1:17 PM CST

Lawyer’s ‘intimidating and degrading conduct’ was ‘a business model of sorts, based on fear,’ state supreme court says

The Tennessee Supreme Court has disbarred a Tennessee lawyer, citing a pattern of “egregious” communications apparently intended to intimidate and humiliate the opposing counsel to gain an unfair advantage in litigation.

Feb 22, 2024 9:53 AM CST