Ballard Spahr Beats Back Potential Client's Malpractice Suit Jun 11, 2008
Lawrence Fox of Drinker Biddle & Reath served as expert witness on legal ethics for the defense ... Epstein's expert witnesses were damages expert Jeffrey Sklar and legal ethics expert and law professor Nancy Moore of Boston University. (Law.com)
9th Circuit Taps Special Prosecutor for Toxic-Tort Case Jun 10, 2008
The appointment of a special prosecutor was "extremely unusual," said Richard Zitrin, a San Francisco attorney and writer on legal ethics. "Why the court chose to do this, I can't speculate, but to me it speaks to the seriousness of the allegations," said Zitrin, of Zitrin & Frasetto. (Law.com)
NY Considers 'Organ-Removal' Ambulance Jun 6, 2008
But experts in medical and legal ethics said they still see potential for trouble. "Starting this process without knowing whether the decedent wanted to be a donor could be a problem," said Maxwell Mehlman, director of the Law-Medicine Center at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. (Time.com)
Geiger Chosen to Join Management of Sands Anderson Litigation Team Jun 2, 2008
He is an assistant professor at the University of Richmond and a frequent lecturer and commentator on legal ethics and the practice of law. Geiger, whose office is in Richmond, will work alongside Lee Byrd, who has managed the litigation team for seven years and was elected this past January to the firm's three-member Board of Directors. (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
Morgan Lewis Faces Malpractice Suit Over Patent Application May 28, 2008
Diane Karpman, a legal ethics expert, said that not keeping a client informed can be a serious accusation. But she said lawyers do have an undefined period of time to try to fix the problem before they have to come clean. (Law.com)
Pennsylvania League of Women Voters strikes a nerve with Cappy May 28, 2008
a University of Pittsburgh law professor who teaches and writes about legal ethics, called the lawsuit irresponsible. This kind of due-process argument is simply not something that courts have recognized to this point and it s not something that courts are likely to recognize, said Burkoff, suggesting that any alleged judicial misconduct should be handled through the court s disciplinary process. (Somerset Daily American, PA)
Thomas to high court: Make Bar back off May 28, 2008
To help make his argument, Thomas enlisted a former Arizona Supreme Court chief justice, a former Arizona attorney general and legal ethics experts from California and Michigan. "All five said there were no merits to these so-called allegations." Thomas said. (AZCentral -- News)
Inspectors General May Get More Power May 3, 2008
The Senate provision, he and Fine's office said, was designed not to have OIG take over all legal ethics investigations, but to have the right of first refusal over cases. Garden-variety ethics cases would still go to OPR. The OIG would take on "the more high-level, more serious, more systemic" allegations. (Law.com)
Judge Carol L. Mittlesteadt Issues Public Apology for Her Role in Lawsuit That 'Lacked Legal Basis' Against Thomas M. Siebel May 2, 2008
In addition to her apology, Judge Mittlesteadt agreed to a financial settlement of $100,000, which Mr. Siebel will donate to the Stanford University Law School to support the study of legal ethics ... In an effort to set a precedent that would prevent similar lawsuits in the future, Mr. Siebel filed a malicious prosecution suit against Judge Mittlesteadt and her co-counsel, E. Rick Buell II. The suit stated that they had misused the legal process, in violation of the law and in violation of... (PR Newswire)
Former Clients Sue Howrey After Alleged Patent Deal Sours Apr 19, 2008
A successful breach of fiduciary duty claim makes an attorney vulnerable to fee disgorgement under the 1999 Texas Supreme Court opinion Burrow v. Arce, et al., says James A. "Sandy" McCorquodale, a partner in Kleiman Lawrence Baskind Fitzgerald in Dallas whose practice includes legal ethics matters. Arce allows a trial judge to require fee forfeiture when attorneys breach duties to their clients, even if the clients suffer no damages. (Law.com)
Inmate hopes deadly 26-year-old secret can set him free Apr 14, 2008
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Sunday, April 13, 2008 6:26 PM CDT. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
After 26 years, 2 lawyers reveal a killer's secret Apr 13, 2008
But bound by legal ethics, they kept quiet. Instead, they wrote down what they'd been told. (USA Today)
SmartPros to Trade On the NASDAQ Stock Market Apr 11, 2008
Source: SmartPros Ltd.. HAWTHORNE, N.Y., April 10, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- SmartPros Ltd. (AMEX: - ), a leader in the field of accredited professional education and corporate training, announced today that its publicly traded common shares and warrants have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market subject to it continuing to satisfy the minimum bid price requirement of $4. (Primezone Releases)
Saudi snubs Gitmo war crimes court Apr 10, 2008
But Broyles said the legal ethics code of his home state of Kentucky might prevent him from representing someone who doesn't even want to mount a defense, and he hinted at a legal challenge on the issue. Click for related content. (MSNBC -- International)
Law firm immersed in more hot water Apr 7, 2008
Steigerwalt said he has set up a new client-relations department to handle complaints quickly; has a legal ethics lawyer; and has required lawyers to have mandatory professional training each week on legal issues. Lawsuits and complaints. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Man held in killings may admit fraud Apr 1, 2008
They said legal ethics prohibit them from disclosing private conversations with clients. Miller said during a jailhouse interview last summer that he was tired of living in isolation at the First Avenue Jail and wanted to go to a state prison as soon as possible. (AZCentral -- News)
Former Latham Partner Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Clients, Firm Mar 29, 2008
Steven Lubet, a legal ethics professor at Northwestern University School of Law, said he always found it "incredible" that highly paid partners would resort to fraud. He said he could only imagine that such people were overspending trying to emulate the lifestyles of those they represented. (Law.com)
Gitmo prosecutors taken to court Mar 18, 2008
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Lawyers for four Kuwaiti men held at Guantanamo Bay have asked a court to block U.S. military prosecutors from contacting the detainees without their consent, accusing the government Monday of violating legal ethics. The emergency petition, filed last week in a Washington appeals court, raises concerns over a recent assertion by Guantanamo's chief prosecutor that he does not need the lawyers' permission because they do not represent the detainees before the war-crimes... (MSNBC -- Terrorism)
Jaya's lawyer ditches AIADMK Mar 18, 2008
CHENNAI: AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa's trusted lawyer N Jothi, who successfully appealed against her conviction in the Tansi land deal case, has deserted her after being denied a Rajya Sabha renomination, prompting her to accuse him of violating legal ethics by abandoning over 100 briefs involving her partymen and other associates. Get personalised news stories on mobile. (India Times, India -- Community News)
Big-time lawyer pleads guilty in bribery case Mar 16, 2008
Scruggs has been "the bane of Wall Street," and leaders of some of the companies he sued might take satisfaction in his downfall, said Stephen Gillers, a New York University law professor and authority on legal ethics. He described Scruggs as "an exceptionally prominent American lawyer with astonishing success and wealth from law practice.". (San Francisco Chronicle)
Verdict upheld for Valley law firm suing over fees Mar 15, 2008
As an alternate theory, O'Quinn submitted a letter from a professor on legal ethics. Citing Arizona's rule on legal fees, Geoffrey Hazard said the O'Quinn firm had absorbed some of the charges against its $10 million to "have a little more money" for the clients. (AZCentral -- Business)
Legal legend Dickie Scruggs pleads guilty in bribery Mar 15, 2008
Scruggs' actions were inexplicable because the amount of money at stake was a pittance compared to his wealth, said New York University law professor Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics expert. "You ask why would someone do this . . . to risk so much for so little. . . . Because they think they can," Gillers said, noting that Scruggs was hardly the only lawyer to have run afoul of the law -- merely one of the most famous to do so. (Los Angeles Times)
Scrutiny for a Bush Judicial Nominee Mar 15, 2008
Companies often try to show their best face to customers, and safeguard internal records with "attorney-client privilege." But according to Stephen Gillers, a leading expert on legal ethics at New York University, CCA's use of that privilege seems like "a wholesale, possibly overreaching claim," similiar to the blanket assertions of major tobacco companies that tried to keep damaging internal documents from public view. Those assertions of privilege have been rejected by federal judges as an... (Time.com)
Pfizer, Exxon Suffer From U.S. Supreme Court Justices Who Own Their Shares Mar 8, 2008
Recused ought to be recused,'' said , who teaches legal ethics at Northwestern University's law school in Chicago. Lubet is among those who don't see stock-based recusals as a major problem, pointing to the rarity of 4-4 decisions. (Bloomberg)
EDITORIAL: OR kitchen embarrassing Feb 21, 2008
Loyola's job as a "social justice" university is to bridge the gap between legal ethics and morals. The current working conditions of Orleans Room employees are legally acceptable, but morally questionable. (The Maroon, LA)
Former Supervisor Jew Seeks Hearing In Extortion Case Feb 20, 2008
But Gruel's attorney, Richard Zitrin, a legal ethics professor, said the pleading "is nonsense.". "Steven Gruel did not have a conflict of interest and did absolutely nothing wrong," Zitrin said. (NBC 11, CA)
Attorney for Porter fund invested money in own firm Feb 19, 2008
Stephen Gillers, a professor of legal ethics at New York University School of Law, said he still needed to set the arrangement in writing and have the mother approve it in writing. Even then, the loan would not be ethical unless the terms interest rate, security, duration were fair and reasonable to the mother, Gillers said. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Rx for errors Feb 15, 2008
Michael Krauss, who teaches legal ethics at George Mason University Law School, says it's true confidentiality is agreed to "in the majority of tort suits," particularly when a company's or an individual's reputation is at stake, as in medical or pharmaceutical malpractice. "If you and I agree to make a contract, we can condition that contract on secrecy," Krauss says. (USA Today -- Money)
Class actions feel effects of Milberg case Feb 11, 2008
The Milberg Weiss prosecutions also are likely to make lawyers more careful, said Stephen Gillers, who teaches legal ethics at the New York University School of Law. "It has to worry them even if they're doing nothing wrong because the Justice Department has shown its willingness to look into how they do business," he said. (Los Angeles Times)
more » Feb 1, 2008
Griffin served as Chairman of the Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission from 1985 to 1987 and is a frequent lecturer at seminars concerning legal ethics and professionalism. As an ordained Baptist minister and former pastor, Griffin serves as Coordinator of Ministries for Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Little Rock. (Searcy Daily Citizen, AR)
Pitt prof named to panel probing MBA Jan 29, 2008
Mr. Burkoff, who specializes in criminal law and legal ethics, was elected by WVU's faculty senate, along with former University of Missouri-Columbia Provost Lori Franz and former Pace University business school Dean Arthur Centonze. They will join WVU professors Roy Nutter and Michael Lastinger, who were appointed Jan. 2 when WVU Provost Gerald E. Lang formed a three-member panel. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Ed Jew moves to have criminal case dismissed Jan 26, 2008
Experts in legal ethics disagreed on whether Jew's allegations, if true, would result in the case against him being thrown out ... Deborah Rhode, who heads Stanford Law School's Keck Center on Legal Ethics and the Legal Profession, said: "Especially in a criminal context - where people's lives and reputations are on the line - you want them to have total trust in their attorney. So you would want information about whatever transpired earlier to come from your lawyer and not read about it in... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
originally filed in 2004 Jan 15, 2008
Fox Rothschild partner Scott Vernick, who has expertise in legal ethics, said that in cases with a fact pattern such as this, plaintiffs either argue a violation of Rule 1. 6 or Rule 1. (Law.com Newswire)
SmartPros Launches iReflect Training Software Jan 15, 2008
You no longer need to remember symbols. Simply type in a company name or stock symbol for instant results. (Primezone Releases)
Loyola Law School Dean David W. Burcham Named Provost of Loyola Marymount University Jan 11, 2008
Committed to legal ethics and the public interest, Loyola Law School has produced top attorneys for nearly a century. For expert commentary, please contact Brian Costello, deputy director of communications, at 213. (PR Newswire)
Ex-reps say Amgen used patient records Jan 10, 2008
Jim Cohen, a Fordham University law professor specializing in legal ethics and criminal law, and John Thomas, a health law professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law, said that accessing patient medical files violates the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA.. Cotz said the scheme started in 2005 or sooner, after new drugs competing with Enbrel came on the market. (Anchorage Daily News)
Will Harsh Ruling Over Qualcomm Discovery Increase Chances of Bar Discipline? Jan 9, 2008
"These are the kind of cases that enter casebooks and the classroom," said Deborah Rhode, a legal ethics professor at Stanford Law School. . (Law.com)
Lawyer's Bid to Keep 'Gift' Above Legal Fees Rejected Dec 27, 2007
Even if his documents were timely and authentic, she said, his claimed gift would not be acceptable under state legal ethics rules, which say that, prior to accepting a large, unsolicited gift from a client, a lawyer should urge the client to seek the advice of independent counsel. The rules further state that independent counsel should draw up any instrument for such a gift. (Law.com)
FTC chairman won't recuse self in Google-DoubleClick Dec 16, 2007
Updated at 3:00 p.m. PST with additional legal ethics expert opinion ... Several legal ethics experts disagreed ... A mere appearance of impropriety isn't enough, particularly with the increasing number of married couples practicing law, said Diane Karpman, a legal ethics expert at Karpman & Associates. (CNET News.com)
AIDS - Ethical and Spiritual Perspectives Dec 13, 2007
Challenges of AIDS to Ethics: Ethics are series of guidelines/norms for a specific group in order to ensure good and correct behaviour in respect of their professional /group Medical Ethics, Nursing Ethics, Legal Ethics, Social Ethics. AIDS has posed a formidable challenge to our already tested norms of ethics and standard of our medical profession in particular. (KanglaOnline)
A crime buster, with his eye on the future Dec 11, 2007
We depend on prosecutors being capable of doubt and exercising discretion, said Stephen Gillers, a professor of legal ethics at and a former law school classmate of Mr. Giulianis. You cant push the throttle forward every time, and thats what he did. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Morrison & Foerster Finds Conflict in SCO Patent Case Dec 6, 2007
"There's no doubt that lawyers, especially in big firms, have moved toward new and more inventive ways of 'curing conflicts,'" said Richard Zitrin, former director of the Center for Applied Legal Ethics at the University of San Francisco School of Law. "Unfortunately, many of those 'cures' can be worse than the disease.". (Law.com)
Edenfield deals in Barrios death Dec 5, 2007
Citing legal ethics banning comment about pending cases, Kelley declined to reveal details of Peggy Edenfield's role in the abduction and killing. However, an indictment charges her with participating in Christopher's killing after her husband and son took turns sexually abusing him while she masturbated. (Florida Times-Union)
Realty lawyer knows Rocky Point controversy Nov 26, 2007
In three Arizona Bar complaints, however, other state residents allege that O'Farrill concealed his multiple roles in North Beach to gain a financial advantage, a violation of legal ethics. "It is perfectly clear that Mr. O'Farrill was acting in a double role, which is unethical . . . due to the conflict of interest," says a statement filed with the Bar by investor Jeffery Allen of Tucson. (AZCentral -- News)
Virgina gov. to campaign for Obama in C.C. Nov 17, 2007
A graduate of University of Missouri and Harvard Law School, Kaine also worked as a missionary in Honduras, taught legal ethics at the University of Richmond Law School and served as Mayor of the City of Richmond. Gov. Kaine will be at The Uptown Cafe, 223 N. Main St. in Charles City, at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17. (Charles City Press, IO)
William F. McMurry Selected by ABC News 20/20 for Expert Opinion in Hoax Case Nov 17, 2007
Legal Malpractice; Medical Malpractice; Legal Ethics; Professional Responsibility; Civil Trial; Personal Injury, Auto Accident Injury; Professional Negligence; Products Liability; Civil Litigation. ISLN: 904914748 Admitted to the Bar: Kentucky, 1979; Florida, 1981 Education: University of Kentucky, B.G.S. with high distinction, 1976 University of Louisville, J.D., 1978. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Will The Vioxx Settlement Work? Nov 14, 2007
Legal ethics experts question this provision, because lawyers aren't supposed to recommend a course of action that benefits them unless it's also in the client's best interests. Plaintiff lawyers stand to reap $1 billion or more in fees from the settlement and would no longer have to spend millions of dollars preparing for trials. (Forbes -- Business)
UC Irvine gave Bren a say in dean selection Nov 9, 2007
Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics specialist and former vice dean at New York University School of Law, said the agreement did not trouble him. "It implies no control. . . . I think it is fair to assume that nothing more than an expression of views is contemplated or will be tolerated.". (Los Angeles Times)
Critics question Andrew Thomas' motives Nov 4, 2007
But one well-known rule of legal ethics is not to try a case in the media; the concept usually pertains to trial attorneys. But could the concept be applied to top prosecutors as well. (AZCentral -- News)
Examining the ethics in the lethal injection case Nov 3, 2007
When I posed those questions to of New York University, an expert on legal ethics, he said it's not a matter of fairness in the conventional sense. He pointed to a story about late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. (NPR)
New Times owners arrested Oct 19, 2007
Baca said that legal ethics prevent her from talking publicly about the case. Presiding Judge Barbara Mundell also declined to comment on the case, as did Barnett Lotstein, speaking on behalf of the County Attorney's Office, and Wilenchik. (AZCentral)
Wichita lawyer new president of national organization Oct 18, 2007
The group's mission is to maintain and improve the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and legal ethics. Related Industry News. (Wichita Business Journal, KS)
Terrorist Attorney Lectures on Ethics at Hofstra Law School Oct 16, 2007
On October 14 -16th, 2007, Hofstra University Law School in Long Island, New York will host a conference for students and attorneys titled, Legal Ethics: Lawyering on the Edge. The theme will be unpopular clients, difficult cases, and zealous advocates. (Human Events Online)
HASSLE THE HOF Oct 14, 2007
Oct 00004000 ober 14, 2007 -- My compliments to The Post for exposing Hofstra University's invitation to Lynne Stewart, the disbarred felon and radical lawyer, to lecture on legal ethics ("Hofstra Hosts a Terror Fan," PostOpinion, Walter Olson, Oct. 5). I am ashamed of Hofstra, my alma mater of almost 50 years, for this travesty. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Allegations of an Affair and a Forgery Ensnare Beveridge & Diamond Oct 13, 2007
" But Keeney says he did not specifically look into whether Guttmann acted unethically. Barry Cohen, a legal ethics and malpractice partner at Crowell g, says the D.C. rules of conduct for lawyers are clear. "If he signed her name without her permission then it would be, for ethics purposes, a dishonest act," Cohen says. "It would fall under the category of dishonesty and could result in a censure or a suspension. We'd need to know the facts and the motivation. (Law.com)
Law School Knocked for Including Disbarred Attorney Stewart on Ethics Panel Oct 9, 2007
Overall, Demleitner said the speakers lined up by Roy D. Simon, the conference director and director of the school's Institute for Legal Ethics, will give attendees insight into most pressing ethical challenges facing advocates, including what happens when a lawyer goes astray ... James Taranto, in The Wall Street Journal's "Best of the Web," wrote, "So Hofstra's law school regards a disbarred criminal as an expert on legal ethics and someone who has been convicted of giving material support to... (Law.com)
Ivory Tower Decay Oct 8, 2007
It explains why Hofstra's law school invites to speak on legal ethics Lynn Stewart, a lawyer convicted of aiding and abetting a terrorist client and sentenced to 28 months in jail. What it doesn't explain is why the rest of society is willing to support such institutions by paying huge tuitions, providing tax exemptions and making generous gifts. (Human Events Online)
Female lawyers impress at Jubilee enrolment Oct 6, 2007
The other five prizes were the B. J. da Rocha Prize for the Overall Best Student in Advocacy and Legal Ethics and the G.E.K. Aikins Prize for the Best Female Student in the same examination, the Jonathan Arthur Memorial Prize for the Best Female Student in Civil Procedure, the Kenneth D. Laryea Prize for the Best Student in the Law of Evidence and the A.K. Ansah Twum prize for the Best Female Student in the same examination. Four other women - Heidi-Marie Boakye, Gifty A.S. Amoafa-Yeboah, Angela... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
HOFSTRA HOSTS A TERROR FAN Oct 5, 2007
DISBARRED FELON TO TEACH LEGAL ETHICS ... So much so that administrators at Long Island's Hofstra Law School may well have had no idea that they'd touch off a furor when they invited Lynne Stewart - the disbarred felon and radical lawyer - to lecture on legal ethics. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Lawyers' Notes Become Ethics Test in Case Before Calif. Supreme Court Oct 3, 2007
Some legal pundits have said the decision in Rico v. Mitsubishi Motors Corp., S123808, could represent the court's most important legal ethics ruling in years. The underlying dispute in the Rico case began in 2002 on the eve of a product liability trial involving a rollover crash of a Mitsubishi Montero sport utility vehicle that resulted in the death of 11-year-old Denise Rico and the partial paralysis of her 18-year-old sister, Serene. (Law.com)
Lawyer Sentenced for Terror Support to Teach at N.Y.... Sep 27, 2007
Lynne Stewart, who was convicted in 2005 of providing material support to terrorists and received a 28-month sentence, was to speak at Hofstra Law School s legal ethics conference, set for Oct. 14 to Oct. 16. Her former client, sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, was sentenced to life in prison for plotting to blow up five New York landmarks and assassinate Egypt's president. (Fox News)
Erwin Chemerinsky named founding dean of law school UCI, Sep. 20 Sep 21, 2007
Previously he was the Sydney M. Irmas Professor of Public Interest Law, Legal Ethics and Political Science at the University of Southern California Law School for 21 years, and director of the university's Center for Communications Law and Policy from 2000-2004. He also served as a professor at DePaul College of Law from 1980-83 and practiced law as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice and at Dobrovir, Oakes and Gebhart in Washington, D.C.. (University of California Newswire, CA)
Office dating TV style Sep 14, 2007
I could go on and on, citing "Boston Legal," in which every lawyer, judge and client who comes on the scene has a liaison of sorts with each other, and nobody ever questions or worries about the legal ethics of such trysts. I contrast these shows with a recent cable favorite, "Mad Men," which centers on an advertising agency in NY, circa 1960. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Prominent Litigator Gregory P. Miller Leads Group of 12 Lawyers to Drinker Biddle Sep 11, 2007
Miller is also a frequent author and lecturer in the area of legal ethics. He served six years on the Disciplinary Board for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, chairing its Rules Committee. (PR Newswire)
State public defender quits Sep 1, 2007
These are multi-defendant cases where, because of legal ethics rules, the capital defender office can only represent one defendant. Private attorneys, who are paid by the hour, are appointed to represent the others. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
