An Ohio lawyer crossed a border and also a line, leading to a two-year suspension and a restitution order under an opinion the state supreme court handed down this week. The suspension was based on ethics violations as to numerous clients, but one involved the prohibitions against unauthorized practice and sexual activity with clients. The
Quick malpractice settlement with uncounseled client merits suspension, says TN court
Falling below the standard of care in providing legal services to a client can of course bring a malpractice claim down on your head — and as we’ve pointed out, the economic climate resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic raises the risk of such claims. Let’s say that you’ve actually made an error. If you
Can you buy groceries for a client? NYC bar urges ethics rule reform
Lawyers should be allowed to help provide “basic financial assistance to indigent clients — such as money for groceries, clothes or medical supplies,” the New York City Bar Association said last week in a letter to the state’s courts. In light of the urgent need caused by the corona virus pandemic, the group is seeking
Ethics and risk management: What will the “new normal” look like?
When we scheduled our daughter’s wedding for March 15 in New York City, little did we know how surreal the world would be by then. The wedding did happen, with a much-reduced number of guests, hand sanitizer on each table, and with the hora joyously danced with gloves on. The next day, the governor banned
Better Call Saul: Legal ethics you can use
We’ve written before about Better Call Saul and its legal ethics lessons. Now, as we all WFH (work from home, that is), here comes a light-hearted series featuring Rhea Seehorn’s character, Kim Wexler, discussing various legal ethics issues. You can watch the first installment on YouTube here. It’s a fun five minutes on
Mega-debt does not block applicant from taking bar exam, court rules
A few weeks ago, we wrote about the Ohio bar applicant with mega-school debt, and the recommendation of the state character and fitness board that she not be permitted to take the bar exam until 2024 based in part on her “neglect of financial responsibilities.”
Less than six weeks after hearing oral argument, a divided
Malpractice suit for document hack that exposed client info can proceed, D.C. district court says
A prominent Chinese dissident may proceed with his malpractice case against a law firm based on allegations that the firm failed adequately to protect his personal data from hackers, a Washington, D.C. district court said in an opinion on February 20. In his $50 million suit, the plaintiff, Guo Wengui, alleges that after he retained
Large school debt spells possible trouble for Ohio bar applicant
An Ohio law school grad might not be allowed to sit for this year’s bar exam partly because she and her husband have a combined educational debt of almost $900,000 that they are unlikely ever to pay off.
The state’s Board on Character and Fitness recommended that the applicant not be allowed to take the
Can we talk? In-house counsel and opponent’s lawyer can communicate, says Va. opinion
Most lawyers have a general understanding of the “no-contact rule” — namely that under state versions of Model Rule 4.2, with a few exceptions, you can’t communicate directly on the subject of the representation with someone you know is represented by counsel. But where does in-house counsel fit in? Is in-house counsel “fair game”
DOJ division leader apologizes for license lapse and inadvertent practice
Have you recently made a career move — maybe going in-house? Or shifting from a firm to government work? When you’re dealing with a work-life change, watch out for details that can too-easily fall through the cracks — like your license to practice, the date it expires, and whether you are in line to get