AI transcription tools that record, transcribe, and summarize calls are attractive to lawyers and clients alike and are becoming ubiquitous in some circles. But lawyers must take care to use these tools ethically and avoid pitfalls that could compromise privilege and confidentiality. The New York City Bar Association’s Professional Ethics Committee recently issued Formal Opinion
We recently discussed the ethics rules that lawyers must bear in mind when trying to attract new clients through social media channels. Practitioners may find it difficult to avoid social media in their daily practice. There are many traps for the unwary when using social media in the context of litigation. It is worthwhile for
The ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (the “Committee”) recently issued its first opinion on generative AI and not a day too soon. While states such as Florida, California, West Virginia, and Kentucky, as well as the District of Columbia have issued generative AI guidance, most states have yet
Like it or not, artificial intelligence is not going away and it’s evolving—quickly. While AI talk has been brewing for quite some time, many of us assumed AI’s direct effect on our business was still years off. But over the last year the pace of development and use has accelerated exponentially and it is
If you have not heard of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), now is the time to become familiar. Millions of companies will be affected by its reporting requirements. With the effective date being right around the corner, all lawyers need to be thinking about the CTA. The CTA, which Congress passed as a component of
Marketing is an integral part of the private practice of law. But where is the line between permissible advertising tactics and impermissible solicitation? Often it is hard to find guidance to tell you on which side of that line your marketing strategies fall. The recent ABA Opinion 501 
may help. It sets forth several hypotheticals
Can violating a legal ethics rule qualify as an unfair trade practice under a state’s consumer protection statute? A Florida district court recently said “Yes.” The question arose in motion practice over the admissibility of expert testimony in a timeshare-exit case.
And then there was one
A group of entities connected to Wyndham Vacation Resorts
A former part-time Ohio judge and bankruptcy trustee whose bookkeeper was convicted of stealing funds from his trust account was publicly reprimanded last week for failing to reconcile his trust account monthly and failing to adequately supervise his staff. The court’s opinion spotlights the potential legal ethics problems that dishonest non-lawyer staff can create. Below
Technophobia isn’t confined to U.S. lawyers — no surprise, it affects Canadian members of the bar, too, with the same potentially disastrous results. Last month’s cautionary tale: a lawyer who was technologically illiterate failed to supervise his wife, who ran his office and used his bar credentials to misappropriate more than $3000,000 without his knowledge. Canadian disciplinary authorities permitted him to surrender his license voluntarily, instead of revoking it.
Two New Jersey lawyers cannot avoid disciplinary charges arising from their use of a paralegal to friend a represented opposing party on Facebook, the state supreme court ruled recently.