Lawyer Invokes Common Law Right to Trial by Combat
Staten Island lawyer Richard A. Luthmann, after being sued by an opponent, invoked his “common law right to Trial By Combat as against Plaintiffs and their counsel.” See Reply Affirmation of …
July 2015 Discipline
These lawyers were the subject of Louisiana Supreme Court disciplinary orders or Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board recommendations that were made public during the month of July 2015. Louisiana Supreme Court Gerald …
ABA Considering New Model Rule Prohibiting Harassment and Discrimination
The ABA is again considering whether to adopt a model rule of professional conduct prohibiting a lawyer from engaging in harassment or discrimination based on various human conditions. See ABA Standing …
New York Bar Updates Social Media Ethics Guidelines for Lawyers
As we discussed here in 2014, the New York State Bar Association issued Social Media Ethics Guidelines last year to help lawyers comply with the rules of professional conduct when …
Is Overtime Pay Required for Contract Lawyers Who Do Mindless Document Review?
Maybe so. In September 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a lawyer’s claim against his former employers for overtime pay that he believed he had accumulated …
Do You Have a Law-Practice Succession Plan?
The Louisiana State Bar Association thinks that you should. In June 2015, the LSBA House of Delegates and Board of Governors approved a resolution proposing the adoption of a new …
“Best Practices” for Effective Electronic Communication
The Florida State Bar Association has published a short guide for lawyers who use electronic means of communication–namely, all lawyers. See The Florida Bar Best Practices for Effective Electronic Communication …
May I Market My Law Practice with Donuts?
The advice from a recent South Carolina Bar Association opinion: “Eat up.” See S.C. Bar Ethics Adv. Op. 15-02. That answer came in response to an opinion request from a firm …
Does an Affirmative Duty to Avoid Negligent Destruction of Evidence Exist in Louisiana?
As noted in a previous post, Louisiana requires parties involved in litigation to avoid the intentional destruction of evidence for the purpose of depriving an opposing party of its use. While it …
Don’t Lie About Your Trip
A New York lawyer was disbarred on July 14, 2015 for lying to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency on a reentry form “on which he falsely stated that …