Ed. be aware: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson again to the pages of Above the Legislation. Subscribe to her Substack, Authorized Ethics Roundup, here.
At present marks precisely two years of the Authorized Ethics Roundup. For a few of you, which means we’ve began our Mondays collectively since August 2023.
And what a tremendous couple of years it has been:
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100 Weekly Roundups (that includes 1,000+ Headlines & 200+ Studying Suggestions plus Ethics Historical past, Reform Updates, Pop Tradition, Trivia, Events & Extra)
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Newly-Launched Legal Ethics & Democracy Tracker for the most recent information
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300+ Job Listings
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2,200+ Subscribers From 49 States and 55 International locations
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2,500+ Distinctive Reader Views Weekly
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1 new pet – scroll to the top to fulfill Bertie, who arrived in our family final week
Thanks for becoming a member of me on this journey.
To have fun the LER’s second birthday, I’m sharing some shoutouts from subscribers over the previous 12 months earlier than we cowl final week’s headlines (once more 15, regardless that I attempted arduous to maintain it at 10).
For the remainder of August, I’ll be placing the Roundup on pause to make amends for a couple of writing tasks and spend time with household. However don’t fear, I’ll be again after Labor Day to assist navigate no matter emerges within the area of authorized ethics! Now for the shoutouts.
Listed here are among the nice issues subscribers have been saying within the LER’s second 12 months.
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“I help your work as a result of I taught moral precepts to 1000’s of regulation college students over my 35 12 months profession as a professor of regulation and I consider that authorized ethics are important to safety of democracy and the rule of regulation.”
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“Nice approach to sustain with essential developments within the area.
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“Love, love, love what you’re doing!”
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“I respect with the ability to sustain with the most recent ethics information.”
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“Good spot to go to maintain up with ethics developments. I additionally like listening to about your journey within the regulation.”
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“I’m educating Skilled Accountability from a public curiosity perspective and discover the Roundup to be the perfect supply of ‘ethics within the information’ which I take advantage of every week to begin the category.”
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“Retains me updated on nationwide developments and traits.”
Are you aware somebody who would love the LER as a lot as these readers? In that case, please share it.
#1. “Trump Ally Jeffrey Clark Ought to be Disbarred Over 2020 Election Effort, DC Panel Says.” From the Related Press: “Jeffrey Clark, the previous Justice Division official who aided President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 election, must be stripped of his regulation license, a Washington disciplinary panel dominated on Thursday. Clark, who’s now overseeing a federal regulatory workplace, performed a key position in Trump’s efforts to problem his election loss to Joe Biden and clashed with Justice Division superiors who refused to again his false claims of fraud. The D.C. Board of Skilled Accountability’s advice will now go to the D.C. Courtroom of Appeals for a last choice. Underneath the second Trump administration, Clark has been serving as appearing head of the Workplace of Info and Regulatory Affairs, part of the Workplace of Administration and Price range that’s chargeable for reviewing govt department rules.” Learn extra here.
#2 “Tons of Signal Amicus Briefs in Help of Maryland’s Federal Judges.” From the Maryland Each day File: “Tons of of attorneys and pro-democracy teams have signed amicus briefs in help of Maryland’s federal judges, who’re dealing with an unprecedented lawsuit by the Trump administration over a standing order that seeks to protect due course of for folks dealing with deportation. Three amicus briefs, endorsed by teams throughout the political spectrum, help the judges. … Eleven retired federal judges, who had been appointed by each Republican and Democratic presidents, state in an amicus temporary that the lawsuit ‘threatens the judicial position to its core.’ … Legal professionals Defending American Democracy and the Legal professionals Society for the Rule of Legislation Institute, together with retired federal appellate Choose J. Michael Luttig — a outstanding anti-Trump conservative who was appointed to the bench by President George H.W. Bush — additionally filed an amicus temporary asking for the case to be tossed.” Learn extra here.
#3 “US Appeals Courtroom Extends Suspension of 98-Yr-Outdated Choose in Health Probe.” From Reuters: “The U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the Federal Circuit mentioned on Monday that it could prolong its suspension of 98-year-old decide Pauline Newman for an additional 12 months after figuring out that she had not complied with an inner investigation into her health to serve on the Washington, D.C.-based courtroom. A committee of the courtroom’s energetic judges determined that experiences from medical doctors chosen by Newman didn’t get rid of the necessity for her to undertake ‘a full neuropsychological battery of checks’ to establish whether or not she was able to persevering with to serve.” Learn extra here.
#4 “Authorized Watchdog Recordsdata Bar Complaints Towards Justice Dept. Legal professionals.” From the New York Occasions: “A authorized watchdog group accused three Justice Division attorneys {of professional} misconduct on Thursday, saying they’d made false statements to a federal decide in a high-profile case difficult the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Shopper Monetary Safety Bureau. The accusations by the group, the Authorized Accountability Heart, had been formally filed with the grievance committees of bar associations in Washington and different cities the place the attorneys lived or practiced. The transfer represented a uncommon try to hunt skilled sanctions towards rank-and-file division attorneys who’ve appeared in courtroom on behalf of the federal authorities. ‘The rule of regulation is beneath direct assault proper now, and its best menace comes when these inside the authorized system fail to do their duties and get up towards the assault,’ mentioned Michael Teter, the chief director of the group.” Learn extra here (present hyperlink).
#5 “Weak Ethics and Deep Politics at DOJ within the Epstein Case.” From Govt Capabilities: “As explained by the Division of Justice, the Deputy Legal professional Basic’s job is to ‘advise[] and help[] the Legal professional Basic in formulating and implementing departmental insurance policies and packages after which offering general supervision and course to all organizational models of the Division.’ Because of this, it’s extraordinary that the present DAG, Trump’s former lawyer Todd Blanche, is main the administration’s response to the Epstein controversy.” Learn extra here.
# 6. “Obvious AI Errors Pressure Two Judges to Retract Separate Rulings.” From Fox Information: “Two U.S. judges in separate federal courts scrapped their rulings final week after attorneys alerted them to filings that contained inaccurate case particulars or seemingly ‘hallucinated’ quotes that misquoted cited circumstances — the most recent in a string of errors that recommend the rising use of synthetic intelligence in authorized analysis and submissions. In New Jersey, U.S. District Choose Julien Neals withdrew his denial of a movement to dismiss a securities fraud case after attorneys revealed the choice relied on filings with ‘pervasive and materials inaccuracies.’ … In Mississippi, U.S. District Choose Henry Wingate changed his authentic July 20 short-term restraining order that paused enforcement of a state regulation blocking variety, fairness and inclusion packages in public colleges after attorneys notified the decide of great errors submitted by the lawyer.” Learn extra here.
#7 “Barrister Loses Enchantment Towards Disbarment for Sexual Harassment.” From Authorized Futures: “A barrister disbarred for sexual harassment has misplaced his attraction towards the sanction. Robert Michael Kearney, who was known as in 1996, admitted to sexually harassing a lady throughout a mini pupillage and, individually, two pupils at social occasions. A Bar disciplinary tribunal mentioned misconduct reminiscent of this ‘must be deterred.’ It was truly the second time he had been disbarred for these actions, after the Excessive Courtroom overturned the unique choice on the idea of obvious bias on the a part of the tribunal panel and ordered a contemporary sanction listening to.” Learn extra here.
#8 “Girl Suffers a Cardiac Arrest Whereas Taking the Bar Examination — and Proctors Allegedly Didn’t Cease to Present Assist.” From Individuals Journal: “A check taker suffered a cardiac arrest whereas taking the bar examination — and proctors administering the analysis allegedly didn’t cease with a purpose to present an help. The incident occurred on July 30, because the New York State Board of Legislation Examiners was administering the New York State Bar Examination at Hofstra College in Hempstead, N.Y., a spokesperson for the faculty informed Individuals.” Learn extra here.
#9 “College of Michigan Legislation Professor Loses Race, Intercourse Bias Enchantment.” From Bloomberg Legislation: “The College of Michigan and a former dean of its regulation faculty defeated a Black feminine regulation professor’s bid to revive her race and intercourse discrimination lawsuit.” Learn extra here.
#10 “Specializing in ‘Individuals Legislation,’ State Chief Justices Encourage ‘Progressive Pathways’ to Legislation License, New Report Says.” From the ABA Journal: “Altering the necessities for a regulation license and supporting monetary assist for public-interest lawyering are among the many ways in which state supreme courts may also help tackle ‘staggering’ unmet authorized wants, in line with a report by a bunch of state chief justices and courtroom directors released Wednesday. The report additionally cites a necessity to handle ‘a regarding hole in follow expertise’ affecting ‘vital competencies,’ reminiscent of shopper communication, authorized writing particular to follow duties, negotiations and oral advocacy. ‘The report particulars the pressing challenges we face in assembly the authorized wants of the general public and offers a roadmap for the way state courts can lead in addressing these wants and advancing the career,’ says New Hampshire Supreme Courtroom Chief Justice Gordon J. MacDonald, who commented in an emailed response to the ABA Journal’s questions.” Learn extra here.
#11 “fifth Circ. Permits Problem To Nonprofit Political Professional Bono Ban.” From Law360: “The Fifth Circuit mentioned Monday a free speech nonprofit has the best to sue members of the Texas Ethics Fee in an try and conduct professional bono work for a political group, saying the commissioners shouldn’t have sovereign immunity of their official roles and should face the swimsuit.” Learn extra here.
#12 “Georgia Lawyer Wins Revival of Race Bias Case Towards State Bar.” From Bloomberg Legislation: “A Georgia lawyer can proceed with claims of racial discrimination within the State Bar’s dealing with {of professional} self-discipline, after the Eleventh Circuit revived her case on jurisdictional grounds. The Georgia Supreme Courtroom’s authority to adjudicate lawyer disciplinary issues doesn’t preclude federal courts from listening to associated federal-law claims, a three-judge panel of the US Courtroom of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit said. They despatched the case again to the decrease courtroom for additional proceedings. Marsha W. Mignott, a Black lawyer primarily based in Atlanta, sued the State Bar of Georgia’s Workplace of Basic Counsel and associated defendants … .” Learn extra here.
#13 “Battle U.: Two Dozen Federal Judges Did Not Recuse in Instances Involving the Universities The place They Educate.” From Repair the Courtroom: “As an appeals courtroom decide, Amy Coney Barrett included each the College of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Legislation Faculty on her recusal list. That meant if the Seventh Circuit’s case-assigning software program was about to assign her a case by which both was a celebration, the software program would as a substitute skip her. Battle averted. It sounds easy, however it seems that Barrett is an outlier. In accordance with a new report— ‘Battle U.’ — launched at the moment by Repair the Courtroom, two dozen federal judges who educate at regulation colleges have lately participated in circumstances involving these colleges’ mum or dad universities.” Learn extra here.
#14 “Accomplice Struck Off After Sticking ‘Head within the Sand’ Over Invoice.” From Authorized Futures: “A companion whose ‘head within the sand’ method meant a case spiraled uncontrolled after he didn’t serve factors of dispute on a invoice of prices in time has been struck off. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) mentioned Daniel James Skinner, who on the time was a companion at South London agency Capsticks, had been dishonest in what he informed his shopper as soon as they discovered instantly from the opposing solicitors {that a} default prices certificates (DCC) had been issued.” Learn extra here.
#15 “Citing Inappropriate Social Media Posts, Mayer Brown Fires Accomplice Much less Than 2 Months After Hiring Announcement.” From the ABA Journal: “Mayer Brown fired a lateral funds formation companion in early July after a report surfaced of inappropriate social media posts with sexually specific language on X, previously often known as Twitter, in line with a report by Legislation.com.” Learn extra here.
Did you miss the 300+ job postings from earlier weeks? Discover all of them here.
Did you miss an announcement from earlier weeks? Discover all of them here.
Say hey to the latest addition on the Knake Jefferson family – Bertie! She’s a nine-week-old maltipoo havanese. Whereas she isn’t named after a poet (like our microlabradoodle Rilke), we picked her identify primarily based on our completely satisfied reminiscences from dwelling in Albert Park, an oceanside village in Melbourne, Australia, and on Albert Avenue in East Lansing.
Renee Knake Jefferson holds the endowed Doherty Chair in Authorized Ethics and is a Professor of Legislation on the College of Houston. Take a look at extra of her writing on the Legal Ethics Roundup. Discover her on X (previously Twitter) at @reneeknake or Bluesky at legalethics.bsky.social.
