#legalethics — Public Fediverse posts

#LegalEthics Tidbit: Can my client instruct me not to share information within my firm?

A WY civil litigant with counsel decided to file a pro se motion for sanctions against both opposing counsel and against her own lawyers. As to the sanctions against her own lawyers, she claimed she shared information with an associate at the firm, and that he breached confidentiality by sharing the information with others at the firm. ... (cont.)

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wyd.62511/gov.uscourts.wyd.62511.107.0.pdf
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#LegalEthics Tidbit: If the court denies a lawyer’s pro hac vice application, can local counsel just allow the lawyer to ghostwrite all the pleadings anyway?

An AZ lawyer was hired as local counsel by a TX lawyer on some patent cases. The TX lawyer was involved in a sanctions proceeding in CA, and the AZ clerk told him that his pro hac vice applications were going to be denied until the CA sanctions were resolved. So, the TX lawyer didn’t ... (cont.)

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.azd.1479309/gov.uscourts.azd.1479309.56.0.pdf
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#LegalEthics Tidbit: If I failed to review my #AI generated brief, but there were no hallucinations in it, did I still violate Rule 11?

A NY federal Magistrate found that a lawyer violated Rule 11 by misusing artificial intelligence in a case. The lawyer admitted that he didn’t review the citations in his #AI-generated brief before submitting it. The Magistrate found that one particular case was “an obvious hallucination ... that does not ... (cont.)

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.524897/gov.uscourts.nyed.524897.118.0.pdf
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#LegalEthics Tidbit: Are “reptile theory” arguments grounds for a new trial?

During COVID, a CA family had to move out of their home due a mold issue and temporarily lived in a hotel. They ended up being late on the rent, which led to a physical confrontation with an angry landlord and an injury to one of the tenants. They sued.

Before trial, the Court granted a motion in limine prohibiting plaintiff’s counsel from using “reptile theory” ... (cont.)

https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2025/e082051.html
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#LegalEthics Tidbit: Is the judge biased if she tells me I should stop relying on #AI and get a lawyer?

In a TN divorce, the wife proceeded pro se, relying on #AI to guide her. The judge encouraged her to obtain counsel, observing that she was delaying the process and not really helping herself (she was losing all her motions). The court observed at one hearing that “if there was ever a person who needed counsel, [the wife] ... (cont.)

https://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/OpinionsPDFVersion/M2026-01405-COA-T10BOPN.pdf
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