State laws prohibiting the “unauthorized practice of law” hurt those who cannot afford a lawyer.
Tag Archives: Legal Profession
Boris Epshteyn Helps Trump Navigate Legal Peril While Under Scrutiny Himself
Boris Epshteyn is the latest aide to take on the role of slashing defender of the former president, even as the Justice Department seeks information about him in the Jan. 6 and documents inquiries.
With Alex Murdaugh’s Murder Conviction, a Century of Influence Unravels
When Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife and son, some South Carolinians saw the verdict as a step toward dismantling a system of power “based on who you know.”
Abbe Lowell Had Trump World Ties. Now He’s One of Hunter Biden’s Lawyers.
The shift by Mr. Lowell, one of Washington’s best-known scandal lawyers, highlights the blurry lines between self-promotion, access to power and the right to legal representation.
Do Law Schools Need the LSAT? Here’s How to Understand the Debate.
One part of the American Bar Association is trying to drop the test requirement for law schools, while another has voted to retain it — and both sides say diversity is the reason.
The Road to a Supreme Court Clerkship Starts at Three Ivy League Colleges
The chances of obtaining a coveted clerkship, a new study found, increase sharply with undergraduate degrees from Harvard, Yale or Princeton.
Corporate Lawyer’s Unlikely Mission: Defend and ‘Humanize’ a Hated Terrorist
Stanislas Eskenazi volunteered with Brussels’ legal aid service, typically helping petty criminals. But now he is representing Belgium’s most-wanted man.
At the Supreme Court, Ethics Questions Over a Spouse’s Business Ties
The chief justice’s wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, has made millions in her career recruiting lawyers to prominent law firms, some of which have business before the court. Now, a letter sent to Congress claims that may present a conflict of interest.
Trump’s Well-Worn Legal Playbook Starts to Look Frayed
The former president’s familiar tactics of defiance, counterattacks and delays appear less successful than ever as investigations and court proceedings against him grind on.
Lawyers Who Investigated Trump Start Firm to Combat Threats to Democracy
Mark F. Pomerantz, Carey R. Dunne and Michele Roberts, the former head of the N.B.A. players union, will launch a pro bono law firm, the Free and Fair Litigation Group.
After Boycott from Law Schools, U.S. News & World Report Changes Ranking System
The magazine, which has been rating top schools for decades, said in a letter to deans that it is altering its methods to address their concerns.
Madison Square Garden Uses Facial Recognition to Ban Its Owner’s Enemies
MSG Entertainment, the owner of the arena and Radio City Music Hall, has put lawyers who represent people suing it on an “exclusion list” to keep them out of concerts and sporting events.
Trump Hired Team to Search His Properties for Classified Material
The searches, conducted after a federal judge directed the former president’s lawyers to look for any documents still in his possession, are said to have found no additional sensitive material.
Georgetown and Columbia Law Schools Withdraw From U.S. News Rankings
Three schools joined Yale and Harvard’s rebellion against U.S. News. And the bar association will no longer require schools to mandate the LSAT or GRE. But rankings still matter.
Meet the ‘Closer’ Who Finds the Right Words When Climate Talks Hit a Wall
Sue Biniaz is considered one of the most innovative American legal minds when it comes to climate negotiations. She once rescued a collapsing deal by using quotation marks.
NY Immigration Court Backlogs May Grow With New Migrant Influx
Immigration courts in New York State already had a backlog of 180,000 cases, before 21,000 new migrants arrived this summer.
Where Red and Blue Make Green
Part of the resistance or part of the problem? It doesn’t matter: These lawyers are part of the gang.
Jasmine Guillory Finds Her Happily-Ever-After as a Romance Writer
After leaving a law career to focus on fiction full-time, Jasmine Guillory is publishing her eighth novel, “Drunk on Love.”
Jennifer Bonjean, the Lawyer Who Defended R. Kelly and Bill Cosby
Jennifer Bonjean has become known for her aggressive approach as she has defended men accused of sexual misconduct in several of the highest profile cases of the #MeToo era.
Trump’s Lawyers Could Face Legal Troubles of Their Own
Several of the former president’s lawyers are under scrutiny by federal investigators amid squabbling over competence.
For Trump’s Lawyers, Legal Exposure Comes With the Job
The many lawyers who have helped the former president avoid removal from office and indictment have drawn legal problems of their own.
How Abbott Kept Sick Babies From Becoming a Scandal
Abbott’s lawyers at Jones Day negotiated secret settlements and used scorched earth tactics with families whose infants fell ill after consuming powdered formula.
New York Is Pushed to Stop Asking Aspiring Lawyers About Long-Ago Crimes
To become a lawyer in New York, one must share details of sealed cases and juvenile records. Critics say that the requirement may be illegal, and that it harms racial diversity.
Trump Lawyers May Become Witnesses or Targets in Documents Case
Two lawyers for former President Donald J. Trump are under increased scrutiny after new details emerged about a failure to fully comply with a subpoena for documents marked as classified.
A Who’s Who of Silicon Valley Lawyers Up for the Musk-Twitter Trial
More than 100 subpoenas have been issued to techies like Jack Dorsey and Marc Andreessen as Twitter tries to force Elon Musk to complete a $44 billion deal. Law firms are stoked.
Bert Fields, Lawyer to the Hollywood Elite, Dies at 93
A master dealmaker, he had as clients Madonna, Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, the Beatles and many others, becoming something of a celebrity himself.
Court Win Bolsters Push to Highlight Prosecutors’ Misconduct
A group of law professors have tried to strengthen the disciplinary process for prosecuting attorneys by making complaints public.
Hey, Is Anybody Watching the Interns?
School is out for the summer — but in some cases, so are the bosses.
Gerald Shargel, Criminal Defense Lawyer for the Mob, Dies at 77
He coupled legal scholarship with courtroom wit to decimate the prosecution’s cases against Mafia bosses.
How William Olson, Right-Wing Lawyer, Pitched Trump on a 2020 Election Plot
The role of William J. Olson in advising the president in late 2020, which has not previously been disclosed, shows how fringe figures were influencing him at a critical time.
Book Review: “The Sewing Girl’s Tale,” by John Wood Sweet
John Wood Sweet’s “The Sewing Girl’s Tale” tells the story of an unusual prosecution in 18th-century New York — and its contemporary relevance.
Alex Murdaugh Is Expected to Be Charged With Killing Wife and Son, Lawyer Says
Mr. Murdaugh, who comes from a powerful legal family in rural South Carolina, has already faced a wave of fraud and theft charges since the killings last summer.
Arthur Aidala: The Nice-Guy Lawyer for America’s Tabloid Villains
The sweet spot of Arthur Aidala’s law practice is a headline-grabbing defendant who is hated by many. Somehow, that doesn’t mean people hate him.
An Anti-Abortion Campaigner on the Movement’s Historic Win
James Bopp, chief lawyer for the National Right to Life Committee, says that overturning Roe v. Wade is only the halfway point.
An Abortion Rights Champion of the 1970s on Life Before and After Roe
Fifty years ago, Nancy Stearns, a lawyer, was on the front lines of the battle to secure legal access to terminations for American women.
Marked by the 2015 Paris Attacks, and Now Defending the Accused
Half the lawyers speaking for the 20 men charged with involvement in the massacre belong to a young generation in France scarred by a spate of terrorist acts.
Trump Lawyers Are Focus of Inquiry Into Alternate Electors Scheme
In recent subpoenas, federal prosecutors investigating alternate slates of pro-Trump electors sought information about Rudolph W. Giuliani, John Eastman and others.
Family Court Lawyers Flee Low-Paying Jobs. Parents and Children Suffer.
New York hasn’t raised the attorneys’ fees since 2004, creating a shortage that has denied the most vulnerable their constitutional right to a lawyer.
Alan J. Hruska, a Founder of Soho Press, Dies at 88
A litigator for 44 years, he was also a novelist; a writer, director and producer of plays and films; and helped establish the independent publishing house Soho Press.
Why Hundreds of New York City Prosecutors Are Leaving Their Jobs
New burdens, low pay and pandemic malaise prompted the resignations of a fifth of the legal work force in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Do Russian Oligarchs Have a Secret Weapon in London’s Libel Lawyers?
How a group of attorneys worked to keep negative stories about President Vladimir Putin’s allies out of the British media for decades.
As Jackson Faces Senators, Her Criminal Defense Record Is a Target
Republicans have vilified Biden’s judicial nominees who have represented criminal suspects. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, for the Supreme Court, is the most prominent.
Client Charged in Fatal Stabbing of Lawyer, a Tiananmen Activist
Jim Li had fought for democracy in China and often worked pro bono. He died in his Queens office after an irate client stabbed him, the police said.
How Western Firms Quietly Enabled Russian Oligarchs
Investment, law and lobbying firms have helped enmesh Kremlin-linked oligarchs into the Western financial and legal systems.
How the Manhattan DA’s Investigation Into Donald Trump Unraveled
The criminal investigation into the former president crashed amid a disagreement about the merits of bringing a case. The debate pitted a new district attorney against two veteran prosecutors who had pursued a case against Mr. Trump for years.
As a Public Defender, Ketanji Brown Jackson Helped Clients Others Avoided
Ambitious lawyers usually become prosecutors. Ketanji Brown Jackson worked on behalf of criminal defendants and Guantánamo detainees.
Walter Dellinger, Top Legal Official in Clinton White House, Dies at 80
He served as both the head of the Office of Legal Counsel and acting solicitor general, and he remained a leading figure in liberal legal battles.
Biden Is Right to Nominate a Black Woman to the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court must be an representative institution in touch with all of American life.
Black Women in Law Feel Pride and Frustration Ahead of Court Nominee
As Biden prepares to nominate the first Black woman to the nation’s highest court, members of this small, elite group are watching with complicated emotions.
‘Civil Rights Queen,’ the Story of a Brave and Brilliant Trailblazer
Tomiko Brown-Nagin’s book is the first major biography of Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge, among other achievements.