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Professional responsibility

Every story on LexCircuit filed under professional responsibility: court orders, regulation, ethics opinions, litigation and research, each summarized across its sources.

152 stories

UK · EWHCRegulation

High Court judge Mrs Justice Ellenbogen reprimanded over judgment delays

Mrs Justice Ellenbogen, a High Court judge and presiding judge of the Northern Circuit, has been reprimanded for serious misconduct after delays of up to 13 months in delivering five judgments, three of which were still outstanding when the decision was made in October. The Lord Chancellor and Lady Chief Justice accepted a nominated judge's recommendation, according to a Judicial Conduct Investigations Office statement.

Text (Judicial Conduct Investigations Office) → · Legal Futures
UKResearch

Civil Justice Council urges Practice Direction on AI in court documents

The Civil Justice Council's working group published its final report on the use of AI in preparing court documents, making 15 recommendations. It asks the Civil Procedure Rule Committee to adopt a risk-based Practice Direction on AI use and sanctions for misuse, and urges guidance for litigants in person. It proposes AI declarations for witness statements and expert reports but none for lawyers' advocacy documents.

Paper (Law Society Gazette) → · Law News
UKResearch

Bar Standards Board finds 41% of UK Bar students gain pupillage within five years and plans review of training system

A Bar Standards Board report finds 41% of UK students obtain pupillage within five years of enrolling on the Bar course, ranging from 11% to 67% by provider. The overall pass rate is 78%, falling to 56% for students with a 2:2 degree. Chair Christopher Bones said the board will launch a full review in the coming year of the fitness and purpose of the current training system.

Paper (Legal Futures) → · Bar Standards Board
N.D. TEX.Breaches and incidents

Racial remarks to lawyer triggered misconduct probe of Dallas federal judge Ada Brown

A misconduct complaint against U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas followed an April 2026 sanctions hearing in Dallas at which she repeatedly called attorney Ezra Young, who is Latino, white and accused him of mistreating Black lawyers, according to a hearing transcript reported by Bloomberg Law. The complaint helped launch a Fifth Circuit investigation; Brown temporarily lost her docket and a special committee ordered a psychiatric examination. Brown denies wrongdoing.

Report (Bloomberg Law) → · ABA Journal
UK · SDTRegulation

SRA withdraws several tribunal cases after reviewing dishonesty allegations

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has withdrawn several prosecutions before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, sometimes late, after reviewing whether dishonesty allegations could be established, chief executive Sarah Rapson told the SRA board. Board papers also show plans to recruit up to 20 supervisory staff, £24 million returned to PM Law clients, 55 live immigration firm investigations and a projected £9.9 million deficit for 2025-26.

Text (Legal Futures) →

Rulings this week

All court orders

TEX.Regulation

Texas county judge Shane Britton resigns and accepts lifetime ban from judicial service

Brown County Judge Alan Shane Britton has agreed to resign and accept a permanent ban from judicial service in Texas under an agreement with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Complaints alleged he used his office to shield divorce clients he represented as a lawyer from criminal warrants. The agreement resolves the complaints without further proceedings, and the commission made no findings of fact.

Text (KTXS) → · Texas Lawyer, Texas Scorecard
UK · EWHCCourt order

High Court voids assignment of £11 million claim to company part-owned by advising solicitors

The High Court of England and Wales ruled on October 27, 2026, that solicitors cannot avoid the common-law bar on acquiring clients' claims by transferring them to a company in which they hold shares. Master Sullivan held invalid the assignment of an £11 million loan claim to MSV Estates, whose directors had advised the original claimant, and said the rule applies before proceedings begin.

Order (ICLG) → · High Court (King's Bench Division)
N.Y.Regulation

New York courts issue AI guide telling lawyers to verify filings, without a disclosure requirement

New York's court system has issued a seven-page guide for attorneys using generative AI to prepare court papers. Lawyers may use AI without disclosing it, but must understand its limits and independently verify citations and other content, because signing a filing certifies its accuracy under existing sanction rules. A New York Law School associate dean called the lack of a disclosure requirement concerning.

Text (New York Law Journal) → · amNewYork
N.Y.Court order

New York's top court removes Canandaigua town justice over racial slur and biased remarks

The New York Court of Appeals on October 27, 2026, removed Canandaigua Town Justice Walter W. Jones from office, accepting the Commission on Judicial Conduct's recommended sanction. The court found Jones used a racial slur while recounting a story to a court staff member and a public defender in May 2024, then days later said from the bench that a Black defendant had played the race card.

Order (WXXI News) → · Bloomberg Law, ABA Journal
UKRegulation

Legal Services Board approves SRA guidance enabling unlimited fines for economic crime

The Legal Services Board has approved the Solicitors Regulation Authority's amended fining guidance, letting it impose unlimited fines on solicitors and traditional law firms for economic crime without referring cases to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The power comes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which removes the £25,000 cap for such misconduct starting on or after March 4, 2024. The LSB handled the application under its exemption procedure.

Text (Legal Futures) →
D. MINN.Litigation

Justice Department moves to disqualify two Minnesota federal judges from immigration cases

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward has moved to disqualify Judges Patrick Schiltz and John Tunheim of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota from two immigration cases, questioning their impartiality over comments in a New York Times article last month. Both judges had raised concerns about the Trump administration's handling of cases tied to this year's immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Filing (ABA Journal) → · MPR News
N.Y. APP. DIV. 3D DEP'TCourt order

New York appeals court orders grievance committee to release Sarcone admonition

A New York Appellate Division panel on October 22, 2026, ordered the Attorney Grievance Committee to release the admonition it issued in April to John A. Sarcone III, the former interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, whom the Justice Department now lists as first assistant U.S. attorney. The court granted in part a petition by the watchdog Campaign for Accountability but refused to open the committee's investigative files.

Order (Bloomberg Law) → · Law.com, Above the Law
U.S. FEDCourt order

FLRA upholds telework award against HHS and finds most citations in agency's brief faulty

The Federal Labor Relations Authority has denied every exception HHS filed against an arbitration award finding that its return-to-office directive violated its contract with the National Treasury Employees Union. The authority said 35 of 42 citations in the agency's brief were fictitious, erroneous or irrelevant, said HHS may have used a generative AI tool, and warned parties using AI to verify their filings.

Order (Bloomberg Law) → · Federal News Network, Above the Law, Federal Labor Relations Authority
FLA. 4TH DCACourt order

Florida's Fourth District refers lawyer to the Florida Bar over suspected AI-generated filings

Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal has referred lawyer Jaclyn R. Soroka to the Florida Bar after rejecting her 82-page response to an order to show cause over frivolous filings in a family-law case. In an October 21, 2026 order, the court said the response "does not deny using AI but evades the issue." Soroka has said she did not use AI and that a citation review found two human errors.

Order (Law360) → · ABA Journal, Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal
5TH CIR.Court order

Fifth Circuit special committee orders Judge Ada Brown to explain sharing sealed documents

An October 20, 2026, order from the special committee investigating U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas for the Fifth Circuit judicial council says Brown emailed confidential investigation materials and sealed court documents to approximately 140 judges, lawyers and journalists. The order directs Brown to answer three written questions by October 27 and urges her to reconsider her refusal to take part in the misconduct proceedings.

Order (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit) → · ABA Journal
UKEthics opinion

Law Society tells solicitors to inform clients about AI use in new practice note

The Law Society of England and Wales on October 21, 2026, published a 58-page practice note on using AI in line with solicitors' professional obligations. It advises solicitors to give clients appropriate information about how they use AI, says they may ask clients to disclose AI-generated material, and stresses that solicitors remain accountable for all work whether or not AI was used.

Opinion (Law Gazette) → · Artificial Lawyer
CANADARegulation

Canadian Judicial Council updates AI guidelines for judges and issues deepfake evidence guidance

The Canadian Judicial Council on October 20, 2026, released a second edition of its guidelines on judges' use of artificial intelligence and new guidance on evaluating digital media evidence that may be AI-fabricated or altered. The 2026 guidelines replace the 2024 edition, shift from flagging risks to encouraging AI use within guardrails, and list appropriate, high-risk and inappropriate uses.

Text (Canadian Lawyer) → · Canadian Judicial Council
UK · EWCOPCourt order

Court of Protection makes Irwin Mitchell trust company repay 60% of client's claim to keep deputyship

The Court of Protection ruled on October 20, 2026, that Irwin Mitchell Trust Corporation can keep acting as property and affairs deputy for a protected person, PW, only if it repays into her estate a sum equal to 60% of her potential compensation claim. A 2024 judgment found the trust company breached the self-dealing rule by appointing Irwin Mitchell's own asset management arm to invest her money.

Order (Solicitors Journal) → · Legal Futures
N.D. TEX.Court order

Fifth Circuit Judicial Council makes public misconduct orders against Judge Ada Brown

The Judicial Council of the Fifth Circuit on October 19, 2026, made public orders in misconduct proceedings against U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas. It acted after Brown emailed the confidential materials to others, including reporters, on October 17. A September 29 order temporarily reassigned her cases and removed her from new assignments for three months.

Order (Judicial Council of the Fifth Circuit) → · ABA Journal, The Texas Lawbook
U.S.Court order

Supreme Court lacks quorum in BMG v. Vetter after four justices with Penguin Random House book deals sit out

The U.S. Supreme Court on October 19, 2026, affirmed by default a Fifth Circuit ruling that songwriter Cyril Vetter's U.S. copyright termination recaptured worldwide rights to "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)." Justices Sotomayor, Gorsuch, Barrett and Jackson took no part, leaving five justices, short of the six-justice quorum. BMG's parent, Bertelsmann, also owns Penguin Random House, which has published books by all four.

Order (Supreme Court of the United States) → · Bloomberg Law, Courthouse News Service, ABA Journal
D.D.C.Litigation

Justice Department moves to disqualify Judge Ana Reyes from East Potomac golf course case

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. on October 16, 2026, asked U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to recuse herself from the D.C. Preservation League's challenge to the administration's East Potomac golf course work, alleging hostility toward the government. The motion came days after Reyes issued a restraining order halting tree removal and sharply criticized government lawyers for failing to give promised notice.

Filing (The Washington Post) → · Bloomberg Law, The Washington Sun
D.D.C.Court order

Judge rejects DOJ bid to disqualify Susman Godfrey as ABA counsel in law firm executive order suit

Judge Amir H. Ali of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on October 16, 2026, denied the Justice Department's motion to disqualify Susman Godfrey from representing the American Bar Association in its suit challenging the administration's executive orders against law firms. The government called the firm a central player, but conceded it could not identify any Susman lawyer likely to be a necessary witness at trial.

Order (Bloomberg Law) → · U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (CourtListener RECAP)
OHIOCourt order

Ohio Supreme Court reciprocally suspends Jeffrey Keiffer after Colorado discipline

The Supreme Court of Ohio on October 16, 2026, reciprocally suspended Jeffrey Christopher Keiffer for one year and one day after the Colorado Supreme Court imposed the same sanction, with six months to be served and the rest stayed on probation. Keiffer, registration number 0059409, last known in Lone Tree, Colorado, cannot resume Ohio practice until reinstated in Colorado.

Order (Supreme Court of Ohio) →
OHIOCourt order

Ohio Supreme Court enters interim default suspension against Akron lawyer Ronald Spears

The Supreme Court of Ohio on October 16, 2026, immediately suspended Akron attorney Ronald Scott Spears on an interim default basis after he failed to answer a Lorain County Bar Association formal complaint. The Chronicle Telegram reported the underlying allegations include soliciting nude photos from a client and failing to communicate in a custody matter.

Order (Supreme Court of Ohio) → · Chronicle Telegram
U.S. FEDRegulation

Democratic lawmakers renew Kirkland records request with October 29 deadline

Representative Jamie Raskin and Senators Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff renewed requests for records concerning Kirkland & Ellis’s $125 million pro bono agreement with President Donald Trump. In a letter released October 16, they alleged the firm had produced no responsive documents and set an October 29 deadline.

Text (U.S. House Judiciary Committee Democrats) → · Jamie Raskin, Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff
D. MASS.Litigation

Ex-Big Law associate charged with insider trading seeks subpoenas to his former firms

Nicolo Nourafchan, a former Big Law associate charged in a federal insider trading case, filed a motion on October 14, 2026, in Massachusetts federal court seeking subpoenas to three law firms where he previously worked, Bloomberg Law and Law.com reported. The motion redacts the firms' names; both outlets identified them as Sidley Austin, Latham & Watkins and Goodwin Procter.

Filing (Bloomberg Law) → · Law.com, The Lawyer
E.D. LA.Court order

Former New Orleans lawyer Danny Keating gets 32 months in staged truck crash scheme

U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown of the Eastern District of Louisiana on October 15, 2026, sentenced former personal injury lawyer Danny Patrick Keating Jr. to 32 months in prison and about $657,000 in restitution for his role in Operation Sideswipe, a scheme to stage crashes with 18-wheelers for insurance payouts. Keating pleaded guilty in 2021 and testified against convicted lawyers Vanessa Motta and Jason Giles.

Order (WDSU) → · The Times-Picayune | nola.com, Fox 8 WVUE, ABA Journal +1
U.S. FEDRegulation

EOIR establishes Privacy Act records system for immigration fraud and unauthorized-practice complaints

The Executive Office for Immigration Review on October 15, 2026 published a Privacy Act system of records notice for JUSTICE/EOIR-006, covering Fraud and Abuse Prevention Program records on suspected immigration fraud, abuse and unauthorized practice of immigration law. A companion proposed rule would exempt the system from certain Privacy Act access provisions. Comments on routine uses are due by November 16, 2026.

Text (Federal Register) →
GA.Court order

Georgia Supreme Court disbars injury lawyer over felony plea in stolen accident report scheme and unreported conviction

The Supreme Court of Georgia on October 14, 2026 disbarred personal injury lawyer William Taylor Payne for violating Rule 8.4(a)(2), by entering an Alford guilty plea to one felony count under the Georgia RICO Act, and Rule 9.1(a)(2), by failing to notify the State Bar of the conviction. The count alleged Payne and three others used stolen Georgia Electronic Accident Reporting System data to obtain personal injury clients and money. The ABA Journal reported more than 30,000 accesses.

Order (Supreme Court of Georgia) → · ABA Journal
UKResearch

BSB: 41% of UK Bar students secure pupillage within five years; provider rates vary widely

The Bar Standards Board's Bar Training 2026 statistics, published October 15, 2026, show that 41% of UK students obtained pupillage within five years of enrolment, with provider rates ranging from 11% to 67%. Overall course pass rates averaged 78%. The Board said it will launch a full review of the training system and has created a new Education and Training Committee.

Paper (Bar Standards Board) →
UKResearch

Nuffield review by Christopher Hodges proposes single justice system and one legal regulator

A review published October 15, 2026 by Oxford emeritus professor Christopher Hodges for the Nuffield Foundation proposes merging courts, tribunals, ombudsmen, regulators and advice services in England and Wales into a single justice system. Resolving disputes: a framework for holistic reform also recommends replacing the eight frontline legal services regulators with a single independent regulator.

Paper (Nuffield Foundation) → · Law Gazette
FLA.Litigation

Sports investor John Textor sues DLA Piper for malpractice over European soccer club deals

Former DLA Piper client John Textor filed a legal malpractice suit against the firm in Florida state court over a series of European soccer club deals, seeking damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Law.com reported October 14, 2026. Textor alleges the firm presented itself as his personal counsel while negotiating terms that exposed him to losses he values in the tens of millions.

Filing (Law.com) → · ABA Journal
UKPeople moves

Brett Dixon becomes Law Society president; Dana Denis-Smith named vice president

Civil litigation solicitor and mediator Brett Dixon was inaugurated as the 182nd president of the Law Society of England and Wales on October 14, 2026, succeeding Mark Evans. Dana Denis-Smith becomes vice president and Jeff Lewis deputy vice president. Dixon said he will push for clearer rules on how regulatory standards apply when solicitors use AI.

Announcement (Law Gazette) → · The Global Legal Post
UKRegulation

Law Society AGM declines to take up SRA no-confidence motion from small-firm alliance

The Law Society refused to let the SME & Boutique Law Firm Alliance put a vote of no confidence in the Solicitors Regulation Authority board on the agenda of its October 14, 2026 annual general meeting, ruling that its bylaws barred late new business. Small-firm owners used the debate to warn that the SRA's paused compliance officer reforms would close their practices.

Text (Law Gazette) → · Legal Futures
UKRegulation

SRA appoints Caroline Corby as chair from November 23, 2026

The Solicitors Regulation Authority appointed Caroline Corby, chair of the Professional Standards Authority since 2021, as board chair effective November 23, 2026, succeeding Anna Bradley, the SRA said and the Law Society Gazette reported October 14, 2026. The Gazette noted she joins after criticism of the SRA's handling of the Axiom Ince, SSB Law and PM Law failures and rising compensation-fund contributions.

Text (Law Society Gazette) → · Solicitors Regulation Authority
VA.Product launches

Schillings and Clare Locke launch CLS Vision intelligence venture in the United States

London reputation firm Schillings and Virginia defamation firm Clare Locke launched CLS Vision, a strategic intelligence and investigations firm based in Alexandria, Virginia, Schillings said and The Lawyer reported October 14, 2026, with later Law360 Pulse coverage. Schillings said the venture combines legal-grade intelligence with strategic counsel, builds on the firms' existing alliance and is led by founding partners Allison Everhardt and Fred Glazier.

Announcement (The Lawyer) → · Schillings, Law360 Pulse
ILL.Research

Illinois study finds one in five lawyers rate their mental health fair or poor; 3% screen for problem gambling

The Illinois Lawyers' Assistance Program released a statewide survey of more than 6,700 lawyers on October 13, 2026 finding high rates of stress, substance use and mental health strain, with one in five respondents rating their mental health fair or poor. The report's authors said it is the first study of problem gambling prevalence in the U.S. legal profession.

Paper (WBBM Newsradio) → · ABA Journal, Law.com
UKRegulation

Inspectors say SFO improved disclosure but legally privileged material remains key risk

HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate said the Serious Fraud Office has made 'credible progress' on disclosure since its 2024 inspection, but that 'the most significant residual risk concerns the management of legally privileged material.' The Oct. 8 follow-up report found no automatic LPP status reporting for case teams and less well-defined ownership of the LPP model, and recommended monthly LPP status updates by October 2027.

Text (HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate) → · Law Gazette
MICH.Regulation

Michigan Public Act 114 revises limited-license psychologist licensing and Board of Psychology membership

Michigan enacted Public Act 114 of 2026 on October 9, 2026, amending the Public Health Code sections on psychologist licensing. The act revises licensure requirements for limited license psychologists, including supervised postgraduate experience, allows limited licensees to practice without supervision within their qualifications, and changes Michigan Board of Psychology membership. The Michigan Psychological Association states practice changes await Board of Psychology regulations.

Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · MichiganVotes.org, Michigan Psychological Association
VT.Breaches and incidents

Holland & Knight reports data breach to Vermont attorney general after social-engineering attack

Holland & Knight reported a data breach to the Vermont Attorney General on October 8, 2026, listing Social Security numbers and one Vermont resident, Cybernews and Law360 reported. The firm said in September that an attacker used social engineering to gain unauthorized remote access to a firm computer and obtained a small number of files affecting 14 clients, who were notified.

Report (Cybernews) → · Law360, Nonbillable
UKRegulation

SRA consults on solicitor competence updates covering ethics, AI, supervision and wellbeing

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has opened an eight-week consultation on updating the Statement of Solicitor Competence and SQE functioning legal knowledge, proposing stronger ethics duties, explicit AI and technology competence, a new supervision section and health and wellbeing expectations. The consultation runs until December 3, 2026, with a final statement planned for April 2027 and effect from September 2027.

Text (Law Gazette) → · Legal Futures, Solicitors Journal
UK · EWCACourt order

Court of Appeal says judges sentencing by live link should be rare and cuts fraud sentence for guideline errors

In R v Priestley [2026] EWCA Crim 1284, the Court of Appeal said a judge sentencing by live link, especially where custody is likely, should be rare and administrative convenience is not enough; the resident judge should be consulted, counsel given reasons and a chance to object, and a short ruling uploaded to the digital case system. It cut Frederic Priestley's fraud sentence from 35 to 24 months for harm-category and mitigation errors but refused to suspend it.

Order (The National Archives (Find Case Law)) → · Solicitors Journal, Law Gazette
VT.Breaches and incidents

Squire Patton Boggs reports breach of client-held personal data including Social Security numbers

Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP reported a data breach to the Vermont Attorney General on October 8, 2026, listing Social Security numbers and two Vermont residents, Cybernews and Law360 reported. The firm's consumer notice, filed with Massachusetts regulators, says files affected by a cybersecurity incident contained personal information it held for a client, which it confirmed on September 25, 2026.

Report (Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation) → · Cybernews, Law360
UK · SDTCourt order

Disciplinary tribunal lets former Post Office general counsel Jane MacLeod attend hearing remotely

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal on October 6, 2026, granted former Post Office general counsel Jane MacLeod's application to attend her disciplinary hearing remotely from Australia, over the Solicitors Regulation Authority's objection. The SRA has charged her with failing to cooperate with the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. The four-day hearing is set to start January 25, 2027.

Order (The Lawyer) → · Law Gazette
S.D.N.Y.Litigation

New York City sues personal injury firm Asher & Associates under RICO over alleged fabricated claims

New York City sued Manhattan personal injury firm Asher & Associates and principals Ryan Asher and Roberta Asher in federal court in Manhattan, alleging the firm falsely blamed clients' injuries on defective city roadways. The complaint, filed on Sunday, October 4, 2026, seeks treble damages under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and penalties under city and state false claims laws.

Filing (Bloomberg Law) → · ABA Journal
UKResearch

Law Society report warns justice system in England and Wales is not ready for agentic AI

The Law Society of England and Wales said on October 5, 2026, that the justice system is not ready for agentic AI, publishing a foresight study on how AI systems that act on users' behalf could reshape justice over the next decade. It said such tools could ease administrative pressures but warned that errors could spread quickly and accountability could fragment, and called for meaningful human oversight.

Paper (The Law Society) → · Legal Futures
UKBreaches and incidents

Legal 500 takes site offline after erroneous negative lawyer reviews publish

Legal 500 publisher Legalease took its rankings website offline for maintenance on October 2, 2026, after an upload error published incorrect negative testimonial text on some lawyer profiles when the directory went live the day before, the Law Gazette and City A.M. reported. A Legal 500 spokesperson said the firm removed the content, began verification checks, and is strengthening quality safeguards.

Report (Law Gazette) → · City A.M.
UKRegulation

Legal Services Board drops planned diversity statutory policy statement

The Legal Services Board said on October 1, 2026, that it will not proceed with a draft statutory statement of policy on diversity after a November 2025–March 2026 consultation, keeping 2017 statutory guidance instead. Legal Futures reported consultation pushback on resources and cross-regulator fit; chair Monisha Shah said the board is concentrating on fewer consumer-risk priorities.

Text (Legal Services Board) → · Legal Futures
8TH CIR.Litigation

Justice Department files judicial misconduct complaint against Minnesota federal judges over press interviews

The Justice Department filed a judicial misconduct complaint with Eighth Circuit Chief Judge Steven Colloton against Minnesota federal judges who spoke to the New York Times about immigration enforcement cases. Signed by Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, it accuses Senior Judges Patrick Schiltz and John Tunheim and anonymous colleagues of violating the judicial code of conduct and asks that they be required to recuse from Homeland Security cases.

Filing (U.S. Department of Justice) → · Reuters, Bloomberg Law, CNBC
UKRegulation

SRA pauses COLP and COFA separation rules after small-firm backlash

The Solicitors Regulation Authority paused rules requiring firms to separate the COLP and COFA roles from managers with unilateral decision-making power, the Law Gazette and Legal Futures reported on September 30, 2026. The Legal Services Board-approved rules, due from January 2027 for firms above turnover or client-money thresholds, are on hold while the SRA consults stakeholders. An SME firm alliance welcomed the pause but still plans a Law Society AGM no-confidence vote.

Text (Law Gazette) → · Legal Futures
CAL.Regulation

California bars AI from independently performing licensed clinical functions and brings health chatbots under medical privacy law

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1979 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, health facilities, clinics and physician offices may not use AI to independently perform clinical functions the law reserves for licensed professionals, and must ensure licensed clinicians keep independent judgment when care is informed by clinical decision support systems. Businesses offering health care chatbots to consumers become providers subject to the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California bars lawyers and arbitrators from delegating legal work and decisions to generative AI

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 574 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, attorneys may not delegate the practice of law to generative AI and, when using it, must keep confidential and nonpublic information out of AI systems and verify outputs. No court filing may contain citations the responsible attorney has not personally verified, and arbitrators may not delegate decisionmaking to generative AI.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
UK · ETCourt order

Employment tribunal orders barrister to pay £6,767 wasted costs after he appeared from trains in Germany

Birmingham Employment Tribunal ordered barrister Michael Engelhardt-Sprack to pay £6,767.44 in wasted costs to the first respondent in Burns v Gitpod GmbH after he tried to conduct the first day of a remote final hearing from two trains in Germany on 12 May 2025, Legal Futures reported. In a costs judgment dated 18 February 2026, Employment Judge Wedderspoon called the conduct totally inappropriate and unprofessional and a breach of presidential guidance. The hearing resumed the next day in person.

Opinion (Employment Tribunals (England and Wales)) → · Legal Futures
UK · SDTCourt order

SDT strikes off Hereford conveyancer Fiona Parsons after client-money fraud

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal struck off Fiona Hunter Blair Parsons after she diverted nearly £250,000 in client payments to her personal account while a conveyancer at Lambe Corner in Hereford, Legal Futures and the Law Gazette reported on September 28, 2026. Parsons pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and received a 30-month prison sentence. The SDT approved an agreed outcome with the SRA and made no costs order because of her finances.

Order (Legal Futures) → · Law Gazette, Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal
CAL.Regulation

California updates conversion-therapy ban to cover gender-identity change efforts

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 934 on September 26, 2026, as Chapter 469 of the Statutes of 2026. From January 1, 2027, it amends Business and Professions Code sections 865 to 865.2 to redefine the regulated practice as “sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts”. Licensed mental health providers may not seek, during mental health services, to direct a patient under 18 toward a predetermined sexual orientation or gender identity; doing so is unprofessional conduct subject to licensing discipline.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
UK · EWHCCourt order

High Court dismisses Sex Matters challenge to CPS deception-as-to-sex guidance

The Divisional Court on September 25, 2026 dismissed Sex Matters’ judicial review of CPS guidance on deception as to sex in sexual-offence charging. Dame Victoria Sharp P and Mrs Justice Heather Williams held deception as to gender identity is not incapable of vitiating consent under section 74 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and that the draft guidance did not misstate the law, while criticising a trans/non-binary experiences passage as surprising in charging guidance.

Order (Find Case Law (National Archives)) → · Judiciary of England and Wales, Solicitors Journal
U.S. FEDRegulation

Education Department panel declines to recommend on ABA law-school accreditation renewal

The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity voted on September 24, 2026 not to recommend whether the Education Department should renew the American Bar Association council’s federal recognition as a law-school accreditor, after deadlocking the prior day. The matter now goes to Under Secretary Nicholas Kent, who has up to 90 days to decide. The department last month signaled it plans not to renew the ABA’s status.

Text (Bloomberg Law) → · Law360, Inside Higher Ed
UKRegulation

Law Society drops recommended trainee minimum salary for real living wage

The Law Society of England and Wales has stopped publishing a recommended minimum salary for trainee solicitors and instead advises employers to pay staff on qualifying work experience no less than the real living wage, Legal Cheek and the Law Gazette reported. The real living wage is £14.80 an hour in London and £13.45 elsewhere. Last year’s Society recommendations were £28,090 in London and £24,916 outside; the Society said the change is guidance, not a regulatory requirement.

Text (Legal Cheek) → · Law Gazette
N.Y.Ethics opinion

NYC Bar ethics committee says lawyers should not use AI to record calls with non-clients by default

The New York City Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics issued Formal Opinion 2026-2 on August 5, 2026, on AI tools that record, transcribe and summarize lawyers' conversations with people who are not clients. It concludes the default should be not to use them absent a good reason, that lawyers must disclose an intended recording and obtain every participant's permission, and that surreptitious recording is barred.

Opinion (New York City Bar Association) →
OHIOEthics opinion

Ohio Board of Professional Conduct issues nonbinding AI ethics guide for lawyers, judges and magistrates

The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct published Artificial Intelligence for Lawyers and Judicial Officers: Ohio Ethics Guide at the Supreme Court of Ohio's request, Court News Ohio reported on June 30, 2026. The nonbinding guide applies the Rules of Professional Conduct and the Code of Judicial Conduct to AI use, covering verification, confidentiality, billing, candor to tribunals and judges' independent decision-making.

Opinion (Ohio Board of Professional Conduct) → · Court News Ohio
INDIA · SCILitigation

India Supreme Court questions BCI power to control law colleges

India’s Supreme Court on September 23, 2026 questioned how far the Bar Council of India may control or run law colleges while hearing Girish Mittal v Bar Council of India, Bar & Bench and LiveLaw reported. Chief Justice Kant asked what expertise BCI has in legal education, distinguishing prescribing broad standards from operational control, and issued notice to the BCI on the petition.

Filing (Bar & Bench) → · LiveLaw
UKBreaches and incidents

Pogust Goodhead says it will drop founders’ names after Harris Pogust demand

Claimant firm Pogust Goodhead said it intends to move away from its name after co-founder Harris Pogust sent notice that he would file a cease-and-desist to remove “Pogust” from its branding, Legal Business, Non-Billable and City AM reported. Pogust, who left management about three years ago, criticised the firm for naming its own clients as defendants in the Mariana dam litigation. A firm spokesperson said neither former founder runs the business today and the name should reflect that.

Report (Legal Business) → · Non-Billable, City AM
UK · EWCACourt order

Court of Appeal: judges should hear cases from bed only as a last resort

In Patel v General Optical Council [2026] EWCA Civ 1206, handed down on September 22, 2026, the Court of Appeal refused permission for a second appeal by suspended optometrist Suleman Patel but held Deputy High Court Judge Richard Clayton KC should not have heard the High Court appeal remotely from bed while recovering from Achilles surgery. Lord Justice Phillips, with Lady Justice Falk, said bed hearings should be a last resort when conventional listing is not feasible.

Opinion (Solicitors Journal) → · Legal Futures, The Guardian
UKLitigation

First-tier Tribunal overturns IAA cancellation of Liverpool immigration firm YV Enterprise

The UK First-tier Tribunal held that administrative failings at Liverpool immigration advice firm YV Enterprise did not justify the Immigration Advice Authority’s cancellation of its registration, Legal Futures reported on September 23, 2026. The tribunal found serious record-keeping and client-care deficiencies but rejected findings of dishonesty, fabrication, or instructing clients to conceal the firm from the Home Office, and said cancellation would be disproportionate. The decision is [2026] UKFTT 1305 (GRC), dated September 14.

Filing (First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber)) → · Legal Futures
CAL.Regulation

California requires estate representatives to notify the child-support agency of a decedent's death

SB 1264 (Chapter 427), approved September 20, added subdivision (e) to Probate Code Section 9202, requiring a general personal representative or estate attorney with actual knowledge of a court-ordered child support obligation to notify the Director of the Department of Child Support Services within 90 days after letters are first issued. The duty applies to estates where letters are first issued on or after January 1, 2027.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
UK · EWHCCourt order

High Court holds SRA cannot use s.44B notices to compel client-privileged documents

Mr Justice Butcher in the High Court (King’s Bench) held on September 21, 2026 that a Solicitors Regulation Authority notice under s.44B of the Solicitors Act 1974 cannot require solicitors to produce documents subject to a client’s unwaived legal professional privilege. The Part 8 claim by Carter-Ruck and Mohamed Amersi followed three production notices in an SRA investigation of the firm’s work for Amersi; the SRA said it will seek permission to appeal.

Order (Judiciary of England and Wales) → · Legal Futures, Law Gazette, ICLG +1
UK · EWCACourt order

Court of Appeal bars Part 18 ATE-commission probes in solicitor-own-client assessments

The Court of Appeal held on September 21, 2026 that a costs judge assessing a solicitor’s bill under the Solicitors Act 1974 cannot use CPR Part 18 to force answers about alleged after-the-event insurance commissions. Lady Justice Andrews, with Lord Justices Lewison and Phillips, allowed Coupland Cavendish Ltd (trading as Gowing Law) to overturn Sweeting J in Turner v Coupland Cavendish Ltd [2026] EWCA Civ 1204.

Order (Find Case Law (The National Archives)) → · Solicitors Journal, Legal Futures
CAL.Regulation

California makes litigation-funder control of cases unauthorized practice of law

Governor Newsom signed AB 2305 on September 20, adding Article 7.5 (Business and Professions Code sections 6134 to 6134.14). For contracts entered on or after January 1, 2027, a corporate legal funder that interferes with a substantive litigation decision or controls a litigation function commits the unauthorized practice of law. Litigation practices may not accept funder terms that restrict withdrawal, bar reporting, or penalize resistance; such terms are void. Compliant nonrecourse litigation finance is not impermissible fee sharing.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
CAL.Regulation

California bars corporate legal funders from directing litigation decisions

California added Article 7.5 to the Business and Professions Code, making it unauthorized practice of law for a corporate legal funder to interfere with an attorney's or litigant's substantive litigation decisions. Chapter 393, approved September 20, 2026, voids contract terms enabling such control and exposes violators to client suits for $10,000 per violation or treble actual damages. It preserves nonrecourse litigation finance without control over legal judgment.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) →
CAL.Regulation

California accepts RPR certification for the shorthand-reporter skill exam and extends remote court-reporting pilot

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2783 on September 18, 2026, as an urgency statute. The act lets successful completion of the National Court Reporters Association's Registered Professional Reporter certification satisfy the Dictation/Transcription skill portion of California's certified shorthand reporter examination. It also extends the remote court-reporting pilot in 13 participating superior courts through July 1, 2028.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) →
U.S. FEDRegulation

US Judicial Conference AI task force plans fresh generative AI guidance within a year

U.S. Circuit Judge Sidney Thomas said on September 17, 2026 that a 24-member federal judiciary AI task force is preparing further generative AI recommendations for judges within the next year after the Judicial Conference met in Washington. The Administrative Office separately said interim guidance already cautions courts not to delegate core judicial functions to AI and holds users accountable for AI-assisted work.

Text (Reuters) → · U.S. Courts, Law360
UKCourt order

UK EAT warns litigants after 300-page ChatGPT skeleton in Hancox appeal

Deputy High Court judge Marcus Pilgerstorfer KC, sitting in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, on September 17, 2026 warned litigants in person that they remain personally responsible for AI-drafted filings after Terence Hancox submitted a 300-page, 132,000-word ChatGPT skeleton. The judgment in Hancox v Sutherland said unchecked generative AI output is unacceptable and that noncompliant documents are likely to be rejected.

Order (GOV.UK) → · Legal Futures, Law360
UKBreaches and incidents

FCA bans former Kingly Solicitors manager Nurul Miah from financial services

On September 15, 2026 the UK Financial Conduct Authority banned Nurul Miah (also known as Neil Mia/Neil Miah), a former non-legal manager at Kingly Solicitors Limited, from working in financial services. The ban follows Solicitors Regulation Authority findings that he dishonestly caused or allowed more than £28 million to be taken from client accounts and that more than £10 million of client money was missing and used for his benefit.

Report (Financial Conduct Authority) → · Law Gazette
UKRegulation

UK JCHR calls for AI Bill, single statutory oversight body, and bans on some AI uses

On September 14, 2026 the UK Joint Committee on Human Rights published a report saying existing law is fragmented and ill-equipped for AI human-rights risks. It recommends a dedicated AI Bill, a single independent statutory AI oversight body with enforcement powers, stronger lifecycle duties for higher-risk systems, and prohibitions on certain incompatible uses.

Enrolled text (UK Parliament (JCHR)) → · Law Gazette, BBC News
U.S. FEDLitigation

ACC sues The L Suite over Lloyd AI use of ACC materials and trademarks

On September 10, 2026 the Association of Corporate Counsel sued The Suite, Inc. (d/b/a The L Suite) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint alleges Lloyd, The L Suite's in-house counsel chatbot, used ACC copyrighted benchmarking materials and ACC trademarks without authorization. ACC seeks an injunction and damages in the jury-demand complaint.

Filing (U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (via CourtListener)) → · Delaware Business Court Insider (Law.com)
OKLA.Court order

Oklahoma judge used ChatGPT in order citing nonexistent cases

Stephens County Associate District Judge Lawrence Wheeler told an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent he used ChatGPT while preparing a 2025 paternity order that cited two nonexistent cases, according to an August 17 letter from District Attorney Jason Hicks. The OSBI investigated at the request of the Council on Judicial Complaints. The attorney general's office declined to prosecute, saying the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Court on the Judiciary retain discipline authority.

Order (Reuters) → · Minnesota Lawyer, Virginia Lawyers Weekly
UKRegulation

UK SME boutique firms lobby SRA and Law Society over COLP/COFA separation rules

Twenty-eight firms in a new SME & Boutique Law Firm Alliance sent open letters to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Law Society on September 8, 2026 seeking changes to LSB-approved rules separating compliance officer roles. The rules stop individuals who can unilaterally control a firm from serving as COLP or COFA where turnover exceeds £600,000 or client money exceeds £2 million, from January 2027. The alliance wants the start postponed.

Text (Legal Futures) → · Solicitors Regulation Authority
CAL.Regulation

California legislature passes bill requiring lawyers to verify and disclose generative AI use

California's legislature passed Senate Bill 574 on August 31, 2026, 75-0 in the Assembly and 40-0 in the Senate, and sent it to Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill would bar attorneys from delegating the practice of law to generative AI, require personal verification of every citation, require disclosure of AI use to the court for all filed documents, and bar arbitrators from delegating decisions to AI. The governor has until September 30 to sign or veto.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Bloomberg Law, Law360, ABA Journal
UKCourt order

SDT strikes off foreign lawyer over immigration conviction and AI citations

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal struck Abhishek Kumar off the register of foreign lawyers after proving a 2024 conviction for knowingly employing a person disqualified by immigration status and, separately, AI-generated misleading citations in his defense to the SRA. The judgment is dated August 25, 2026; Law360 reported the ruling on September 3, 2026 as the tribunal's first AI-citation case. Dishonesty was not alleged; the tribunal said either allegation alone would have led to strike-off.

Opinion (Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal) → · Law360 UK, Legal Futures, ComplexDiscovery +1
D.C.Court order

D.C. Court of Appeals strikes Deutsche Bank brief over AI-hallucinated citations

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals struck Deutsche Bank National Trust Company's appellate brief in Douglas v. Deutsche Bank after counsel admitted four nonexistent citations came from Google's generative AI search tool. The per curiam panel held every firm attorney who signed the brief bears some responsibility and referred the matter to the D.C. Bar's Office of Disciplinary Counsel. The panel referred the scope of its sanctions authority to the court's Rules Committee; Senior Judge Glickman concurred separately.

Order (District of Columbia Court of Appeals) → · ABA Journal, Law360, Reason (Volokh Conspiracy)
N.Y.Ethics opinion

New York State Bar says virtual office may serve as lawyer's address for communications

The New York State Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics said on 3 September 2026 that a New York lawyer may list a virtual law office as the office address on websites, advertisements, letterhead and business cards. The committee said listing is not false if the arrangement ensures receipt of mail and service and availability for in-person meetings on reasonable notice.

Opinion (New York State Bar Association) →
WIS.Ethics opinion

Wisconsin bar says lawyers must report misconduct raising substantial fitness question

The State Bar of Wisconsin's Committee on Professional Ethics said on 3 September 2026 that lawyers must report another lawyer's or judge's misconduct when they know of a violation that raises a substantial question about honesty, trustworthiness or fitness. The committee said the duty is conditional, requires client consent if confidential information is disclosed, and must be made to the Office of Lawyer Regulation or Judicial Commission.

Opinion (State Bar of Wisconsin) → · vLex
N.Y.Ethics opinion

New York bar says public defender's personal conflict not imputed within government office

The New York State Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics said in Opinion 1300, dated 31 August 2026, that a public defender office that is a government office is governed by Rule 1.11, not Rule 1.10. The committee said a conflict under Rule 1.7(a)(2) based on a lawyer's personal interest in a relative heading a county agency would not be imputed to other lawyers in the office.

Opinion (New York State Bar Association) →
N.Y.Ethics opinion

New York bar says lawyer may bill for time explaining invoices after notice

The New York State Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics said on 31 August 2026 that a lawyer may charge a client for time spent explaining a sufficiently detailed bill. The committee said the time is billable as counseling under Rule 1.4 when the lawyer gives advance notice, but time spent addressing a good-faith billing dispute is overhead and not billable.

Opinion (New York State Bar Association) →