{"id":150910,"date":"2026-05-11T14:59:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T22:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/05\/11\/legal-ethics-roundup-ethical-error-culture-nj-weighs-ban-on-attorney-client-sex-ca-ai-ethics-rules-proposal-biglaw-insider-trading-lat-on-katyals-ted-gate\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T14:59:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T22:59:10","slug":"legal-ethics-roundup-ethical-error-culture-nj-weighs-ban-on-attorney-client-sex-ca-ai-ethics-rules-proposal-biglaw-insider-trading-lat-on-katyals-ted-gate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/05\/11\/legal-ethics-roundup-ethical-error-culture-nj-weighs-ban-on-attorney-client-sex-ca-ai-ethics-rules-proposal-biglaw-insider-trading-lat-on-katyals-ted-gate\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Ethics Roundup: \u2018Ethical Error Culture,\u2019 NJ Weighs Ban On Attorney-Client Sex, CA AI Ethics Rules Proposal, Biglaw Insider Trading, Lat On Katyal\u2019s \u2018TED-gate\u2019 &amp; More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><u>Ed. note<\/u>: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup,<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalethics.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Happy Monday!<\/p>\n<p>Last week I delivered a presentation for the\u00a0<strong>Beverly Hills Bar Association<\/strong>. \u201cWhen Lawyers Protest: Professional Responsibility and Ethics\u201d is\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bhba.org\/cle\/when-lawyers-protest-professional-responsibility-and-ethics\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">now available to stream OnDemand at this link<\/a><\/strong>. You should be able to access it for free, but if not, send an email to legalethics@substack.com for a code to receive complimentary access along with CLE participation credit. I draw from my book\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Law-Democratized-Blueprint-Solving-Justice\/dp\/1479820393\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Law Democratized: A Blueprint for Solving the Justice Crisis<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and my forthcoming Michigan Law Review piece of the same title, \u201cWhen Lawyers Protest,\u201d which will be published in June.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img can-restack\" href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21nTz4%21%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F13fb6bfd-2140-4d2a-adad-dde51963aa19_1280x876.png?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21nTz4%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F13fb6bfd-2140-4d2a-adad-dde51963aa19_1280x876.png?w=1080&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>This week I head to Chicago for an\u00a0<strong>ABA Accreditation Council<\/strong>\u00a0meeting. Anyone can attend our open meeting on Friday, May 15, via Zoom at this\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/americanbar.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_9-twpgqOTQ2xYZFLh6_JWQ#\/registration\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">link<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/americanbar.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_9-twpgqOTQ2xYZFLh6_JWQ#\/registration\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u00a0<\/a>and you can find the agenda\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/legal_education\/events\/council-meetings\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Now for our headlines.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Highlights from Last Week \u2013 Top Ten Headlines \ud83d\udcf0<\/h3>\n<p><strong>#1 \u201cJudge Slams Trump Administration for \u2018Serious Breakdown\u2019 in Legal Ethics.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>The New York Times:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe Department of Homeland Security criticized a judge for releasing a man accused of murder overseas, but did not inform her of the accusation. The judge said she would consider imposing sanctions.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/04\/us\/politics\/judge-dubose-trump-administration-attacks.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hlA.c-O_.tXuwXoD6Zh0t&amp;smid=url-share\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n<p><strong>#2 \u201cStill? NJ Weighing Rule to Ban Attorney-Client Sex.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>Law.com:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe justices rejected a similar proposal in 2002, but a lot has changed since the last time the court considered such an issue.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/njlawjournal\/2026\/05\/04\/still-nj-weighing-rule-to-ban-attorney-client-sex\/?slreturn=20260510234525\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#3 \u201cFormer Paul Weiss Chair Brad Karp Defends Settlement With Trump During Harvard Law School Class.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>The Harvard Crimson (H\/T How Appealing):\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c<strong>Brad S. Karp<\/strong>, the former chairman of Paul Weiss, defended the firm\u2019s settlement with the Trump administration during a Harvard Law School class on April 15, telling students he had to make a deal for the firm\u2019s survival. Karp \u2014 who stepped down in February after his emails with disgraced financier\u00a0<strong>Jeffrey E. Epstein<\/strong>\u00a0were made public \u2014 told students that Paul Weiss partners unanimously agreed to attempt a settlement because of concerns that other major firms would poach the firm\u2019s clients and partners, according to two attendees, who were granted anonymity because of the school\u2019s classroom non-attribution policy. Before pursuing a settlement, Karp said he met with several other major law firms to discuss mounting a joint resistance to the Trump administration, according to the two people. The effort was ultimately unsuccessful \u2014 at least eight firms struck similar deals with the administration, committing hundreds of millions of dollars in pro bono services collectively.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecrimson.com\/article\/2026\/4\/29\/brad-karp-hls-talk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#4 \u201cImpact of Finalized Student Loan Limits on Law Students and Law Schools.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>TaxProf Blog (quoting Reuters):\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cA small number of U.S. law schools allow new students to kick off their studies in May or June, before the traditional fall first semester. \u200bDemand is up this year as students look to beat\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/legalindustry\/us-law-schools-students-fear-rising-costs-new-federal-loan-cap-2026-02-17\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">a cap on federal loan amounts<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0that goes into effect July 1, \u200caccording to interviews with administrators at five law schools. At least two schools \u2014 Stetson University College of Law and Rutgers Law School \u2014 created summer start options expressly to enable new students to take advantage of the current student loan system. New students who take out federal loans before July are grandfathered into the expiring loan program for the remainder of \u200btheir studies under final U.S. Department of Education regulations released Thursday.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/taxprofblog.aals.org\/2026\/05\/10\/finalized-student-loan-limits-will-impact-law-students-law-schools-and-the-legal-profession\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#5 \u201cCalifornia Bar Proposes Rule Requiring Lawyers to Verify Every AI Output \u2014 and Five Other AI-Focused Ethics Changes.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>LawSites:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWhen using any technology \u2014 including AI \u2014 a lawyer \u2018must independently review, verify, and exercise professional judgment regarding any output generated by the technology that is used in connection with representing a client.\u2019 That language appears in a new comment to Rule 1.1 on competence proposed by the State Bar of California\u2019s Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (COPRAC) as part of a\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.calbar.ca.gov\/public\/public-meetings-comment\/public-comment\/public-comment-archives\/2026-public-comment\/proposed-amendments-rules-professional-conduct-related-artificial-intelligence\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">package of AI-related amendments<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to six of the state\u2019s Rules of Professional Conduct. The\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnext.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Proposed-Amended-Rules-AI-clean-redline.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">proposed changes<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0would, for the first time, write specific AI obligations into California\u2019s rules. The changes span the rules on competence, client communication, confidentiality, candor toward tribunals, and supervision of both lawyers and other staff.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnext.com\/2026\/05\/california-bar-proposes-rule-requiring-lawyers-to-verify-every-ai-output-and-five-other-ai-focused-ethics-changes.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#6 \u201cSupremely Cringe: Neal Katyal And \u2018TED-Gate\u2019.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>David Lat\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00a0<strong>Original Jurisdiction:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cDon\u2019t say I didn\u2019t warn you. Almost twenty years ago, I wrote an Above the Law post posing this question:\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2006\/08\/neal-katyal-the-paris-hilton-of-the-legal-elite\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Is Neal Katyal the Paris Hilton of the Legal Elite?<\/a>\u00a0\u2026\u00a0<\/strong>It turns out that Katyal\u00a0<em>did<\/em>\u00a0have staying power: two decades later, we\u2019re still talking about him. Just like Paris Hilton, he went viral over a video\u2014which, like Hilton\u2019s, has been widely viewed as highly embarrassing. But unlike Paris Hilton\u2014today seen sympathetically, as the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/tv-movies\/tv-movie-news\/paris-hilton-sex-tape-abuse-capitol-hill-speech-1235503789\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">victim<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0of a non-consensual, privacy-violating leak\u2014Neal Katyal did it to himself. It all started on Wednesday night, with a\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/neal_katyal\/status\/2052133764940382262\" rel=\"nofollow\">tweet<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(which has, as of this writing, been viewed 1.4 million times).\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/davidlat.substack.com\/p\/neal-katyal-tweet-ted-talk-harvey-tariffs-case-supreme-court-scotus-milbank-partner-former-acting-solicitor-general\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>, including an exclusive\u2014and very thoughtful\u2014interview with Katyal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#7 \u201cM&amp;A Insider Trading Allegations Threaten Big Law Reputations.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cElite M&amp;A lawyers accused of aiding a massive insider-trading ring show how Big Law firms risk reputational harm when their talent is accused of serious crimes. Seven firms\u2014Goodwin Procter; Latham &amp; Watkins; Sidley Austin; Weil, Gotshal &amp; Manges; Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen &amp; Katz; Willkie Farr &amp; Gallagher; and DLA Piper\u2014have former employees involved in the scheme in which prosecutors allege lawyers from top mergers and acquisition firms provided tips on some of the biggest deals of the last decade to an insider trading ring.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/business-and-practice\/m-a-insider-trading-allegations-hit-core-of-big-law-reputations\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#8 \u201cThe DOJ Keeps Breaking Its Own Rules.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>An op-ed from\u00a0<strong>Barbara McQuade\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00a0<strong>Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWhen the Justice Department targets high-profile individuals like former\u00a0<strong>FBI Director James Comey<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Fed Chair Jerome Powell,<\/strong>\u00a0you\u2019d think prosecutors would follow longstanding policy to achieve the best results. Think again.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/us-law-week\/the-doj-keeps-breaking-its-own-rules-barbara-l-mcquade\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#9 Alabama Sidelines ABA in Lawyer Admissions While Tennessee Weighs Similar Move.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>Reuters:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAlabama has become the third Republican-led U.S. state in recent months to limit the role of the American Bar Association in lawyer licensing, and Tennessee could be next. The Supreme Court of Alabama on Thursday\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/judicial.alabama.gov\/docs\/rules\/OrderOnRulesIIIAndIV.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">revised<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/judicial.alabama.gov\/docs\/rules\/OrderOnRulesIIIAndIV.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">,<\/a>\u00a0its admissions rules to eliminate graduation from an ABA-accredited law school as a requirement to \u200btake its bar exam \u2014 following the lead of both Texas and Florida and ratcheting up efforts during\u00a0<strong>President Donald Trump\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0second term to dislodge \u200cthe ABA as the primary accreditor of U.S. law schools.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/litigation\/alabama-sidelines-aba-lawyer-admissions-while-tennessee-weighs-similar-move-2026-05-04\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#10 \u201cEthics My Bad: Building an Ethical Error Culture.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From the\u00a0<strong>Wisconsin Lawyer:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cGood lawyers make mistakes. Ethical lawyers deal with them. Hiding errors doesn\u2019t fix them, and when lawyers are afraid to speak up, small problems can get much bigger. What if you could build a practice culture in which people feel comfortable owning up to mistakes, addressing them early, honestly, and in ways that prevent the next one?\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisbar.org\/NewsPublications\/WisconsinLawyer\/Pages\/Article.aspx?Volume=99&amp;Issue=5&amp;ArticleID=31594\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get Hired \ud83d\udcbc<\/h3>\n<p>Did you miss the 500+ job postings from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalethics.substack.com\/p\/ethics-jobs-get-hired\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Upcoming Ethics Events &amp; Other Announcements \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f<\/h3>\n<p>Did you miss an announcement from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalethics.substack.com\/p\/announcementsevents\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep in Touch \ud83d\udcdd<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Do you have colleagues who care about legal ethics?<\/strong>\u00a0Please share the Roundup with them. I\u2019d love to see our community continue to grow!<\/p>\n<p><strong>News tips? Announcements? Events?<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>A job to post?<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Reading recommendations?<\/strong>\u00a0Email legalethics@substack.com \u2013 but be sure to subscribe first, otherwise the email won\u2019t be delivered.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<p><strong><em>Renee Knake Jefferson holds the endowed Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics and is a Professor of Law at the University of Houston. Check out more of her writing at the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/legalethics.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Legal Ethics Roundup<\/a>. Find her on X (formerly Twitter) at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/reneeknake\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">@reneeknake<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/legalethics.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">legalethics.bsky.social<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2026\/05\/legal-ethics-roundup-ethical-error-culture-nj-weighs-ban-on-attorney-client-sex-ca-ai-ethics-rules-proposal-biglaw-insider-trading-lat-on-katyals-ted-gate-more\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Legal Ethics Roundup: \u2018Ethical Error Culture,\u2019 NJ Weighs Ban On Attorney-Client Sex, CA AI Ethics Rules Proposal, Biglaw Insider Trading, Lat On Katyal\u2019s \u2018TED-gate\u2019 &amp; More<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em><u>Ed. note<\/u>: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup,<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalethics.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Happy Monday!<\/p>\n<p>Last week I delivered a presentation for the\u00a0<strong>Beverly Hills Bar Association<\/strong>. \u201cWhen Lawyers Protest: Professional Responsibility and Ethics\u201d is\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bhba.org\/cle\/when-lawyers-protest-professional-responsibility-and-ethics\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">now available to stream OnDemand at this link<\/a><\/strong>. You should be able to access it for free, but if not, send an email to legalethics@substack.com for a code to receive complimentary access along with CLE participation credit. I draw from my book\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Law-Democratized-Blueprint-Solving-Justice\/dp\/1479820393\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Law Democratized: A Blueprint for Solving the Justice Crisis<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and my forthcoming Michigan Law Review piece of the same title, \u201cWhen Lawyers Protest,\u201d which will be published in June.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img can-restack\" href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21nTz4%21%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F13fb6bfd-2140-4d2a-adad-dde51963aa19_1280x876.png?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/%24s_%21nTz4%21%2Cw_1456%2Cc_limit%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F13fb6bfd-2140-4d2a-adad-dde51963aa19_1280x876.png?w=1080&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>This week I head to Chicago for an\u00a0<strong>ABA Accreditation Council<\/strong>\u00a0meeting. Anyone can attend our open meeting on Friday, May 15, via Zoom at this\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/americanbar.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_9-twpgqOTQ2xYZFLh6_JWQ#\/registration\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">link<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/americanbar.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_9-twpgqOTQ2xYZFLh6_JWQ#\/registration\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u00a0<\/a>and you can find the agenda\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/legal_education\/events\/council-meetings\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Now for our headlines.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Highlights from Last Week \u2013 Top Ten Headlines \ud83d\udcf0<\/h3>\n<p><strong>#1 \u201cJudge Slams Trump Administration for \u2018Serious Breakdown\u2019 in Legal Ethics.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>The New York Times:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe Department of Homeland Security criticized a judge for releasing a man accused of murder overseas, but did not inform her of the accusation. The judge said she would consider imposing sanctions.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/04\/us\/politics\/judge-dubose-trump-administration-attacks.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hlA.c-O_.tXuwXoD6Zh0t&amp;smid=url-share\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n<p><strong>#2 \u201cStill? NJ Weighing Rule to Ban Attorney-Client Sex.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>Law.com:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe justices rejected a similar proposal in 2002, but a lot has changed since the last time the court considered such an issue.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/njlawjournal\/2026\/05\/04\/still-nj-weighing-rule-to-ban-attorney-client-sex\/?slreturn=20260510234525\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#3 \u201cFormer Paul Weiss Chair Brad Karp Defends Settlement With Trump During Harvard Law School Class.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>The Harvard Crimson (H\/T How Appealing):\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c<strong>Brad S. Karp<\/strong>, the former chairman of Paul Weiss, defended the firm\u2019s settlement with the Trump administration during a Harvard Law School class on April 15, telling students he had to make a deal for the firm\u2019s survival. Karp \u2014 who stepped down in February after his emails with disgraced financier\u00a0<strong>Jeffrey E. Epstein<\/strong>\u00a0were made public \u2014 told students that Paul Weiss partners unanimously agreed to attempt a settlement because of concerns that other major firms would poach the firm\u2019s clients and partners, according to two attendees, who were granted anonymity because of the school\u2019s classroom non-attribution policy. Before pursuing a settlement, Karp said he met with several other major law firms to discuss mounting a joint resistance to the Trump administration, according to the two people. The effort was ultimately unsuccessful \u2014 at least eight firms struck similar deals with the administration, committing hundreds of millions of dollars in pro bono services collectively.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecrimson.com\/article\/2026\/4\/29\/brad-karp-hls-talk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#4 \u201cImpact of Finalized Student Loan Limits on Law Students and Law Schools.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>TaxProf Blog (quoting Reuters):\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cA small number of U.S. law schools allow new students to kick off their studies in May or June, before the traditional fall first semester. \u200bDemand is up this year as students look to beat\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/legalindustry\/us-law-schools-students-fear-rising-costs-new-federal-loan-cap-2026-02-17\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">a cap on federal loan amounts<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0that goes into effect July 1, \u200caccording to interviews with administrators at five law schools. At least two schools \u2014 Stetson University College of Law and Rutgers Law School \u2014 created summer start options expressly to enable new students to take advantage of the current student loan system. New students who take out federal loans before July are grandfathered into the expiring loan program for the remainder of \u200btheir studies under final U.S. Department of Education regulations released Thursday.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/taxprofblog.aals.org\/2026\/05\/10\/finalized-student-loan-limits-will-impact-law-students-law-schools-and-the-legal-profession\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#5 \u201cCalifornia Bar Proposes Rule Requiring Lawyers to Verify Every AI Output \u2014 and Five Other AI-Focused Ethics Changes.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>LawSites:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWhen using any technology \u2014 including AI \u2014 a lawyer \u2018must independently review, verify, and exercise professional judgment regarding any output generated by the technology that is used in connection with representing a client.\u2019 That language appears in a new comment to Rule 1.1 on competence proposed by the State Bar of California\u2019s Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (COPRAC) as part of a\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.calbar.ca.gov\/public\/public-meetings-comment\/public-comment\/public-comment-archives\/2026-public-comment\/proposed-amendments-rules-professional-conduct-related-artificial-intelligence\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">package of AI-related amendments<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to six of the state\u2019s Rules of Professional Conduct. The\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnext.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Proposed-Amended-Rules-AI-clean-redline.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">proposed changes<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0would, for the first time, write specific AI obligations into California\u2019s rules. The changes span the rules on competence, client communication, confidentiality, candor toward tribunals, and supervision of both lawyers and other staff.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnext.com\/2026\/05\/california-bar-proposes-rule-requiring-lawyers-to-verify-every-ai-output-and-five-other-ai-focused-ethics-changes.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#6 \u201cSupremely Cringe: Neal Katyal And \u2018TED-Gate\u2019.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>David Lat\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00a0<strong>Original Jurisdiction:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cDon\u2019t say I didn\u2019t warn you. Almost twenty years ago, I wrote an Above the Law post posing this question:\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2006\/08\/neal-katyal-the-paris-hilton-of-the-legal-elite\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Is Neal Katyal the Paris Hilton of the Legal Elite?<\/a>\u00a0\u2026\u00a0<\/strong>It turns out that Katyal\u00a0<em>did<\/em>\u00a0have staying power: two decades later, we\u2019re still talking about him. Just like Paris Hilton, he went viral over a video\u2014which, like Hilton\u2019s, has been widely viewed as highly embarrassing. But unlike Paris Hilton\u2014today seen sympathetically, as the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/tv-movies\/tv-movie-news\/paris-hilton-sex-tape-abuse-capitol-hill-speech-1235503789\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">victim<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0of a non-consensual, privacy-violating leak\u2014Neal Katyal did it to himself. It all started on Wednesday night, with a\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/neal_katyal\/status\/2052133764940382262\" rel=\"nofollow\">tweet<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(which has, as of this writing, been viewed 1.4 million times).\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/davidlat.substack.com\/p\/neal-katyal-tweet-ted-talk-harvey-tariffs-case-supreme-court-scotus-milbank-partner-former-acting-solicitor-general\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>, including an exclusive\u2014and very thoughtful\u2014interview with Katyal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#7 \u201cM&amp;A Insider Trading Allegations Threaten Big Law Reputations.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cElite M&amp;A lawyers accused of aiding a massive insider-trading ring show how Big Law firms risk reputational harm when their talent is accused of serious crimes. Seven firms\u2014Goodwin Procter; Latham &amp; Watkins; Sidley Austin; Weil, Gotshal &amp; Manges; Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen &amp; Katz; Willkie Farr &amp; Gallagher; and DLA Piper\u2014have former employees involved in the scheme in which prosecutors allege lawyers from top mergers and acquisition firms provided tips on some of the biggest deals of the last decade to an insider trading ring.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/business-and-practice\/m-a-insider-trading-allegations-hit-core-of-big-law-reputations\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#8 \u201cThe DOJ Keeps Breaking Its Own Rules.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>An op-ed from\u00a0<strong>Barbara McQuade\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00a0<strong>Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWhen the Justice Department targets high-profile individuals like former\u00a0<strong>FBI Director James Comey<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Fed Chair Jerome Powell,<\/strong>\u00a0you\u2019d think prosecutors would follow longstanding policy to achieve the best results. Think again.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/us-law-week\/the-doj-keeps-breaking-its-own-rules-barbara-l-mcquade\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#9 Alabama Sidelines ABA in Lawyer Admissions While Tennessee Weighs Similar Move.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0<strong>Reuters:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAlabama has become the third Republican-led U.S. state in recent months to limit the role of the American Bar Association in lawyer licensing, and Tennessee could be next. The Supreme Court of Alabama on Thursday\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/judicial.alabama.gov\/docs\/rules\/OrderOnRulesIIIAndIV.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">revised<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/judicial.alabama.gov\/docs\/rules\/OrderOnRulesIIIAndIV.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">,<\/a>\u00a0its admissions rules to eliminate graduation from an ABA-accredited law school as a requirement to \u200btake its bar exam \u2014 following the lead of both Texas and Florida and ratcheting up efforts during\u00a0<strong>President Donald Trump\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0second term to dislodge \u200cthe ABA as the primary accreditor of U.S. law schools.\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/litigation\/alabama-sidelines-aba-lawyer-admissions-while-tennessee-weighs-similar-move-2026-05-04\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#10 \u201cEthics My Bad: Building an Ethical Error Culture.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From the\u00a0<strong>Wisconsin Lawyer:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cGood lawyers make mistakes. Ethical lawyers deal with them. Hiding errors doesn\u2019t fix them, and when lawyers are afraid to speak up, small problems can get much bigger. What if you could build a practice culture in which people feel comfortable owning up to mistakes, addressing them early, honestly, and in ways that prevent the next one?\u201d Read more\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisbar.org\/NewsPublications\/WisconsinLawyer\/Pages\/Article.aspx?Volume=99&amp;Issue=5&amp;ArticleID=31594\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get Hired \ud83d\udcbc<\/h3>\n<p>Did you miss the 500+ job postings from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalethics.substack.com\/p\/ethics-jobs-get-hired\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Upcoming Ethics Events &amp; Other Announcements \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f<\/h3>\n<p>Did you miss an announcement from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalethics.substack.com\/p\/announcementsevents\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep in Touch \ud83d\udcdd<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Do you have colleagues who care about legal ethics?<\/strong>\u00a0Please share the Roundup with them. I\u2019d love to see our community continue to grow!<\/p>\n<p><strong>News tips? Announcements? Events?<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>A job to post?<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Reading recommendations?<\/strong>\u00a0Email legalethics@substack.com \u2013 but be sure to subscribe first, otherwise the email won\u2019t be delivered.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<p><strong><em>Renee Knake Jefferson holds the endowed Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics and is a Professor of Law at the University of Houston. Check out more of her writing at the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/legalethics.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Legal Ethics Roundup<\/a>. Find her on X (formerly Twitter) at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/reneeknake\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">@reneeknake<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/legalethics.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">legalethics.bsky.social<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2026\/05\/legal-ethics-roundup-ethical-error-culture-nj-weighs-ban-on-attorney-client-sex-ca-ai-ethics-rules-proposal-biglaw-insider-trading-lat-on-katyals-ted-gate-more\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Legal Ethics Roundup: \u2018Ethical Error Culture,\u2019 NJ Weighs Ban On Attorney-Client Sex, CA AI Ethics Rules Proposal, Biglaw Insider Trading, Lat On Katyal\u2019s \u2018TED-gate\u2019 &amp; More<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ed. note: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup,\u00a0here. Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics. Happy Monday! Last week I delivered a presentation for the\u00a0Beverly Hills Bar Association. \u201cWhen Lawyers Protest: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":150911,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/https3A2F2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com2Fpublic2Fimages2F13fb6bfd-2140-4d2a-adad-dde51963aa19_1280x876-Yx4OeV.jpg?fit=1280%2C876&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150910"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150910\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}