This week’s Legal Ethics Roundup highlights pressing issues at the intersection of law, ethics, and democracy. Former federal judges warn that DOJ lawyers under the Trump administration have misled courts, raising new questions about government accountability. Other major stories include the California Supreme Court’s refusal to erase attorney discipline records, state attorneys general potentially violating ethics rules by attacking ESG policies, and a Brennan Center report detailing how the DOJ’s internal controls have been dismantled.
On the tech front, reports show a surge in AI-generated hallucinations in court filings, with misuse of generative AI rising sevenfold in 2025. Meanwhile, the ABA explores the ethical challenges posed by AI, deepfakes, and virtual lawyering. Additional coverage spotlights a federal appeals case questioning Alina Habba’s legitimacy as U.S. attorney, and new scholarship emphasizing the institutional decline of rural court systems.