Welcome to your daily briefing on legal developments in Pennsylvania. Today we're covering 7 key stories including updates on pennsylvania legal headlines, background & context. Let's dive in.
4 stories
As the November 4 general election nears, the Philadelphia Bar Association has released its recommendations regarding judicial candidates up for retention.
These recommendations are essential for legal professionals in Pennsylvania to stay informed about the judiciary's future.
The Philadelphia Bar Association Commission on Judicial Selection has released its recommendations for judicial candidates in 2023.
These recommendations are crucial for legal professionals in Pennsylvania as they influence judicial appointments and the legal landscape.
Access public records with help from the Court System.
Access vital contact and document filing details for managing your business in Idaho.
This information is crucial for legal professionals assisting clients with business compliance in Idaho.
Reach professionals in this market
3 stories
Most non-compliance findings stem from three avoidable mistakes: claiming credit for the wrong reporting period, missing the ethics-credit minimum, and failing to retain proof of attendance for the audit lookback window (typically 5 years). State bar audits are random but increasing in frequency.
A CLE non-compliance finding is a public record in many states and triggers an administrative suspension that requires reinstatement application. Reinstatement is slower than initial admission in some jurisdictions.
A preservation (litigation hold) letter is appropriate as soon as litigation is reasonably anticipated, not just after a complaint is filed. The letter should identify the matter, the document categories at issue, and the recipient's preservation duty. Failure to send one is the leading evidence of spoliation in subsequent motion practice.
Sanctions for spoliation can include adverse-inference instructions, monetary fines, and in severe cases default judgment. The cost of issuing a hold letter is one paralegal hour.
A clear scope-of-work paragraph — naming the specific matter, what is included, and what is explicitly excluded — eliminates roughly 70% of fee disputes by attorneys who track them. Generic "represent client in connection with X matter" language invites assumption-based conflict when adjacent issues surface mid-engagement.
Fee disputes are the leading bar-complaint trigger and are nearly always preventable at contract formation. The cost of a 30-minute scope conversation is trivial against the cost of a fee-arbitration filing.
Get Pennsylvania legal intelligence delivered to your inbox every morning.
Subscribe FreeView all past issues
Feature your brand across the U.S., Canada, and select international markets and 10 industry verticals.
Become a National Partner