The Bencher—Ethics Columns

Each issue of The Bencher® includes an Ethics column written alternatively by Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire and John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire. The following is a list of the ethics columns that have been published in The Bencher.

2024

• Justice Kagan Recuses from a Case, Cites New Supreme Court Code of Conduct—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (March/April 2024)
• Litigation Misconduct that Warrants Fee Shifting—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esq. (January/February 2024)

2023

• The Roots of American Legal Ethics Codes—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (November/December 2023)
• Do Legal Ethics Rules Provide Guidance for Respinding to False Accusations?—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (September/October 2023)
• Seeking Advice About Compliance with Ethics Rules—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (July/August 2023)
  
• Criteria for Judicial Recusal—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (May/June 2023)
• Can Judges Compliment Lawyers? The Practical Application of Professional Ethics—By Wendy L. Patrick, Esquire, PhD (March/April 2023)
  
• Court Rejects Disqualification of Law Firm Based on Rules 1.9 and 1.10—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (January/February 2023)

• Legal Ethics and Witnesses—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (November/December 2022)
  
• Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Standard to Hold Individual in Contempt for Actions of Entity She Controls—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (September/October 2022)
  
• New ABA Ethics Opinion on Solicitation—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (July/August 2022)
  
• Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Pro Hac Vice Standards—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (May/June 2022)
  
• Judicial Participation in Lawyer Diversion and Legal Assistance Programs (New York Report)—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (March/April 2022)
• Resources for Judicial Ethics Research—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (January/February 2022)
  

2021

• Responding to Online Criticism—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (November/December 2021)
  
• Delaware Supreme Court Limits Trial Court's Power to Impose Sanctions for Unprofessional Conduct—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (September/October 2021)
  
• Virtual Practice—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (July/August 2021)
• Professionalism Perspectives on Court Proceedings via Zoom—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (May/June 2021)
  
• Ethics: Justice Ginsburg’s 1996 Speech on ‘Supreme Court Pronouncements on the Conduct of Lawyers’—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (March/April 2021)
  
• Company’s Privileged Communications Must Be Provided to Board Members—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (January/February 2021)

2020

• Cybersecurity—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (November/December 2020)
• What Is the Remedy for Appellate Judicial Bias?—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (September/October 2020)
• Disasters and Crisis—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (July/August 2020)
• Legal Ethics and Lawyer Mobility—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (May/June 2020)
• Lawyer Well-Being and Attorney Regulation—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (March/April 2020) 
• Lawyers’ Duty of Candor to the Court—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (January/February 2020)

2019

• Legal Ethics and Social Media—John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (November/December 2019) 
• Delaware Supreme Court Instructs on Duty of Lawyer Representing Errant Deponent—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (September/October 2019) 
• Application of Ethics Rules to Conduct Performed Outside of Legal Practice—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (July/August 2019) 
• Status as Facebook Friend Not Per Se Basis to Disqualify Judge—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (May/June 2019)
• Fee Financing—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Mar/Apr2019)
• LinkedIn and Legal Ethics—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (Jan/Feb 2019)

2018

• Adopted Amendments to ABA Model Rules on Advertising—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Nov/Dec 2018)
• Federal Court Finds Representative Plaintiff Has Conflict of Interest—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (Sep/Oct 2018)
• The Lawyer as Advisor on "Other Considerations" —By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Jul/Aug 2018)
• ABA Issues Opinion on Judges’ Use of Internet for Factual Research—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (May/June 2018)
• Proposed Amendments to ABA Model Rules on Advertising—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Mar/Apr2018)
• Delaware Disbars Pennsylvania Lawyer—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (Jan/Feb 2018)

2017

• Crossing Borders—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Nov/Dec 2017)
• Legal Ethics and Access to Justice—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Jul/Aug 2017)
• Delaware Imposes Penalties for Litigation—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (May/Jun2017)
• Confidentiality and Withdrawal for Non-Payment of Fees—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Mar/Apr 2017)
• DC Bar Ethics Opinions Relating to Social Media and Networking—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Jan/Feb 2017)

2016

• ABA Seeks to Enforce Political Correctness—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (Nov/Dec 2016)
• Fee Dispute Arbitration or Mediation—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Sep/Oct 2016)
• Court Disqualifies Firm Based on Representation of Affiliated Subsidiary—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (Jul/Aug 2016)
• Proposed Ethics Rule on Harassment and Discrimination in Conduct Related to the Practice of Law—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (May/Jun 2016)
• Prosecutorial Discretion—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire (Mar/Apr 2016)
• Lawyer Assistance Programs and Attorney Discipline Agencies—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire (Jan/Feb 2016)

2015

• Judge Criticized for Courtroom Behavior—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire
• Ethics: Back to the Beginning of the Ethics Column—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire
• Professionalism and Judges—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire
• Special Conflicts of Interest for Former and Current Government Officers and Employees—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire
• Delaware Court of Chancery Enforces Deposition Practice Standards—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esq.
• Ethics: Not Funny at All—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire

2014

• New Lateral Partner Creates Conflict That Disqualifies His New Firm--by Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esq.
• Judicial Law Clerks--By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire
• Federal Court Grants Motion to Disqualify Counsel Based on Rules 1.7, 1.9 and 1.10--By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire
• In the Year 3535—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire
• Second Circuit Disqualifies Attorney For Breach of Client Confidences—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire
• Today Is the Tomorrow…—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire

2013

• Advance Waiver Approved by Federal Court in Texas—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire
• Pro Bono Expectations and the Ethics Rules—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esquire
• Supreme Court Denies In-house Counsel's Motion to Withdraw from Pro Bono Representation Due to Lack of Malpractice Insurance—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esquire
• ABA Formal Opinion on "Judge's Use of Electronic Social Networking Media"—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esq.
• Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Standards for Enforcement of Legal Ethics and Attorney Conduct—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esq.
• What If the Umpire Makes a Bad Call?—By John P. Ratnaswamy, Esq.
• Court Penalizes Attorney for Faulty Case Citation and Failure to Address Adverse Authority—By Francis G.X. Pileggi, Esq.