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AttorneyRobertJames.com 404.891.0977
March 2026
WHEN CLIENTS HAND YOU THEIR LIFE, THE STANDARD HAS TO BE HIGHER
People don’t usually call a lawyer because things are going great. They call because something went wrong and could alter the course of their life. The moment they pick up the phone and hire a lawyer, they’re handing over an enormous amount of trust … trust that the person on the other end will do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons. That’s not a small responsibility. That’s a way of life. Being a lawyer is about much more than winning cases and losing cases, and being a law firm owner goes beyond just making money. We work in a heavily regulated industry, likely one of the most regulated industries in the country, and there’s a reason for that. The bar exists to regulate lawyers but, more importantly, to protect the general public from them, because when someone hires a lawyer, that person has access, influence, and control over their life. If you hire the wrong lawyer (someone negligent or malicious), it can literally change everything about your life. For that reason, ethics are fundamental to this profession. Attorneys are bound by strict obligations that prohibit misappropriation of client funds, engaging in romantic relationships with clients, and acting dishonestly. It’s a cultural joke: People love to say that lawyers lie, but the reality is we’re absolutely not allowed to. I personally know lawyers who’ve been disbarred for being dishonest with their clients. We also have strict ethical rules around diligence and deadlines. We have what’s called a fiduciary duty, which means our clients
depend on us. If I have to file something by April 3 and I don’t file it, I face significant consequences, not just malpractice lawsuits like everyone’s heard of, but consequences to my license. Ethically, I’m required to act in my clients’ best interests at all times. There’s also confidentiality. My clients should be able to tell me anything and everything, unless they tell me they’re about to commit a crime. I’m not just allowed to keep that information private … I’m required to! The rules actually prevent me from disclosing it. That’s how seriously we take ethics in our profession. So, why am I talking about all of this? When you say ethics to me, it’s not just a word. It’s my way of life. I’ve been an attorney for 27 years, and that mindset seeps into everything you do. Young lawyers ask me all the time how we keep all these rules straight. We don’t have 10 simple commandments. We have dozens of rules. But here’s the reality: If you’re acting in the best interest of your client, if you’re honest, forthright, and transparent, even when you make a mistake (and you will), then 99.9% of the time, you’re not going to violate any ethics rules. March happens to be National Ethics Awareness Month, and it’s a fantastic reminder that the rules are the minimum standard. Truly ethical lawyers don’t rely on the rules to tell them how to treat people. I do plenty of things I don’t have to do. For example, in personal injury cases, I won’t take more money than my client. Even if the contract allows it. Even if the bar doesn’t prohibit it. If taking my fee means I walk away with more money than the injured person, I reduce my fee. I wasn’t the one injured. I’m not the one paralyzed. I didn’t lose a loved one. Ethics are about doing what’s right when no one is forcing you to do it. It’s about treating people the way you would want someone to treat your mother, child, sister, or father if their life were on the line. We don’t do this work because we love rules … we do it because we care about people. We love people, and in this profession, that actually matters because people’s lives don’t just intersect with what we do; they depend on it. When someone puts their future, freedom, or family in your hands, the standard has to be higher than what’s merely allowed. Because just being legal is never the same thing as being ethical.
–Robert D. James
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AI’S HIDDEN RISKS TO CONSUMERS DIGITAL DANGERS
If you’ve been to an airport lately, you likely have posed for a facial recognition camera before entering your security checkpoint. This technology is just one example of how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to not only identify who we are, but also learn more about us than we might realize.
In some cases, this reality is not a great thing.
Sure, being tracked online by AI may be considered beneficial by consumers who don’t mind receiving alerts on new purchasing opportunities based on their past shopping habits. However, society’s growing dependency on this level of technology is problematic when it leads to innocent people being incarcerated on false charges. Here’s a look at some of the growing risks surrounding the use of AI … and what you can do to better protect your privacy and rights from the prying eyes of emerging technology. Amazon’s Data Defect Debacle Although AI is seemingly everywhere these days, its use in the corporate world has existed for some time … and has created considerable gaffes along the way. Amazon learned about machine learning’s potential missteps the hard way. As far back as 2015, the company discovered that its AI-generated tools for screening resumes were biased against female job candidates. The system, designed to assign a rating from one to five stars to each applicant, gave lower scores to women who had applied for technical positions. The reason? The system had been trained to review and recommend candidates based on trends identified in resumes submitted to the company over the past 10 years, a period when men dominated the majority of positions. Instead of advancing future AI technology, Amazon stumbled back into America’s cultural past, creating a PR nightmare and “When faulty tech threatens a person’s liberty, it’s clear that AI’s road to perfection still has plenty of potholes.”
raising serious questions about the potential long-term harm AI could cause in efforts to promote gender equality. AI’s Misadventures in Faulty Arrests Facial recognition technology may be all the rage at airports, but the same can’t be said for its use at police stations. According to research conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Asian and African Americans are up to twice as likely to be misidentified by facial recognition as Caucasians. This discrepancy has real-world consequences, including the 2023 arrest of a pregnant woman in Detroit who was charged with carjacking after AI technology mistook her for someone else. When faulty tech threatens a person’s liberty, it’s clear that AI’s road to perfection still has plenty of potholes. Consumers’ Best Practices for Data Privacy Naturally, everyday consumers may also find themselves in sticky situations as a result of AI’s still-imperfect processes. Banking giant JPMorgan Chase offers the following suggestions to help better protect your personal information from AI-driven data tracking: • Utilize a separate, dedicated email address when engaging with AI chatbots, and avoid using the same email associated with your banking or social media. • Log off after every AI chat session to help ensure the system is not tracking your subsequent online usage. • Use only generative AI platforms available through the Google and Apple App stores and other reputable sources. AI may be a fascinating new chapter in our technical evolution, but it’s not without causes for concern. Whether you’re ordering shoes online or checking your savings account, forewarned is forearmed when it comes to guarding your identity … and even your freedom.
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If you’ve ever walked into your kitchen to discover your child’s mouth covered in chocolate while they insist they didn’t dip into the cookie jar before dinner, you know the importance of teaching little ones about being honest and taking responsibility for their actions. Here are a few tips for incorporating age- appropriate lessons on accountability into a child’s daily routine. Pathways to Responsible Preschoolers When teaching children the value of personal accountability, selecting tasks that match their abilities and level of understanding is essential. For children ages 3–6, this could mean having them take responsibility for setting the table (with supervision as needed to ensure safety with utensils and glassware), feeding their pets, or putting away their toys neatly after they finish playing with them. If they struggle or fail to fulfill a particular responsibility, use it as an opportunity for growth, rather than a reason to ground them. For example, if they forget to feed their dog or cat, show them FROM COOKIE JARS TO CAR KEYS Building Responsibility in Kids and Teens
TAKE A BREAK
their pet’s signs of hunger … and remind your child of how sad, tired, and cranky they would feel if they were hungry
ST. PATRICK’S DAY SHAMROCK SWIRL PIE
and had to wait a long time to eat. If they forget to pick up their LEGOs, remind them
of how much it hurt the last time they stepped on a piece when they weren’t wearing shoes. Above all, be sure to maintain a positive atmosphere and praise them whenever they complete a task (especially when they do it without being asked!) or put in their best effort to do so. Guidance for Goal-Driven Teens If your child has passed the age of picking up building blocks, you can help them manage and fulfill their pre-adult responsibilities. Encourage them to budget their spending money (especially once they start working for the first time), take an active role in maintaining their vehicle, and coordinate their own schedules for after-school or social activities. While it’s always wise to be available to help if or when they run out of gas or sleep through their alarm, giving them space to be more independent (and occasionally make mistakes) will go a long way in teaching them the real-world rewards and consequences of how they handle their responsibilities. By giving children room to learn, try, and even stumble, we help them build the confidence and character they’ll carry into adulthood. With steady guidance and age-appropriate responsibilities, accountability becomes a lifelong habit.
Ingredients
• 1 cup heavy cream • 8 oz cream cheese, softened • 1 cup powdered sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1/2 cup mint chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup green food coloring, for vibrant color • 1 premade chocolate pie crust • 1/2 cup chocolate syrup, for drizzling
Directions 1. In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. 2. In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. 3. Add powdered sugar and vanilla to cream cheese, mixing until well combined. Then, gently fold whipped heavy cream into the mixture. 4. Divide mixture into two bowls. In one bowl, add mint chocolate chips and green food coloring. 5. Layer mixtures into chocolate pie crust, alternating between mint mixture and the plain mixture. 6. Drizzle chocolate syrup over top. 7. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set. Slice and serve chilled.
Inspired by MixUpRecipes.com
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
404.891.0977 AttorneyRobertJames.com 233 Peachtree St. NE Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30303 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Ethics Are the Real Backbone of the Legal Profession
Privacy Perils in a Predictive World
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St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Swirl Pie
Age-Appropriate Ways to Teach Children Responsibility
Fraudulent Fender-Benders
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INSIDE UBER’S RACKETEERING RESPONSE BUMPER BETRAYAL
It’s a devious enough scam to make Tony Soprano blush.
Uber, which claims to have already spent millions defending itself against Loynaz’s suits, is suing the attorney under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. If he loses the suit, Loynaz may be subject to treble damages and attorneys’ fees. Interestingly, the case of the potentially crooked lawyer and his band of allegedly corrupt cronies is far from the only litigation of its kind. Earlier in 2025, Uber filed a suit in New York, alleging that another group of lawyers, medical providers, and clinics was carrying out a similar scheme in the Empire State. No matter how successful Uber’s battle against this level of fraud may be, the amount of allegedly criminal conniving taking place in Florida and New York is enough to make the most hardened mobster raise an eyebrow … and perhaps demand a cut.
Imagine orchestrating a series of intentional automobile collisions with the sole purpose of suing Uber for the recovery of car repair costs and medical expenses. This outrageous scenario is at the heart of the ride-share company’s 97-page lawsuit against a Florida attorney who it claims paid people to crash into each other to instigate fraudulent suits and attempt to rake in millions. Filed in Miami last June, Uber’s suit alleges that personal injury attorney Andy Loynaz, co-founder of the firm Law Group of South Florida, compensated drivers to stage accidents and later claim they were using the Uber app at the time. According to the complaint, these bogus bang-ups occurred near Hialeah, Florida, in 2023 and 2024, with Loynaz submitting $1 million insurance claims for each one and later suing Uber and its insurance carrier in four separate cases. Additionally, he allegedly coaxed representatives from Miami’s River
Medical Center, area auto body shops, and other medical clinics to falsely claim the accident had caused injuries and property damage requiring care and repairs.
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