Joel Cohen

October 12, 2010 | New York Law Journal

In his Ethics and Criminal Practice column, Joel Cohen, a partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, writes that in a justice system so reliant on guilty pleas, a defendant facing a potential plea is often moved to action by the implied or explicit consequences of hanging tough when the moment of decision is at hand. Sometimes, the communication emanating from the prosecutor or judge is not at all subtle.

By Joel Cohen

13 minute read

June 14, 2011 | New York Law Journal

In his Ethics and Criminal Practice column, Joel Cohen, a partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, asks: Is it more zealous to resist the client's wishes or to simply abide by them when, in the attorney's professional view, the client is fully competent to understand the consequences of his decision, even though he prefers what clearly appears to be a far less favorable outcome?

By Joel Cohen

16 minute read

June 11, 2007 | New York Law Journal

Joel Cohen, a practitioner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, writes that, in contemporary life, where intelligence often has become a replacement for wisdom, it should be remembered that a lawyer's job is not only to impart legal knowledge, but perhaps a bit of wisdom and, at times, moral consideration as well.

By Joel Cohen

13 minute read

July 18, 2011 | Law.com

In this commentary, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan partner Joel Cohen examines calls for legislative and judicial recusals through the lens of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision and the continuing litigation over California's ban on same-sex marriages.

By Joel Cohen

8 minute read

August 13, 2010 | New Jersey Law Journal

Large verdicts and settlements in New Jersey.

By Joel Cohen and Katherine A. Helm

3 minute read

January 09, 2008 | New York Law Journal

Joel Cohen, a partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, writes that every time a court rules in favor of a defendant's claim of "ineffective assistance of counsel," the criminal bar breaks out in a dire case of mixed emotions: happy about grounds for "second chance" hope for a convicted defendant; unhappy that new lawyers and courts sitting in habeas jurisdiction might find a way to second-guess our own behavior at trial.

By Joel Cohen

12 minute read

May 03, 2010 | Law.com

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was recently faced with an unusual appeal in which a criminal defendant raised an intriguing question about the perspectives that a judge can properly bring to bear on the bench. Joel Cohen and Katherine A. Helm examine the events in that case and the related ethical issues involving judges who Google.

By Joel Cohen and Katherine A. Helm

9 minute read

August 07, 2006 | New York Law Journal

Joel Cohen, a partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan and an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School, writes that although there are bad apples among them, most private investigators dig up stuff using only proper means. But still, issues sometimes arise, and recent events have raised the consciousness of lawyers, particularly criminal and divorce lawyers who employ private investigators on a regular basis.

By Joel Cohen

12 minute read

January 10, 2006 | New York Law Journal

Joel Cohen, a partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, writes that the rules of evidence firmly bar settlement discussions from evidence. Nonetheless, even if they are inadmissible in court, the words exchanged, intended to be kept in confidence, can still have a life of their own � and may inappropriately impact the litigation or its course.

By Joel Cohen

11 minute read

December 07, 2010 | Daily Business Review

What's in a name? Joel Cohen and Katherine A. Helm examine the ethical and professional pitfalls in play when one's courtroom adversary turns out to be a former judge.

By Joel Cohen and Katherine A. Helm

10 minute read