A major law firm departure, a proposed investigation into government attorneys and a penalty for an invented legal citation are among the developments shaping the legal news on November 9, 2026.

Ramona Nee, once in line for a top leadership role at Weil, is headed to Kirkland as part of a move involving 40 lawyers, according to [Legal Cheek](https://www.legalcheek.com/2026/11/top-weil-lawyers-eye-lucrative-moves-as-trainees-face-uncertain-future/amp/). The move marks a significant shift between two major firms, with the publication also reporting on uncertainty facing trainees amid the departures.

In Washington, Judge Reyes is looking to appoint a U.S. attorney from President Donald Trump’s first term to investigate whether lawyers serving in his second administration lied to the court, [Politico reports](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/11/07/trump-special-master-investigation-jessie-liu-golf-01155175). The proposed inquiry would put the administration’s representations to the judiciary under scrutiny.

The Justice Department is also contending with departures. The prosecutor associated with the department’s “grand conspiracy” case and a National Security Division chief have both resigned, according to [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/06/politics/jason-reding-quinones-resigns-doj-grand-conspiracy-florida). The exits come after the midterm elections, as some Trump administration lawyers weigh their ties to the administration.

Elsewhere, University of Alabama professors have been barred from using the name “Gulf of Mexico,” [Slate’s Jurisprudence reports](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/11/alabama-gulf-of-mexico-america-ban.html). The restriction brings a dispute over the name into the classroom and raises questions about what faculty members may say in their academic work.

A judge has separately blocked construction of an arch promoted by Trump, who has argued that the project is necessary for national security, according to [NPR](https://www.npr.org/2026/11/06/nx-s1-6031990/trump-arch-planning-commission-injunction). The injunction puts the proposed construction on hold.

And in a reminder of the consequences of unreliable legal citations, a judge cut an attorney fee award from $100,000 to $50,000, partly as a sanction for hallucinated citations, [the Volokh Conspiracy reports](https://reason.com/volokh/2026/11/07/attorney-fee-award-cut-from-100k-to-50k-partly-as-sanction-for-hallucinated-citations/). The ruling illustrates how an invented authority can carry a substantial financial cost for lawyers seeking fees.