Opinion ID: 867870
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Appellant Mariani

Text: For purposes of determining whether to impose sanctions, we analyze the conduct of parties and their attorneys separately. “The rule that the sins of the lawyer are visited on the client does not apply in the context of sanctions,” and we therefore must “specify conduct of the client herself that is bad enough to subject her to sanctions.” Gallop III, 660 F.3d at 584 (alterations and quotation marks omitted). Non-attorney clients do not share the same ethical obligations that their attorneys owe this Court. Id. at 583. Furthermore, although clients are responsible for dictating the ultimate goals of a lawsuit, see ABA Model R. of Professional Conduct, R. 1.2, we recognize that attorneys often have considerable latitude in the exercise of their professional judgment to design litigation strategies to achieve those goals. A client should not be punished when an attorney, without the client’s approval, exercises that responsibility unwisely. See, e.g., Gallop III, 660 F.3d at 583-84 (declining to impose sanctions against client where she “did not spearhead her litigation strategy”). Mariani, however, is a veteran of federal court litigation, and she affirmatively admits that she “worked closely” with Attorney Leichty in preparing the Motion to Supplement the Record. Decl. of Ellen Mariani in Support of Motion at 1. Indeed, it is the declaration filed under her name, and signed with her signature, that includes some of the most offensive allegations against Judge Hellerstein. Mariani, too, is therefore jointly responsible with her attorney for the double costs imposed by this Order.