No malpractice about advice on right to jury trial

In Colonial Freight Systems v. Adams & Reese, the Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a law firm on a malpractice claim and for unpaid fees.  No. 12-30853 (May 15, 2013, unpublished).  The plaintiff claimed, under Louisiana law, that the firm’s “negligent failure to advise the company of its right to a jury” was malpractice.  The Court rejected that claim because the plaintiff could only speculate about any loss resulting from that alleged failure.  (In the context of criminal law, a different framework applies because the policies at play are different, see United States v. Mendez, 102 F.3d 126 (5th Cir. 1996)).