Lawyers ABC
LAW is the key word
Bucks Co. Jury Sides With Landlord in Apartment Mold Case
May 20th
A Bucks County jury sided with the defendant landlord in a case in which a tenant claimed she had become ill because of a mold problem in her apartment that the landlord had allegedly failed to either remedy or disclose to her before she began renting.
Two Nominated to Federal Bench, but Will They Be Confirmed?
May 20th
President Obama has made nominations for the two open seats on the federal bench in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which had been operating at half capacity until Robert Mariani was confirmed last year. If the latest two nominees, Matthew Brann, a Republican, and Malachy Mannion, a Democrat, are confirmed by the Senate, the bench will be at full strength.
Brown’s Budget Plan May End Debate Over Trial Court Autonomy
May 19th
Driven by the need to fill budget holes, Governor Jerry Brown puts more power in the hands of the AOC.
Criminalizing Wrongdoing: When Judges Disagree
May 19th
Examining a recent Ninth Circuit ruling in a case involving a former executive search firm employee prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, attorney Joel Cohen weighs in on the perils of broad-brush criminal statutes and the challenges for judges tasked with interpreting the statutes.
D.C. Circuit Upholds Key Section of Voting Rights Act
May 19th
A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the constitutionality of the heart of the Voting Rights Act in a decision that sets the stage for an eventual U.S. Supreme Court battle. The case has been closely watched by states, civil rights groups and others.
Odd Bedfellows Get Together Behind Prison Phone Rate Reform
May 19th
Civil rights and conservative groups have banded together to form an unlikely coalition to ask the FCC to end "exorbitant" fees that many prisons charge inmates to make phone calls. A 15-minute collect call from prison typically costs $10 to $17 -- rates that garnered $152 million in revenue for prisons in 2011.
Jurors banned from blogging about criminal cases
May 19th
The Florida Supreme Court has issued an opinion that states that trial judges must tell jurors not to use electronic devices or computers to talk about cases, "including tweeting, texting, blogging, emailing, posting information on a website or chat room, or any other means at all."
Federal Circuit Will Hear Judges’ Back-Pay Challenge
May 19th
A group of federal judges who charge that Congress violated the Constitution by withholding pay increases will get a hearing before the full Federal Circuit. The six judges seek to overturn a 2001 decision that future judicial salary adjustments by the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 are not "compensation" protected from diminishment.
Second Circuit Rebuffs Madoff Feeder Fund Investor Trying to Sue PWC
May 19th
An investor who lost $60 million in the Madoff feeder fund Greenwich Sentry continues to be thwarted in his effort to sue the fund's auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers. On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a ruling that G. Philip Stephenson couldn't pursue his malpractice and fraud claims.
Yankees Score Multi-Million-Dollar Home Run in Federal Circuit
May 19th
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed on Friday a $159.6 million damages award to nuclear utilities Yankee Atomic Electric Co., Maine Yankee Atomic Power Co. and Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co. in the long-running spent nuclear fuel battle with the federal government.
Justices Suspend Orie Melvin in Wake of Charges
May 19th
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin was suspended by her fellow justices Friday immediately after being charged with nine criminal counts, including some felony counts, alleging she used legislative and judicial staff to perform campaign work. The charges represent the largest crisis for the state court since a 1994 impeachment.
Fair use limits set in Ga. State digital copying decision
May 19th
An Atlanta federal judge has set the standard for when schools can give their students access to excerpts of copyrighted works without paying licensing fees -- although her approach may be revisited in a potential appeal by publishers who had challenged practices at Georgia State University.
Justice’s Disclosure Highlights Medical Marijuana Debate
May 19th
New York lawmakers battling to legalize the medicinal use of cannabis are lauding an op-ed column by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Gustin Reichbach in which he admitted smoking marijuana to cope with the effects of cancer. But Reichbach's civil disobedience could be construed as disrespect for the law he is pledged to support.
New Law Takes Canadian Spam Off the Marketing Menu
May 19th
If you think your company doesn't send spam, you may want to double-check. A Canadian anti-spam law with global reach is poised to cast a wide net for offending communications. Given the hefty fines and class action potential, the new law is sure to prompt tough conversations between in-house counsel and company marketing departments.
Did End of Missouri Malpractice Case Feed Dewey’s Money Woes?
May 19th
The abrupt dismissal of a $3 billion malpractice case came amid concerns about Dewey's finances and a stream of partner departures, but it's hard to know whether resolving it added to the fiscal woes that overtook Dewey. That's because the settlement's terms, and details about how much the firm agreed to pay out, are shrouded in secrecy.Also see: Dewey: Profiles in Something
Risky business
May 19th
The financial services industry and more than a dozen top law firms that represent the industry are expressing concern that reaction to JPMorgan's recent $2 billion loss could sour months of expensive lobbying work on Capitol Hill and before key regulatory agencies. Nowhere is this tension more apparent than in the push and pull over the pending multiagency Volcker Rule, which proponents say could rein in the activity that led to the company's massive trading loss.