Government
Judge Who Tossed Obamacare Has Had More Than His Share of Contentious, High-Profile Cases
News
Judge Reed O’Connor has become a go-to judge for Republicans over certain heated national social issues such as health care and transgender rights, reports The Dallas Morning News.
Local Taxation of Oil and Gas Activities Fails Again
News
The Texas Supreme Court issued four opinions addressing the taxation of compressors used to deliver natural gas into pipelines, according to a post on Gray Reed & McGraw’s Energy & the Law blog.
Federal Judge – Deemed ‘Unqualified’ – Becomes First in U.S. History Confirmed By Senate Tiebreaker
News
Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote in favor of Jonathan Kobes after senators split 50-50 on his confirmation.
Incoming New York AG Plans Wide-Ranging Investigations of Trump and Family
News
Letitia James campaigned on passing a bill to change New York’s double jeopardy laws with an eye on possible pardons coming out of the White House.
Supreme Court Suggests Forcing Lawyers to Pay Bar Association Dues Violates Their Free Speech
News
At least 30 states require the dues, in most cases with bar associations regulating the legal profession by licensing lawyers and disciplining those who violate the rules.
Newspaper Report Foils Trump Labor Secretary’s Chances of Being the New AG
News
Alexander Acosta is out of the running to be President Donald Trump’s attorney general following a report that he oversaw a sweetheart deal for a wealthy financier accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls
Controversial Trump Judicial Nominee in Peril of Senate Defeat
News
Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona is blocking all judicial nominees, including Farr’s, until GOP leaders agree to hold a vote on a bill to put up guardrails against any threat of Trump firing special counsel Robert Mueller.
Attorney’s Eye-Popping $460,000 in Earnings to Defend Indigent Clients Prompting Changes
News
Attorney Marc Fratter, 46, also earned significantly more than anyone on the county payroll, including the district judges who approved his pay sheets.
Katie Ashley Joins Bradley as Senior Advisor for Government Affairs
News
Katie Ashley, former director of legislation for Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, has joined the Nashville office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as a senior advisor in Bradley’s Government Affairs and Economic Development practice groups.
2018 Eastern District of Texas Bench Bar Conference Sets Attendance Record
News
Andrei Iancu, U.S. Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, delivered a major policy address during the event.
Jackson Walker Lawyers Offer Election Day Assistance to Reporters Covering Voting
News
First Amendment lawyers with Jackson Walker LLP are assisting the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press with challenges journalists may face at polling places on Election Day.
DOJ Announces Guidelines to Reduce the Imposition of Monitorships in Corporate Criminal Cases
Insight
The Justice Department’s Criminal Division has announced updated policies and procedures related to the selection of corporate monitors in federal criminal cases, according to an advisory by Alston &. Bird.
Pipeline Companies Should Do More to Prepare for NTSB Accident Investigations
Insight
The National Transportation Safety Board is well known for its sleuthing on plane crashes. However, oil and gas executives often need better education about how the agency tackles one of its other responsibilities – investigating pipeline accidents, advise attorneys with the national law firm LeClairRyan.
Florida Supreme Court Foils Governor’s Plan to Pick New Justices
News
The Florida Supreme Court’s ruling is a major rebuke to incumbent Gov. Rick Scott, who wanted to pick the new justices before he leaves office.
Trump Reportedly Floating 5 Different Names to Replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions
News
President Donald Trump believes Attorney General Jeff Sessions will likely leave his Cabinet at the end of the year, and so far has five potential replacements in mind who could take his place, reports Business Insider.
Discrimination Defense Lawyer Confirmed for Trump Civil Rights Post
News
Bloomberg Law reports that the U.S. Senate has confirmed Eric Dreiband, a Jones Day attorney who defends companies accused of discrimination, to lead the Justice Department office that enforces anti-bias laws.
Morrison & Foerster Will Eat $16M in Fees, Costs Pursuing Vets’ Claims
News
Bloomberg Law reports that Morrison & Foerster LLP accepted a fee award from the U.S. Army that’s $16 million less than the fee the firm could have sought.
BigLaw Partner Deletes Twitter Account After Insult Toward Trump Press Secretary
News
The ABA Journal reports that the tweet was “a sarcastic response to the White House press secretary after she praised Sen. Lindsey Graham.”
Inside the Private Justice Department Meeting That Could Lead to New Investigations of Tech Giants
News
Participants voiced lingering frustrations that these companies are too big, fail to safeguard users’ private data and don’t cooperate with legal demands.
State Supreme Courts Increasingly Face Partisan Impeachment Threats
News
Lawmakers’ partisan disapproval of rulings appears to be a strong motivator for ousting judges, according to Governing.
