Litigation-Personal
Man Serving Life Gets New Trial After Attorney Described as Racist
News
Ezzard Charles Ellis learned, “after his lawyer’s death, that the attorney was a racist who regularly expressed contempt for minority clients.”
Michael Avenatti Is Now Being Held in Same Chilly Cell That Housed El Chapo
News
Avenatti was put in the most secure section of the federal facility under special administrative measures designed to cut off his communications with the outside world.
The Biggest Supreme Court Cases to Watch in 2020
News
The Supreme Court will hear a slate of highly charged disputes when the justices return to the bench in the new year and resume one of the most politically volatile terms in recent memory.
Ex-GC Sues Faraday & Future; Was Poached From Mayer Brown
News
Hong Liu claims that the electric car startup lured him away from a Mayer Brown LLP partnership by fraudulently overstating its prospects.
Financial Tug-Of-War Emerges Over California Fire Victims’ Settlement
News
The settlement leaves open just how much would be used to compensate victims, their lawyers and federal and state agencies for the money they spent on rescue and recovery operations.
U.S. Appeals Court Rebukes Federal Judge Who Endorsed Jury Nullification in Trial of Sex Offender
News
“We emphatically reject the rule, advanced by Judge Underhill … that district courts are free to permit jury nullification,” appeals court says.
From Guns to Hemp to Immigration: Texas’ Top Legal Stories of 2019
News
Texas legal news in 2019 reflected the debates and court disputes being heard all across the country, according to this year’s list of Top 10 stories highlighted by Androvett Legal Media & Marketing.
Eighth Circuit Rejects Claim That Arbitration Clause in Retainer Was Unconscionable
News
The Eight Circuit has rejected a plaintiff’s claim that an arbitration clause in a retainer agreement she signed with a law firm was unconscionable, according to Carlton Fields.
University of Phoenix Reaches Landmark Agreement to Forgive Student Loans
News
The university will pay $191 million, of which $141 million will be used to forgive some student loans for certain borrowers who attended the university.
Lawyer’s Heart Attack One Day Before Raise Doesn’t Cut Benefits
News
Harlan Ten Pas, a former partner with McGladrey LLP, is entitled to disability benefits based on his annual salary of $390,000, which became effective one day after he suffered a heart attack over Labor Day weekend.
Former GC Sues for $300K in Canceled Bonuses; Agency Countersues, Alleging Fraud
News
The former general counsel claims he negotiated for the bonuses in exchange for keeping his base salary lower.
How Amazon Dodges Responsibility for Unsafe Products: The Case of the Hoverboard
News
The cases are testing a longtime argument made by Amazon and other internet companies, one that underpins the modern tech industry.
Trump Fills Longest-Standing Vacancy in Federal Judiciary
News
Multiple presidents struggled to fill the vacancy in North Carolina over the course of 14 years.
As Trump Cases Arrive, Supreme Court’s Desire to Be Seen as Neutral Arbiter Will Be Tested
News
The court will consider whether to schedule a full briefing and argument on the president’s request that it overturn a lower-court ruling giving New York prosecutors access to Trump’s tax returns and other financial records.
Client Wins Punitive Damages Against Lawyer Who Called Him ‘A-Hole’ and ‘Jerk’ Online
News
Donald Glassman was awarded the payout against Robert Feldman after a 10-day trial ruled that the lawyer committed legal malpractice and defamed him.
Elon Musk to Face Trial Overtweets After Court Denies Motion to Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit
News
U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson in Los Angeles ordered the jury trial to begin Dec. 3.
Title VII Limitations Period May Not Be Shortened By Contract
Insight
Title VII’s limitations period is a non-waivable substantive right, rather than a waivable procedural one.
SCOTUS Ranks Last for Transparency on Fix the Court List; How Did Other Courts Fare?
News
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco is No. 1 for public access, according to Fix the Court.
Firearms Industry: Supreme Court’s Pass on Sandy Hook Gun Case Presages Litigation Onslaught
News
The firearms industry, gun owners, the National Rifle Association and states that strongly back gun rights gave the Supreme Court doomsday warnings about potential litigation.
7th Circuit Benchslap: Lawyer’s ‘Gibberish’ in Brief Draws Sanction Threat
News
The court found the brief to be “chock-full of impenetrable arguments and unsupported assertions, and it is organized in ways that escape our understanding.”
