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Decisions of Interest and Decisions in the News.
This Week's News - Ending October 18, 2010
Outside Counsel
Showing posts with label Legal News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Legal News. Show all posts
Monday, October 18, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
New York Law Journal: Lead Articles October 15, 2010
October 15, 2010.
Friday, October 15, 2010
D.A. Seeks to Block Judge's Bid to Review Ethics of Questioning
D.A. Brown Opposes Reappointment of Judge for Alleged Bias, Sources Say
Full Ruling Released That Blocked Terror Trial Witness
Circuit Recognizes Contribution of Firm, but Rebuffs Fee Request
Malpractice Suit Goes Forward Over Late Filing to County
News In Brief
High-Stakes Preemption Challenge Is Hard Fought
Correction
Friday, October 15, 2010
D.A. Seeks to Block Judge's Bid to Review Ethics of Questioning
D.A. Brown Opposes Reappointment of Judge for Alleged Bias, Sources Say
Full Ruling Released That Blocked Terror Trial Witness
Circuit Recognizes Contribution of Firm, but Rebuffs Fee Request
Malpractice Suit Goes Forward Over Late Filing to County
News In Brief
High-Stakes Preemption Challenge Is Hard Fought
Correction
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
New York Law Journal: Lead Articles October 12, 2010
If you are already an online subscriber to the New York Law Journal you should be able to click on any of the links provided below, sign in, and access the full text of articles listed.
http://www.nylj.com/
Subscription required for online access unless otherwise noted:
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Jury Selection Resumes in Ghailani Terror Trial
FREE
Circuit Overturns Vermont License Plate Restriction
Defendant Who Rejected Counsel's Advice Loses Bid for New Trial
Ex-Village Attorney Disqualified From Defending Brother in Law
Panel Urges Caution on Sanctions for Failure to Preserve E-Data
News In Brief
Breyer Promotes His Prudent, Pragmatic Approach to Interpreting the Constitution
Race for Attorney General Roundup
Lack of Pay, Age Limits Leave Open Seats on Bench
FREE
Renovations Prompt Shift of County Clerk Services
FREE
Corrections
http://www.nylj.com/
Subscription required for online access unless otherwise noted:
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Jury Selection Resumes in Ghailani Terror Trial
FREE
Circuit Overturns Vermont License Plate Restriction
Defendant Who Rejected Counsel's Advice Loses Bid for New Trial
Ex-Village Attorney Disqualified From Defending Brother in Law
Panel Urges Caution on Sanctions for Failure to Preserve E-Data
News In Brief
Breyer Promotes His Prudent, Pragmatic Approach to Interpreting the Constitution
Race for Attorney General Roundup
Lack of Pay, Age Limits Leave Open Seats on Bench
FREE
Renovations Prompt Shift of County Clerk Services
FREE
Corrections
Friday, October 01, 2010
LAW.COM Newswire Highlights October 1, 2010
A subscription to LAW.COM is required to gain online access to this service.To subscribe go to https://store.law.com/Registration/Default.aspx?promoCode=nw
Subscription required for online access:
Survey Shows Law Firms' Minority Hiring Is Stagnating
The National Law Journal
New data from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Vault.com provide a grim picture of law firm diversity efforts in a difficult economy. For the first time in seven years, the percentage of minority equity partners remained virtually flat, nudging up from 6.05 percent in 2008 to 6.06 percent in 2009 at the 263 law firms surveyed, according to a report released this week. That finding helped to corroborate fears that diversity efforts have taken a backseat to economic concerns.
Novartis Agrees to Pay More Than $422 Million to Settle Disputes Over Off-Label Marketing
The Legal Intelligencer
Pharmaceutical giant Novartis has agreed to pay more than $422 million in criminal fines and a global settlement of whistleblower suits to resolve allegations it engaged in illegal marketing practices, including alleged kickbacks to health care providers to induce them to prescribe Novartis drugs. U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger said Novartis Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay a criminal fine and forfeiture of $185 million, and also agreed to pay $237.5 million to resolve civil liabilities for its off-label marketing of six drugs.
U.K. Law Firm Investment Countdown Enters Final Year
The American Lawyer
The long wait for the onset of Alternative Business Structures is almost over. Just 12 months remain until the third and final stage of the Legal Services Act comes into force, permitting U.K. law firms to accept outside equity investment for the first time. Firms are already preparing themselves for a change that many experts believe will fundamentally reshape the profession.
Condo Buyers Win Round in 2nd Circuit in Bid to Exploit Law Firm Typo
New York Law Journal
Condominium buyers who seized on what has been described as a typo in offering documents by a Stroock & Stroock & Lavan lawyer Thursday won a round in the fight to recoup their deposits. But the litigation is not over, despite the decision by the 2nd Circuit, which upheld a lower court's refusal to grant an injunction that would have blocked the release of some $16 million in buyer deposits from an escrow account maintained by the project developer and Stroock client CRP/Extell Parcel I.
BP Pays Record $15 Million Penalty for Clean Air Act Violations
The National Law Journal
In the biggest-ever civil penalty against a single facility for violating the Clean Air Act, BP Products North America has agreed to pay $15 million to resolve federal Clean Air Act violations at its Texas City, Texas, petroleum refinery. The settlement, announced Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department, addresses violations stemming from fires in March 2004 and July 2005 and a leak that occurred in August 2005. The incidents released thousands of pounds of flammable and toxic air pollutants.
2nd Circuit Rejects $35M Pact's 'End Run' Around Liability for Former Executives
New York Law Journal
A district court should not have approved a $35.2 million settlement that would have insulated two former top executives of a body armor company from liability under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. The 2nd Circuit ruled that only the SEC has the authority to exempt the executives from §304 of the act, which requires CEOs and CFOs to reimburse their companies for bonuses and profits from stock sales in the 12 months following the filing of a false financial report.
Lead Attorney Intends to Leave Blagojevich Defense
The Associated Press
Sam Adam Jr., former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's lead attorney, is asking a judge to release him from the defense team ahead of Blagojevich's retrial on corruption charges, according to a Thursday court filing. A nearly $3 million fund Blagojevich drew on at his first trial to pay a team of more than a dozen attorneys has run dry. Now that taxpayers must foot the bill for Blagojevich's defense, federal Judge James Zagel has said he'll allow the impeached governor to have only two attorneys.
Punitives Can Only Exceed Compensatories by 9-1 Ratio, Court Says
The Legal Intelligencer
Slashing a jury's punitive award of $500,000, a federal judge has ruled that the constitutional maximum for punitive awards is ordinarily no more than nine times the compensatory award -- even in cases where the defendant is a repeat violator. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Savage was harshly critical of TransUnion credit reporting agency, noting that it has repeatedly violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act. But since the jury's compensatory award was just $30,000, he said, the maximum punitive award would be $270,000.
SNR Denton Goes Live
The National Law Journal
After just four months of planning and work, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and U.K.-based Denton Wilde Sapte have merged to officially become SNR Denton. The new firm, which went live Thursday, has roughly 1,250 lawyers in 48 offices worldwide and estimated annual revenues of $750 million. For compensation, Elliott Portnoy, who is now co-CEO of SNR Denton, said that the firm opted for a more U.S.-style merit-based model as opposed to the lockstep model that is common among U.K.-based firms.
Grand Jury Re-Indicts Former Judge in Pa. 'Kids for Cash' Scandal
The Legal Intelligencer
A federal grand jury has handed down a superseding indictment against former Luzerne County, Pa., Common Pleas Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of the federal honest services fraud statute, according to federal prosecutors. The number of criminal charges against Ciavarella has been reduced from 48 to 39, with three counts of honest services fraud among those dropped. It's the latest twist in a case that has seen several since mid-2009.
Attorney Pleads Guilty in Sex-With-Minor Sting
The National Law Journal
A Los Angeles attorney has pleaded guilty to charges that he traveled to a hotel to meet a 16-year-old girl from Georgia who turned out to be an undercover police detective. Eduardo Brito Leaton pleaded guilty to one count of meeting a minor for lewd purposes and three counts of using a minor for sex acts, according to the Los Angeles County DA's office. Leaton is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 18 to six years in state prison and will have to register as a sex offender for life.
Tips Toward Mastering E-Mail Evidence
Law Technology News
E-mail holds the res gestae statements of the wired world: It's the evidence litigants crave and fear. Yet it still confounds us in electronic data discovery. Craig Ball wraps up his four-part series on e-mail with a look at collection, message IDs, threading, deduplication, and forms of production.
Visit Legal Technology
Fall Into Autumn Fashion for the Office
The Legal Intelligencer
As the sun sets earlier each day and you pack up the beach blankets and boogie boards, it's time to think about transitioning your office wardrobe from summer to fall. Consultant Dana Persia talks about some of the latest trends for fall 2010 and provides tips for both men and women.
Visit lawjobs.com News & Views
The Careerist: Women Lawyers, Don't Let Your Wall Street Sisters Quit
The Careerist
Check out some of the latest posts on the lawjobs.com blog, The Careerist. Women Lawyers, Don't Let Your Wall Street Sisters Quit And When the Stay-Home Parent Wants to Go Back to Work: A how-to guide Also Law School News: Pushy Mom; Spammed Prof, Spurned Students; Lit Prize
Visit The Careerist
All-Woman Firm Grows From Networking Opportunities
The Connecticut Law Tribune
It all started at a trial lawyers' conference in 2008. Attorney Leslie G. McPadden, who always made a habit of sitting at tables with people she didn't know, introduced herself to attorney Rosa C. Rebimbas. A year later, McPadden and Rebimbas joined forces to form an all-woman firm. Launching a small firm has been a learning experience for the two attorneys. "If you have preconceived notions about the other person or a sense of entitlement, you're set up for failure," Rebimbas said.
How to contact us should you have questions:
Law.com® 120 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10271-1101, Customer Service Phone: (877) 256-CIRC
© 2010 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.
Subscription required for online access:
Survey Shows Law Firms' Minority Hiring Is Stagnating
The National Law Journal
New data from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Vault.com provide a grim picture of law firm diversity efforts in a difficult economy. For the first time in seven years, the percentage of minority equity partners remained virtually flat, nudging up from 6.05 percent in 2008 to 6.06 percent in 2009 at the 263 law firms surveyed, according to a report released this week. That finding helped to corroborate fears that diversity efforts have taken a backseat to economic concerns.
Novartis Agrees to Pay More Than $422 Million to Settle Disputes Over Off-Label Marketing
The Legal Intelligencer
Pharmaceutical giant Novartis has agreed to pay more than $422 million in criminal fines and a global settlement of whistleblower suits to resolve allegations it engaged in illegal marketing practices, including alleged kickbacks to health care providers to induce them to prescribe Novartis drugs. U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger said Novartis Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay a criminal fine and forfeiture of $185 million, and also agreed to pay $237.5 million to resolve civil liabilities for its off-label marketing of six drugs.
U.K. Law Firm Investment Countdown Enters Final Year
The American Lawyer
The long wait for the onset of Alternative Business Structures is almost over. Just 12 months remain until the third and final stage of the Legal Services Act comes into force, permitting U.K. law firms to accept outside equity investment for the first time. Firms are already preparing themselves for a change that many experts believe will fundamentally reshape the profession.
Condo Buyers Win Round in 2nd Circuit in Bid to Exploit Law Firm Typo
New York Law Journal
Condominium buyers who seized on what has been described as a typo in offering documents by a Stroock & Stroock & Lavan lawyer Thursday won a round in the fight to recoup their deposits. But the litigation is not over, despite the decision by the 2nd Circuit, which upheld a lower court's refusal to grant an injunction that would have blocked the release of some $16 million in buyer deposits from an escrow account maintained by the project developer and Stroock client CRP/Extell Parcel I.
BP Pays Record $15 Million Penalty for Clean Air Act Violations
The National Law Journal
In the biggest-ever civil penalty against a single facility for violating the Clean Air Act, BP Products North America has agreed to pay $15 million to resolve federal Clean Air Act violations at its Texas City, Texas, petroleum refinery. The settlement, announced Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department, addresses violations stemming from fires in March 2004 and July 2005 and a leak that occurred in August 2005. The incidents released thousands of pounds of flammable and toxic air pollutants.
2nd Circuit Rejects $35M Pact's 'End Run' Around Liability for Former Executives
New York Law Journal
A district court should not have approved a $35.2 million settlement that would have insulated two former top executives of a body armor company from liability under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. The 2nd Circuit ruled that only the SEC has the authority to exempt the executives from §304 of the act, which requires CEOs and CFOs to reimburse their companies for bonuses and profits from stock sales in the 12 months following the filing of a false financial report.
Lead Attorney Intends to Leave Blagojevich Defense
The Associated Press
Sam Adam Jr., former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's lead attorney, is asking a judge to release him from the defense team ahead of Blagojevich's retrial on corruption charges, according to a Thursday court filing. A nearly $3 million fund Blagojevich drew on at his first trial to pay a team of more than a dozen attorneys has run dry. Now that taxpayers must foot the bill for Blagojevich's defense, federal Judge James Zagel has said he'll allow the impeached governor to have only two attorneys.
Punitives Can Only Exceed Compensatories by 9-1 Ratio, Court Says
The Legal Intelligencer
Slashing a jury's punitive award of $500,000, a federal judge has ruled that the constitutional maximum for punitive awards is ordinarily no more than nine times the compensatory award -- even in cases where the defendant is a repeat violator. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Savage was harshly critical of TransUnion credit reporting agency, noting that it has repeatedly violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act. But since the jury's compensatory award was just $30,000, he said, the maximum punitive award would be $270,000.
SNR Denton Goes Live
The National Law Journal
After just four months of planning and work, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and U.K.-based Denton Wilde Sapte have merged to officially become SNR Denton. The new firm, which went live Thursday, has roughly 1,250 lawyers in 48 offices worldwide and estimated annual revenues of $750 million. For compensation, Elliott Portnoy, who is now co-CEO of SNR Denton, said that the firm opted for a more U.S.-style merit-based model as opposed to the lockstep model that is common among U.K.-based firms.
Grand Jury Re-Indicts Former Judge in Pa. 'Kids for Cash' Scandal
The Legal Intelligencer
A federal grand jury has handed down a superseding indictment against former Luzerne County, Pa., Common Pleas Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of the federal honest services fraud statute, according to federal prosecutors. The number of criminal charges against Ciavarella has been reduced from 48 to 39, with three counts of honest services fraud among those dropped. It's the latest twist in a case that has seen several since mid-2009.
Attorney Pleads Guilty in Sex-With-Minor Sting
The National Law Journal
A Los Angeles attorney has pleaded guilty to charges that he traveled to a hotel to meet a 16-year-old girl from Georgia who turned out to be an undercover police detective. Eduardo Brito Leaton pleaded guilty to one count of meeting a minor for lewd purposes and three counts of using a minor for sex acts, according to the Los Angeles County DA's office. Leaton is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 18 to six years in state prison and will have to register as a sex offender for life.
Tips Toward Mastering E-Mail Evidence
Law Technology News
E-mail holds the res gestae statements of the wired world: It's the evidence litigants crave and fear. Yet it still confounds us in electronic data discovery. Craig Ball wraps up his four-part series on e-mail with a look at collection, message IDs, threading, deduplication, and forms of production.
Visit Legal Technology
Fall Into Autumn Fashion for the Office
The Legal Intelligencer
As the sun sets earlier each day and you pack up the beach blankets and boogie boards, it's time to think about transitioning your office wardrobe from summer to fall. Consultant Dana Persia talks about some of the latest trends for fall 2010 and provides tips for both men and women.
Visit lawjobs.com News & Views
The Careerist: Women Lawyers, Don't Let Your Wall Street Sisters Quit
The Careerist
Check out some of the latest posts on the lawjobs.com blog, The Careerist. Women Lawyers, Don't Let Your Wall Street Sisters Quit And When the Stay-Home Parent Wants to Go Back to Work: A how-to guide Also Law School News: Pushy Mom; Spammed Prof, Spurned Students; Lit Prize
Visit The Careerist
All-Woman Firm Grows From Networking Opportunities
The Connecticut Law Tribune
It all started at a trial lawyers' conference in 2008. Attorney Leslie G. McPadden, who always made a habit of sitting at tables with people she didn't know, introduced herself to attorney Rosa C. Rebimbas. A year later, McPadden and Rebimbas joined forces to form an all-woman firm. Launching a small firm has been a learning experience for the two attorneys. "If you have preconceived notions about the other person or a sense of entitlement, you're set up for failure," Rebimbas said.
How to contact us should you have questions:
Law.com® 120 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10271-1101, Customer Service Phone: (877) 256-CIRC
© 2010 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
LAW.COM Newswire Highlights September 30, 2010
A subscription to LAW.COM is required to gain online access to this service.To subscribe go to https://store.law.com/Registration/Default.aspx?promoCode=nw
Subscription required for online access:
2nd Circuit Upsets Order Requiring Wiretap Turnover in SEC Case Against Galleon
New York Law Journal
A unanimous federal appeals panel has overturned an order requiring defendants in the sprawling Galleon securities fraud case to hand over to the SEC roughly 18,000 wiretapped conversations they had been given by prosecutors in a parallel criminal prosecution. The 2nd Circuit panel found a lower court judge had "clearly exceeded" his jurisdiction by ordering the conversations' disclosure "prior to any ruling on the legality of the wiretaps and without limiting the disclosure to relevant conversations."
Leahy Introduces Bill to Allow Retired Supreme Court Justices to Serve
The National Law Journal
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., has put into writing a proposal he first discussed publicly in June: allowing a retired U.S. Supreme Court justice to hear a case when a sitting justice has recused. A big question has been how to decide which retired justice would serve during times when there is more than one retiree who is willing to serve. Skeptics have wondered whether litigants might be able to game any substitution. Leahy's bill would answer the question by handing the decision to the Court itself.
Business Groups Sue SEC Over New Proxy Rules
The National Law Journal
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable filed suit against the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, objecting to new proxy access rules for nominating corporate directors. The groups assert that the rules impose unjustified costs and empower unions and other special interest shareholders at the expense of regular investors. The petitioners have asked the SEC to stay the Nov. 15 effective date of the rules pending conclusion of the litigation.
Chief Justice to Hear Pfizer Cases After Selling Company's Stock
The Associated Press
Chief Justice John Roberts has sold his shares of Pfizer Inc., a move that allows him to participate in two pending Supreme Court cases involving the pharmaceutical maker. In the past, Roberts has not taken part in cases involving Pfizer because he owned less than $15,000 of the company's stock. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg offered no explanation for Roberts' decision to sell the stock now, but it appears likely that Justice Elena Kagan's need to sit out the two cases played a role in Roberts' timing.
Senate Responds to High Court Ruling on 'Crush Videos'
The National Law Journal
The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to address the First Amendment implications of banning animal "crush videos" -- a response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in April that struck down as overbroad the federal Depiction of Animal Cruelty Act of 1999. The high court majority suggested in its ruling that a narrower statute, one limited to crush videos, might pass constitutional muster. The legislation would criminalize the creation, sale, distribution, advertising, marketing and exchange of animal crush videos.
Former Law Firm Partner Charged With Bribing Senator
New Jersey Law Journal
A former partner at one of New Jersey's most prominent law firms is accused of paying $192,000 to a state senator in exchange for legislation and other favors intended to benefit the attorney's land-developer clients. An indictment announced this week charges that Eric Wisler, while a partner at DeCotiis, FitzPatrick & Cole, made regular payments from 2004 through 2006 to Sen. Wayne Bryant, D-Camden, in return for Bryant's influence in the Legislature.
Calif. Federal Judge in Gay Marriage Case to Return to Private Practice
The Recorder
Judge Vaughn Walker announced Wednesday he will step down as chief judge of the Northern District of California at the end of the year and will leave the court in February. After two decades on the federal bench, Walker said he wants to return to the private sector. That means if the landmark same-sex marriage case tried before him earlier this year is remanded, it would go to a different judge. The case, in which Walker found the state's gay-marriage ban unconstitutional, is set to be argued at the 9th Circuit in December.
'Apprentice' Contender Quits Brooklyn DA's Office
New York Law Journal
An assistant Brooklyn district attorney has tested whether participating in "the ultimate job interview" on Donald Trump's reality show "The Apprentice" is compatible with being a prosecutor. Apparently, it isn't. Mahsa Saeidi-Azcuy's decision to resign this week renders moot the question of whether District Attorney Charles J. Hynes would be compelled to borrow Trump's trademark tagline: "You're fired."
Calif. Supreme Court Says Inmate's Execution Can't Be Hurried
The Recorder
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday dealt the latest blow to the state's effort to execute a condemned inmate. The court unanimously refused to accommodate the state's timeline for executing Albert Greenwood Brown by suspending its own rules or speeding up its process for reviewing how the prison system adopted new execution regulations. The ruling comes after a federal judge stayed Brown's execution on different grounds.
Bill's Passage Boosts Chances for Settlement of 9/11 Cases
New York Law Journal
The odds of a $712.5 million settlement being approved by responders and cleanup workers at Ground Zero got a boost as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill setting aside $7.4 billion to provide compensation and free health care. The bill passed following changes that would ensure that police, firefighters and cleanup workers do not have to choose between the bill and a proposed settlement with New York City and its contractors who are insured through the federally funded World Trade Center Captive Insurance Co.
Fla. Grand Jury Won't Probe Complaint Over 'Taj Mahal' Courthouse
The Associated Press
A grand jury has decided against investigating a citizen's complaint about a $48 million appellate courthouse so opulent that critics are deriding it as a "Taj Mahal." The new home of the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee, Fla., has become a political football, with politicians blaming each other for approving a sprawling structure replete with a rotunda, dome and columns. Other features include private bathrooms with granite countertops for each of the 15 judges as well as big-screen televisions and kitchens.
80 Years Later, Capone Wins Freedom Again in Mock Trial
Daily Business Review
Miami attorneys, journalists and others -- all in snappy suspenders and fedoras, slick shoes and even slicker hair -- took part Tuesday in a re-enactment of a 1930 trial of notorious Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone, as part of the celebration of the 100th year of Miami-Dade Circuit Court. Judge Scott J. Silverman, who organized the retrial, said the original case was the product of an angry South Florida community eager to rid itself of the nation's biggest mobster -- and willing to illegally arrest him to do it.
India Shuts Out Foreign Law Firms
The American Lawyer
Only a few days after large foreign firms in Brazil received some troublesome news about their ability to operate in that country, many of those same firms got another dose of bad news, this time about their aspirations to gain a foothold in India. India's Ministry of Law and Justice issued two statements on behalf of The Bar Council of India stating that the regulatory body "has decided not to permit foreign lawyers into India."
Visit International News
GCs: Legal Directories Out, Online Searches In
Corporate Counsel
Google searches and online bios are replacing traditional legal directories when it comes to finding outside firms to hire, according to a panel of top legal officers gathered in Denver this summer. Lessons for law firms? Beef up online bios, diversity sells, and get a handle on tech.
Visit Legal Technology
Why No Big Law Reality Series?
Fulton County Daily Report
With all the legal dramas on TV, why aren't there any reality series starring attorneys? The Snark takes a shot at working up a concept for "Big Law Bites," but knows such a show is unlikely, noting, "Sometimes truth isn't stranger than fiction. It's just less interesting."
Visit lawjobs.com News & Views
The Careerist: When the Stay-Home Parent Wants to Go Back to Work
The Careerist
Check out some of the latest posts on the lawjobs.com blog, The Careerist. When the Stay-Home Parent Wants to Go Back to Work: A how-to guide Also Law School News: Pushy Mom; Spammed Prof, Spurned Students; Lit Prize Also So That's What Men Do!
© 2010 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.
Subscription required for online access:
2nd Circuit Upsets Order Requiring Wiretap Turnover in SEC Case Against Galleon
New York Law Journal
A unanimous federal appeals panel has overturned an order requiring defendants in the sprawling Galleon securities fraud case to hand over to the SEC roughly 18,000 wiretapped conversations they had been given by prosecutors in a parallel criminal prosecution. The 2nd Circuit panel found a lower court judge had "clearly exceeded" his jurisdiction by ordering the conversations' disclosure "prior to any ruling on the legality of the wiretaps and without limiting the disclosure to relevant conversations."
Leahy Introduces Bill to Allow Retired Supreme Court Justices to Serve
The National Law Journal
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., has put into writing a proposal he first discussed publicly in June: allowing a retired U.S. Supreme Court justice to hear a case when a sitting justice has recused. A big question has been how to decide which retired justice would serve during times when there is more than one retiree who is willing to serve. Skeptics have wondered whether litigants might be able to game any substitution. Leahy's bill would answer the question by handing the decision to the Court itself.
Business Groups Sue SEC Over New Proxy Rules
The National Law Journal
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable filed suit against the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, objecting to new proxy access rules for nominating corporate directors. The groups assert that the rules impose unjustified costs and empower unions and other special interest shareholders at the expense of regular investors. The petitioners have asked the SEC to stay the Nov. 15 effective date of the rules pending conclusion of the litigation.
Chief Justice to Hear Pfizer Cases After Selling Company's Stock
The Associated Press
Chief Justice John Roberts has sold his shares of Pfizer Inc., a move that allows him to participate in two pending Supreme Court cases involving the pharmaceutical maker. In the past, Roberts has not taken part in cases involving Pfizer because he owned less than $15,000 of the company's stock. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg offered no explanation for Roberts' decision to sell the stock now, but it appears likely that Justice Elena Kagan's need to sit out the two cases played a role in Roberts' timing.
Senate Responds to High Court Ruling on 'Crush Videos'
The National Law Journal
The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to address the First Amendment implications of banning animal "crush videos" -- a response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in April that struck down as overbroad the federal Depiction of Animal Cruelty Act of 1999. The high court majority suggested in its ruling that a narrower statute, one limited to crush videos, might pass constitutional muster. The legislation would criminalize the creation, sale, distribution, advertising, marketing and exchange of animal crush videos.
Former Law Firm Partner Charged With Bribing Senator
New Jersey Law Journal
A former partner at one of New Jersey's most prominent law firms is accused of paying $192,000 to a state senator in exchange for legislation and other favors intended to benefit the attorney's land-developer clients. An indictment announced this week charges that Eric Wisler, while a partner at DeCotiis, FitzPatrick & Cole, made regular payments from 2004 through 2006 to Sen. Wayne Bryant, D-Camden, in return for Bryant's influence in the Legislature.
Calif. Federal Judge in Gay Marriage Case to Return to Private Practice
The Recorder
Judge Vaughn Walker announced Wednesday he will step down as chief judge of the Northern District of California at the end of the year and will leave the court in February. After two decades on the federal bench, Walker said he wants to return to the private sector. That means if the landmark same-sex marriage case tried before him earlier this year is remanded, it would go to a different judge. The case, in which Walker found the state's gay-marriage ban unconstitutional, is set to be argued at the 9th Circuit in December.
'Apprentice' Contender Quits Brooklyn DA's Office
New York Law Journal
An assistant Brooklyn district attorney has tested whether participating in "the ultimate job interview" on Donald Trump's reality show "The Apprentice" is compatible with being a prosecutor. Apparently, it isn't. Mahsa Saeidi-Azcuy's decision to resign this week renders moot the question of whether District Attorney Charles J. Hynes would be compelled to borrow Trump's trademark tagline: "You're fired."
Calif. Supreme Court Says Inmate's Execution Can't Be Hurried
The Recorder
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday dealt the latest blow to the state's effort to execute a condemned inmate. The court unanimously refused to accommodate the state's timeline for executing Albert Greenwood Brown by suspending its own rules or speeding up its process for reviewing how the prison system adopted new execution regulations. The ruling comes after a federal judge stayed Brown's execution on different grounds.
Bill's Passage Boosts Chances for Settlement of 9/11 Cases
New York Law Journal
The odds of a $712.5 million settlement being approved by responders and cleanup workers at Ground Zero got a boost as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill setting aside $7.4 billion to provide compensation and free health care. The bill passed following changes that would ensure that police, firefighters and cleanup workers do not have to choose between the bill and a proposed settlement with New York City and its contractors who are insured through the federally funded World Trade Center Captive Insurance Co.
Fla. Grand Jury Won't Probe Complaint Over 'Taj Mahal' Courthouse
The Associated Press
A grand jury has decided against investigating a citizen's complaint about a $48 million appellate courthouse so opulent that critics are deriding it as a "Taj Mahal." The new home of the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee, Fla., has become a political football, with politicians blaming each other for approving a sprawling structure replete with a rotunda, dome and columns. Other features include private bathrooms with granite countertops for each of the 15 judges as well as big-screen televisions and kitchens.
80 Years Later, Capone Wins Freedom Again in Mock Trial
Daily Business Review
Miami attorneys, journalists and others -- all in snappy suspenders and fedoras, slick shoes and even slicker hair -- took part Tuesday in a re-enactment of a 1930 trial of notorious Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone, as part of the celebration of the 100th year of Miami-Dade Circuit Court. Judge Scott J. Silverman, who organized the retrial, said the original case was the product of an angry South Florida community eager to rid itself of the nation's biggest mobster -- and willing to illegally arrest him to do it.
India Shuts Out Foreign Law Firms
The American Lawyer
Only a few days after large foreign firms in Brazil received some troublesome news about their ability to operate in that country, many of those same firms got another dose of bad news, this time about their aspirations to gain a foothold in India. India's Ministry of Law and Justice issued two statements on behalf of The Bar Council of India stating that the regulatory body "has decided not to permit foreign lawyers into India."
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GCs: Legal Directories Out, Online Searches In
Corporate Counsel
Google searches and online bios are replacing traditional legal directories when it comes to finding outside firms to hire, according to a panel of top legal officers gathered in Denver this summer. Lessons for law firms? Beef up online bios, diversity sells, and get a handle on tech.
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Why No Big Law Reality Series?
Fulton County Daily Report
With all the legal dramas on TV, why aren't there any reality series starring attorneys? The Snark takes a shot at working up a concept for "Big Law Bites," but knows such a show is unlikely, noting, "Sometimes truth isn't stranger than fiction. It's just less interesting."
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The Careerist: When the Stay-Home Parent Wants to Go Back to Work
The Careerist
Check out some of the latest posts on the lawjobs.com blog, The Careerist. When the Stay-Home Parent Wants to Go Back to Work: A how-to guide Also Law School News: Pushy Mom; Spammed Prof, Spurned Students; Lit Prize Also So That's What Men Do!
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Lawyer Sues Ex Firm for Harrassment
A lawyer has filed suit against his former firm, saying he was sidelined after refusing to attend a team-building retreat at which associates took off all their clothes and discussed their emotions. The firm, Bisnar/Chase, called the accusation a "shakedown" and said it had filed a countersuit against the former employee. ABA Journal (9/23
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