A judge is western Illinois is no longer handling criminal cases after he reversed his bench-trial conviction of an 18-year-old man for sexual assault, declaring…
Nonlawyer-owned alternative legal services provider receives Arizona’s approval to integrate with a law firm
Elevate, a nonlawyer-owned alternative legal services provider, has been approved to operate in Arizona in tandem with an integrated law firm, the company announced…
Top Baltimore prosecutor is indicted for allegedly lying to get money for Florida home purchases
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby was indicted Thursday for allegedly committing perjury and filing false mortgage applications to buy two homes in Florida. The
ABA Midyear Meeting will now take place entirely online
The 2022 ABA Midyear Meeting, which will take place from Feb. 9 to 14, had been scheduled to be in Seattle. But after assessing the…
‘Shameful!’ Judge blasts cancer patient for failing to maintain his lawn
A Michigan judge who blasted a 72-year-old cancer patient for failing to maintain his lawn is getting attention for her Zoom hearing comments. Judge Alexis…
Former jail guard convicted of sexual assault can rejoin military or go to jail, judge says
A Kentucky judge on Friday told a former jail guard convicted of sexually assaulting an inmate that he could rejoin the military or report to…
Lawyer on university faculty is charged with insider trading
A Chicago lawyer who was a faculty member at the Loyola University Chicago was indicted Monday for allegedly making a $110,000 profit by trading on…
In US News’ 100 Best Jobs of 2022 list, how does being a lawyer stack up?
Being a lawyer is a better job than being a speech-language pathologist but not quite as good as being a statistician. That’s the conclusion of…
ABA launches nationwide pro bono campaign to help families facing deportation
The ABA is offering volunteer lawyers a new opportunity to help families in 11 cities navigate their now-accelerated immigration court proceedings. In May, the Department…
Why lawyers should consider change—for better or worse
For a change, let’s talk about change. I would like to start with one of my favorite statesmen, Sir Winston Churchill, who said, “To improve…
The 2021 class of summer associates was ‘most diverse ever measured in every way,’ new NALP report says
The percentage of summer associates of color in major U.S. law firms increased by nearly 5 percentage points in 2021, increasing to 41.34%, according to…
Outcomes in state supreme courts aren’t as simple as blue vs. red
Most of the spotlights are on the U.S. Supreme Court when it comes to legal cases that impact civil rights. But state supreme courts are…
Suspension upheld for lawyer accused of concealing inventories of shipwreck gold
A lawyer accused of failing to disclose his clients’ inventories of shipwreck gold will be suspended for four years in Virginia as a result of…
Did Gorsuch misstate the number of flu deaths? The transcript—not the justice—was wrong
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued a corrected transcript of Justice Neil M. Gorsuch’s oral arguments comment about flu deaths after some observers claimed…
Draft version of redesigned bar exam will be shared by NCBE soon
With a target implementation year of 2026 for a redesigned bar exam, the National Conference of Bar Examiners expects to start pilot testing this year.The…
Lateral associate moves increased 51% compared to prior four years, new data shows
The rapid movement of associates to new law firms continued through the third quarter of last year, according to new data from legal data company…
As law schools admit more students, will there be enough jobs?
As omicron COVID-19 cases surge, several courts pause jury trials
A California federal court said Wednesday it would suspend in-person jury trials following similar announcements by other state and federal courts amid the surge in…
Airport’s general counsel resigns amid reports that he slapped subordinate
The general counsel at the Denver International Airport has stepped down amid accusations that he repeatedly slapped a colleague at a holiday party. Scott McCoy,…
Hulu’s ‘Dopesick’ puts microscope on the architects of the opioid epidemic
I’ve mentioned it more than once: Occasionally, some law-related television is simply too “real” for me to enjoy. When explaining this phenomenon, I often use…
Defense attorney convicted in $1M federal money laundering case
A Baltimore defense attorney, who allegedly helped a longtime client and convicted drug trafficker funnel money through his law firm, has been found guilty of…
Federal appeals courts go remote amid COVID-19 surge
Several federal appeals courts are starting the new year with changes in their operations amid the ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections. The 5th U.S. Circuit…
Do federal jurors still care whether a witness is caught in a lie? Not as much, say 2 veteran litigators
If you have a trial coming up in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, it’s likely that jurors will be spread…
Scores of lawyers work to gain temporary legal status for 250 female judges in Afghanistan
Lawyers from some of the nation’s largest law firms are working to help win temporary legal status for 250 female judges who feared for…
Looking to start 2022 on the right foot? Take our advice
At the ABA Journal, we love to produce magazine features like the 50 startup tips to get your practice off the ground. But we…
Mandatory law leads to 110-year sentence for fatal crash; DA moves for reconsideration
A Colorado district attorney is seeking reconsideration of a 110-year sentence for a truck driver convicted for a 2019 crash that killed four people after…
2 law firms announce separate mergers effective Jan. 1
Verrill Dana and Smith Gambrell Russell have announced separate mergers with smaller firms that are effective Jan. 1. Verrill Dana, a law firm based in…
Federal magistrate judge orders lawyers to ‘not impugn Chinese culture’ in future depositions
A federal magistrate judge in Georgia ordered lawyers for an injured longshoreman to “not impugn Chinese culture” in future depositions in his lawsuit against a…
Roberts’ reference to memos of Blackmun on Roe v. Wade raises questions about SCOTUS justices’ private papers
Some states seek to eliminate racial bias in jury selection with peremptory-challenge changes
Some states are changing the rules for peremptory challenges—and in one case, eliminating them altogether—in an effort to eliminate racial bias in jury selection.The Washington…
CEO roundtable with Ari Kaplan: Trends, challenges and opportunities in 2021 and the year ahead
Ari Kaplan recently moderated a discussion with the following chief executive officers for the final Ari Kaplan Advisors CEO Roundtable of 2021 about trends, challenges…
Wife of Marvel chairman sues Kasowitz Benson for alleged ‘salacious and outrageous’ litigation
Kasowitz Benson Torres has been sued for allegedly pursuing “salacious and outrageous, malicious” litigation against Laura Perlmutter, wife of Marvel Entertainment chairman Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter.…
Delayed justice is still a problem after COVID-19 disruptions
The justice system continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly two years after courthouses first began closing and limiting operations, according…
Inmates confined at home because of COVID-19 emergency need not return to prison when it ends, DOJ says
Prisoners who were placed on home confinement because of the coronavirus emergency don’t necessarily have to return to prison when it ends, according to an…
The top 5 legal technology news of 2021
In many ways, 2021 felt like the year that would never end. The pandemic dragged on, and new variants popped up like whack-a-moles. The resulting…
‘Constitutional sheriffs’ contend they have the power to determine what the law is
“Constitutional sheriffs” contend that their authority goes beyond enforcing the law to determining what the law is. These so-called sheriffs say their authority is…
2 law schools found to be out compliance with ABA’s bar passage standard
The Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco and the Western New England University School of Law in Massachusetts recently received notices…
This BigLaw firm is the first to allow its lawyers can work from home indefinitely
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan announced Monday that it will allow all its lawyers in the United States to work from home indefinitely. Quinn Emanuel…
6th Circuit reinstates workplace vaccine mandate, says OSHA authority isn’t limited to hard hats, goggles
A federal appeals court has reinstated an employer vaccine mandate after it was chosen to hear challenges to the Biden administration’s directive. The 6th U.S.…
Why this personal injury firm set up shop in the metaverse
Judge refuses to toss Dominion’s $1.6B defamation suit against Fox News
A Delaware superior court judge has refused to dismiss a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News over the network’s…
Bankruptcy court had no authority to shield Sackler family in Purdue Pharma bankruptcy, judge rules
A bankruptcy judge had no statutory authority to shield the Sackler family—which owns debtor Purdue Pharma—from civil lawsuits related to the drugmaker’s marketing of the…
Meet 12 ABA members who inspired us in 2021
The ABA Journal regularly profiles exceptional ABA members in its Members Who Inspire series. In the past year, we featured many in the legal…
Cybersquatters are using Debevoise’s name to steal personal information, suit alleges
Debevoise & Plimpton has claimed in a lawsuit that cybersquatters are using its name in an attempt to profit from ads and seek sensitive information…
Judge says she was on a sedative when N-word was used in video showing suspect’s capture
A judge in Lafayette, Louisiana, has said she has no recollection of a video in which people commenting off camera use the N-word while watching…
How an e-discovery platform has evolved to meet the new challenges facing clients
AJ Shankar, the founder and CEO of e-discovery platform Everlaw, likes to say his company’s technology is designed to help clients find needles in…
Lawyer accused of threat to release judge’s nude photos can be sued for punitive damages, court rules
A Florida judge can seek punitive damages against a lawyer she accused of threatening to release her nude photos unless she acquiesced to his demands…
Lawyers in Illinois experienced this type of incivility most often, new survey says
Sarcasm, misrepresentations, inflammatory writings and hardball tactics were the most common type of incivility reported by Illinois lawyers surveyed in August and September. Fifty-four percent…
Supreme Court doesn’t interfere with New York COVID-19 vaccine mandate, despite lack of religious exemption
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to block a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers in New York, even though the mandate does…
5 things lawyers should know about artificial intelligence
Although artificial intelligence has been the subject of academic research since the 1950s and has been used commercially in some industries for decades, it is…
