No Good Deed...and All the Other... There's an interesting controversy developing in Greenwich Village and one that involves a charity, affluent families in its current neighborhood and a lawsuit by those affluent families. Among other things, the suit seeks to halt the charity's plans to move to an area where it could better serve those who truly need the services. Basically, it comes down to serving the... (4 views)
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary L. Schapiro To see SEC Chairman Mary L. Schapiro, she might appear to be a traditional soccer mom who manages to put the fires out all day long with grace, charm and her trademark pearls; in fact, it likely would not occur to many that she is one of the most influential people in the nation. For two years, Schapiro has served as the 29th Chairman of the United States Securities and... (4 views)
LSAT Optional? For those of you law students who've braved the Mount Everest that can be the LSAT, this news might irritate you. (4 views)
Supreme Court Reacts to Wal-Mart Sex-Bias Case Last week, on March 29th, the Supreme Court seemed to be gearing up to block a sex discrimination lawsuit against the world's largest employer, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. The lawsuit, which was initially filed ten years ago by six female Wal-Mart employees, has grown to include as many as 1.5 million female workers who are now seeking class-action status. (4 views)
Will the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act Get Another Chance? Legislation has once again been proposed for improved protection of federal whistleblowers. Senator Daniel Akaka, (D-Hawaii), is the lead Democratic sponsor for the 2011 Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act. (4 views)
Global Warming Lawsuit Questioned by Supreme Court On April 19th, the Supreme Court indicated that the global warming lawsuit against several major power companies will likely be thrown out. The case originated with a 2004 public nuisance lawsuit against five coal-burning utilities that were accused of harming citizens through their contributions to global warming. The lawsuit, which the states of California, Connecticut,... (4 views)
Did He or Didn't He? Tyler Hamilton's Accusations on 60 Minutes Against Lance Armstrong Ring True Tyler Hamilton, former U.S. Postal Service teammate of famed cyclist Lance Armstrong, made stunning revelations about the sport of cycling and accusations against Armstrong on the May 22nd episode of 60 Minutes. (4 views)
Illinois Governor Blagojevich Arrested by FBI FBI agents have arrested Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, on charges stemming from what a US attorney calls a ''staggering,'' wide–ranging criminal conspiracy. (4 views)
Victim Fights For Attacker's Life Despite pleas from the only surviving victim of his post 9/11 shooting spree, 41-year-old Mark Stroman was executed Wednesday at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Huntsville Unit. He took his last breath less than one hour after the court rejected the final appeal filed by his victim, Raise Bhuiyan. (4 views)
Settlement Accepted in New Haven Bias Lawsuit A group of 20 white firefighters have received two million dollars in damages from the city of New Haven in Connecticut, thus concluding a seven-year-old legal fight. (4 views)
Replacing Representative David Wu Oregon Representative David Wu officially resigned on Wednesday, making him the fourth member of Congress to relinquish his position this year because of a sex scandal. As promised, Wu ended his 13-year Congressional career after casting his vote on the debt ceiling deal last week. (4 views)
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan Says 80 Percent of Schools in Country Fail to Meet Provisions of No Child Left Behind Act Many are rallying around the Obama administration's proposal to make the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act more flexible, as the number of schools failing to meet its provisions continues to rise. (4 views)
California Man Sentenced for Threats Against Congressman Following the January shooting in Tucson Arizona that that left US Representative Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition and six others dead, there has been a heightened response to any threats against politicians. Just last week, a federal judge sentenced a California man to eight months in prison for obscene and threatening messages that he left at Representative Jim... (4 views)
Law Jobs - Tips for Working in Law and How to Get There Law is one of the oldest professions in the world ad undoubtedly one of the most rewarding ones. To be a lawyer and a successful one at that, you need a few intrinsic basic qualities that will enable you to go far in this field. (4 views)
Heller Woes Worsen We just recently wrote about Heller Ehrman's woes as it dissolves. But once again, more bad news is coming out of the soon-to-be-dead firm. (4 views)
CEB Market Watch: Trends and Strategy for General Counsel As a result of research conducted by the Corporate Executive Board Company (CEB), during which over 100 general counsels of Fortune 1,000 companies were interviewed, several key trends, driven largely by the economy, are predicted to change the legal landscape over the next few years. In addition, strategies for addressing these trends, proactively, were identified. (4 views)
GOP Calls for Resignation of One of its Own This week state Senator Suzi Schmidt is expected to announce whether she will resign from her post, abandon plans to run for re-election, or fight a seemingly hopeless battle to redeem her name following the release of a series of damaging 911 calls. The calls, which date back to December, concern domestic disputes between Schmidt and her husband, who was allegedly... (4 views)
The Tail Wagging the Dog? Senate Republicans Block Confirmation of CFPB Director, White House Calls on State Attorneys General for Assistance In what appears to be a classic case of the tail wagging the dog, the Senate Republicans are holding up the confirmation of a director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which was formed in 2010 following Congress’s approval of a massive revamping of the nation’s financial system. (4 views)
Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye Names Award Recipients California's Chief Justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye recently named two recipients of the Judicial Council's Richard D. Huffman Justice for Children and Families Distinguished Service Award. The newly established award, which was created to honor those who have devoted their time and efforts to improving access to justice for both children and families, was presented to... (4 views)
Social Media, Laws Give Rise to Proliferation of Online Reputation Management Perhaps tycoon Warren Buffett said it best: ''It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.'' (4 views)
What Attorneys Can Learn From Steve Jobs Steve Jobs will be remembered for many things, not the least of which is the technology he conceived. Also topping the list of his talents was his penchant for public speaking. He didn't just give a speech, he put on a show. So, what can attorneys learn from this? (4 views)
The CPD Staff at the University of St. Thomas School of Law At the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minnesota, students and alumni alike turn to the Career and Professional Development (CPD) Office for assistance in developing career goals and obtaining the necessary skills to achieve those goals. The guidance and resources provided by the CPD are made possible by a committed and talented staff of three. (4 views)
Lawsuit Over Fallen Soldier’s Photo Army Lieutenant Peter Burks made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in 2007 but up until last month his photo could be found online, where it accompanied advertisements containing the statements “Military Man Searching for Love” and “Soldiers Want You!” While it remains unclear how dating websites managed to get a hold of the picture, it is clear that the... (4 views)
Hard Times for Urban Outfitters With its tawdry fashions and edgy home products, Urban Outfitters seems to invite attention through controversy. Lately, however, the company’s products have stirred more attention than it probably desires. (4 views)
High Profile Attorney to Represent Sgt. Robert Bales This article provides information on John Henry Browne and his lifelong work in the field of law, including his involvement in the defense of the Barefoot Bandit, Ted Bundy, Benjamin Ng, Michiel Oaks, and now Sgt. Robert Bales who is suspected of killing 16 civilians in Afghanistan. (4 views)
Massey Energy Hires GC Coal company Massey Energy Co. has promoted M. Shane Harvey to general counsel. Harvey has served as vice president and assistant general counsel at Massey since November 2006. He will continue his responsibilities, overseeing all legal activity, including environmental compliance, health and safety compliance, and federal and state regulatory issues. He received his J.D.... (4 views)
Freedom of Speech in a Private Law School – Part 2 First Amendment and School Sponsored Platforms – The Hazelwood Test In part 1 of this article we briefly mentioned the Tinker case which provides the most common benchmark for judging whether an on-campus activity by a student was within First Amendment rights or not. In this article we would discuss your freedom of speech on school-sponsored or school hosted... (4 views)
Tactics to Be Used By Law Students for Approaching Contacts Whether you have identified your contacts through library research or attending events, it is important to use a well thought-out process when approaching your contacts for assistance. An approach letter, followed by a phone call, informational interview and thank-you note is most effective. Write a letter then call to ask for 15 minutes of their time for advice. Do not... (4 views)
Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill for Return of Federal Lands On Monday, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona vetoed a bill that required the federal government to turn over millions of acres of federal land to the state. Arizona lawmakers had been up in arms for quite some time against federal ownership of the vast areas of land within the state, a move popularly called the ''sagebrush revolt.'' The veto of the Governor is seen as a... (4 views)