Residents of Illinois can rest a bit easier after a recent federal appellate court decision, knowing that their spouses will not benefit financially from causing their untimely deaths. In Miscevic v. Estate of M.M., the Seventh Circuit addressed whether a woman who killed her husband would still be entitled to... Read More »
Is it a travel ban? Is it a Muslim ban? Is it a valid exercise of presidential authority? The Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in Trump v. Hawaii, the case challenging the constitutionality of President Trump’s Executive Order halting immigration from six predominately Muslim countries. The order is in... Read More »
Non-Disparagement Clauses Conflict with Public Policy in the Digital AgeIn August 2017, Illinois passed SB 1898, amending the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to prohibit the use of non-disparagement clauses in contracts for consumer goods and services. The law “provides that a contract or proposed contract for... Read More »
Governor Cuomo wants to eliminate cash bail for misdemeanors and non-violent feloniesIs it right that the poor should languish in jail while awaiting trial simply because they can't afford bail? Governor Cuomo doesn't think so. His State of the State address earlier this year announced his desire to eliminate cash... Read More »
After several years of troublingly-high rates of fatal injury on New York City construction sites, the city enacted a law in October of 2017 aimed at improving safety through worker education. Local Law 196, which entered into effect on March 1, now requires that all workers on large construction projects... Read More »
New York Aims to Save Employers Money While Also Enhancing Protections for Injured WorkersIn 2018, significant reforms to New York workers’ compensation law—the most important and impactful changes in a decade—are predicted to generate considerable cost savings within the workers’ compensation system, thus enabling a rate reduction for both public... Read More »
A bill aiming to limit conversion therapy (or “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts”), the practice of trying to change an individual’s sexual orientation, passed the California Assembly on April 19, 2018. Citing reports from the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and various other medical organizations on the limited effectiveness... Read More »
California has had a storied relationship with arbitration. One of the U.S. Supreme Court’s most significant recent opinions on arbitration, AT & T Mobility v. Concepcion, stemmed from a lawsuit filed in California. The state’s attempts to limit the power of mandatory arbitration agreements in both employment and consumer contracts... Read More »
Raising the Standard of Living for Workers While Minding the Means of Smaller BusinessesIn 2018, California’s minimum wage increased to $11 per hour for businesses with 26 employees or more and $10.50 per hour for businesses with 25 employees or less. The minimum wage increase is part of California’s plan... Read More »
Company Initiates Recall of Certain Products Due to Safety Concerns The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission is reporting a recall by Honeywell of certain hard hat models. This is a firm-initiated voluntary recall instituted under the CPSC's Fast Track Recall process. The products subject to the April 24 CPSC... Read More »
A woman who was fired from her new job almost as soon as she got it claims she was the victim of unlawful employment discrimination based on her race and is asking the US Supreme Court to hear her case. If the justices decide to take the case, they will... Read More »
With the recent passage of SB140, minors under the age of 18 will no longer be able to legally marry in the state of Florida, with a narrow exception for certain 17-year-olds. The new law is effective July 1, 2018, when Florida joins only a handful of other states with... Read More »
They say a camel is a horse drawn in committee. They also say that laws are like sausage: you don't want to see how either gets made. These adages proved their worth in Florida's new beach bill, which was signed by the Governor on March 23rd and has been making... Read More »
On the front page of the Florida Health Office of Medical Marijuana Use website, you'll find the following statement centered on the page in bold lettering: "Medical marijuana is available in Florida, however, remains illegal under federal law."One Floridian and U.S. Army vet is hoping to change thatJose Belen is... Read More »
The Trump administration is working to end deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. The administration’s efforts to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program have come to a head in a legal battle before the Supreme Court. The Court heard oral arguments on the related DACA matters on... Read More »
