The debate goes on. Should judges be allowed to grant early release to felons who committed crimes when they were young adults with immature brains, or would their early release let hundreds of violent criminals go free? The D.C. Council unanimously agreed with proponents of the first theory and passed... Read More about D.C. Passes Bill to Let Judges Decide Early Release for Young Adult Felons
Louisiana State University (LSU) made $92 million in football revenue last year, netting a $56 million profit. Joe Burrow, its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, received an athletic scholarship to LSU, worth approximately $40,000, the cost of attending college as an out-of-state student. This week, the Supreme Court granted an appeal, and... Read More about Supreme Court and Congress May Be Changing College Athlete Compensation Rules
Every state requires prospective lawyers to be screened for character and fitness before admission to the bar. Once admitted, all state bars are expected to provide oversight that assures their members act ethically to advance the rule of law and protect American democracy. But recent actions by both public and... Read More about Lawyers Group Wants Forceful Sanctions for Unethical Behavior by State AGs
While the world remains focused on the coronavirus pandemic, the American Bar Association (ABA) is generously reminding everyone that another virus, HIV/AIDS, is still negatively impacting the lives of millions of people who still need legal help. On World AIDS Day, December 1, members of the ABA’s HIV/AIDS Impact Project... Read More about Grants from the American Bar Association to Boost Legal Services Related to AIDS
Martin J. Jenkins, a former NFL defensive back, prosecutor, civil rights attorney, youth group mentor and award-winning public servant, was sworn in as the newest Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court last week. He is also openly gay and black, but there’s really no reason to focus on those... Read More about Newest California Supreme Court Justice Reflects State’s Diversity
Following last year’s recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO), The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) voted last week to delete cannabis from its most “highly addictive and highly liable to abuse” category and reclassify it as a drug with potential for therapeutic medical use. CND’s categories, called... Read More about UN Commission Deletes Cannabis from “Most Highly Addictive” Classification
It won’t be a happy New Year for millions of Americans if the government’s moratorium on housing evictions expires on New Year’s Eve -- a night when people traditionally celebrate without worrying that their families may soon become homeless and freeze. With this in mind, Patricia Lee Refo, President of... Read More about ABA President Urges Immediate Congressional Response to COVID-19-Caused Housing Crisis
Protect the children or protect the church? For years, the obvious answer to this question was ignored by the courts, U.S. bishops and the Vatican. But since the turn of this century, lawsuits have been in full swing, and a new one, filed by New York’s Attorney General against the... Read More about NY Attorney General Files Child Sex Abuse Charges Against Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo
After a Manhattan judge ruled that a New York couple’s $325 million award in an asbestos-related mesothelioma tort case against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was excessive, plaintiffs stipulated to a nearly two-thirds reduction in damages, rather than having to face a new trial. In a 61-page opinion issued November 11,... Read More about Plaintiffs Agree to Accept Reduced Damages Award in Baby Powder Mesothelioma Case
She failed the Florida Bar Exam. Twice. She set up two phony law firm websites with international offices and decorated them with stock photos of her “partners.” She gave the law firm a name (not hers) and rented office space. She impersonated a law school friend and appeared in court... Read More about Court Sentences Law Grad to Prison for Illegal Law Practice
After a 37-year career on the bench of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson, 70, the first African American woman to preside over civil trials in Philadelphia, announced her retirement. While her decisions and achievements were often covered in the local press, she is likely to be... Read More about Judge Massiah-Jackson Retires After Four Decades: Her Career Foreshadowed Today’s Headlines
In a victory for Dreamers, their families, and hundreds of thousands of undocumented youths across the U.S., a federal court on November 14 struck down the Trump Administration’s latest attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis granted plaintiffs’ motion... Read More about Federal Court Blocks Trump Administration’s Latest Attack on DACA
Christie West underwent an emergency partial hysterectomy to remove a dysfunctional birth control device called Essure, manufactured by Bayer AG. Ariel Grace died at birth due to injuries to her mother that were caused by the same faulty sterilization implant. These tragedies are two of the almost 39,000 claims against... Read More about Bayer Settles Lawsuits for Faulty Birth Control Device “Essure” for $1.6 Billion