Her teenage son killed himself after talking to a chatbot; now she’s suing

The mother of a 14-year-old boy says Character.AI—the startup behind the personalized chatbot—is responsible for his suicide. In a lawsuit, she alleges that Character.AI recklessly developed its chatbots without proper guardrails or precautions, instead hooking vulnerable children with an addictive product that blurred the lines between reality and fiction.

Oct 25, 2024 10:00 AM CDT

Lawyer who sued Big Lots over coffee labeling has ‘dubious modus operandi,’ federal judge says

A lawyer who alleged that retail chain company Big Lots used labeling that inflated the number of servings in cans of its Fresh Finds coffee had made a similar claim in a prior tossed lawsuit that was “indistinguishable” from the new case “but for a new plaintiff and heading,” according to a federal judge in Florida.

Jul 9, 2024 9:28 AM CDT

Lawyers suing Johnson & Johnson in baby powder suits seek privileged attorney-client communications

Co-lead counsel in a lawsuit filed last month against Johnson & Johnson are asking a judge to allow access to communications among some top in-house lawyers in a bid to show that the company abused the bankruptcy process in litigation over talcum powder alleged to cause cancer.

Jun 24, 2024 10:52 AM CDT

Top artificial intelligence insurance tips for lawyers

To better advise artificial intelligence decisions, lawyers should know the benefits, shortcomings and best practices of incorporating insurance into AI risk management.

May 10, 2024 1:52 PM CDT

Bayer’s billions in Roundup verdicts increase pressure for new legal strategy

Jan 31, 2024 10:36 AM CST

Johnson & Johnson sets up third talc bankruptcy bid by moving unit to Texas

Johnson & Johnson is seeking to move a unit to Texas as it prepares for a potential third bankruptcy court filing to resolve more than 50,000 lawsuits alleging tainted talc in its baby powder caused cancer.

Jan 26, 2024 9:22 AM CST

Monsanto cites judge’s alleged ‘off-the-record’ instruction in bid to overturn $175M Roundup verdict

Lawyers for the Monsanto Co. are citing a Philadelphia judge’s "off-the-record 'deadlock' instruction" in a bid to overturn a $175 million verdict on behalf of a man who said he contracted cancer from the weed killer Roundup.

Nov 9, 2023 2:27 PM CST

Copyright Law and Generative AI: What a mess

“A lot of these [copyright] issues have existed for some time,” says a partner and chair of the software and IT practice at Knobbe Martens in its Seattle office. “It’s coming to the forefront of communications because of the availability [of generative AI].”

Aug 30, 2023 8:18 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: SCOTUS asked to hear high school admissions case over race; utility company faces suit after Hawaii wildfires

Supreme Court could hear high school admissions case involving race The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday was asked to hear a Virginia high school admissions case over race. The Coalition for TJ, a group of parents and students, filed the petition for writ of certiorari in response to the Fairfax…

Aug 25, 2023 2:09 PM CDT

Supreme Court temporarily blocks $6B opioid settlement, agrees to consider Sackler family shield

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to consider the propriety of a bankruptcy plan for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that shielded the company’s current owners from future civil liability in exchange for a $6 billion payout.

Aug 10, 2023 4:23 PM CDT

Judge reluctantly tosses second bankruptcy attempt by baby powder maker Johnson & Johnson

A federal bankruptcy judge has reluctantly thwarted Johnson & Johnson’s second attempt to protect itself from claims related to its baby powder through the bankruptcy of a subsidiary created to hold Johnson & Johnson liabilities.

Jul 31, 2023 3:37 PM CDT

‘The gloves are off’: Baby powder maker J&J sues doctors who linked talc products to cancer

Johnson & Johnson has filed two lawsuits against four doctors who published studies claiming a link between talcum powder and mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer. “When a litigant starts suing opposing experts, that’s very aggressive,” an expert says.

Jul 14, 2023 2:00 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: $10.3B ‘forever chemicals’ deal announced; data-breach suit against Cadwalader dropped

3M agrees to settle ‘forever chemicals’ cases for $10.3B 3M, a multinational conglomerate corporation and a maker of chemicals, has agreed to pay $10.3 billion to settle claims by municipalities that its “forever chemicals” contaminated drinking water. The chemicals, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are used in products that include firefighting…

Jun 23, 2023 3:15 PM CDT

Johnson & Johnson tries once again to settle talc claims through ‘Texas two-step’ bankruptcy

A Johnson & Johnson unit is back in bankruptcy court again, after its first attempt to settle looming talcum powder cases failed because it wasn’t in financial distress.

Apr 7, 2023 11:06 AM CDT

ChatGPT falsely accuses law prof of sexual harassment; is libel suit possible?

A law professor was surprised to hear that he had been accused of sexual harassment during a class trip to Alaska sponsored by his law school, the Georgetown University Law Center.

Apr 6, 2023 10:42 AM CDT