Afternoon Briefs: BigLaw sex bias suit may be resolved; US judiciary seeks $7M for COVID-19 impact
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Secretary’s BigLaw sex bias suit apparently resolved
A former legal secretary at Troutman Sanders who claimed she was sexually harassed by a partner at Troutman Sanders has apparently resolved her lawsuit. Plaintiff Jessica Correa agreed to dismiss the suit in a joint stipulation with Troutman Sanders and the partner. Correa had accused the partner of staring at her breasts, repeatedly asking her to dinner, kissing her without permission, and telling her she needed a sugar daddy. The joint stipulation did not say whether the case has settled. (Law360, Bloomberg Law)
Federal judiciary requests $7M in extra funds due to COVID-19
The federal judiciary is requesting $7 million in supplemental funds to deal with the impact of COVID-19. The request was based on an assumption that court operations will be interrupted for three months. About $4.5 million in requested funds would cover individual mental health and drug treatment for those who typically receive the probation and pretrial services in a group setting. Other funds would be spent to address technology requirements for staff members working at home. (The National Law Journal, Law360)
Federal judiciary to test audio streaming of motions hearings
The U.S. Judicial Conference has authorized a two-year pilot project to evaluate live audio streaming of some motion hearings in a few federal district courts. The judiciary authorized the project in a meeting held by teleconference. The nonpartisan group Fix the Court said it would prefer the judiciary focus its efforts on offering live audio in federal appeals courts. Under current policies, only the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals routinely provides live audio and video of oral arguments, while only the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit routinely provides live audio. (Law360, judiciary press release, Fix the Court press release)
