Administrative Law

Judge says Chipotle social media rules violated labor law, orders rehiring of worker fired for tweet

Fired last year for criticizing Chipotle wages in a tweet, a server at one of the chain’s suburban Philadelphia restaurants must now be rehired and get back pay, an administrative law judge ruled Monday. Social media rules at Chipotle that banned such critical comments violated the National Labor Relations Act,…

Mar 16, 2016 4:30 PM CDT

2 judges disciplined for failing to disclose their romantic relationship

Two Illinois judges have been disciplined by state legal ethics authorities for failing to reveal their romantic relationship on a timely basis. Although praised by the Illinois Courts Commission for their work on the bench, two McLean County jurists made serious mistakes when they allowed attorney Joe Foley, who at…

Mar 14, 2016 2:45 PM CDT

Federal appeals court partially blocks FCC rules cutting cost of prison phone calls

As a lawsuit continues seeking to overturn new Federal Communications Commission rules cutting the cost prisoners pay for phone calls, a federal appeals court has partially stayed the imposition of the new rules. The Hill provides a copy of the order (PDF) on Monday by the U.S. Court of Appeals…

Mar 7, 2016 4:50 PM CST

Immigration judge said some 4-year-olds don’t need lawyers in deportation cases, ACLU lawyer claims

It might seem obvious that a 3- or 4-year-old child needs a lawyer at a deportation hearing. But children as young as 3 or 4 years old can represent themselves, an immigration judge reportedly stated or implied in a deposition in a federal civil rights case last year, so long…

Mar 4, 2016 2:50 PM CST

Chief justice refuses states’ request to stay mercury rule in ‘significant victory’ for EPA

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on Thursday refused a request by 20 states to stay an Environmental Protection Agency regulation limiting mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plants. Roberts’ refusal was “a significant victory for the Obama administration,” the New York Times reports. The article sees Roberts’ action…

Mar 3, 2016 10:56 AM CST

Federal rule promoting reduced energy use is upheld by SCOTUS; environmentalists applaud decision

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had the authority to require compensation for large electricity users that reduce consumption during periods of peak demand, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 6-2 decision. At issue was whether the FERC rule was justified by its authority to regulate the sale of…

Jan 25, 2016 12:04 PM CST

US focuses on money laundering in real estate with new reporting requirements

The U.S. Treasury Department has announced it will begin to require disclosure of some people who use cash to purchase real estate through shell companies in two areas known for high-priced properties. The effort to combat money laundering is beginning with reporting requirements for sales above $3 million in Manhattan…

Jan 13, 2016 10:25 AM CST

Obama executive action will define who qualifies as a gun dealer required to do background checks

Updated: After failing to persuade Congress to require background checks for all gun purchases, President Barack Obama has announced that he will take executive action that would classify more gun sellers as gun dealers who must conduct such checks. Obama announced his plans on Tuesday in an emotional press conference,…

Jan 5, 2016 7:06 AM CST

SEC isn’t required to make companies reveal political contributions

A federal judge has tossed aside an effort to force the Securities and Exchange Commission to adopt a rule requiring publicly traded companies to disclose their political contributions. Reuters reported Monday that U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer in Washington, D.C., dismissed a lawsuit brought by the nonprofit Campaign for Accountability…

Jan 4, 2016 5:15 PM CST

Uber-type flight app shuts down after DC Circuit decision

A federal appeals court has rejected an appeal by an airplane ride-arranging app that contended pilots finding passengers through its website didn’t need to have commercial licenses. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied review in a Dec. 18 decision (PDF) involving Flytenow, which was…

Dec 28, 2015 5:45 AM CST

Removal of Confederate monuments violates free-speech right to preserve history, suit says

Several historic preservation groups have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a decision to remove four Confederate monuments in New Orleans. The suit (PDF) was filed hours after the city council voted 6-1 to remove the statues on Thursday, report CNN and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The complaint cites alleged violation…

Dec 21, 2015 6:40 AM CST

Mom did not neglect sons by letting them play outside, state agrees after legal battle

A Chicago mother initially found to have neglected her three children by allowing them to play in a park next to their home in 2013 has been cleared with the help of a major corporate law firm. An Illinois appeals court dismissed the case Monday after the state Department of…

Dec 16, 2015 12:25 PM CST

Posner advises disability office to clean up its act, says expert testimony was ‘worthless’

A federal appeals court says an administrative law judge “inappropriately ‘played doctor’” in denying disability benefits for a 56-year-old woman who had worked more than 13 years in a factory where she carried steel sheets weighing up to 100 pounds. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the…

Dec 9, 2015 6:00 AM CST

Mom who left 6-year-old daughter alone in car for 10 minutes fights neglect finding

At a time when some feel that parents and government officials are excessively zealous about safeguarding children from perceived risks, a suburban Chicago nurse is fighting a neglect finding over parental conduct that was relatively commonplace decades ago. Lisa Graham admittedly left her 6-year-old daughter alone in her car for…

Dec 4, 2015 10:10 AM CST

BigLaw firm doesn’t have to turn over notes in GM ignition switch cases, judge rules

A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled that King & Spalding does not have to turn over internal notes and memos regarding defects in General Motors ignition switches. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled (PDF) last Wednesday, report the National Law Journal (sub. req.) and Reuters. Plaintiffs’ lawyers suing GM…

Nov 30, 2015 11:27 AM CST