Administrative Law

‘I don’t understand this theme that FDA can do no wrong,’ says 5th Circuit judge on mifepristone approval

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans on Wednesday appears ready to restrict approval of the abortion medication mifepristone.

May 18, 2023 9:30 AM CDT

Oregon’s former top administrative judge gets prison time in child pornography case

Oregon’s former top administrative law judge has been sentenced to 38 months in prison after his guilty plea to 10 counts of encouraging child sexual abuse. Judge Andrew Erwin of Washington County, Oregon, sentenced Judge John Michael Mann, the former chief administrative law judge for the state, on May 11.…

May 15, 2023 9:45 AM CDT

Supreme Court could limit agency power after agreeing to reconsider Chevron deference

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider overruling a 1984 decision that established Chevron deference—the principle that federal courts should defer to reasonable federal agency views when Congress passes ambiguous laws.

May 1, 2023 11:51 AM CDT

Gun owner who challenged ban on bump stocks wins in latest 6th Circuit decision

A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of a gun owner who challenged a federal regulation that bans bump stocks—the devices that dramatically accelerate gunfire on semi-automatic rifles.

Apr 27, 2023 9:11 AM CDT

Alito ‘packed a lot of grievance’ in dissent as Supreme Court allows access to abortion pill—for now

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Friday to allow continued full access, for now, to the abortion medication mifepristone. But Alito spoke only for himself in a written dissent; Thomas did not indicate the reason for his dissent.

Apr 24, 2023 11:03 AM CDT

Alito keeps abortion drug access in place to give SCOTUS more time to act on emergency request

Justice Samuel Alito on Wednesday extended an administrative stay to give the U.S. Supreme Court more time to consider an emergency request to allow full access to the abortion drug mifepristone during a challenge to its approval.

Apr 19, 2023 3:10 PM CDT

Will former top administrative judge be third Oregon attorney to receive probation in a child porn case?

A May 11 sentencing date has been set for Oregon’s former top administrative law judge after his guilty plea to encouraging child sexual abuse in a child pornography case.

Apr 18, 2023 4:10 PM CDT

Why the 5th Circuit is allowing abortion pill sales but pausing expanded access to the drug

Updated: Anti-abortion doctors and medical associations likely sued too late to revoke the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2000 approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, a federal appeals court has ruled in temporarily staying part of an April 7 decision by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of Texas.

Apr 13, 2023 10:44 AM CDT

Supreme Court sides with deaf student in quest for damages for inadequate education

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that a deaf student can pursue damages for an inadequate education under the Americans With Disabilities Act, even though he didn’t exhaust remedies under a federal education law.

Mar 22, 2023 12:04 PM CDT

Ex-judge is suspended after secret recording by possible rival candidate revealed threat

A former judge in Missouri has been suspended for at least two years after he was recorded threatening to reveal the affairs of a rival’s husband if she ran against him in the judicial election.

Feb 7, 2023 10:21 AM CST

Federal appeals court strikes down ATF rule banning rapid-fire bump stocks

Updated: The en banc 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans has struck down a Trump administration ban on bump stocks, which are used to accelerate gunfire on semi-automatic weapons.

Jan 9, 2023 9:55 AM CST

Judge ruled on traffic citations before hearing date to cover for planned absence, ethics complaint alleges

A municipal judge in Philadelphia is accused of trying to cover for her upcoming absence by ruling on traffic citations before the scheduled hearing date, marking some ticketed people as “guilty in absentia.”

Dec 20, 2022 12:11 PM CST

Chief justice temporarily continues Title 42 policy that expelled asylum-seekers based on COVID-19 dangers

Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday temporarily kept in place a policy that quickly turned back asylum-seekers on the ground that they could contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

Dec 20, 2022 10:08 AM CST

Supreme Court will consider challenge to Biden’s student-debt relief program, puts case on fast track

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide a challenge to the Biden administration’s student-debt relief program in a lawsuit filed by six states.

Dec 1, 2022 3:22 PM CST

Small law firms have reason for ‘cautious optimism,’ new Thomson Reuters report says

Despite concerns about an economic downturn, many small law firms are bullish about their prospects and expect moderate-to-high growth in the next three years, according to a report published Thursday.

Nov 14, 2022 8:46 AM CST