Administrative Law

Transportation Chief Mulls Toyota Civil Penalty, Warns Against Driving Recalled Cars

Updated: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told a House Appropriations panel this morning that his department is considering a civil penalty against Toyota for its handling of the recall. LaHood said his advice to anyone who owns a recalled Toyota is to “stop driving it, take it to a Toyota dealer…

Feb 3, 2010 4:55 PM CST

Judge Rapped Over Order to Pay Class Action Attorney in Store Coupons

Apparently figuring that what is considered reasonable reimbursement for winning clients in class actions is also fair pay for their lawyers, a California state-court judge ordered that a male attorney receive a structured stream of $10 gift cards from the defendant women’s apparel retailer. However, the decision in January 2009…

Feb 3, 2010 12:43 AM CST

New Net Neutrality Battle Could Focus on Whether ISPs Are Common Carriers

As the Federal Communications Commission fights a seemingly uphill battle to force the nation’s Internet service providers to abide by its so-called net neutrality standards, some observers are suggesting an alternative option. Many now anticipate that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will rule against…

Feb 2, 2010 12:00 AM CST

After Guilty Pleas in Gun Cases, NBA Suspends 2 Wizards Guards for Season

After an alleged locker-room confrontation in December over a gambling debt in which apparently unloaded guns were reportedly displayed, two Washington Wizards guards have now been suspended by the National Basketball Association for the rest of the season. The action announced today by commissioner David Stern followed guilty pleas earlier…

Jan 27, 2010 10:24 PM CST

No Parole for Still-Angry Ex-Wife Convicted of Killing Prominent Attorney

Saying that Elisabeth Anne “Betty” Broderick was angry, unrepentant, lacked insight into her crime and posed a risk to society, a two-member board yesterday denied the 62-year-old parole in the shootings of her ex-husband, a prominent California attorney, and his new young wife, who worked as his legal assistant. Sentenced…

Jan 22, 2010 9:56 PM CST

Python Ban Planned to Address Giant Snake ‘Invasion’ in US

Seeking to address a growing problem of escaped or released giant snakes that have made certain parts of the United States their new home and reproduced there, federal officials are planning to ban the import of nine species of constrictor snakes including the Burmese Python. Referring to the situation as…

Jan 22, 2010 9:13 PM CST

WaPo: SEC Ignores Whistle-blowers, Lacks—and Violates—Tip Procedures

Even though the Securities and Exchange Commission often can’t offer a reward, whistle-blowers still come to the agency with tips about claimed wrongdoing. The problem is, the SEC may not follow up on them, reports the Washington Post. Lacking a uniform system for addressing tips, the agency apparently all-too-frequently lets…

Jan 21, 2010 7:58 PM CST

IG Urges More ‘Corrective Action’ By DOJ re ‘Troubling’ FBI Pursuit of Phone Records

In a report released today (PDF) with some portions redacted, an inspector general for the U.S. Department of Justice calls for “additional corrective action” concerning a long-standing and “troubling” federal law enforcement program of obtaining telephone records without appropriate legal authorization. Citing emergencies that often didn’t exist and sometimes using…

Jan 21, 2010 1:40 AM CST

9th Cir. Lawyer Sues Obama Admin Over Withheld Benefits for Same-Sex Spouse

A federal government lawyer who works for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has sued the Obama administration over its decision to withhold health benefits from her same-sex partner. The decision concerning benefits for the wife of attorney Karen Golinski, who works for the court in San Francisco, was…

Jan 21, 2010 1:05 AM CST

BigLaw News Isn’t All Bad: More Work and Steady Partner Profits Reported

Updated: Revenue at the nation’s largest law firms dipped an average of 4 percent last year, but the news isn’t all bad. Some law firm leaders tell the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) that they are seeing an increase in litigation, public offerings and regulatory work. They are also seeing…

Jan 15, 2010 3:08 PM CST

SEC Shines Tarnished Top-Cop Badge, Looks to DOJ for Post-Madoff Playbook

Embarrassed by lapses that allowed Bernard Madoff to operate a record-breaking Ponzi scheme for years despite warnings that his claimed hedge-fund earnings had to be fraudulent, officials at the Securities and Exchange Commission are shining the federal agency’s tarnished top-cop badge. Seeking to enhance the SEC’s reputation as a tough…

Jan 15, 2010 12:22 AM CST

US Deportations to Haiti Halted After Devastating Earthquake

Following an earthquake in Haiti that may have killed tens of thousands, deportations to the country have been halted, United States officials announced today. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said deportations had stopped “for the time being,” reports the New York Times. Some 30,000 Haitians in the U.S.…

Jan 14, 2010 2:26 AM CST

DOJ Settles Kindle E-Book Reader Complaints With 4 Colleges

Encouraging college students to use Kindle e-book readers might not seem like a highway to high-profile federal litigation. But that’s what led to a just-announced settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and three well-known institutions of higher learning. Because the Kindle DX electronic reader offered by Amazon as part…

Jan 13, 2010 10:38 PM CST

Ethics Ruling Finds $2M Attorney Fee Excessive in Class Action Aiding 7 People

The founding partner of a Florida law firm violated legal ethics rules by arranging a $7 million class action settlement on behalf of seven individuals rather than all Miami taxpayers, a referee in a Florida Bar attorney disciplinary case has determined. And Henry Adorno of Adorno & Yoss also breached…

Jan 13, 2010 12:45 AM CST

Comcast Scores Against FCC in Court Battle Over Net Neutrality

The Federal Communications Commission was on the hot seat today in a much-watched appellate court case implicating the agency’s power to regulate the Internet. Comcast Corp. is appealing a 2008 decision by the FCC that it violates so-called net neutrality standards by slowing or blocking certain peer-to-peer applications that use…

Jan 8, 2010 8:42 PM CST