Africa

Lanny Davis Becomes Go-To Lawyer for African Strongmen

The lawyer and Democratic lobbyist who left McDermott Will & Emery to form his own firm has been in the news lately for his high-profile clients, but the press hasn’t been positive. Davis’ latest big-name client is Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to give up power after losing…

Dec 23, 2010 12:00 PM CST

Mergers in Canada, South Africa Put Norton Rose in Top Ten

U.K. law firm Norton Rose is expanding into Canada and South Africa through mergers with two other firms. In Canada, Norton Rose is merging with Ogilvy Renault, according to Legal Week, the Am Law Daily and the Toronto Globe and Mail. In South Africa, it is merging with Deneys Reitz.…

Nov 15, 2010 3:58 PM CST

Ms.JD’s Education Fund to Help Two Ugandan Women Pursue Law Degrees

Ms.JD, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women advance in the legal profession, has created a Global Education Fund and awarded its first scholarships. The fund is intended to help women in developing nations pursue law degrees. Ms.JD will spend about $5,000 per year for five years to send Monica Athieno…

Oct 25, 2010 5:32 PM CDT

Law Prof Says He’ll No Doubt Be Killed If He Returns to Rwanda

A Minnesota law professor facing charges of genocide denial for his work representing a Rwandan presidential candidate says he has “no doubt” he’ll be killed if he returns to the country. William Mitchell law professor Peter Erlinder said he would follow his lawyer’s advice in the case, the Associated Press…

Oct 25, 2010 2:29 PM CDT

US Law Prof to Be Charged in Rwanda with Genocide Denial

Rwanda’s top prosecutor wants a professor from William Mitchell College of law to appear in a Rwandan court and face charges of genocide denial, the Associated Press reported. Professor Peter Erlinder declined to comment to the news organization. Prosecutor Martin Ngoga made the announcement in Arusha, Tanzania, the location of…

Oct 21, 2010 8:07 PM CDT

In the Hot Zones

Lawyers working on human rights missions sometimes get a whiff of danger, to boot

Oct 1, 2010 6:20 AM CDT

2nd Circuit Bars Alien Tort Suits for Corporate Human Rights Abuses Overseas

A federal appeals court has ruled that a law used to collect damages in the United States for human rights abuses in other countries does not apply to corporations. The Alien Tort Statute can be used to sue only individuals, not corporations, according to the New York City-based 2nd U.S.…

Sep 20, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

Lawyer Wears a Wire in Bid to Stop Elephant Poaching

A Connecticut lawyer posed as an American tourist interested in buying ivory last February as part of an effort to help the Kenyan government crack down on poachers. G. Kenneth Bernhard of Cohen and Wolf in Westport wore a hidden microphone when he purchased ivory from a roadside gift shop…

Jul 21, 2010 2:55 PM CDT

Teens Make Off with Elephant Cash After Holding Up Recently Imprisoned Law Prof

The bad luck continued for William Mitchell College of Law professor Peter Erlinder when he returned to Minnesota after spending three weeks in a Rwandan jail. Erlinder was mugged at gunpoint outside his home in St. Paul, Minn., last Thursday evening, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the…

Jun 29, 2010 11:32 AM CDT

US Law Prof Peter Erlinder to Be Freed from Rwanda Jail on Bail

A law professor from the United States who has been held in a Rwandan jail since May will be released on bail because of concerns about his health. Peter Erlinder was granted bail today and will be permitted to return to the U.S., the Star Tribune reports. Erlinder, who was…

Jun 17, 2010 10:12 PM CDT

Art Imitates Life for California Lawyer and Legal Thriller Author

U.S. lawyers defending accused genocide suspects aren’t faring well in Rwanda. A lawyer who is the latest to feel the wrath of the country’s legal establishment is Peter Robinson, a legal thriller author whose novel suggests some of his current troubles. First came the arrest of William Mitchell College of…

Jun 9, 2010 12:32 PM CDT

Letter from Kansas Bar Prez May Have Kept Lawyer Out of Rwandan Jail

Rwanda is apparently a dangerous country for outspoken U.S. lawyers. A Wichita lawyer says a letter from the president of the Kansas Bar Association may be the reason he avoided arrest last week for making comments critical of Rwandan police. Lawyer Kurt Kerns was in Rwanda to interview witnesses for…

Jun 9, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

No Bail for Law Prof Imprisoned in Rwanda

A law professor from Minnesota remains in a Rwandan prison after a judge denied his bail request Monday. Peter Erlinder, a professor at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, was in Rwanda to help with the legal defense of an opposition presidential candidate. Erlinder is accused of violating…

Jun 8, 2010 1:17 PM CDT

US Law Prof Imprisoned in Rwanda Over His Criminal Defense Work Is Now Hospitalized

A Minnesota lawyer who has repeatedly taken on controversial criminal cases has been interrogated and imprisoned in Rwanda, where he was working to defend a president candidate, Victoire Ingabire, against charges of promoting genocidal ideology. Peter Erlinder, 62, is now hospitalized, after prison conditions apparently exacerbated preexisting health issues, according…

Jun 1, 2010 11:54 AM CDT

Record ‘Phish Phry’ Bank Cybercrime Bust Nets 100 in US & Egypt

Authorities have announced charges against 100 individuals in the United States and Egypt in what they say is the largest such case ever pursued in the U.S. Operation Phish Phry netted 53 defendants in the U.S. and 47 in Egypt. They are accused of stealing money from thousands of Bank…

Oct 7, 2009 9:46 PM CDT