Arizona

Shaken by death of lawyer slain by mediation opponent, colleagues ponder safety concerns

Shaken by the death last month of a highly regarded partner of an Arizona law firm, slain along with his client by a litigation opponent in a relatively minor business matter, colleagues and friends of Mark Hummels, 43, as well as those who never knew him, are pondering what can…

Feb 13, 2013 2:53 PM CST

Dead suspect in shooting of mediation opponents was litigious, had anger issues, lawyer says

Updated: A man who authorities say committed suicide after shooting a corporate attorney and his client after a law firm mediation session Wednesday in Phoenix was reportedly litigious and had anger-management issues. Before shooting attorney Mark P. Hummels, 43, and client Steven Singer, 48, who both died, Arthur Douglas Harmon,…

Jan 31, 2013 8:06 PM CST

Fatal shooting after mediation leaves lawyer and client dead

Updated: A prominent Arizona attorney and his client were killed in a shooting after a Wednesday morning mediation session at another law firm in Phoenix. The suspected shooter, their pro se opponent in litigation over a $20,000 office furniture dispute, was also present at the mediation session at DeConcini McDonald…

Jan 31, 2013 2:29 PM CST

1 dead, lawyer seriously wounded in office shooting

One unidentified person is dead and others, including an attorney, were wounded Wednesday morning in a shooting at a Phoenix office building. Police have been seeking a suspect, Arthur Douglas Harmon, 70, who has not yet been apprehended, according to the Arizona Republic and KTAR. Mark Hummels, a partner at…

Jan 30, 2013 11:28 PM CST

When can workers be fired for Facebook posts and tweets?

Amy McClenathan apparently was having a bad day when she posted on Facebook, around the one-year anniversary of her mom’s death, that some days she wished she would be fired so she could just stay at home. The next day she got her wish; the title company for which she…

Jan 29, 2013 5:09 PM CST

Grand jury nixes criminal case against attorney in fatal shooting of another motorist

A grand jury has declined to file criminal charges against an Arizona attorney who admittedly shot another motorist to death in a drugstore parking lot in 2011 and called 911 from the scene. David Appleton, a Scottsdale practitioner, claimed self-defense, and a spokesman says the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office does…

Jan 24, 2013 8:15 PM CST

City worker says she was fired because hubby is a biker, seeks reinstatement

A lawyer for an employee for the city of Kingman, Ariz., says she was fired in violation of her constitutional right to freedom of association because her husband is a member of a biker club. Melissa Summerson is now seeking reinstatement through an administrative hearing process, with the help of…

Jan 14, 2013 5:40 PM CST

New Prosecutor in Arizona’s Pinal County Fires Nine Lawyers, Three Others

Some call it the “Pinal County Massacre.” Nine lawyers and three other employees working for the Pinal County Attorney’s office lost their jobs this week when Lando Voyles took over the top job there, the Arizona Republic reports. Voyles is defending the firings in a statement that refers to his…

Jan 4, 2013 5:20 PM CST

Detroit’s Dickinson Wright Merges with 60-Lawyer Arizona-Based Mariscal Weeks

A midsize Detroit-based law firm has merged with Arizona’s Mariscal Weeks McIntyre & Friedlander. With the addition of the 60 new lawyers, Dicksinson Wright now has 350 to 400 attorneys on its roster, according to Crain’s Detroit Business and MLive.com. The merger was announced in a Wednesday press release.

Jan 2, 2013 10:12 PM CST

Arizona Judge Ponders Jurisdiction in Divorce Case of Pregnant Man

An Arizona judge is considering whether he has jurisdiction to grant a divorce to a transgender male who married a woman and then gave birth to three children. Judge Douglas Gerlach of Maricopa County is considering the issue in the case of Thomas Beatie, the Arizona Republic reports. Beatie says…

Dec 13, 2012 2:54 PM CST

Arizona Supreme Court OKs Proposal to Allow 3Ls to Take Bar Exam

Arizona will allow third-year law students to take the bar exam in February under a three-year experimental program approved on Monday by the Arizona Supreme Court. The Supreme Court order (PDF) approved an amended rule paving the way for the pilot program. Arizona is now the only state that currently…

Dec 12, 2012 2:28 PM CST

Arizona Law Schools Back Proposal to Allow 3Ls to Take the Bar Exam

The Arizona Supreme Court is scheduled to consider a proposal Wednesday to allow third-year law students to take the bar exam before graduation. All three law schools in Arizona support the proposal, the National Law Journal reports. If the idea is approved, Arizona would become the only state to allow…

Dec 4, 2012 12:00 PM CST

Arizona Suit Challenges Driver’s License Restrictions For Immigrant Youths

A group of civil and immigrant rights organizations challenged an executive order by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Thursday which denies driver’s licenses to some youths who recently received immigration relief and work permits under the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The suit argues that the order is…

Nov 30, 2012 10:35 PM CST

Federal Judge: Goodyear, Lawyers Must Pay Plaintiff’s Legal Fees, Provide Sanctions Order to Others

Finding that a major corporation and two lawyers representing the company blatantly ignored or evaded their discovery obligations and comparing a hard-fought products liability action to the endless Jarndyce and Jarndyce case described in Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, a federal judge in Arizona has ordered Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.…

Nov 16, 2012 3:45 PM CST

Ariz. Sheriff Arpaio Re-Elected, Says He Wants to ‘Get Together with the Latino Community’

Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joseph Arpaio, known nationally for his strict enforcement of laws targeting illegal immigrants, was elected to his sixth term this week. CNN reported that when Arpaio addressed supporters Tuesday night, he said one of his missions this term is to meet with Latinos. “I would hope…

Nov 8, 2012 8:00 PM CST