Civil Procedure

Judge orders Trump to pay more than $350 million in N.Y. civil fraud trial

New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Friday ordered former President Donald Trump to pay more than $350 million in penalties, handing down a hefty penalty following a monthslong civil trial in which Trump and others were accused of financial fraud by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Feb 16, 2024 3:26 PM CST

ABA asks federal judiciary to drop term ‘court-appointed master,’ citing negative connotations

The ABA is asking the federal judiciary to drop the term “court-appointed master” from the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure because it is “a very poor term and a very poor description.”

Feb 14, 2024 12:10 PM CST

Why should you resolve to support civil legal aid in 2024?

Legal Aid

Feb 1, 2024 9:29 AM CST

Ex-NRA CEO didn’t consult GCs office about key legal decisions, general counsel testifies

Updated: Former National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre didn’t consult his general counsel before the group sued its advertising agency and sought bankruptcy protection, two legal filings that didn’t end well for the NRA, according to testimony Tuesday.

Jan 31, 2024 12:31 PM CST

How will generative AI affect digital investigations and e-discovery?

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Chantelle Jalland, a London-based managing director for digital investigations and discovery with J.S. Held, a global consulting company.

Jan 26, 2024 8:52 AM CST

Were fired pro-union workers at Starbucks entitled to reinstatement? SCOTUS considers proper standard

A case of seven fired Starbucks workers has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed Friday to decide what kind of standard that courts should use when deciding a request for reinstatement by the National Labor Relations Board.

Jan 16, 2024 11:13 AM CST

Northwestern law prof’s $5K charitable donation isn’t substitute for attorney fees sanction, federal judge says

A law professor’s $5,000 charitable donation can’t take the place of attorney fees that he was ordered to pay for wrongly seeking to remove a probate motion to federal court, a federal judge in Colorado ruled Monday.

Jan 11, 2024 2:29 PM CST

Civil fraud trial seeking independent monitor for NRA begins after CEO’s resignation, official’s $100K settlement

The civil fraud trial against the National Rifle Association and senior management was scheduled to begin in New York City on Monday, just days after NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre announced his resignation and another official reached a $100,000 settlement.

Jan 8, 2024 3:32 PM CST

Fake citations in legal brief were generated by Google Bard AI program, says ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen

Former lawyer Michael Cohen has informed a federal judge that the nonexistent cases cited in a legal brief were generated by Google Bard, an artificial intelligence program.

Jan 2, 2024 10:08 AM CST

9th Circuit reinstates suit by now-grown-up Nirvana album-cover baby

A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit filed by a man who claimed that he was a victim of child pornography because he appeared naked on Nirvana’s 1991 grunge album cover Nevermind when he was a baby.

Dec 22, 2023 11:37 AM CST

Response to fake-citations query implicates attorney-client privilege, Michael Cohen’s lawyer says

A federal judge who threatened to impose sanctions against former lawyer Michael Cohen’s attorney for apparently citing fake cases has agreed that the lawyer can file his response under seal—at least for now.

Dec 19, 2023 3:05 PM CST

Judge’s apparent dissolution of some Trump companies in civil fraud trial may not stick, experts say

A New York judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial is expected to issue a decision as early as next month on any additional punishment following closing arguments in the case.

Dec 18, 2023 8:34 AM CST

New York appeals court refuses to act in Trump’s challenge to gag orders in civil fraud trial

A New York appeals court has rejected former President Donald Trump’s bid to overturn gag orders and fines for violations imposed in his civil fraud trial.

Dec 15, 2023 12:02 PM CST

Lawyer for Michael Cohen apparently cited nonexistent cases, judge says; new counsel pointed out problem

A lawyer representing former lawyer Michael Cohen in a bid to end supervised release, David M. Schwartz, is facing possible sanctions following an unusual footnote by a new counsel who joined the case.

Dec 13, 2023 3:21 PM CST

‘Nuclear verdicts’ and ‘litigation tourism’ are partly why these state courts are top ‘judicial hellholes,’ report says

Courts in Georgia and Pennsylvania are named as top "judicial hellholes" for their friendliness to tort plaintiffs in a report by the American Tort Reform Foundation.

Dec 8, 2023 2:13 PM CST