LegalZoom Sues Rocket Lawyer over Its Use of the Word ‘Free’

Online legal document company LegalZoom has filed a suit that claims competitor Rocket Lawyer is misusing the word “free” in its advertising and marketing materials. The suit claims Rocket Lawyer promotes some of its services as “free” despite the possibility of a filing fee or the need for a paid…

Nov 29, 2012 1:13 PM CST

Consumer Fraud Suit Targets Disbarred Lawyer Running Conversion Therapy Group

A suit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of four gay men and two of their mothers claims a conversion therapy center co-founded by a disbarred lawyer violates New Jersey’s consumer fraud law. The center, called Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, or Jonah, promises to help…

Nov 29, 2012 12:15 PM CST

2nd Circuit Upholds New York’s Concealed Carry Law and Its ‘Proper Cause’ Requirement

A federal appeals court has upheld a New York gun law that requires residents seeking a concealed carry permit to show “proper cause.” The New York City-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found no Second Amendment violation, the New York Law Journal and the Wall Street Journal Law Blog…

Nov 28, 2012 5:12 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

Occupy Offshoot Buys Up Debt with Aim of Forgiveness

An offshoot of Occupy Wall Street is trying to improve the financial picture of some Americans by buying up debt for pennies on the dollar, with no intent to collect. The group is called Strike Debt, the New York Times reports. It has already raised $129,000 in online donations and…

Nov 15, 2012 11:29 AM CST

SCOTUS Bars ‘Mix and Match’ Sovereign Immunity in Suit Claiming US Violated Identity Theft Law

A Chicago lawyer lost a round in the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in his suit alleging the federal government violated a law designed to prevent identity theft. Lawyer James Bormes had claimed the government violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act when he paid a federal court filing fee and…

Nov 13, 2012 7:23 PM CST

Judge Dismisses Alumni Lawsuits Against Two Chicago Law Schools

A judge has dismissed class-action lawsuits against two Chicago law schools by graduates who alleged that they were tricked into attending by the schools’ misleading post-graduation job prospects. Cook County, Ill., Circuit Judge Mary Mikva, in a pair of rulings Friday, threw out the alumni suits against John Marshall Law…

Nov 12, 2012 9:02 PM CST

Lawyer Sues Con Ed on Behalf of Neighborhood Over Storm Troubles

After 10 days without power in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a lawyer with a Manhattan law practice is suing his power company on behalf of his Tarrytown neighborhood. Richard Hershman is accusing Con Edison of negligence both before and after the storm, Newsday reports. Hershman decided to file suit…

Nov 8, 2012 5:15 PM CST

Gasoline in NYC Area Hits $8 a Gallon on Craigslist; Officials Investigate

In the wake of fuel shortages related to Hurricane Sandy, some enterprising individuals are reportedly offering gasoline at $8 per gallon on Craigslist. But is that legal? The jury apparently is still out on that question in New York, where a spokeswoman for the office of Attorney General Eric T.…

Nov 6, 2012 6:36 PM CST

‘Fugitive’ Texas PI Lawyer Jailed on Bench Warrant in NM Civil Consumer Case; Bail Set at $1M Cash

A Texas personal injury lawyer was arrested Tuesday in El Paso and was being held without bail for potential extradition after police there learned a bench warrant had been issued by a New Mexico judge in a civil case brought against Michael J. Gopin by the state attorney general. Gopin…

Nov 2, 2012 6:17 PM CDT

A Touch of Class: Certification, Says One Brief, ‘Is the Ballgame’

Nov 1, 2012 8:19 AM CDT

Woman Sues Apple Over Smart Devices, Says She Never Agreed to Have Location Data Tracked and Stored

In a legal case that could become a class action, a Canadian woman has sued Apple Inc., contending that she and her son did not consent, when they purchased or were given an iPhone and iPod, to have their location data tracked and stored. Anyone with “moderate computer knowledge” could…

Oct 31, 2012 7:11 PM CDT

DOJ Alleges B of A, Countrywide Defrauded Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Seeks $1 Billion in Damages

The Justice Department announced Wednesday a mortgage fraud lawsuit filed against Bank of America, alleging that the corporation engaged in a scheme to defraud federal loan programs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. According to a press release from Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York,…

Oct 24, 2012 5:25 PM CDT

Debt Collection Lawyers Among Those Who Will Be Scrutinized by Consumer Financial Agency

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued its final rule for oversight of debt collectors—and lawyers didn’t get an exemption. The rule allows the CFPB to send field examiners to law offices of debt collection attorneys to review procedures and compliance, the National Law Journal reports. Any firm with more…

Oct 24, 2012 1:14 PM CDT

Lap Dancing Is Taxable, Says NY Court of Appeals

Lap dancing does not promote culture, and is taxable, the New York Court of Appeals found Tuesday in a 4-3 ruling (PDF). Nite Moves, the suburban Albany establishment that challenged the state tax law, owes the state $400,000 in back taxes. According to the Associated Press, private, 3-minute lap dances…

Oct 23, 2012 4:30 PM CDT