Miss. Regulators Impose Record $945K Fine on Calif. Telemarketer, But Will State Be Able to Collect?

Utility regulators in Mississippi have imposed a record $945,000 fine on a California telemarketer for violating state law about contacting those on the “do not call” list. The fine, which is by far the largest ever imposed by the Mississippi Public Service Commission, represents a maximum $5,000 penalty for each…

May 9, 2012 4:26 PM CDT

Former ABA President Zack to Lead Access to Justice Group; ‘Justice Index’ Among Its Projects

Immediate-past ABA President Stephen N. Zack will continue to promote access to justice as the new chairman of a national advocacy group. Zack has been named chairman of the National Center for Access to Justice, a nonpartisan advocacy group based at Cardozo Law School in New York City, according to…

May 7, 2012 3:26 PM CDT

Minn. AG: In-Hospital Collection Efforts Could Violate Federal Emergency Treatment Law

Aggressive efforts by admission personnel at a chain of Minnesota medical centers to collect money from patients before they are treated could violate federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency treatment even if patients aren’t insured, the state attorney general said in a report released today. In addition to claimed…

Apr 24, 2012 9:24 PM CDT

ABA Asks Consumer Watchdog Agency to Withdraw Proposed Rule on Privileged Information

The ABA is expressing concern that a proposed rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could weaken, rather than safeguard, protections for attorney-client privilege and work product. The ABA says the proposed rule should be withdrawn until legislation is passed to provide explicit protection for privileged bank materials shared with…

Apr 20, 2012 10:59 AM CDT

$65K Award in Dog’s Demise May Be Largest Ever in Colo. for Death of Pet

An award of over $65,000 to a Denver woman whose pet dog, Ruthie, was let out of her home by a cleaning service last year and got hit by a car, may be the largest verdict ever in Colorado for the death of a pet. Plaintiff Robin Lohre said she…

Apr 19, 2012 7:35 PM CDT

US Sentencing Commission Proposes New Guidelines, Many in Response to Dodd-Frank

The U.S. Sentencing Commission has proposed several new amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines. The proposed amendments, promulgated Friday, cover securities fraud, mortgage fraud, human rights offenses, drug offenses, contraband cellphones in prison, cigarette offenses, trafficking in fake Indian goods and animal crush videos. The commission must submit its proposed…

Apr 16, 2012 9:31 PM CDT

Tenn. Law Firm and 3 Partners Ordered to Pay Consumers $670K in Claimed Health Insurance Scam

A Tennessee law firm has been held in contempt of court and ordered, along with three of its current or former partners and another individual, to repay $670,000 that two client companies are accused of taking from consumers in a health insurance scam that allegedly left policyholders with unpaid medical…

Apr 6, 2012 8:57 PM CDT

A Smokin’ Body: Cancer Images Are Lighting up a First Amendment Blaze

Apr 1, 2012 8:50 AM CDT

ABA President Opposes Congressional Committee Plan to ‘Eliminate’ Legal Services Corp. Budget

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Republican Study Committee’s plan to “eliminate the Legal Services Corporation” in the nation’s fiscal year 2013 budget is “remarkably shortsighted,” says ABA President William T. (Bill) Robinson III in a written statement on Wednesday, citing help that the LSC provides annually in nearly 1 million…

Mar 28, 2012 10:10 PM CDT

Closing NY Foreclosure Firm Agrees to Pay $4M in Pact with State AG Regarding Paperwork Shortcuts

A New York mortgage foreclosure firm that is winding up its operations has agreed to pay $4 million to the state attorney general to settle claims that it took shortcuts with court paperwork. Half of the money to be paid by the Steven J. Baum law firm will go to…

Mar 22, 2012 7:21 PM CDT

Fake Law Firm Seeks Cash from Those Who May Have Violated Copyright Law by Using Megaupload

After a raid by the feds that shut down Megaupload, enterprising criminals are reportedly trying to make a profit from those who may have used the file-sharing site to obtain copyrighted material without permission. A nonexistent German law firm, Dr. Kroner & Kollegan, has been contacting former users to offer…

Mar 21, 2012 10:38 PM CDT

Judge Nixes $225M Suit By College Grads Claiming They Were Misled By NY Law School Job Stats

A state court judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought by nine New York Law School graduates against their alma mater. Although the plaintiffs contend they were somehow misled by published NYLS employment data into believing that their post-graduation job prospects were better than they are, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice…

Mar 21, 2012 8:28 PM CDT

ABA Legal Ed Section’s Council Advances Law School Disclosure Requirements

The governing council of the ABA’s law school accrediting arm has given preliminary approval to a new accreditation standard that would greatly expand the amount of consumer information law schools must publicly disclose to prospective students. The proposed new standard was approved Saturday for notice and comment by the Council…

Mar 20, 2012 9:53 PM CDT

Car Dealerships Agree to Settle FTC Complaints over Ads Promising Trade-In Payoffs

Five car dealerships in four states have agreed to pull trade-in ads to settle administrative complaints by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC had claimed the ads deceived consumers into believing they would no longer have to pay the loan balance on their trade-ins, according to a press release. In…

Mar 16, 2012 10:30 AM CDT

Fed’l Class Action Says Social Network, Game Apps Take Smartphone Contact Info Without User OK

Apps for popular social networking sites and games including Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and possibly Angry Birds are accessing confidential personal address book data without user permission, contends a federal suit filed in Austin, Texas, this week. The suit, which was filed in federal district court in Travis County, seeks an…

Mar 15, 2012 7:01 PM CDT