COVID-19

BigLaw firm cancels holiday parties after gathering apparently leads to COVID-19 outbreak

Latham & Watkins will cancel "further indoor holiday parties" after multiple people tested positive for COVID-19 following a Dec. 2 party hosted by the law firm’s New York corporate department, according to a Latham spokesperson.

Dec 13, 2021 8:58 AM CST

Juries without COVID-19-conscious people may be more likely to convict, defense lawyers say

The COVID-19 pandemic may be changing the composition of juries because of the exclusion of people who fear contracting the virus, defense lawyers have told the Washington Post.

Dec 9, 2021 9:24 AM CST

Why haven’t I received my latest issue of the ABA Journal yet?

The December 2021-January 2022 print edition of the ABA Journal normally would have already started appearing in ABA members' mailboxes. Now, though, you shouldn't expect it to arrive for a couple of more weeks.

Dec 2, 2021 11:16 AM CST

State of the Profession 2021: BigLaw proved to be most resilient to COVID-19

Fears that COVID-19 would cause a prolonged financial blow to the legal industry did not come to fruition. Instead, many firms were able to quickly and effectively transition to remote working, which left them in position to assist with an array of COVID-19-related legal issues. But the industry’s successful transition to widespread remote working has not come without drawbacks.

Dec 1, 2021 12:00 AM CST

ABA observers will share their takeaways from the UN climate change conference in Glasgow

Next week, ABA members who attended and observed COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, will share their takeaways from the annual summit and ideas for how others can get involved.

Nov 24, 2021 8:59 AM CST

America’s fights over medical treatment choices didn’t start with COVID-19 and ivermectin

Like the legal profession, the practice of medicine in the United States is highly regulated. But it hasn't always been, and the idea that a person has the right to try the medical therapies of their choice has a much longer history. In Choose Your Medicine: Freedom of Therapeutic Choice in America, law professor Lewis A. Grossman introduces readers to a fractious history with some unexpected combatants—and comrades.

Nov 24, 2021 8:48 AM CST

Weekly Briefs: New charges against lawyer accused of staging his shooting; Christian florist settles

Suspended lawyer Alex Murdaugh faces new charges Suspended South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, previously charged in an alleged scheme to have himself killed for insurance money, is facing 27 new charges as the result of five indictments by a South Carolina state grand jury. The indictments allege that Murdaugh stole…

Nov 19, 2021 4:14 PM CST

NRA’s lawsuit claims over closed gun stores are moot, 2nd Circuit rules

A federal appeals court has ruled that the National Rifle Association can’t obtain an injunction or damages for its members in a lawsuit over the closing of New York gun stores during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nov 17, 2021 11:16 AM CST

6th Circuit picked to consider 34 challenges to vaccine mandate; these plaintiffs filed initial suits there

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Cincinnati was picked in a court lottery Tuesday to hear 34 consolidated challenges to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for larger employers.

Nov 17, 2021 9:47 AM CST

Are remote learning and burnout to blame for declining bar pass rates?

Bar exam pass rates dropped in July 2021, and some fear another decrease for 2022 graduates nationally because most candidates will have experienced at least half their legal education during the pandemic. Related problems mentioned by academics include getting used to online learning, isolation, anxiety and exhaustion.

Nov 16, 2021 3:37 PM CST

Do face coverings help or hinder defendants?

Before her fall from grace, Elizabeth Holmes’ ability to court and charm establishment luminaries fueled her meteoric rise as head of Silicon Valley blood-testing company Theranos. In her ongoing criminal fraud trial, she might be hoping she can work the same magic on jurors. But could wearing a mask weaken her defense and make her less likable in the eyes of the jury?

Nov 16, 2021 8:56 AM CST

Court lottery will determine which federal appeals court hears vaccine challenges

A lottery is expected to happen this week to determine which federal appeals court will hear legal challenges to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for larger employers.

Nov 15, 2021 2:05 PM CST

5th Circuit temporarily stays OSHA’s vaccine mandate for larger employers

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans on Saturday granted an emergency motion to stay the federal government’s vaccine mandate for larger employers pending expedited judicial review.

Nov 8, 2021 9:27 AM CST

Weekly Briefs: ‘Copyright troll’ lawyer is suspended; law grad who married Japanese princess fails bar

‘Copyright troll’ lawyer is suspended in NY A New York appeals court has suspended a lawyer once deemed a “copyright troll” because of the large number of copyright complaints that he filed on behalf of photographers. The Appellate Division’s Second Judicial Department of the New York Supreme Court suspended lawyer…

Nov 5, 2021 3:16 PM CDT

Supreme Court allows vaccine mandate for health workers that didn’t offer religious exemption

Maine’s vaccine mandate for health care workers, which doesn’t allow religious exemptions, is being enforced after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene Friday.

Nov 1, 2021 9:56 AM CDT