COVID-19

Afternoon Briefs: Senator airs suspicions of ‘fake’ Kavanaugh probe; prosecutors sue senior living chain

Senator wants to know whether FBI probe of Kavanaugh was ‘fake’ U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland should help facilitate Senate oversight into whether the FBI conducted a “politically constrained and perhaps fake FBI investigation” of then-U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, according to a senator’s letter. Democratic U.S.…

Mar 16, 2021 4:21 PM CDT

Who’s Zooming who in the lateral partner market?

During my firm’s annual review meeting to discuss a tumultuous 2020, luckily, my phone rang. It was a law firm partner curious about the state of the lateral partner market.

Mar 16, 2021 9:37 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: 5 Jones Day plaintiffs drop claims; no immunity for cop who shocked girl during seizure

Only 1 plaintiff remains in Jones Day pay-bias suit Five of six former associates suing Jones Day for gender bias have dropped their claims. The move follows a decision by all the plaintiffs in December to drop class action pay-bias claims in the suit. The five plaintiffs said in a…

Mar 12, 2021 2:56 PM CST

Upgrading technology can help lawyers comply with ethics rules

Lawyers seeking to comply with their ethical duties would be wise to upgrade a wide variety of technology services they utilize, attorney Megan Zavieh said during an ABA Techshow 2021 session Friday.

Mar 12, 2021 1:51 PM CST

Boies Schiller sees big drop in revenue after partner departures

Boies Schiller Flexner will likely drop out of the American Lawyer’s list of the nation’s top 100 grossing law firms after losing a third of its equity partners last year.

Mar 12, 2021 11:45 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Florida lawmaker says he’s ‘Christian, not an attorney;’ suit challenges hotel resort fees

Lawmaker says he’s ‘Christian, not an attorney’ A Florida lawmaker says he was just joking when he said told a Jewish colleague that he was a “Christian, not an attorney.” State Sen. Jeff Brandes made the comment when asked about the definition of gross negligence in his bill to limit…

Mar 11, 2021 4:50 PM CST

A COVID-19 year in review: Courts, juries and technology

Happy anniversary. It’s been about one year now since the world was introduced to the coronavirus pandemic. What else can we say? This is as good a time as any to reflect on the changes to the world, especially to the world of law.

Mar 10, 2021 12:33 PM CST

Interested in infectious disease litigation? Before you accept a case, read this

When Davis M. Walsh and Samuel L. Tarry began assembling Infectious Disease Litigation: Science, Law, and Procedure, they had no idea a pandemic was soon going to make the topic more relevant than ever.

Mar 10, 2021 12:10 PM CST

Prosecutor’s suspicion during assault defendant’s Zoom hearing leads to arrest

A Michigan man accused of assaulting his girlfriend ended up back in jail because of a prosecutor’s suspicions during his Zoom hearing. Coby James Harris, 21, was arrested during the hearing March 2.

Mar 10, 2021 9:53 AM CST

Legal tech CEOs urge lawyers to keep innovating beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

Lawyers should continue to embrace and further develop the technological and business innovations they have adopted in recent months even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, two prominent legal technology leaders said Tuesday at the ABA Techshow 2021.

Mar 9, 2021 5:55 PM CST

6th Circuit judges trade barbs over references to Marshall Project, Grateful Dead in compassionate release request

Appeals judges ruling on a federal prisoner’s compassionate release request agreed that it should be denied but disagreed over sourcing in a dispute played out in a concurring opinion and a footnote.

Mar 9, 2021 11:56 AM CST

Working at home when everyone is home could pose confidentiality risks

As lawyers work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, family members as well as virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa might hear confidential client conversations they shouldn’t, according to Pennsylvania lawyer Daniel J. Siegel, who for the past year has done much of his work at the kitchen table.

Mar 8, 2021 3:55 PM CST

Freelance for Law wins ABA Techshow 2021’s Startup Alley competition

An online platform that connects law firms with legal professionals who can handle a variety of tasks won the Startup Alley pitch competition at the ABA Techshow 2021 on Monday. The fifth annual event was the kickoff of the first all-virtual Techshow.

Mar 8, 2021 1:02 PM CST

More people are applying to law schools, and those with top LSAT scores are also increasing

Securing a spot at a top law school could become more difficult this year, as more people with high scores on the Law School Admission Test are submitting applications.

Mar 8, 2021 9:03 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Strip club not eligible for PPP loans, court says; lawyer pleads not guilty in bank embezzlement plot

2nd Circuit says gentlemen’s club not eligible for PPP loans The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New York has ruled that a Buffalo-area gentlemen’s club in New York is not eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program under an exclusion for businesses offering “live performances of a prurient sexual…

Mar 5, 2021 3:22 PM CST