COVID-19

Emergency petition asks Supreme Court to allow medication abortions in Texas

Abortion providers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow medication abortions in Texas through 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Apr 13, 2020 12:19 PM CDT

SCOTUS will hear arguments by telephone conference in several cases because of COVID-19

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it will have oral arguments by telephone conference in May for several cases because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Apr 13, 2020 10:54 AM CDT

ABA and Law Library of Congress plan virtual Law Day celebration

To celebrate Law Day 2020, the ABA and Law Library of Congress plan to host a virtual panel discussion on April 30 that focuses on how the women’s suffrage movement and ratification of the 19th Amendment changed the United States.

Apr 13, 2020 10:22 AM CDT

Kansas Supreme Court upholds order limiting church services to 10 people or less

On Saturday, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s order limiting church services to 10 people or less.

Apr 13, 2020 10:05 AM CDT

Federal judge orders COVID-19 safety measures for Chicago-area inmates; a second detainee dies

A federal judge in Chicago has ordered the sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, to take measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the county jail, where there is a high rate of infections that led to two inmate deaths.

Apr 13, 2020 9:25 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Female topless ban upheld; is requiring stamp on mail-in ballot a poll tax?

Judge upholds beach town’s female topless ban U.S. District Judge James Bredar has upheld a ban in Ocean City, Maryland, on women exposing their breasts in public. Bredar, an appointee of President Barack Obama, found no equal-protection violation. “Whether or not society should differentiate between male and female breasts is…

Apr 9, 2020 4:48 PM CDT

Boston law school leads initiative to develop mobile court forms during pandemic crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited access to courts across the country, including in Massachusetts.

Apr 9, 2020 3:40 PM CDT

Lawyers and Atlanta Opera team up to create covers for N95 masks for local hospital

“We put together this team of attorneys from Carlton Fields and Troutman Sanders to start looking at how we could protect the opera and allow us to mobilize to get as many of these masks produced as possible,” said Micah Forston, managing director of the Atlanta Opera.

Apr 9, 2020 3:17 PM CDT

Public defenders in this state are told to slash budgets as traffic-ticket funding plummets

Public defenders in Louisiana face uncertainty over the future of their jobs as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts a big source of their funding: traffic tickets.

Apr 9, 2020 2:53 PM CDT

Pay cuts and furloughs continue as more firms trim costs to address COVID-19

Several major law firms announced pay cuts and some furloughs this week, joining at least nine midsize and large firms that took those steps last week.

Apr 9, 2020 1:02 PM CDT

Netflix’s ‘100 Humans’ ponders the question: Can good looks keep you out of jail?

In response to COVID-19, Oklahoma shut done all nonessential business like many other states in the nation. Our governor declared legal services essential, but I don’t always feel that way. Perhaps it’s because the office is barren since the staff is at home. Maybe it’s more to do with the…

Apr 9, 2020 10:41 AM CDT

Cops charge people for coughing on grocery store shelves, police officers during pandemic

People accused of intentionally coughing on grocery store shelves and police officers are facing criminal charges, as is one man accused of licking grocery containers.

Apr 9, 2020 9:34 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge is accused of using staff for errands; summer associates will be paid for no work

Judge is accused of using staff to run personal errands Ethics charges filed Friday accuse an Atlanta municipal court judge of using court staffers to run personal errands and regularly threatening to fire employees for minor issues. The judge, JaDawnya Baker, is also accused of improperly dismissing cases, interfering with…

Apr 8, 2020 4:43 PM CDT

Legal community has mixed reactions to ABA resolution on limited law practice for recent grads

As law students worry about what the coronavirus pandemic will mean for their careers, some lawyers say those concerns should be eased by a Tuesday ABA resolution urging states to adopt emergency rules authorizing supervised limited practice for recent graduates, along with a bar pass requirement of no later than December 2021.

Apr 8, 2020 3:57 PM CDT

Some corporate lawyers see pay cuts as coronavirus impacts bottom lines

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting corporate earnings and the compensation of top corporate executives—including some general counsels.

Apr 8, 2020 3:35 PM CDT