Environmental Law

Afternoon Briefs: Derek Chauvin sentenced; judge won’t toss climate change suit

Chauvin sentenced for George Floyd’s death A Minnesota judge on Friday sentenced fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to 22.5 years years in prison for killing George Floyd with a knee to his neck. Judge Peter Cahill of Hennepin County, Minnesota, said he was basing the sentence in part on…

Jun 25, 2021 3:41 PM CDT

In closing brief, disbarred environmental lawyer claims his prosecution is ‘run by an oil company’

A closing brief filed on behalf of disbarred environmental lawyer Steven Donziger contends that the criminal contempt case against him “has all the trappings of a deeply troubled and conflicted prosecution run by an oil company.”

Jun 11, 2021 11:43 AM CDT

California often leads the way in passing environmental and consumer protection laws

A slew of measures passed in California in recent years in hopes of expanding consumer or environmental protections further afield. Whether it’s product ingredients or data privacy or pollution prevention, California is frequently where such laws start.

Jun 1, 2021 2:00 AM CDT

Could international animal rights laws prevent the next pandemic? Rajesh Reddy has a plan

“You can be vigilant in how you work to prevent zoonotic diseases and spillovers from different species, but that doesn’t help you if your neighbors aren’t following the same rules and protocols,” says Rajesh Reddy.

Jun 1, 2021 12:50 AM CDT

Lawyer statements in press release aren’t protected by judicial proceedings privilege, top Texas court rules

The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that lawyer statements about a client’s allegations made in a press release and social media aren’t protected by the judicial proceedings privilege or attorney immunity.

May 25, 2021 3:39 PM CDT

Check out these internet-famous animals whose agent is also a lawyer (gallery)

New York City-based lawyer Loni Edwards always she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. “My whole life, my goal was always to be a lawyer,” she recently told the ABA Journal. But she also had an entrepreneurial itch. “I wanted to do something more creative,” she…

May 10, 2021 10:30 AM CDT

Justice Barrett has aligned most often in argued cases with these 2 SCOTUS justices

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the U.S. Supreme Court’s newest justice, has aligned 100% of the time in argued cases with conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch, according to an analysis by CNN reporter Joan Biskupic.

May 6, 2021 12:00 PM CDT

What this senior counsel learned from ‘the solar-powered lawyer’

I sowed each seed in my garden with equal care and affection. I took great pains to ensure optimal growing conditions: watering them, providing the prescribed fertilizer and periodically extracting weeds.

May 6, 2021 11:12 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: DA wants to vacate 90 drug convictions; BigLaw firm targeted by law student climate group

90 convictions could be vacated after detective is charged Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in New York says his office has lost confidence in 27 felony and 63 misdemeanor convictions in which an essential witness was a detective who’s now facing perjury charges. Gonzalez’s Conviction Review Unit is asking a…

Apr 7, 2021 4:35 PM CDT

New York City can’t use tort law to sue oil companies over climate change, 2nd Circuit says

Federal law gives the Environmental Protection Agency, not federal courts, the authority to regulate greenhouse emissions in the United States, a federal appeals court ruled as it tossed a climate change lawsuit Thursday.

Apr 2, 2021 9:34 AM CDT

This NYC-based lawyer runs a talent agency for internet-famous animals

Loni Edwards is the founder and CEO of the Dog Agency, a talent management company that connects animal-focused social media accounts with commercial opportunities. Among her most influential clients: Tika the Iggy, Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund, Harlow and Sage, and Toby Toad.

Apr 1, 2021 2:20 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Georgia voting restrictions challenged; judge charged with terroristic threats

News Roundup

Mar 30, 2021 4:04 PM CDT

Law firms have opportunity to join growing cannabis movement

While many practices have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, cannabis law is among the few that have actually prospered, Amanda Ostrowitz said during a Wednesday afternoon event at the ABA Techshow 2021.

Mar 10, 2021 4:24 PM 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

In first merits opinion by Barrett, SCOTUS rules against environmental group seeking draft rule-making document

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 Thursday that draft rule-making documents were protected from disclosure under a Freedom of Information Act request by the Sierra Club.

Mar 4, 2021 11:10 AM CST