Family Law

Use of ChatGPT to support fee bid is ‘utterly and unusually unpersuasive,’ federal judge says

A federal judge in New York City has reduced a law firm’s fee request by about half after criticizing its use of the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT-4 as a “cross-check” to determine prevailing market rates for attorneys.

Feb 27, 2024 8:20 AM CST

Leaving kids home alone wasn’t endangerment, state supreme court says; ‘no parent can shield a child from all risks’

A mother didn’t commit the crime of child endangerment when she left five children ages 5 to 12 home alone while she shopped for groceries at Walmart, the Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in a unanimous opinion.

Feb 22, 2024 3:22 PM CST

Frozen embryos are children, Ala. high court says in unprecedented ruling

The Alabama Supreme Court ruled Friday that frozen embryos are people and someone can be held liable for destroying them, a decision that reproductive rights advocates say could imperil in vitro fertilization (IVF) and affect the hundreds of thousands of patients who depend on treatments like it each year.

Feb 20, 2024 9:00 AM CST

Woman who says she found her father on 23andMe sues after learning of wrongful death settlement

A 26-year-old woman who said she confirmed the identity of her late father through 23andMe has filed a lawsuit after learning that she was left out of a wrongful death settlement reached between other family members and the hospital blamed for his death.

Feb 13, 2024 10:53 AM CST

Texas lawyer’s sentence for spiking wife’s drinks with abortion drug was ‘profound injustice,’ she says

The wife of a Texas lawyer accused of spiking her drinks with an abortion drug isn’t satisfied with the sentence that he received last week following his guilty plea.

Feb 13, 2024 8:37 AM CST

Federal judge refuses to order reinstatement of 96-year-old federal appeals judge, her second loss in a week

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has refused to order reinstatement to new case assignments for a 96-year-old federal appeals judge who claims that the laws governing judicial disability are unconstitutional.

Feb 12, 2024 3:56 PM CST

Ex-Greenberg Traurig partner’s defamation suit against blogger is ‘replete with unnecessary commentary,’ judge says

A social media influencer has won dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed by a former Greenberg Traurig partner over the posting of marital videos said to depict the lawyer as an abusive spouse and father.

Feb 12, 2024 10:48 AM CST

Am I losing my mind? How to maintain cognitive abilities as senior lawyers age

Ever have that thought? “I must be losing my mind because I can’t remember where I parked my car or set my iPhone, your name—although I recognize your face—an address, a birthday, a password, a set of numbers, what I was looking for, etc.” Many aging lawyers have—including me.

Feb 8, 2024 2:46 PM CST

Federal appeals judge, 96, fails to overturn suspension order for refusing to cooperate in fitness probe

A 96-year-old federal appeals judge who refused to cooperate with medical testing to determine her mental fitness for the bench has failed to persuade a reviewing body that she is entitled to resume deciding new cases.

Feb 7, 2024 3:32 PM CST

Protect trans and gender nonconforming students from forced outing, ABA House urges

The ABA House of Delegates on Monday passed a resolution aimed at protecting transgender and gender nonconforming students from forced outing policies.

Feb 5, 2024 4:59 PM CST

Amber Alert system is not working for missing Native Americans, but there may be fixes

At the ABA Midyear Meeting, the House of Delegates acknowledged the disproportionate risks of abduction and violence experienced by members of Alaska Native and Native American communities.

Feb 5, 2024 1:40 PM CST

Extra protections are needed for youths navigating immigration system, ABA House says

The federal government should better protect immigrant youths, and particularly immigrant youths of color, through the yearslong adjudication of their Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petition and adjustment of their status application to lawful permanent residence, the ABA House of Delegates said.

Feb 5, 2024 11:00 AM CST

Family Limbo: Movement to repeal a Clinton-era law sparks debate about foster care and adoption

The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 sits at the center of a debate among legal scholars, attorneys and activists: Is this law in the best interest of children, or is it unjust and unconstitutional?

Feb 1, 2024 3:00 AM CST

After bringing criminal charges again Netflix, DA winds up with federal court bad-faith finding

Cuties, a 2020 Netflix film, tells the story of an 11-year old Senegalese girl in France who comes from a devout Muslim family navigating the sometimes provocative culture of modern dance while having a devout Muslim family. Directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, a French filmmaker who like the main character, Amy,…

Jan 31, 2024 9:30 AM CST

Client escapes sanction for lawyer’s refusal to appear on camera in Zoom deposition

A client won’t have to pay a sanction of nearly $10,000 for his lawyer’s refusal to appear on camera during a remote deposition, a California appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Jan 25, 2024 12:01 PM CST