Florida

Florida Supreme Court’s order blocking diversity quotas for CLE instructors could impact ABA programs

The Florida Supreme Court’s recent decision to prohibit diversity quotas for continuing legal education programs may reverberate beyond the borders of the Sunshine State.

Apr 19, 2021 12:21 PM CDT

Florida man sentenced to federal prison after posing as immigration attorney

A Florida man who posed as an immigration attorney has been sentenced to 20 years and nine months in federal prison.

Apr 16, 2021 9:48 AM CDT

Judge slashes fee request to about $3K for lawyer who filed suit for client after his firing

A federal judge in New York City has informed a Florida lawyer that he should consider himself lucky to get about $3,000 out of about $22,000 in requested fees and expenses after filing suit for a client who had fired him.

Apr 15, 2021 12:46 PM CDT

Alabama judge is suspended from bench after she is accused of anti-death penalty predilection

A judge in Birmingham, Alabama, has been suspended with pay after the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission alleged that she showed an apparent predisposition against the death penalty, ignored appellate directives, and showed a lack of appropriate demeanor to prosecutors.

Apr 13, 2021 11:47 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Supreme Court rules for religion; Ramsey Clark dies at 93

SCOTUS blocks restrictions on religious meetings at homes during pandemic The U.S. Supreme Court blocked California’s restrictions on religious meetings at homes during the COVID-19 crisis in a 5-4 vote Friday night. The state limits gatherings in homes to three households, including religious gatherings. The high court’s per curiam majority…

Apr 12, 2021 4:10 PM CDT

Federal judge killed in hit-and-run incident; police say driver was disoriented, aggressive

U.S. District Judge Sandra Feuerstein of the Eastern District of New York was struck and killed in Boca Raton, Florida, on Friday when a car drove onto the sidewalk where Feuerstein was walking.

Apr 12, 2021 12:09 PM CDT

Former death row inmate thanks God and his lawyers for his release after 30-plus years in prison

A former death row inmate in Florida told reporters Thursday that he thanked God and his legal team for his release from prison.

Apr 9, 2021 12:43 PM 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

Suit alleges BigLaw firm used LexisNexis product to inflate bills for flat-fee legal research

A corporate litigant disputing the legal bill charged by Squire Patton Boggs has filed a third-party complaint alleging that LexisNexis helped the law firm inflate its fees.

Apr 1, 2021 1:10 PM CDT

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

Ex-Boies Schiller lawyer was ousted from new firm in ‘deplorable scheme’ to keep cryptocurrency fees, suit says

The former Boies Schiller Flexner partner sued for refusing to leave his new law firm is claiming that his ouster was a pretextual money grab in his own lawsuit filed Tuesday in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Mar 10, 2021 11:53 AM CST

Florida lawyer faces ethics complaint over pit bull ads

Florida lawyer Robert Laurence Pelletier is facing an ethics complaint by the Florida Bar for describing himself as a pit bull lawyer and using an online image of a pit bull.

Mar 9, 2021 9:06 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: BigLaw firm offers gifts on top of bonuses; second state adopts consumer privacy law

Associates at this BigLaw firm get pricey gifts Associates at Davis Polk & Wardwell are getting a choice of gifts as a thanks for their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gift choices include an outdoor adventure excursion for two, a $1,000 Marriott gift card along with a Tumi suitcase,…

Mar 4, 2021 4:30 PM CST

Ex-prosecutor is accused of soliciting bribes from defense lawyers, defrauding man who had Coca-Cola stock

A federal indictment accuses a former Florida prosecutor of soliciting bribes for favorable case dispositions and defrauding an elderly man after obtaining guardianship.

Mar 1, 2021 12:10 PM CST

Public defender with Patreon for FOIA lawsuits shares her thoughts on lawyers and social media

Lawyer Beth Bourdon is willing to go places where other attorneys may be hesitant, including this summer when she joined Parler—to see how long she could post potentially offensive materials without getting kicked off the conservative social media site.

Feb 22, 2021 8:33 AM CST