Government

Moms for Liberty wins constitutional challenge to school board’s comments policy

A federal appeals court has ruled for Moms for Liberty, a conservative parental rights group, in its challenge to a Florida school board policy that allows the presiding officer to interrupt meeting comments that are “personally directed,” “abusive” or “obscene.”

Oct 10, 2024 1:09 PM CDT

In ethics hearing, Montana attorney general defends ‘sharp’ words, refusal to obey court order

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen denied that his office was disrespectful, intemperate and contemptuous in questioning during an ethics hearing Wednesday.

Oct 10, 2024 11:12 AM CDT

Members can advance democracy, equity and justice during ABA Giving Day

Now in its fifth year, ABA Giving Day offers members the opportunity to support nearly 50 different programs that provide pro bono representation to those in need, fight for systemic change in the justice system and drive innovation in legal services.

Oct 10, 2024 9:56 AM CDT

Judge, aka ‘Sal Tortorella’ on TikTok, gets unpaid suspension for lip-syncing videos

A judge in Bergen County, New Jersey, initially thought that posting videos of himself lip-syncing songs on TikTok “seemed like silly, harmless and innocent fun.”

Oct 10, 2024 8:41 AM CDT

ABA changes description of Judicial Clerkship Program after conservative group sees ‘quotas’

The ABA updated the description of its Judicial Clerkship Program after a conservative group alleged that the language indicated that the association used racial “quotas” in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Annaliese Fleming, the ABA senior associate executive director and general counsel, said in…

Oct 9, 2024 2:00 PM CDT

Hurricane Help: Lawyers mobilize to support communities hit by storms

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26, and it cut a path of destruction across the southeastern United States. Just two weeks later, Hurricane Milton is prompting mass evacuations in Florida and could strike the state as a Category 4 or even 5 storm on Wednesday night. Members of the ABA have begun mobilizing to assist survivors.

Oct 9, 2024 9:00 AM CDT

SCOTUS immunity decision may have protected crimes in Nixon White House, 9th Circuit judge says

White House “plumbers” who broke into the office of the psychiatrist treating the man who leaked the Pentagon Papers may have had immunity for their crimes if the U.S. Supreme Court’s July immunity decision had governed the cases, according to an op-ed by a federal appeals judge.

Oct 8, 2024 3:54 PM CDT

FBI probe of Kavanaugh was constrained by Trump White House, report finds

In September 2018, as allegations of sexual misconduct against Brett M. Kavanaugh threatened his confirmation to the Supreme Court, President Donald Trump vowed that the FBI would have “free rein” to vet the claims. But the White House never authorized the agency to independently probe the sexual misconduct allegations, which Kavanaugh staunchly denied.

Oct 8, 2024 12:34 PM CDT

Supreme Court declines to intervene in Texas emergency abortion case

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to require doctors in Texas to perform certain emergency abortions when the procedure would conflict with the state’s strict abortion ban.

Oct 8, 2024 11:45 AM CDT

Supreme Court is ‘dour and diligent’ as it debates ‘potential sleeper case;’ are arguments ‘abusive’?

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday appeared “dour and diligent” as it considered exhaustion requirements in lawsuits for constitutional violations, according to an article in the New York Times.

Oct 8, 2024 10:34 AM CDT

Biden student loan forgiveness may proceed, federal judge says

A federal judge will allow a temporary restraining order that prevented President Joe Biden from discharging student loan debt for more than 25 million Americans to expire Thursday, clearing the way for the administration to move forward with the plan.

Oct 3, 2024 1:40 PM CDT

Changes to ABA accreditation standard addressing race and diversity meet pushback

Contentious proposed changes to the ABA’s diversity and inclusion standard go too far and could reverse progress made toward making law schools diverse, according to several legal education groups that wrote to the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Oct 3, 2024 1:29 PM CDT

5 takeaways from the big new filing on Trump’s 2020 election plot

We now have the most extensive new detail in years about former President Donald Trump’s plot to overturn the 2020 election, in the form of a much-anticipated filing from special counsel Jack Smith. It features some significant revelations and quotes that could be important not just for the legal battle, but for the 2024 election.

Oct 3, 2024 1:15 PM CDT

Well-known fathers’ rights lawyer suspended over unreasonable fees; lawyer staffing cited

Updated: A well-known fathers’ rights lawyer has been suspended for charging unreasonable fees of more than $443,000 in eight cases, some involving no more than three months of work.

Oct 3, 2024 11:58 AM CDT

FTC can proceed with its antitrust claims against Amazon, judge rules

A federal judge has ruled that the Federal Trade Commission can proceed with its case that Amazon operates as an illegal monopoly, handing agency chair Lina Khan a preliminary win in her legal campaign to rein in the power of Big Tech companies.

Oct 2, 2024 12:35 PM CDT