Health Law

Skadden is latest firm to announce layoffs; experts say more law firms will follow

As several law firms announced layoffs this week, consultants warned of more bloodletting ahead. One consultant spoke of overcapacity among nonequity partners. Others said staff members are at risk as lawyers working at home are becoming more self-sufficient.

Sep 3, 2020 1:37 PM CDT

Surveyed midlevel associates discuss snacks, decor, boring work and burnout

Midlevel associates waxed philosophical, critiqued office food and decor, and discussed burnout in verbatim comments collected in an American Lawyer survey.

Sep 3, 2020 1:03 PM CDT

‘Talk less, smile more’: The Hamilton-Burr conundrum law students face today

Law students, like Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, are facing questions of whether to stay silent or speak up about societal issues such as social justice in this country, their interests and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 3, 2020 12:25 PM CDT

SCLAID celebrates centennial by recognizing 2 young lawyers’ work to promote access to justice

The ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense is celebrating its 100th anniversary by also celebrating the contributions two young lawyers have made to advance access to justice in their communities.

Sep 3, 2020 9:25 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Justice Ginsburg officiates wedding; more women and minorities join GC ranks

Justice Ginsburg officiates wedding U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiated at an outdoor wedding Sunday, about a month and a half after revealing that she was receiving chemotherapy for liver cancer. The bride tweeted a photo showing Ginsburg at a lectern in her judicial robe, without a mask.…

Sep 2, 2020 4:27 PM CDT

Why did the average scaled score for the July multistate bar exam improve?

Despite many concerns about taking a bar exam during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the crisis might have actually led to people doing better on the test.

Sep 2, 2020 3:51 PM CDT

Insurers rack up early wins in lawsuits over COVID-19 ‘business interruption’ coverage

Court decisions on "business interruption" coverage are so far favoring insurers as they fight claims for lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 2, 2020 1:11 PM CDT

Chemerinsky: Will SCOTUS rulings help decide the 2020 presidential election?

There now have been six instances in which the U.S. Supreme Court has dealt with issues concerning COVID-19 and the election process. The court repeatedly has made clear that it does not want the federal courts changing the rules of an election, even when necessary to protect the right to vote in a pandemic.

Sep 2, 2020 10:18 AM CDT

Layoffs hit furloughed staffers at 2 BigLaw firms, lawyers and staffers at another

Updated: Layoffs are hitting workers at Baker McKenzie, Davis Wright Tremaine and Venable.

Sep 2, 2020 9:33 AM CDT

State bar takes ‘medieval approach to mental health,’ says Trump-appointed judge

A federal judge has chastised the Kentucky “Bar Bureaucracy” for its treatment of a bar applicant diagnosed with bipolar disorder, even as he tossed her lawsuit alleging violations of disability law and the equal protection clause.

Sep 1, 2020 2:36 PM CDT

A flood of age discrimination lawsuits is expected from COVID-19 and the economic downturn

The novel coronavirus pandemic has raised unprecedented legal questions for U.S. employers and employees who are older than 40 or who have a medical disability. Labor and employment attorneys say they are receiving a flood of complaints and questions about layoffs, firings and recalls to the workplace.

Sep 1, 2020 1:12 PM CDT

How are things working out for 3 Utah law grads seeking diploma privilege?

Prior to this summer, Chase Wilde didn’t know how to file a court appearance. Thanks to the supervised practice requirement in the Utah Supreme Court’s temporary order for diploma privilege, he does now.

Sep 1, 2020 9:08 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: State files 100th lawsuit challenging Trump policies; 2 more firms reverse pay cuts

California files 100th suit against Trump administration California and 21 other states have filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration rule that curtails the scope of environmental reviews conducted to assess the impact of actions by federal agencies. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said it is the 100th suit filed…

Aug 31, 2020 4:45 PM CDT

Potential juror says he was put in COVID-19 ‘petri dish’ at jail for refusing to wear mask in court

A visiting judge in Great Falls, Montana, held a juror in contempt and sent him to jail last week for refusing to wear a face shield or a mask for a trial.

Aug 31, 2020 10:54 AM CDT

This law prof has been fighting off Twitter trolls during the coronavirus crisis

While Veena Dubal was adapting to working at home with three young children during the COVID-19 pandemic, the “reply guys” came after the California law professor on Twitter for her support of a 2020 state law that extends employee classification status to gig workers.

Aug 31, 2020 8:00 AM CDT