Afternoon Briefs: 7 federal death penalty requests withdrawn; ex-lawyer sentenced for advice on supplements

DOJ withdraws death penalty requests The U.S. Department of Justice has withdrawn requests for the death penalty in seven cases, reversing the stance taken by the department during the Trump administration. The DOJ is still seeking the death penalty in appeals of two other cases—that of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar…

Jul 23, 2021 2:32 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: $26B opioid settlement proposed; lawyer resigns after he’s accused of nude cleaning proposal

Proposed $26B opioid settlement announced A group of state attorneys general have announced a proposed $26 billion settlement between states and four companies that make and distribute opioids. Johnson & Johnson is among the companies that would be released from liability as result of the settlement, which requires it to…

Jul 21, 2021 4:25 PM CDT

Ethics opinion gives NY attorneys green light to advise on, partake in cannabis

The New York State Bar Association has announced in an ethics opinion that lawyers may provide legal services to clients in compliance with the state’s new recreational marijuana law.

Jul 12, 2021 12:50 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: US lawyer sentenced in Hong Kong tussle; Air Force at fault in mass shooting

US lawyer in Hong Kong sentenced to prison Samuel Bickett, a U.S. lawyer in Hong Kong, has been sentenced to four months and two weeks in jail for intervening when he saw a man attacking a commuter. The man Bickett confronted turned out to be an off-duty police officer trying…

Jul 9, 2021 4:24 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Justice Thomas questions federal pot law; Jones Day pay case dropped

Justice Thomas questions government’s ‘half-in, half-out’ pot stance U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Monday the federal government may no longer have the authority to intrude on the states’ powers to legalize marijuana. Thomas commented in a statement regarding cert denial in a tax case involving a pot business.…

Jun 29, 2021 4:34 PM CDT

The new frontier of health care is here, but will DNA privacy be lost?

Advocates are concerned about the privacy of data collected by genetic testing companies; what control consumers have over their DNA data once it’s been submitted to 23andMe and other genetic testing firms; and what recourse consumers have if companies’ assurances of privacy prove unreliable.

Jun 1, 2021 1:30 AM CDT

3 BigLaw firms will give back $1M in Purdue Pharma legal fees in settlement with trustee

Three large law firms have agreed to reduce fee applications by $1 million in their bankruptcy representation of Purdue Pharma, the maker of the prescription pain medication OxyContin, after the U.S. trustee alleged a failure to disclose a common interest agreement.

May 3, 2021 12:01 PM CDT

Costco customer can sue for alleged disclosure of erectile dysfunction medication to ex-wife, top state court says

A Costco customer will be able to pursue his lawsuit alleging that his hopes of reconciliation with his ex-wife were dashed when a store pharmacist wrongly told her that his erectile dysfunction medication was ready for pickup.

Mar 11, 2021 9:05 AM CST

More Zoom issues in court hearings: Doc joins from operating room, defendant is naked from at least the waist up

Zoom court hearings continue to produce some unusual videos of participants who ignore decorum or carry on with activities they wouldn’t try in a courtroom. In California, a traffic court defendant, Dr. Scott Green, appeared for a hearing dressed in scrubs in the operating room. A person was on the…

Mar 1, 2021 10:19 AM CST

Virtual onboarding has provided some unexpected benefits, firm shareholder says

John Van Amsterdam, a shareholder at Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, says events hosted via video conferencing platforms because of COVID-19 have provided a surprisingly effective avenue for building personal connections at the firm.

Feb 10, 2021 12:22 PM CST

Successful ballot measures for marijuana and other drugs create opportunities for lawyers

Feb 1, 2021 1:30 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: SCOTUS justices get early COVID-19 vaccines; DOJ sues Walmart

Supreme Court justices receiving early coronavirus vaccines U.S. Supreme Court justices are eligible for early coronavirus vaccines and could be receiving them this week. Other judges “are settling in for a wait,” according to BuzzFeed News. An advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has included “legal”…

Dec 22, 2020 4:45 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Proposed $26B opioid settlement revealed; Florida judge reprimanded for noise response

Proposed $26B opioid settlement disclosed Four companies involved in making and distributing opioids have disclosed a proposed $26 billion settlement that would end thousands of lawsuits by state and local governments. The proposal is $4 billion higher than an earlier offer that was met with resistance. The four companies are…

Nov 6, 2020 3:48 PM CST

Drugmaker accuses plaintiffs law firm of running misleading ads about HIV medications

Drugmaker Gilead Sciences Inc. is asking a federal judge to admonish a plaintiffs law firm for allegedly running misleading advertisements about Gilead’s HIV medications.

Aug 26, 2020 1:54 PM CDT

Will Roberts opinion ‘eviscerate abortion rights’? 8th Circuit cites new standard

Abortion restrictions should be evaluated under a new approach as a result of a June opinion by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., a federal appeals court said Friday.

Aug 10, 2020 12:07 PM CDT