Intellectual Property Law

Afternoon Briefs: Supreme Court limits patent board’s power; gun-pointing lawyer explains plea

SCOTUS limits power of Patent Trial and Appeal Board The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that administrative judges on the Patent Trial and Appeal Board act as “principal officers” who must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate under the appointments clause. The court said the system…

Jun 21, 2021 4:01 PM CDT

Remote practice from home in Florida isn’t unauthorized practice, advisory opinion says

A New Jersey lawyer’s remote practice from his home in Florida does not constitute the unlicensed practice of law in Florida, according to an advisory ethics opinion approved May 20 by the Florida Supreme Court.

May 24, 2021 11:51 AM CDT

This software will help you streamline your IP law practice

Running a law practice in 2021 is no small feat. With the digitization of documents, filings and court calendaring systems, the added complexities involved in tracking that data can make it difficult to stay on top of the daily challenges of managing a thriving law firm and busy caseload. That’s where law practice management software comes in. It helps lawyers streamline their law firms from client intake to the final bill and beyond.

May 24, 2021 10:35 AM CDT

Judge rules for Trademark Express owner in suit alleging unauthorized practice

Updated: Nonlawyer employees of Trademark Express are not engaged in the practice of law, a federal judge said in a decision Tuesday.

Apr 8, 2021 1:57 PM CDT

Google’s use of Java code was fair use, SCOTUS rules in Oracle copyright battle

Google did not violate copyright law when it copied a portion of Java programming language for use in its Android platform for smartphones, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday in a 6-2 decision.

Apr 5, 2021 11:34 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: State supreme court limits use of bail; prosecutors in this state may face stricter discipline

California judges must consider defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail, ruling says The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that it is unconstitutional to keep criminal defendants behind bars simply because they cannot afford to post bail. The decision upholds an earlier ruling that ordered a new bail hearing for…

Mar 26, 2021 3:14 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Law deans want to delay employment reporting; Edelson parody videos tout untraditional mold

Law school deans want more time for reporting employment outcomes Citing the COVID-19 pandemic, law school deans have asked the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar to push back its law graduate employment data deadline from March to June. The data, which comprises the ABA’s annual…

Feb 12, 2021 4:27 PM CST

Lawyer who pleaded guilty in porn lawsuit scheme must pay $1.5M restitution, 8th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has upheld a $1.5 million restitution order against a Minnesota lawyer who pleaded guilty in a scheme to upload porn to file-sharing websites and then sue people who downloaded it.

Feb 11, 2021 11:20 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

Afternoon Briefs: Judge blocks Biden’s deportation moratorium; Biden orders private prison phaseout

Federal judge blocks Biden’s deportation moratorium U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton of Texas has blocked President Joe Biden’s moratorium on many deportations. Tipton ruled Tuesday in a Texas lawsuit claiming that the 100-day moratorium violated a pact with the state by the Trump administration. Tipton said he was granting a…

Jan 26, 2021 4:38 PM CST

COVID-19 causes Federal Circuit to cancel arguments in Nintendo case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has canceled oral arguments in Nintendo’s case over its Wii gaming systems after its opposing counsel contracted COVID-19.

Jan 5, 2021 11:24 AM CST

Second half of SCOTUS term may bring the temperature down compared to its feverish first

The U.S. Supreme Court justices may soon be able to settle in for some relative peace and quiet in the second half of their term. Decisions in several high-profile merits cases are being drafted and circulated.

Dec 28, 2020 9:57 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

Legal departments cut outside spending, focus on managers and specialists, study shows

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more legal departments to cut spending on outside counsel, according to a new report from global research and advisory firm Gartner Inc.

Dec 18, 2020 12:26 PM CST

Deloitte is monitoring regulatory reforms but is focused on growing new practice

As states such as Utah and Arizona have approved opening up their legal marketplaces to alternative business structures in recent months, there has been speculation that the Big Four accounting firms would be among those seeking to take advantage.

Dec 16, 2020 9:00 AM CST