Libel

Lawyer can’t sue over poor Avvo rating and allegedly incorrect bar status, federal judge rules

Updated: A federal judge in Seattle has tossed a lawyer’s $1.5 million defamation lawsuit against Avvo for allegedly posting false information that made him look “terrible.”

Aug 28, 2020 2:17 PM CDT

Book publisher paraphrases Bullwinkle in response to Michael Avenatti’s defamation assertion

A lawyer for a book publisher is paraphrasing the cartoon character Bullwinkle J. Moose in response to a defamation allegation by convicted lawyer Michael Avenatti.

Aug 27, 2020 11:47 AM CDT

‘Need to go back to law school’ comment isn’t defamatory, appeals court rules

A Minneapolis lawyer can’t sue for defamation over a negative online review that said, “Need to go back to law school,” the Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled.

Aug 18, 2020 9:30 AM CDT

Harvard law prof claims reporter sexually harassed him, twisted facts in ‘gullible man’ story

Bruce Hay, a professor at Harvard Law School, has filed a lawsuit alleging that he was sexually harassed by a New York Magazine reporter who gained his confidence, manipulated him and portrayed him as a gullible victim in the article that she wrote.

Aug 11, 2020 1:51 PM CDT

Law prof sues over N-word suspension and says being white led to different treatment

A professor at the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, who was suspended over his use of the N-word, alleges in a lawsuit that he was treated differently because he was white.

Aug 10, 2020 2:14 PM CDT

Former Pierce Bainbridge paralegal sues firm and ex-partner over alleged sex assault

A paralegal who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a former partner at Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht has emerged from the shadows with a lawsuit that she filed Thursday.

Aug 6, 2020 1:52 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Trump accused of violating disability law; CoreCivic settles suit over recorded attorney-client calls

Lawsuit seeks sign language interpreters at Trump’s COVID-19 briefings The National Association of the Deaf alleges in lawsuit that President Donald Trump is violating Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by refusing to provide American Sign Language interpreters at coronavirus briefings. Section 504 says individuals with disabilities may not be…

Aug 4, 2020 12:21 PM CDT

Dorsey & Whitney isn’t liable for blog post about lawyer, 2nd Circuit rules

A Dorsey & Whitney blog post about a lawyer's failed class action lawsuit wasn't defamatory, the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday.

Jul 13, 2020 10:50 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Michael Cohen sent back to jail; former state chief justice’s suit against actor can proceed

Trump’s former personal lawyer returns to jail after refusing home confinement terms Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, was returned to jail Thursday after refusing to sign a document that would have prevented him from speaking to the media or publishing a book during his home confinement. Cohen,…

Jul 10, 2020 4:56 PM CDT

Twitter dismissed from Rep. Devin Nunes’ defamation suit over parody accounts

A Virginia judge has dismissed Twitter from a $250 million defamation suit filed by Republican California congressman Devin Nunes that targeted parody accounts claiming to be written by Nunes’ mother and a cow.

Jun 25, 2020 12:43 PM CDT

Immigration firm seeks over $1M in damages from former lawyer for ‘deceitful and dishonest behavior’

An immigration firm with offices in Dallas and Houston is suing a former lawyer for “deceitful and dishonest behavior.”

Jun 12, 2020 2:38 PM CDT

Lenny Dykstra’s reputation was so tarnished that he wasn’t defamed by book, judge rules

A New York judge has tossed a defamation lawsuit filed by Lenny Dykstra, ruling that the former baseball player’s reputation is so tarnished that he wasn’t injured by his former teammate’s bigotry claim.

Jun 3, 2020 4:39 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Trump order limits social media protections; Texas court curbs mail-in ballots

Trump order seeks to curtail legal protections for social media President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that seeks to reinterpret the Communications Decency Act, which protects websites from liability for publishing third-party content. Trump signed the order after Twitter labeled two of his tweets as “potentially misleading.” A…

May 28, 2020 4:38 PM CDT

Law prof wins defamation award of nearly $1.2M in suit against rape accuser

A University of Minnesota law professor has obtained a defamation judgment of nearly $1.2 million against a former girlfriend for an alleged false accusation of rape.

May 26, 2020 11:01 AM CDT

Trump and his 3,500 suits: Prosecutor and author reveals in interview his portrait of ‘Plaintiff in Chief’

Former federal prosecutor and author James D. Zirin illuminates more than 45 years of Trump’s legal disputes in his new book, Plaintiff in Chief: A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3,500 Lawsuits. Zirin recently answered some questions from Robin Lindley, a Seattle-based writer and lawyer.

Apr 20, 2020 8:49 AM CDT