Louisiana

5th Cir. Eases La. Attorney Ad Rules, OKs Endorsements, Some Slogans

Finding that a blanket ban on results-oriented attorney advertising violates the First Amendment, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today struck down a challenged Louisiana rule of professional conduct that prohibited testimonials and factual information about results achieved in prior representations. And a three-judge appellate panel also…

Jan 31, 2011 10:34 PM CST

Now-Disbarred Lawyer Purportedly Produced Jailhouse Sex Video to Pursue Appeal for Clients

A now-disbarred Louisiana lawyer earned case-of-the-week mention from the Legal Profession Blog for producing a jailhouse sex video with the help of a 16-year-old female assistant. A hearing committee found credible an ex-client’s testimony that attorney Noland James Hammond had the teen perform jailhouse oral sex on two inmate clients,…

Jan 21, 2011 11:26 PM CST

US Sues BP and 8 Other Entities Over Gulf Oil Spill, Seeking Cleanup Costs and Penalties

As civil and criminal investigations continue to determine responsibility for the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that began April 20, the U.S. Department of Justice has sued BP Exploration and Production Inc. and eight other defendants. Its suit, filed in federal court in New Orleans, contends that…

Dec 15, 2010 11:16 PM CST

What to Do When a Disbarred Lawyer Errs? Louisiana Finds a Solution to This Problem

Once a lawyer is disbarred, you might think there isn’t much attorney-discipline authorities can do to sanction him or her. If so, you would be wrong. The Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board earlier this month adjudicated new, uncontested ethics charges against a disbarred lawyer, Robert Barrios. While it couldn’t impose the…

Nov 30, 2010 1:35 AM CST

BP Payout Effects: Shrimpers Stay Home, Bar Fights Break Out

BP payouts are changing life on the Gulf Coast, but the effects aren’t all for the better. Flush with cash or anticipating big payouts, some fisherman are opting to stay home rather than work, the Washington Post reports. In Plaquemines Parish, La., disputes between those who received compensation and those…

Oct 20, 2010 1:31 PM CDT

15 Lawyers Get Lead Roles in Oil Spill Litigation; David Boies Isn’t One of Them

The lawyer who successfully challenged California’s gay-marriage ban and represented Al Gore in the famous Bush v. Gore case encountered a setback in a new quest on Friday. David Boies failed to win appointment to a 15-member steering committee to oversee Gulf oil spill litigation, Reuters reports. Other “heavyweights” who…

Oct 12, 2010 12:40 PM CDT

Beauty Contest for Lead Lawyers in BP Oil Spill Suit Reels In ‘All the Big Fish’

Top trial lawyers from around the country are vying for a coveted spot among the 12 to 15 lead lawyers expected to be selected soon by a federal district court judge in Miami to oversee the massive tort litigation against BP PLC over its Gulf of Mexico oil spill last…

Oct 7, 2010 10:45 PM CDT

EEOC Claims Obesity Is a Disability in Suit Filed for Fired Worker

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a suit on behalf of a woman who was fired, allegedly because of severe obesity. The fired employee, Lisa Harrison, had counseled children of mothers undergoing addiction treatment with the New Orleans office of Resources for Human Development, according to the Associated Press…

Oct 4, 2010 3:34 PM CDT

Taking Their Pains to the Clinic

Legislators punish law school clinics for suing community businesses

Oct 1, 2010 7:50 AM CDT

GW Law Prof Promises Airing of Undisclosed ‘Critical Facts’ in Judge’s Impeachment Trial

A George Washington University law professor will be leading the defense for U.S. District Judge G. Thomas Porteous Jr. when the first phase of his impeachment trial begins next week before a special U.S. Senate Committee. Lead defense lawyer Jonathan Turley told the National Law Journal in an e-mail that…

Sep 9, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

New La. Law School to Open in Building that Looks Like a Law School

A new law school in Shreveport, La., will open next year in a donated building built in 1904. Louisiana College, owned by the Louisiana Baptist Convention, will house its new law school in the CNB/United Mercantile building, the Shreveport Times reports. The law school’s founding dean, J. Michael Johnson, is…

Sep 2, 2010 1:39 PM CDT

After Katrina, Some New Orleans Police Say They Were Told They Could Shoot Looters

In an order that apparently contravened state law or created dangerous ambiguity, some New Orleans police say they were told after Hurricane Katrina either that they could shoot looters or do what they needed to do to “take back the city,” reports Pro Publica. Under federal constitutional standards and Louisiana…

Aug 25, 2010 12:29 AM CDT

Benedictine Monks Seek Ban on ‘Casket Cartel,’ Claim Constitutional Right to Sell Coffins

A group of Benedictine monks is seeking a federal court order recognizing their claimed constitutional right to sell simple wooden coffins—at what they say is a considerably lower cost than funeral home competitors who have allegedly banded together in a “casket cartel.” Attempted enforcement of a state criminal law in…

Aug 16, 2010 8:38 PM CDT

BP Oil Spill Litigation to Be Heard by Federal Judge in New Orleans

A federal panel of judges has decided that litigation concerning the massive undersea BP PLC oil spill that began in April will be heard by a federal judge in New Orleans. The decision to direct civil cases concerning the spill to U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier is likely to please…

Aug 10, 2010 9:57 PM CDT

Federal Judge Says Fellow Jurist’s Ethics Testimony Can Be Used in US Senate Impeachment Trial

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has refused a fellow jurist’s plea to block his testimony in a judicial ethics proceeding from being used in an upcoming U.S. Senate impeachment trial. U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous contended that a grant of immunity for testimony he gave to investigators for a…

Aug 4, 2010 7:38 PM CDT