Massachusetts

Are texts urging suicide a chargeable crime? Top Massachusetts court must decide

Most states have laws against encouraging or assisting suicide. But Massachusetts is not one of them, so justices on the state’s top court struggled to determine during a Thursday hearing whether texts and phone calls made by Michelle Carter are sufficient grounds for the state to pursue a manslaughter case…

Apr 8, 2016 12:10 PM CDT

‘Hail Mary’ suit filed by Patriots fans over Deflategate loss of draft picks

Todd Orsatti’s daughter is only 7 years old. But she is already jaded by the so-called “Deflategate” scandal that lead to National Football League punishment of the New England Patriots, says the season ticket holder in a federal lawsuit filed by fans. “She will no longer go to games with…

Apr 7, 2016 12:05 PM CDT

‘Queen of pro bono’ Esther Lardent dies at age 68

Esther Lardent, known as the “queen of pro bono,” died Monday. She was 68 years old. A tireless advocate for volunteer legal work, she founded the Pro Bono Institute in 1996 and served as its president until last year, when her health forced her to step down, the National Law…

Apr 5, 2016 5:00 PM CDT

Law student convicted for stealing laptop is accused of altering the verdict slip

A Suffolk University law student convicted of stealing a laptop from his school is accused of changing the verdict slip and using the altered document to try to obtain a diploma. The former law student, 33-year-old David Scher of Brighton, Massachusetts, pleaded not guilty to the allegations on Wednesday, report…

Mar 30, 2016 2:16 PM CDT

Boston lawyer rows to world championship

A few years ago, Greenberg Traurig partner Barbara Jones decided she needed a new form of exercise. Inspired by her son, who then rowed for his high school team, she picked up the oars for the first time.

Mar 1, 2016 3:40 AM CST

Family of teen hospitalized in medical diagnosis conflict files malpractice and civil rights suit

The family of a Connecticut teen put in the custody of the state of Massachusetts for more than a year and hospitalized against their wishes has filed a medical malpractice and civil rights suit against Boston Children’s Hospital and four physicians. Weeks before Justina Pelletier was misdiagnosed at Children’s with…

Feb 25, 2016 4:00 PM CST

California inmate paroled after court required state to pay for sex-change surgery settles her suit

A former California inmate who won a federal court order requiring the state to pay for gender-reassignment surgery—but was released on parole last year before the surgery was performed—has settled her civil rights suit. Under the pact, the state will pay about $500,000 in legal fees for Michelle-Lael Norsworthy, 52,…

Feb 24, 2016 12:55 PM CST

Can son bind mother in nursing home to arbitration? Suit over slaying raises the issue

Lawyers will argue next month that a Massachusetts nursing home shouldn’t be able to force arbitration in a lawsuit over the death of a 100-year-old woman who was allegedly killed by her 97-year-old roommate. The suit in Massachusetts state court argues the arbitration clause in the nursing home contract is…

Feb 22, 2016 12:32 PM CST

Gamergate shows that Web harassment by ‘faceless multitude’ is beyond reach of the law, WaPo says

When a former relationship ended in an allegedly harassing online diatribe, Zoe Quinn got a restraining order against Eron Gjoni. But then a bigger problem began, the Washington Post (reg. req.) reports in a lengthy story. A group of anonymous individuals involved in an online attack known as Gamergate targeted…

Feb 18, 2016 1:10 PM CST

Bill Cosby’s wife will have to give deposition, judge rules

Bill Cosby’s wife, Camille, will have to give a deposition in a defamation suit against the comedian, but she may refuse to answer questions about her private conversations with her husband, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni ruled Thursday in a suit by eight women who…

Feb 12, 2016 9:28 AM CST

Dog lawyer also advocates for parakeet

Boston Dog Lawyers specializes in the defense of canines deemed to be recalcitrant. That can be a tough gig: At least once, attorney Jeremy Cohen told the Boston Herald, a client bit him. “It’s kind of hard to advocate for a dog in a dog-biting case when he bites you,”…

Feb 2, 2016 5:00 PM CST

13-attorney Sidley Austin office acquires enough office space for 60 lawyers

The Boston office of Sidley Austin has barely grown in the last few years. It now has an attorney roster of 13, most of whom specialize in advising the financial services industry. But that’s about to change. In recent months, the office has leased an entire floor that can accommodate…

Jan 12, 2016 2:45 PM CST

Does rule protect Bill Cosby’s wife from giving deposition testimony?

Legal experts are divided on whether and to what extent Bill Cosby’s wife, Camille, is protected from giving deposition testimony in a defamation suit against the comedian over his sexual-assault denials. Bill Cosby’s wife of 52 years, Camille, is appealing a federal magistrate’s order denying a motion to quash in…

Jan 11, 2016 6:15 AM CST

Court: Christians rejected as foster parents for spanking kids suffered no constitutional violation

A Christian couple who occasionally spanked their children as part of their faith were properly turned down in their bid to become foster parents, the top court in Massachusetts has ruled. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled on Monday that the substantial burden on couple’s religious beliefs was outweighed by…

Jan 5, 2016 9:12 AM CST

Massachusetts law firm is accused of suing debtors without ‘meaningful attorney involvement’

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is seeking civil penalties against a debt-collection law firm accused of pursuing cases based on inaccurate or incomplete information. Healey filed a civil complaint last week against the firm, Lustig, Glaser & Wilson, according to a press release and the Boston Globe. The press release…

Dec 28, 2015 8:44 AM CST