Massachusetts

‘Ad Agency’ Law Firm’s Business Booms; $50 Million Campaign Envisioned

Although it’s ubiquitous on the nation’s airwaves, Jim Sokolove’s law firm tries almost no cases. Instead, in a feat of marketing prowess that has earned the firm a feature article in Advertising Age, the Massachusetts attorney makes a living operating his Sokolove Law plaintiffs firm as “almost strictly as an…

Mar 23, 2009 9:59 PM CDT

Senator Requests Asylum for Gay Man in Same-Sex Marriage

Sen. John Kerry has asked Attorney General Eric Holder to grant asylum to a gay man married in Massachusetts who was deported despite his rape in Brazil. Oliveira had sought asylum because he was raped as a teenager and feared additional attacks if he returned to the country, the Associated…

Mar 20, 2009 6:13 PM CDT

Domestic Abuse Victims in Mass. Get Proskauer Rose Lawyers

Domestic abuse victims who initially seek a court protective order not infrequently back away from the effort later on. But one major reason why is the lack of a level legal playing field, a district attorney in Massachusetts says. Already intimidated, the frequently female victim must appear in court, on…

Mar 20, 2009 5:12 PM CDT

Northeast’s Pepe & Hazard Lays Off 5 Lawyers and 7 Staff Members

Bringing the law firm layoffs total since Feb. 27 close to the 2,700 mark, a regional business firm based in Connecticut has just announced that it is cutting five attorneys and seven staff members. In a written statement, the 61-attorney firm says the move “is the direct result of the…

Mar 10, 2009 10:15 PM CDT

10 Missing Mass. Trial Tapes Stymie Appeals

Massachusetts officials say a court reporter has failed to turn over recordings or transcripts of 10 criminal and civil trials, making appeals impossible. The court reporter, Jeanne Lentini, faces a March 26 contempt hearing, but she says she has no plans to show up, the Boston Globe reports. She told…

Mar 5, 2009 2:48 PM CST

Mass. AG’s Office: 1 Broken Tooth Cost $36K in Fake Claims

Over four years, a Massachusetts man allegedly collected some $36,000 by making repeated claims against restaurants over the same broken tooth. Now, after an investigation by the state attorney general’s office, Tod Schaffer is facing dozens of criminal charges that could, at least in theory, put him in prison for…

Mar 4, 2009 11:01 PM CST

Boston-Area Lawyer Can’t Find a Legal Job, Tries Selling Furniture

A Boston-area lawyer with 25 years of experiencing defending personal injury lawsuits spent a year looking for jobs since he was laid off last year. He has finally landed new employment—as a furniture salesman. Paul Semenza told the Boston Globe he enjoys working with customers, but he misses his old…

Mar 2, 2009 5:10 PM CST

Mass. Legal Weekly Lets Lawyers Anonymously Rate Judges

A legal publication in Massachusetts has made headlines by providing a forum in which lawyers can anonymously rate the judges in front of whom they regularly appear. Although attorneys who use the JudgeCenter (sub. req.) site provided by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly must register under their own names, their comments are…

Feb 17, 2009 8:40 PM CST

Economy & Politics Threaten State Courts, ABA House Told

Massive state budget shortfalls threaten the ability of courts to continue to operate, Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall, who is president of the Conference of Chief Justices, told the ABA House of Delegates today. At least 46 states face revenue shortfalls totaling $350 billion from this year through 2001,…

Feb 16, 2009 5:13 PM CST

ABA House to Air Live on the Web Today

Live from Boston, it’s the ABA House of Delegates. For the first time, the ABA’s policymaking body will webcast its sessions live from the ABA Midyear Meeting. The House session, scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET today, will be available online here. The ABA Journal’s homepage will be…

Feb 16, 2009 12:16 PM CST

More Lawyers Representing the Poor for Free, ABA Study Finds

More lawyers are donating more time to representing the poor for free, a study by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service has found. The report was issued today at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Boston. The study (PDF) found that 73 percent of attorneys provided some…

Feb 13, 2009 9:48 PM CST

Lawyers Face High Learning Curve During Real Estate Crisis

There’s a new foreclosure in the United States every 13 seconds. So, doing the math, during the 90-minute program “Foreclosing on the American Dream” at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Boston, some 400 foreclosures were initiated nationwide. And while there’s a sense of urgency to address the problem and develop…

Feb 13, 2009 9:34 PM CST

As Bernard Madoff Arrest Loomed, His Wife Withdrew $15.5M, Regulator Says

On the day before Bernard Madoff was to be arrested in a federal securities fraud case, in the midst of bombshell accusations that he had masterminded a record-breaking $50 billion Ponzi scheme, his wife withdrew $10 million from a brokerage account at a firm he co-owned, a top Massachusetts securities…

Feb 11, 2009 9:42 PM CST

FBI Cites Advances in Forensic Technology in New Look at Fatal Tylenol Case

The FBI searched the suburban Boston home yesterday of a man convicted of extortion in the 1982 Tylenol killings, hauling away five boxes and a Macintosh computer. James Lewis lived in the condo since around 1995 when he was released from prison, the Boston Globe reports. He served a sentence…

Feb 5, 2009 1:03 PM CST

Harvard 3L to Police: ‘Do You Know Who I ... Was?’

A third-year law student at Harvard University allegedly had a few too many one day late last month before leaving a Boston bar and seating himself in a city police cruiser. Authorities say Charles Simpkins, 24, then told officers “Give me a (expletive) ride, I work for the district attorney’s…

Feb 2, 2009 8:15 PM CST