Public Health

Unvaccinated judge who shunned masks will mostly preside in civil video hearings

An unvaccinated city court judge who didn't wear a mask will be mostly handling civil matters remotely, according to a spokesperson for the New York state court system.

Feb 2, 2022 11:43 AM CST

Control is often an issue in breakups, and COVID-19 made it worse, say 2 family law attorneys

Business hasn’t slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, which tore many couples apart, according to two family law attorneys. However, the COVID-19 crisis has made it easier to work together.

Jan 31, 2022 8:46 AM CST

Goodwin Procter offers to pay for associates’ weeklong vacations

Goodwin Procter is providing “thoughtfully curated weeklong” trips to associates and some other billers, so they can get relaxation time on the law firm’s tab.

Jan 27, 2022 2:33 PM CST

Jurisdictions hope safety plans curb COVID-19 fears for in-person bar exam

In addition to JD certificates and character and fitness responses, many February bar exam candidates preparing for the in-person test are also submitting proof of COVID-19 vaccines or a negative test—and in some cases both.

Jan 26, 2022 2:40 PM CST

8th Circuit rules for parents seeking school mask mandates because of their children’s disabilities

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that an Iowa law banning mask mandates at public schools shouldn’t be read to prevent masks when needed to accommodate children’s disabilities.

Jan 26, 2022 8:40 AM CST

Judge lifts order barring 7 health care workers from jumping to new hospital

A Wisconsin judge on Monday lifted his prior order that temporarily barred seven health care workers from leaving their hospital in Neenah, Wisconsin, for new jobs in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Jan 25, 2022 10:10 AM CST

9th Circuit judge writes opinions for and against constitutionality of pandemic gun-store closings

A federal appeals judge took two positions on pandemic gun-store closings Thursday with the aim of making a point about his court’s “exceptionally malleable” approach to the Second Amendment.

Jan 24, 2022 9:24 AM CST

Video testimony violated defendant’s Sixth Amendment right of confrontation, top state court rules

A recent decision on video testimony by the Missouri Supreme Court is raising questions about criminal convictions obtained using video testimony during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jan 20, 2022 1:05 PM CST

Darryl Wilson shares love of cooking with others during COVID-19 pandemic

Darryl Wilson, an in-house attorney at Tyson Foods in Springdale, Arkansas, has used cooking as a form of therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. He launched his own Instagram account, where he regularly posts photos of his dishes, and taught two virtual cooking classes to members of the ABA Young Lawyers Division. “We always have to find things that make us happy and that are fulfilling or rewarding to us,” he says. “Mine just happens to be cooking.”

Jan 20, 2022 9:22 AM CST

Gorsuch is the only SCOTUS justice who isn’t wearing a mask on the bench; did he refuse Roberts’ request?

Updated: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch’s refusal to wear a mask during recent oral arguments is spurring criticism and one report saying his maskless presence defied a request by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.

Jan 19, 2022 11:48 AM CST

MyCase CEO says remote work is ‘here to stay’

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Jim McGinnis, the CEO of MyCase, a practice management software company.

Jan 19, 2022 8:41 AM CST

As the pandemic drags on, law professors are making changes

Law professors say the pandemic changed how they interact with students, and many find themselves sharing personal information they may not have previously shared. That’s partially due to the chaos of COVID-19, but it’s also a way for faculty to convince students they are there to help.

Jan 18, 2022 8:41 AM CST

ABA Midyear Meeting will now take place entirely online

The 2022 ABA Midyear Meeting, which will take place from Feb. 9 to 14, had been scheduled to be in Seattle. But after assessing the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19, the ABA Board of Governors voted Thursday to change the meeting to a fully virtual format.

Jan 13, 2022 5:35 PM CST

Roberts, Kavanaugh votes key as SCOTUS upholds vaccine mandate for health workers but not for others

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday gave the Biden administration one loss and one win in its bid to impose vaccine requirements on health care workers and employees at larger companies.

Jan 13, 2022 2:02 PM CST

While NCBE sticks with in-person February bar exam, one state supreme court greenlights planning for future alternatives

There will be no remote offerings from the National Conference of Bar Examiners for the February bar exam, and in the event that a jurisdiction prohibits large gatherings, makeup dates for an in-person test will be offered in late March, the organization announced Monday.

Jan 11, 2022 10:05 AM CST