Public Health

Afternoon Briefs: Texas justice has COVID-19; 7th Circuit win for strip clubs seeking payroll loans

Texas Supreme Court justice tests positive for COVID-19 Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann said Thursday she and her husband, Greg, have tested positive for COVID-19. The couple got tested after experiencing fevers and body aches. Lehrmann told the Dallas Morning News that she and her husband left home only…

May 21, 2020 4:51 PM CDT

Which law firms laid off lawyers and cut pay this past week? The announcements slow to a trickle

For weeks, larger law firms have been announcing layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts. The impact is widespread, with the legal services sector losing 64,000 jobs in April.

May 21, 2020 2:21 PM CDT

These law firms were named as top family- and female-friendly workplaces by Yale Law Women

Yale Law Women’s latest report on top law firms for gender and family friendliness is taking a new approach, with more categories and more opportunities to acknowledge law firms.

May 21, 2020 10:26 AM CDT

Why states are on the fence about a patient’s right to die

About 21% of Americans now live in a state that allows medical aid in dying. Although these states allow medical aid in dying, the state laws have specific restrictions about when and how a patient can take the prescription. Advocates are pushing to ease criteria, so that more patients have access and more providers can offer support.

May 21, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Privacy and accuracy concerns about remote temperature screening raised by ACLU

Devices designed to measure a person’s temperature from afar have been touted as a way to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. But the claims may be unrealistic, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

May 20, 2020 1:01 PM CDT

Why this lawyer increased his fees during the COVID-19 pandemic

As 2020 began, lawyer Robert Theofanis was hitting his stride and thought it was time to increase his fees. He decided to hold off on increasing fees until after he updated his website with new marketing content. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

May 20, 2020 12:16 PM CDT

Missouri execution is first since coronavirus pandemic declared; ABA had urged delay

A Missouri inmate who was executed Tuesday evening had continued to maintain his innocence up until his final breaths. Walter Barton, 64, was executed by lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay application.

May 20, 2020 9:48 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Oregon top court keeps stay-at-home orders intact; Michigan plans modified bar exam

Oregon top court halts lifting of stay-at-home orders The Oregon Supreme Court stayed a judge’s injunction Monday evening granted to 10 churches challenging the state’s ban on religious services. The lower court judge, Matthew Shirtcliff, had ruled earlier Monday that Gov. Kate Brown exceeded her authority by extending her COVID-19…

May 19, 2020 4:38 PM CDT

Firm will focus on high-end IP and commercial litigation after departures cut revenue

Irell & Manella is changing focus after a string of departures cut gross revenue by 39% over a five-year period.

May 19, 2020 12:11 PM CDT

Potential jurors questioned via Zoom for summary jury trial in Texas

Potential jurors were questioned in Texas on Monday in what may be the first Zoom jury trial during the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 19, 2020 10:25 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge orders shelter for homeless people; state must release execution drug info

Judge orders LA to find shelter for homeless near freeways On Friday, U.S. District Judge David Carter ordered the county and city of Los Angeles to find shelter for up to 7,000 homeless people living near freeways. Carter said shelters must allow for appropriate social distancing, along with adequate showers…

May 18, 2020 4:47 PM CDT

Bankruptcy partner returns to Kirkland after leaving to pursue musical interests

Former Kirkland & Ellis bankruptcy partner Jeffrey Gettleman returned to the firm in late March, about a year and a half after retiring from the firm to pursue his musical interests.

May 18, 2020 2:59 PM CDT

7th Circuit denies emergency request to block Illinois ban on in-person church services

The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday denied an emergency request by two churches to block Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order on in-person church services.

May 18, 2020 1:26 PM CDT

Law firm revenue takes nosedive during COVID-19, new survey data shows

Roughly 81% of law firms have seen their revenues drop during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 27% of firms in that category reporting they have seen business decline by more than half, according to a new survey by Martindale-Avvo.

May 18, 2020 12:16 PM CDT

‘Ready for battle’: Florida lawyer dons Grim Reaper garb to save lives during COVID-19 crisis

Nothing kills a buzz quite like a visit from the Grim Reaper. At least, that’s what Florida lawyer Daniel W. Uhlfelder is hoping. He recently began visiting public beaches dressed as the Grim Reaper to raise awareness about the threat of COVID-19 and to continue his advocacy for a statewide closure of all public beaches.

May 18, 2020 8:00 AM CDT