Real Estate & Property Law

Missing apostrophe in Facebook post leads to defamation suit

An Australian real estate agent is facing a defamation lawsuit because of a missing apostrophe in his Facebook post. The real estate agent wrote the post about his former employer and his alleged failure to pay money into Australia’s retirement system.

Oct 12, 2021 9:40 AM CDT

Jenner & Block settles with landlord in dispute over rent payments during pandemic

Jenner & Block has settled a rent dispute with the landlord for its Chicago building that stemmed from unused office space during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 10, 2021 11:48 AM CDT

New York extends eviction protections in wake of SCOTUS decision blocking federal ban

New York has become the first state to extend its eviction moratorium since the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the federal ban on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic late last month.

Sep 3, 2021 3:14 PM CDT

Volunteer legal work needed for pending evictions crisis, says ABA president

Millions of households are behind on their rent and think they will be evicted in the next few months, wrote U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an Aug. 30 letter to the legal community calling for volunteer services.

Aug 31, 2021 9:36 AM CDT

Supreme Court blocks eviction moratorium, cites lack of CDC authority

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the latest federal ban on evictions, siding with real estate groups that argued the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its authority by imposing the moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic. Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

Aug 27, 2021 12:20 PM CDT

State supreme court’s chief justice declares justice system emergency to increase pro bono representation

The Virginia Supreme Court’s chief justice has issued an emergency order to increase the pool of lawyers who can represent indigent tenants who are facing eviction and others in need of free legal help.

Aug 23, 2021 2:30 PM CDT

DC Circuit keeps latest eviction moratorium in place; Supreme Court is asked to intervene

Real-estate groups are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block the latest eviction moratorium by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after a federal appeals court declined to do so.

Aug 23, 2021 10:15 AM CDT

3rd Circuit revives Second Amendment challenge to zoning restrictions on gun club

A federal appeals court on Tuesday said a federal judge should take another look at a Second Amendment challenge to a Pennsylvania township’s zoning restrictions on “sportsman’s clubs” shooting ranges.

Aug 18, 2021 10:00 AM CDT

Judge keeps federal eviction moratorium in place after SCOTUS partly blocks New York’s

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled a day after the U.S. Supreme Court partly blocked part of New York’s eviction moratorium.

Aug 16, 2021 11:00 AM CDT

Index of law firm profitability jumps to record high after unusual pandemic year

An index that measures the profitability of large law firms reached record highs in the second quarter, bolstered by big jumps from an unusual 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aug 13, 2021 9:11 AM CDT

Probate lawyers are taking steps to secure LGBTQ+ families’ rights in case Supreme Court limits them

Family law could look very different in the near future, especially for nontraditional families, who are concerned that their protections may not be as secure. This is why many estate planners are advising that these clients create and make changes to their legal documents stat.

Aug 1, 2021 1:20 AM CDT

Meet a health justice advocate working to prevent evictions during COVID-19 pandemic

Since March 2020, Emily Benfer has focused on tracking eviction moratoria, researching the effects of COVID-19 evictions on racial health equity and advocating for interventions to help provide communities hardest hit by the pandemic with financial support and legal protections. “Racial, housing and health justice are inseparable,” Benfer says. “Justice in any of these areas requires justice in all of them.”

Aug 1, 2021 12:30 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Fewer than half of Americans approve of SCOTUS; ex-judge denies raping secretary

Supreme Court approval rating hits 4-year low Only 49% of Americans approve of the way the U.S. Supreme Court is handling its job, according to a July poll by Gallup. The approval rating is the lowest since 2017. Last year, 58% approved of the Supreme Court’s job. Bare majorities of…

Jul 30, 2021 6:25 PM CDT

CDC had no authority to impose nationwide eviction moratorium, 6th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court on Friday ruled against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a challenge to a moratorium that it imposed to help control the spread of COVID-19.

Jul 26, 2021 9:05 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Cravath tops this ranking; 2 court victories for transgender youths

Cravath tops Vault rankings Vault has named its most prestigious law firms in America, based on a survey of associates at peer firms. The top five in the 2022 Vault Law 100 rankings are Cravath, Swaine & Moore; Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Sullivan…

Jul 22, 2021 3:40 PM CDT