States

California Supreme Court shoots down portfolio bar exam proposal but clears path to state-specific exam

The California Supreme Court has rejected the proposal to run a pilot program for a pathway to licensure without taking the bar exam, but it did approve the bar developing “a California-specific bar examination” and offered content areas for a state-specific exam.

Oct 11, 2024 5:10 PM CDT

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs appears in court as judge sets May 2025 trial date

Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in Manhattan federal court as a judge set a May 5 trial date in the music mogul’s racketeering and sex trafficking case.

Oct 11, 2024 9:50 AM CDT

Nixon Peabody sues law firm for allegedly luring away its clients without cut of contingency fee

Updated: Nixon Peabody has filed a lawsuit alleging that its clients were improperly lured away by personal injury law firm Shaheen & Gordon through use of “scare tactics” and false promises.

Oct 10, 2024 3:26 PM CDT

What’s next for Clio? ‘We’ll always remain focused on customer success’

As Jack Newton, the CEO and founder of Clio, a legal technology company, took the stage for his keynote address Monday at the 12th annual Clio Cloud Conference, happening this year in Austin, Texas, he was in a reflective mood.

Oct 10, 2024 3:10 PM CDT

Moms for Liberty wins constitutional challenge to school board’s comments policy

A federal appeals court has ruled for Moms for Liberty, a conservative parental rights group, in its challenge to a Florida school board policy that allows the presiding officer to interrupt meeting comments that are “personally directed,” “abusive” or “obscene.”

Oct 10, 2024 1:09 PM CDT

In ethics hearing, Montana attorney general defends ‘sharp’ words, refusal to obey court order

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen denied that his office was disrespectful, intemperate and contemptuous in questioning during an ethics hearing Wednesday.

Oct 10, 2024 11:12 AM CDT

Former CFO at Tom Girardi’s law firm reaches plea deal, agrees to $3.1M forfeiture

The former chief financial officer at disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi’s law firm has reached a deal to plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud that caused losses of at least $3.5 million.

Oct 10, 2024 9:18 AM CDT

Judge, aka ‘Sal Tortorella’ on TikTok, gets unpaid suspension for lip-syncing videos

A judge in Bergen County, New Jersey, initially thought that posting videos of himself lip-syncing songs on TikTok “seemed like silly, harmless and innocent fun.”

Oct 10, 2024 8:41 AM CDT

SCOTUS seems closely divided on new trial for Oklahoma death row inmate

The Supreme Court appeared closely divided Wednesday over whether to order a new trial for Oklahoma death-row inmate Richard Glossip, whose case has attracted support from across the political spectrum after independent investigations revealed prosecutorial misconduct.

Oct 9, 2024 3:50 PM CDT

This law school is among the 1% that allow use of AI to write admissions essays

Can would-be law students use generative artificial intelligence programs, such as ChatGPT, to write admissions essays? Fifty-four percent of surveyed law schools have no official policy on the issue, according to a survey by test prep company Kaplan.

Oct 9, 2024 2:47 PM CDT

Lawyer gets suspension after slapping attorney in front of courthouse

A Connecticut lawyer has received a suspension for slapping another attorney in front of a courthouse and for a separate “destructive and harmful campaign of harassing behavior” against a former friend.

Oct 9, 2024 9:34 AM CDT

Hurricane Help: Lawyers mobilize to support communities hit by storms

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26, and it cut a path of destruction across the southeastern United States. Just two weeks later, Hurricane Milton is prompting mass evacuations in Florida and could strike the state as a Category 4 or even 5 storm on Wednesday night. Members of the ABA have begun mobilizing to assist survivors.

Oct 9, 2024 9:00 AM CDT

Connecticut allows fully online law school grads of Purdue Global to take bar exam

Graduates of the Purdue Global Law School, described as the oldest wholly online law school, can now take the bar exam in a third state, as the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee voted Oct. 4 to follow the lead of California and Indiana.

Oct 8, 2024 3:24 PM CDT

Vanderbilt’s goal post teardown follows a football tradition that’s led to litigation from injured fans

Serious injuries have occurred when exuberant football fans engaged in the time-honored revelry of making goal posts a trophy of a significant or improbable win. Some of those harmed have sought to lay blame and seek compensation. In several such cases, it took referees in black robes to sort it out.

Oct 8, 2024 3:06 PM CDT

Judge’s ‘exceptional’ defiance following discipline decision is unmatched, suspension decision says

A state court judge in Philadelphia has been suspended without pay for posting political content on Facebook, even after a disciplinary decision finding that the conduct violated ethics rules.

Oct 8, 2024 12:39 PM CDT