States

Paralegal Sues Holland & Knight for Raising Conflict that Cost Her a Job

A paralegal has sued Holland & Knight for tortious interference for raising concerns about a conflict of interest caused by her planned move to a new law firm. Paralegal Patricia Dillman had landed a new $200,000 job at Hughes Hubbard & Reed when the offer was abruptly withdrawn because of…

Jan 3, 2008 7:54 PM CST

Interrogation Tape Prosecutor Seen as Tough, Nonpartisan

The assistant U.S. attorney tapped to lead the criminal investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes is described as a nonpartisan career prosecutor who has pursued government officials and Mafia chiefs. Friends of John Durham, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, were unable to recall…

Jan 3, 2008 5:36 PM CST

Sperm Donor Not Liable for Child Support, Court Rules

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that a private sperm donor does not have to pay child support to a woman who promised he would have no financial obligations as a result of the arrangement. Joel McKiernan had been paying up to $1,500 a month to support twin boys born…

Jan 3, 2008 4:53 PM CST

Amnesty International Successfully Asserts Reporter Privilege

Using a test that protects journalists from disclosing sources, a New York federal judge has ruled that Amnesty International does not have to reveal the names of lawyers who complained of being videotaped while talking to Sept. 11 detainees at a Brooklyn lockup. Judge Viktor Pohorelsky issued the ruling protecting…

Jan 3, 2008 4:03 PM CST

EEOC Obtains Record Settlement in Race Bias Case

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has negotiated a record $2.5 million settlement on behalf of a former electrician at Lockheed Martin Corp. The EEOC says the amount is the largest settlement it has secured for an individual in a racial discrimination suit, Reuters reports. The plaintiff, Charles Daniels, had alleged…

Jan 3, 2008 3:27 PM CST

DA Who Wrote Amorous E-Mail Won’t Run for Re-Election

The most powerful prosecutor in Texas has decided he won’t run for re-election in what appeared to be a last-minute deal with political leaders, the New York Times reports. District Attorney Charles Rosenthal of Harris County withdrew his name yesterday after the disclosure last week of intimate e-mail exchanges with…

Jan 3, 2008 3:10 PM CST

Firm Sues Ex-Associate for Soliciting Clients

A Florida law firm has sued a former associate for allegedly soliciting its clients before jumping to a new firm. The suit by Rosenthal & Levy of West Palm Beach claims associate Andrew Frisch failed to negotiate a joint letter announcing his departure, as required by Florida ethics rules, the…

Jan 3, 2008 2:50 PM CST

Lawyer Brothers Represent Opposing Parties in Med-Mal Case

Louisville, Ky., lawyers Tyler and Todd Thompson represent opposing parties in a medical malpractice case. The suit against hospital chain HCA Inc. claims more than 100 patients were injured by an incompetent surgeon who never finished his residency. It is the first time the brothers have been on opposite sides…

Jan 3, 2008 2:33 PM CST

Lawyer Installs Shark Tank in Office

A Montana lawyer said his decision to put a shark tank in his office started out as a joke. “I said, ‘What would it take to put a shark in a lawyer’s office?’ and it just kind of took off from there,” lawyer Christopher Gillette told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.…

Jan 3, 2008 2:00 PM CST

Judge Offers Reason for Defendant’s Inside-Out Clothing

A lawyer for a homeless ex-convict accused of raping and torturing a Columbia University graduate student asked a Manhattan judge yesterday to note that his client came to court wearing his shirt and jeans inside out. Lawyer Arnold Levine suggested that the getup indicates mental illness suffered by his client,…

Jan 3, 2008 1:45 PM CST

Chicago Lawyer Accused of Keying Marine’s Car

A Chicago lawyer has been charged with criminal damage to property for allegedly keying the car of a Marine sergeant who backed up when he missed a turn. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office contends Jay R. Grodner saw vanity plates and a sticker identifying the car’s owner as a…

Jan 3, 2008 1:33 PM CST

Want to Take the N.Y. Bar Exam? Sign a Waiver

Those taking the New York bar exam on their laptops this February will be required to sign a new, detailed waiver protecting the state Board of Law Examiners from liability if the exam software malfunctions. The test takers will be using new software, following a glitch this summer that lost…

Jan 3, 2008 12:27 PM CST

Ex-Partners Claim Boston Firm Manipulated Finances to Cut Payouts

A claim for unpaid compensation by nine former partners of Boston firm Donovan Hatem has resulted in a court order barring a 2007 profit distribution until the dispute is resolved in arbitration. The ex-partners, who left in July to join LeClair Ryan, claim name partner David Hatem manipulated the firm’s…

Jan 3, 2008 12:14 PM CST

Ex-Judge Fights Release of Lurid Audiotape

A former Tennessee judge is fighting the release of an audiotape that contains his lurid fantasies that sounded like someone being tortured. Judge John Hagler resigned last month after the Chattanooga Times Free Press learned about the recording, the Associated Press reports. A fired secretary had turned it over to…

Jan 3, 2008 11:53 AM CST

N.Y. Lawyer Suspended During Probe of Withdrawals from Judge’s Estate

A New York lawyer has been temporarily suspended after she failed to cooperate with investigators looking into her withdrawal of hundreds of thousands of dollars from a judge’s estate for which she was guardian. Emani Taylor will be suspended pending the outcome of a disciplinary proceeding, the New York Law…

Jan 3, 2008 11:22 AM CST