States

Law firm and lawyer in ‘quiet quit’ dispute drop their litigation

Dueling lawsuits between the law firm Napoli Shkolnik and a fired partner accused of "quiet quitting" have been dropped following private mediation.

Jun 6, 2024 1:01 PM CDT

Judge’s revelation is new twist in saga of man driving in video during suspended-license hearing

A man accused of driving during a Zoom court hearing for a suspended-license charge, creating a viral moment, is back behind bars again.

Jun 6, 2024 10:46 AM CDT

Wisconsin warden, 8 other staffers charged after series of prisoner deaths

The warden of a troubled Wisconsin prison and eight of his staffers have been charged following an investigation into a series of prisoner deaths over the past year. “There must be accountability for the actions and inactions of state employees,” Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said. “As the sheriff, I am angered at how these men were treated and how they died.”

Jun 6, 2024 9:30 AM CDT

Texas DA seeks to overturn governor’s pardon of man who killed BLM protester

A Texas district attorney said his office will ask the state’s highest criminal court to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott’s pardon of a man who killed a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020. Daniel Perry was given a 25-year prison sentence for fatally shooting the 28-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran, Garrett Foster.

Jun 6, 2024 9:20 AM CDT

In concurrence confession, appeals judge says ChatGPT research ‘less nutty’ than feared

Judge Kevin Newsom of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Atlanta tried using ChatGPT to research the ordinary meaning of “landscaping,” and he’s not afraid to admit it.

Jun 6, 2024 9:09 AM CDT

Georgia appeals court pauses Trump election case to consider disqualifying DA Fani Willis

The Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday ordered a halt to the proceedings in the election interference case against former president Donald Trump and eight other defendants pending the outcome of their appeal seeking to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis. The order means the case will almost certainly not be scheduled for trial before the fall election.

Jun 5, 2024 4:21 PM CDT

7th Circuit has no patience for Bernhard Modern—a typeface, not a person

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago is no fan of Bernhard Modern, a typeface used by a Chicago lawyer to the dismay of an appellate panel.

Jun 5, 2024 3:48 PM CDT

Lawyer gives up license after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assaults, including one involving associate

A Washington lawyer has agreed to give up his law license, rather than fight allegations stemming from his guilty plea to misdemeanor assaults on a Delta Air Lines flight and after a work-sponsored event.

Jun 5, 2024 9:42 AM CDT

21 state AGs sign letter demanding changes to ABA diversity standard for law schools

The attorneys general of 21 states are urging the council for the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar to change a law school accreditation standard that encourages diversity in admissions and hiring.

Jun 5, 2024 9:00 AM CDT

Citing ‘Sixth Amendment nightmare,’ 9th Circuit allows pretrial release of defendants without lawyers

A federal appeals court upheld an injunction Friday that requires Oregon to release pretrial defendants from custody if they have not received a lawyer within seven days.

Jun 4, 2024 2:06 PM CDT

City sued for paying hundreds of Black residents $25,000 in reparations

Evanston, a Chicago suburb, has been credited with launching the country’s first government-funded reparations program for Black Americans. It has paid out nearly $5 million to 193 of the town’s Black residents over the past two years. But now a conservative advocacy group has filed a class-action lawsuit to kill the program, arguing that it discriminates against the suburb’s non-Black residents.

Jun 4, 2024 11:10 AM CDT

Juror excused after mystery woman left bag of cash at her home and explained why

A 23-year-old juror in a charity fraud trial was excused Monday after a woman dressed in black visited her home Sunday evening with a Hallmark gift bag containing about $120,000 cash.

Jun 4, 2024 11:05 AM CDT

‘Colorful’ attorney with ‘massive client list’ sentenced for $2M theft, impersonating his lawyer

A New Jersey lawyer was sentenced to 5½ years in prison Thursday for stealing more than $2 million from his clients and, after he was charged, impersonating his lawyer in a letter to a bank.

Jun 4, 2024 9:54 AM CDT

Judge cites ‘utter lack of specificity’ as he tosses suit alleging NYU law review favors minorities

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that the New York University School of Law illegally used racial and sexual preferences to select some members of its law review.

Jun 4, 2024 9:03 AM CDT

BigLaw partner was demoted and later told to hang up his spurs, age-bias suit alleges

Fox Rothschild no longer has a mandatory retirement age of 72. But the law firm nonetheless discriminates against older equity partners, a lawsuit alleges, by demoting them, transitioning their role as billing attorney to younger partners, and making them sign renewable one-year contracts.

Jun 3, 2024 1:18 PM CDT