New Innovation Act, aimed at ‘patent trolls,’ would require more details in infringement complaints

Jun 1, 2015 3:40 AM CDT

Cheerleaders file labor and employment suits against the NFL

A recent spate of lawsuits by professional cheerleaders against National Football League franchises has cast an unflattering light on how the league's sideline dancers are treated and compensated.

May 1, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

South Dakota class action highlights violations of the Indian Child Welfare Act

When South Dakota's Pennington County petitioned to take custody of Madonna Pappan's children, the hearing lasted slightly more than 60 seconds.

May 1, 2015 5:50 AM CDT

State copyright law now gives musicians performance rights

The legal rights to broadcast—or otherwise publicly perform—audio recordings have long been a complex, irrational mess, according to copyright lawyers. The mess began with the Sound Recordings Act of 1971, which granted federal copyright protection to audio recordings made on and after Feb. 15, 1972. Composers, lyricists, performers and recording…

Apr 1, 2015 6:07 AM CDT

Kentucky tests new assessment tool to determine whether to keep defendants behind bars

Apr 1, 2015 3:50 AM CDT

High school fumbles a last-gasp legal play over playoff game

In one of football's last-gasp comeback plays, the "Hail Mary" pass, the losing team's quarterback rolls back and launches the football as far as possible hoping one of his receivers can—as in the answer to a prayer—haul in the toss and win the game.

Mar 1, 2015 6:18 AM CST

Lawyers are dealing with changing rules on college sexual assault

As colleges grapple with the recent publicity over campus sexual assaults and violence, so, too, are lawyers dealing with the complicated legal issues involved in filing and investigating grievances. The problem, some lawyers say, is that due process has been abandoned in campus disciplinary procedures that address student-on-student sexual misconduct…

Mar 1, 2015 6:13 AM CST

How should states regulate drones and aerial surveillance?

With a police helicopter hovering over his Taos County, New Mexico, home, Norman Davis consented in 2006 to allow a platoon of law enforcement officers, armed with A-15 semi-automatic weapons, to search his premises. The choppers had spotted marijuana plants that Davis, then 72, claimed he grew for medicinal purposes.

Feb 1, 2015 6:24 AM CST

People with disabilities want the Internet to be more accessible

Feb 1, 2015 3:00 AM CST

International law bar takes aim at overbroad bans on Shariah law

The story of Florida's anti-Shariah law movement began three years ago with a courtroom bang, but it ended last May in a legislative whimper.

Jan 1, 2015 6:05 AM CST

American Indians challenging eagle feather rules get a boost from Hobby Lobby ruling

In many American Indian religions, the eagle is considered a link to the creator and the spirit world. Its feathers are an important part of rituals, facilitating spiritual or physical purification.

Jan 1, 2015 5:53 AM CST

States start to crack down on parents ‘re-homing’ their adopted kids

Among pet owners, "re-homing" an unwanted dog or cat is a relatively straightforward process. The owner who seeks an alternative home often places an ad on the Internet, and a private transaction occurs that moves the pet to a new family.

Dec 1, 2014 5:20 AM CST

Prosecutors are using rap music to convince jurors of gang ties

Desean Haywood of Richmond, California, didn't write or perform the lyrics in "What U Do It Fo," a rap video popularized on YouTube. He does stand behind the performers—a group of young men, most of them black, like Haywood.

Dec 1, 2014 5:10 AM CST

Bully Fighting: New York’s high court says anti-cyberbullying law won’t pass First Amendment muster

The White House held a conference about it in 2011. Legislators have referred to it as the scourge of the Internet. It allegedly has caused teen suicides. Many school districts have policies aimed at it, and some state laws specifically address it. It is cyberbullying, a form of online harassment…

Nov 1, 2014 5:20 AM CDT

Losing to the Spread: New Jersey suffers a setback in its bid for a sports gambling law

Nov 1, 2014 3:30 AM CDT