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Thomas' Long Quest To Undo A 'Grave Constitutional Error'
A quarter-century after Justice Clarence Thomas cast a pivotal vote against jury trial rights and rapidly regretted it, his relentless campaign to undo the controversial precedent is suddenly center stage with a serious shot at succeeding, as judges and lawyers increasingly deem the decision dubious and the U.S. Supreme Court chips away at its edges.
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May 24, 2024
Fla. Bar Seeks Longer Penalty Over Atty's Campaign Speech
In a notice filed with the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday, the Florida Bar said it would seek a 91-day suspension for Georgia-based attorney Christopher W. Crowley, rather than a recommended 60-day suspension after a referee said Crowley disparaged Amira Fox several times when both were running for 20th Judicial Circuit state attorney.
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May 24, 2024
Apple Can't Wipe Out 2 Fintiv Mobile Wallet Patents At PTAB
Apple wasn't able to persuade a panel of administrative patent judges to invalidate any language in a pair of patents issued to the founder of a failed cloud-based mobile financial services startup.
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May 24, 2024
GE Immune From Navy Member's Cancer Suit, 3rd Circ. Says
The Third Circuit on Friday declined to revive a suit seeking to hold General Electric liable for failing to warn a deceased U.S. Navy veteran about asbestos risks at a government nuclear facility, ruling that derivative sovereign immunity bars the suit's claims.
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May 24, 2024
Red States Target Blue States In Push To End Climate Torts
A novel red-state request that the U.S. Supreme Court nix climate change torts brought by state governments against fossil fuel companies can be seen as an attempt to urge the justices not to pass up another opportunity to weigh in on the issue, legal experts told Law360.
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May 24, 2024
11th Circ. Lets Carnival Passenger Pursue Pain Damages
The Eleventh Circuit on Friday granted a Carnival Cruise passenger's bid for a new trial seeking damages stemming from her falling out of a wheelchair while disembarking a ship, agreeing that the movant's previous jury award for medical expenses is inadequate without a nominal award for pain and suffering.
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May 24, 2024
5th Circ. Clears Co. In Case That Sparked NLRB Remedy Shift
The Fifth Circuit on Friday vacated a National Labor Relations Board order finding an ad software company violated federal labor law by laying off workers without bargaining with a union, but did not weigh in on the legality of the expanded remedies that the board used the case to adopt.
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May 24, 2024
9th Circ. Says H-2A Employers Must Pay Highest Wages
The Ninth Circuit on Friday said the U.S. Department of Labor can't let employers pay foreign farmworkers on H-2A visas a lower wage rate, rejecting the department's argument that the matter is moot because the previous harvest season is over.
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May 24, 2024
No-Show Plaintiff, 'Jackass' Atty Booted Too Quickly, Court Says
A Michigan appellate court sympathized with a trial court dealing with a no-show plaintiff and his lawyer who acted like a "jackass" — according to one appellate judge — but ruled Thursday that the trial court needed to do a better job documenting why it tossed the case instead of issuing a lesser sanction.
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May 24, 2024
Petition Watch: Forum Shopping, Monopolies & Gun Safety
Law360 looks at four U.S. Supreme Court petitions filed in the past two weeks, including the FDA's request that the justices curb an increase in forum shopping at the Fifth Circuit, and two veterinarians who want the justices to allow plaintiffs to pursue antitrust claims for actions allegedly leading to the creation of a monopoly.
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May 24, 2024
Ohio Justices Say Regulator Must Take Freezing Death Case
An Ohio trial court cannot hear a lawsuit seeking to hold Dominion Energy liable for a woman's freezing death after her natural gas was shut off, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday, reasoning the matter belongs before the state's utilities regulator because the shutoff was an act authorized by the utility.
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May 24, 2024
NJ Panel Won't Revive Atty's Turnpike Authority Harassment Suit
A New Jersey state appeals court panel stood by an attorney's loss Friday in his suit claiming the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and its officials held him back from promotions and raises and harassed him based on his military service in the U.S. National Guard.
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May 24, 2024
Florida Urges Quick Appeal Of Wetlands Permitting Decision
The state of Florida has pushed to expedite its appeal of a lower court ruling that stripped the state of its federally delegated authority to permit wetlands development after the D.C. Circuit declined to pause the ruling's implementation earlier this week.
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May 24, 2024
Green Groups Lose In California Fish Protection Lawsuit
The federal government properly considered the needs of fish protected under the Endangered Species Act when it approved water supply contracts for California's Central Valley Project, the Ninth Circuit said in a ruling rejecting environmental groups' claims to the contrary.
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May 24, 2024
5th Circ. Again Upholds Engineers' OT Win
A Fifth Circuit panel on Friday backed for the second time a lower court's ruling that two engineers receiving a weekly minimum salary as part of their compensation package were not overtime-exempt and sent the case back to the district court to determine damages awards.
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May 24, 2024
Mich. Trampoline Park Defeats Jumper's Quadriplegia Suit
Michigan appellate judges have reversed a lower court's refusal to end a negligence suit by a patron who became quadriplegic after landing on his neck at an indoor trampoline park while performing a flip, finding no dispute the patron was at least half responsible since he was intoxicated.
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May 24, 2024
Biden's Judicial Impact And What's Left On The Wish List
President Joe Biden secured confirmation of his 200th federal judge Wednesday and has transformed the judiciary by picking more women and people of color than any other president. But the upcoming election season could derail his hopes of confirming many more judges.
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May 24, 2024
US Cos. Call On Fed. Circ. To Restore Chinese Plywood Duties
A U.S. plywood group is urging the Federal Circuit to unwind five U.S. Court of International Trade remands that shrank a Chinese competitor's anti-dumping duties from 183.36% to nothing, saying the court forced the government to accept unreliable data.
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May 24, 2024
Wrong Circuit Law Used To Deport Moroccan, Board Says
The Board of Immigration Appeals faulted an immigration court for applying incorrect circuit law to deport a Moroccan national, saying Friday that the case was ruled by Sixth Circuit law, even though the case record was sent to the Third Circuit.
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May 24, 2024
4th Circ. Urged To Keep Suit Against Credit Co. In Fed. Court
A Maryland credit card customer pressed the Fourth Circuit to affirm a district court's decision to keep in federal court a proposed class action alleging subprime credit card company Mercury Financial did business without a license, arguing arbitration cannot be fairly enforced, and that Mercury is trying to raise new arguments on appeal.
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May 24, 2024
DC Circ. Says Bainbridge Can't Have Argentina's Building
The D.C. Circuit on Friday denied an appeal from Bainbridge Fund Ltd. in a property dispute with Argentina, saying the company can't take possession of the property in an effort to satisfy a $95 million judgment over defaulted bonds.
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May 24, 2024
3rd Circ. Backs US Immunity Over Marine Recruit's Death
The Third Circuit has said that "tragedy does not trump sovereign immunity" in a precedential ruling finding that the federal government is immune from a wrongful death suit brought by a U.S. Marine Corps recruit's family after he crashed his car and died on the way to an event for the corps.
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May 24, 2024
Ga. Appeals Seat Winner Faces Challenge Over Residency
A Georgia attorney is looking to pause the certification of Tuesday's election win by a onetime state bar leader for a Georgia Court of Appeals seat, arguing that he lied about his Atlanta residence when he qualified to run for the judgeship since he allegedly lived in Tennessee.
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May 24, 2024
Alito Flag Displays 'Improper' And 'Dumb,' District Judge Says
A Massachusetts federal judge is calling out U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for controversial flags reportedly seen flying outside his homes, saying such actions erode public trust in the courts.
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May 24, 2024
No Private Suits Under State Enviro Law, Ill. Justices Say
The daughter of a woman badly burned in a condominium complex explosion cannot bring bodily injury claims against Marathon Petroleum Co. and others under Illinois' environmental protection laws because they do not provide private statutory rights of action, the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled.
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May 24, 2024
CFPB Will Ask DC Circ. To Rescue Rule Challenged By PayPal
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Friday it will appeal a Washington, D.C., federal judge's recent decision that sided with payments giant PayPal in its lawsuit challenging the agency's extension of certain prepaid card regulations to digital wallets.
Editor's Picks
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Thomas' Long Quest To Undo A 'Grave Constitutional Error'
A quarter-century after Justice Clarence Thomas cast a pivotal vote against jury trial rights and rapidly regretted it, his relentless campaign to undo the controversial precedent is suddenly center stage with a serious shot at succeeding, as judges and lawyers increasingly deem the decision dubious and the U.S. Supreme Court chips away at its edges.
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DC Circuit Cases To Watch In 2024
As the D.C. Circuit heads into 2024, its judges are poised to answer hotly anticipated political questions about former President Donald Trump and his allies, as well as a number of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission cases that could determine the future of certain natural gas projects.
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Law360's Guide To Biden's Judicial Picks
UPDATED May 23, 2024 | President Joe Biden is shaping the federal judiciary by adding to the courts' professional and demographic diversity — a sharp break from former President Donald Trump, who made the judiciary more homogeneous as the judges confirmed under him were 84% white and 76% male.
Expert Analysis
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One Contract Fix Can Reduce Employer Lawsuit Exposure
A recent Fifth Circuit ruling that saved FedEx over $365 million highlights how a one-sentence limitation provision on an employment application or in an at-will employment agreement may be the easiest cost-savings measure for employers against legal claims, say Sara O'Keefe and William Wortel at BCLP.
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What 11th Circ. FCRA Ruling Means For Credit Furnishers
Credit furnishers should revisit their internal investigation and verification procedures after the Eleventh Circuit declined last month in Holden v. Holiday to impose a bright-line rule that only purely factual or transcription errors are actionable under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, say Diana Eng and Michael Esposito at Blank Rome.
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High Court Injunction Case Could Shake Up Fee-Shifting Rules
In agreeing to review a Virginia case rendered statutorily moot before final judgment, the U.S. Supreme Court could finally settle the question of if — and when — a preliminary injunction can win attorney fees for a prevailing party, but all possible answers could disrupt fee-shifting schemes written into major laws, says Laurens Wilkes at Winston & Strawn.
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Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content
From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.
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The State Of Play In DEI And ESG 1 Year After Harvard Ruling
Almost a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, attorney general scrutiny of environmental, social and governance-related efforts indicates a potential path for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to be targeted, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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Patent Lessons From 4 Federal Circuit Reversals In April
Four Federal Circuit decisions in April that reversed or vacated underlying rulings provide a number of takeaways, including that obviousness analysis requires a flexible approach, that an invalidity issue of an expired patent can be moot, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.
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CFPB Poised To Up The Ante After Supreme Court Victory
When the U.S. Supreme Court emphatically ruled last week that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding structure did not violate the Constitution, the agency boasted that it was "here to stay," signaling that it is moving full steam ahead with its regulatory, enforcement and supervisory agenda, says Jim Sandy at McGlinchey Stafford.
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2nd Circ. Ruling Affirms NY Law's Creditor-Friendly Approach
The Second Circuit’s recent ruling in 245 Park Member v. HNA International provides creditors with some reason for optimism that debtors in New York may face rejection in court for aiming to keep creditors at arm’s length by transferring personal assets into an LLC, says Jeff Newton at Omni Bridgeway.
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When Oral Settlements Reached In Mediation Are Enforceable
A recent decision by the New Jersey Appellate Division illustrates the difficulties that may arise in trying to enforce an oral settlement agreement reached in mediation, but adherence to certain practices can improve the likelihood that such an agreement will be binding, says Richard Mason at MasonADR.
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Series
Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.
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In Debate Over High Court Wording, 'Wetland' Remains Murky
Though the U.S. Supreme Court's decision limiting the Clean Water Act’s wetlands jurisdiction is now a year old, Sackett v. EPA's practical consequences for property owners are still evolving as federal agencies and private parties advance competing interpretations of the court's language and methods for distinguishing wetlands in lower courts, says Neal McAliley at Carlton Fields.
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Navigating Title VII Compliance And Litigation Post-Muldrow
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Muldrow v. St. Louis has broadened the scope of Title VII litigation, meaning employers must reassess their practices to ensure compliance across jurisdictions and conduct more detailed factual analyses to defend against claims effectively, say Robert Pepple and Christopher Stevens at Nixon Peabody.
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How CFPB Credit Card Rules Slot Into Broader Considerations
Swirling legal challenges against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent rulemaking concerning credit card late fees raise questions about how regulated entities should respond to the bureau's rules — and how quickly they should act, say Caitlin Mandel and Elizabeth Ireland at Winston & Strawn.
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Perspectives
Public Interest Attorneys Are Key To Preserving Voting Rights
Fourteen states passed laws restricting or limiting voting access last year, highlighting the need to support public interest lawyers who serve as bulwarks against such antidemocratic actions — especially in an election year, says Verna Williams at Equal Justice Works.
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Insurer Quota-Sharing Lessons From $112M Bad Faith Verdict
In Indiana GRQ v. American Guarantee and Liability Insurance, an Indiana federal jury recently issued a landmark $112 million bad faith verdict, illustrating why insurers must understand the interplay between bad faith law and quota-sharing before entering into these relatively new arrangements, say Jason Reichlyn and Christopher Sakauye at Dykema.