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Appellate
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September 04, 2024
Mich. Voters Can't Advance Pot Initiatives, Panel Rules
A Michigan state appeals court sided with four cities Tuesday to block ballot initiatives that would have created regulatory schemes for the licensing and zoning of cannabis businesses, finding state law limits citizens' say and gives the power to write marijuana regulations only to cities.
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September 04, 2024
Ga. Justices Won't Disturb Distributors' Opioid Trial Win
The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed a ruling that family members of drug abusers are not entitled to a new trial after a Glynn County jury cleared opioid distributors of wrongdoing, in response to claims regarding an allegedly dishonest juror and flawed jury instructions.
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September 04, 2024
Groups Urge DC Circ. To Reject Pharma Terrorism Liability Claims
Business and nongovernmental organization advocacy groups have urged the D.C. Circuit to rule that terrorism victims can't hold pharmaceutical companies liable for their injuries, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting similar liability claims against technology companies.
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September 04, 2024
Towns Say Settlement Doesn't Limit Rail Merger Appeal
A coalition of Illinois towns challenging the approval of Canadian Pacific's $31 billion merger with Kansas City Southern told the D.C. Circuit the federal government is trying to use a settlement struck by Chicago's commuter rail system to limit the issues in the case.
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September 04, 2024
FCC Sued In 5th Circ. Over Wi-Fi Plan For Schools, Libraries
A couple who run an anti-cyberbullying nonprofit are suing the Federal Communications Commission in the Fifth Circuit over its new rules to subsidize Wi-Fi service for school and library users off campus, saying the subsidy violates limits built into the law that created the E-Rate program.
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September 04, 2024
Tort Report: 'Landmark' $16M Crash Verdict Against Amazon
A "landmark" verdict out of Georgia that put Amazon on the hook for an independent contractor delivery driver's negligence and a hearing-impaired Florida physician's disciplinary matter lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.
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September 04, 2024
9th Circ. Blocks Calif.'s Social Media Content Disclosure Law
The Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday that a trial judge wrongly denied X Corp.'s bid to block parts of a new California law that requires social media giants to disclose their content-moderation policies, finding that provisions requiring the companies to disclose how and whether they define extreme content are likely unconstitutional.
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September 04, 2024
Chamber Backs Gilead's Immunity In COVID Appeal
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a trade association representing drug companies have urged a Michigan state appeals court to rule that Gilead Sciences is immune from a claim that a recalled batch of COVID-19 medication caused a man to suffer two strokes.
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September 04, 2024
LinkedIn Speech Not Covered By Labor Law, 5th Circ. Told
A logistics company told a Fifth Circuit panel during oral arguments Wednesday that an employee who was fired for allegedly disparaging comments made over LinkedIn wasn't protected under labor law, although the panel pointed out that an employee can take protected wage complaints to outside parties.
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September 04, 2024
Fintech Investor Tries To Undo 'Formulistic' Nix Of NCino Suit
A pension fund invested in financial technology company nCino Inc. urged Delaware's Supreme Court on Wednesday to revive its suit against company directors and investment firm Insight Venture Partners over a $1.2 billion acquisition, arguing the Chancery Court "missed the mosaic for the tiles" by dismissing the case.
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September 04, 2024
2nd Circ. Hears Unvaxxed NY Judge's 'Exile' Challenge
A Second Circuit panel on Wednesday voiced some skepticism of a bid to revive a New York state judge's lawsuit over his "exile" after he failed to get a religious exemption from the court system's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
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September 04, 2024
4th Circ. Says Trade Secrets Verdict Wrongly Based On Va. Law
The Fourth Circuit wants a Virginia federal court to take another crack at a trade secrets dispute brought by an industrial equipment supplier against a former employee who founded and operated two competitors while working for it, concluding a jury's verdict was based on the wrong laws.
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September 04, 2024
Full DC Circuit Refuses To Save Green Cards For Visa Winners
Thousands of diversity visa winners lost their yearslong court battle to obtain their green cards, when the full D.C. Circuit declined to review a panel decision barring the U.S. Department of State from processing their expired visa applications.
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September 04, 2024
Ga. Justices Take On Barnes & Thornburg Malpractice Case
The Georgia Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to consider reviving a legal malpractice lawsuit against Barnes & Thornburg LLP over its handling of an underlying case against a life insurance company, with the justices focused on whether the doctrine of judgmental immunity should have barred the claims.
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September 04, 2024
1st Circ. Unsure If Texts In Pot Bribe Case Crossed State Lines
A First Circuit panel on Wednesday expressed skepticism that the simple sending of an iMessage through an Apple cellphone satisfies the element of wire fraud requiring interstate communication, entertaining a Massachusetts attorney's challenge to his convictions for seeking to bribe a police chief to win a local marijuana license.
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September 04, 2024
Insurer Must Cover Woman's Fire Claim, Wash. Panel Says
An insurer must cover a woman's claim for damage to her former home after she was assaulted and set on fire by her ex-husband, a Washington state appeals court ruled, finding that a domestic abuse exception to the policy's intentional loss exclusion applies.
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September 04, 2024
Texas Justices OK Some Online Learning For Bar Admission
The Texas Supreme Court has announced rule changes that would allow certain online degree programs to qualify for admission to the State Bar of Texas.
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September 04, 2024
2nd Circ. Says Free E-Book Library Not Fair Use
The Second Circuit on Wednesday rejected a nonprofit digital library's fair use defense of its practice of distributing copyrighted e-books for free, ruling in favor of a group of book publishers in a closely watched case.
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September 04, 2024
Ga. Justices Disbar Atty For Abandoning Clients' Cases
The Supreme Court of Georgia has disbarred an attorney after his late filings cost his clients more than $800,000 combined in default judgment and medical costs, concluding on Wednesday that such a strong move in response to his misconduct is supported by the court's precedent.
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September 04, 2024
Chief Justice Brister To Bring 20 Years' Wisdom To 15th Court
For newly appointed Chief Justice Scott A. Brister of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals of Texas, the creation of a new statewide appeals court came at the perfect time.
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September 04, 2024
Election Year Surprise? GOP Judges Opening Seats For Biden
Well ahead of fall elections that could flip the White House and U.S. Senate to Republicans, many GOP-appointed judges are retiring and giving Democrats opportunities to fill key seats before Republicans can capitalize on any wins at the polls, and several of the judges discussed the political backdrop with Law360.
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September 04, 2024
Ga. Justices Affirm Rejection Of Class In Patient Privacy Suit
The Georgia Supreme Court said Wednesday that a Fulton County trial court acted within its discretion when it denied class certification for a suit over a release of patient records from a private mental health hospital, overturning a Georgia Court of Appeals ruling.
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September 04, 2024
Atty Disbarred In Fla. Over Sexual Messages To Client
The Florida Supreme Court has disbarred an Ohio attorney for sending inappropriate sexual text messages to a client, more than a year after the Buckeye State high court handed the lawyer a two-year suspension for the same misconduct.
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September 04, 2024
EPA Coke Ovens Rule Challenged By Green Groups, Industry
Green groups and a coke-making business have kicked off challenges to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule strengthening emission standards for hazardous air pollutants like benzene, mercury, lead and arsenic that are emitted by coke oven facilities.
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September 04, 2024
Cos. Tell High Court Biden Can't Hike Contractors' Min. Wage
The Tenth Circuit pushed the borders of the Procurement Act too much when it blessed President Joe Biden's decision to increase federal contractors' hourly minimum wage, two outdoor groups told the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the law doesn't authorize wage increases.
Expert Analysis
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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High Court's BofA Ruling Leaves State Preemption Questions
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Cantero v. Bank of America sheds light on whether certain state banking regulations apply to federally chartered banks, but a circuit split could still force the Supreme Court to take a more direct position, says Brett Garver at Moritt Hock.
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Next Steps After 5th Circ. Nixes Private Fund Adviser Rules
The Fifth Circuit's recent toss of key U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding private fund advisers represents a setback for the regulator, but open questions, including the possibility of an SEC petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, mean it's still too early to consider the matter closed, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Foreign Discovery Insights 2 Years After ZF Automotive
Although an Arizona federal court decision last month demonstrates that Section 1782 discovery may still be available to foreign arbitral parties, the scope of such discovery has narrowed greatly since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision in ZF Automotive, and there are a few potential trends for practitioners to follow, say attorneys at Venable.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Deciphering SEC Disgorgement 4 Years After Liu
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Liu v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to preserve SEC disgorgement with limits, courts have continued to rule largely in the agency’s favor, but a recent circuit split over the National Defense Authorization Act's import may create hurdles for the SEC, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Where Anti-Discrimination Law Stands 4 Years After Bostock
On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Bostock ruling, Evan Parness and Abby Rickeman at Covington take stock of how the decision, which held that Title VII protects employees from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, has affected anti-discrimination law at the state and federal levels.
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8th Circ. Insurance Ruling Spotlights Related-Claims Defenses
The Eighth Circuit’s recent Dexon v. Travelers ruling — that the insurer must provide a defense despite the policy’s related-acts provision — provides guidance for how policyholders can overcome related-acts defenses, say Geoffrey Fehling and Jae Lynn Huckaba at Hunton.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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9th Circ. Clarifies ERISA Preemption For Healthcare Industry
The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in Bristol SL Holdings v. Cigna notably clarifies the broad scope of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's preemption of certain state law causes of action, standing to benefit payors and health plan administrators, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Patent Lessons From 7 Federal Circuit Reversals In May
A look at recent cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court provide guidance on how to succeed on appeal by clarifying the obviousness analysis of design patents, the finality of a judgment, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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What To Know As CFPB Late Fee Rule Hangs In Limbo
Though the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final credit card late fee rule faces an uncertain future due to litigation involving injunctions, emergency petitions and now a venue dispute, card issuers must understand how to navigate the interim period and what to do if the rule takes effect, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs
The recent amendment of a federal evidence rule regarding expert testimony and the proposal of a civil rule on managing early discovery in multidistrict legislation hold great promise for promoting the uniform and efficient processes that high-stakes product liability cases particularly need, say Alan Klein and William Heaston at Duane Morris.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.