Edelson Enters 'Clean' Dismissal In Girardi Atty Case

By Andrea Keckley

Edelson PC has submitted a "clean and unadulterated" dismissal of its conversion case against two former attorneys from the now-defunct law firm Girardi Keese after an Illinois federal judge took issue with a previous version of the stipulation.

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Illinois Court Says Tax Board Overstepped In Appeal Dismissal

By Maria Koklanaris

The Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board exceeded its statutory authority when it decided to sanction a commercial property owner by dismissing two tax appeals over the property, a state appellate panel said Wednesday.

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1st Circ. Weighs Federal Halt To Planned Parenthood Funding

By Dan McKay

First Circuit judges skeptically questioned a Planned Parenthood attorney Wednesday as they wrestled with whether Congress illegally singled out the organization in budget legislation that blocks its federal Medicaid funding for a year.

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Ill. Justices Probe 'Catch-22' In $7B Grain Belt Line Fight

By Celeste Bott

Illinois Supreme Court justices considering whether to uphold an Illinois agency's authorization of part of the $7 billion Grain Belt Express high-voltage transmission line on Wednesday pressed counsel for landowners insisting they shouldn't to address whether their argument creates a "catch-22" for the developer if it can't get funding without regulatory signoff but needs regulatory approval to secure financing.

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Boeing Settles Ethiopian Air Case Ahead Of $28M Verdict

By Lauraann Wood

An Illinois federal jury awarded more than $28 million on Wednesday to the estate of a United Nations environmental scientist who died in the 2019 crash of a Boeing jet flying Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, even though the parties reached a settlement ahead of closing arguments. 

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Dem Lawmakers Urge Governors To Block ICE's DMV Data Access

By Rae Ann Varona

Forty Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday warned several governors, including in Arizona, California and Colorado, that their states may be unknowingly sending their residents' driver's license and registration information to federal immigration authorities.

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Detainees' Attorneys, Judge To Inspect Illinois ICE Center

By Celeste Bott

An Illinois federal judge and attorneys representing detainees who have alleged "inhumane" conditions at an immigration holding center in Broadview are set to visit and inspect the facility on Thursday, after another judge handed down a temporary restraining order requiring improvements last week.

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Energy Dept. Sued Over Blue State Project Award Rescissions

By Keith Goldberg

Minnesota's capital city and several clean energy advocates have sued the U.S. Department of Energy in D.C. federal court over its termination of over $7.5 billion in grants for energy projects, accusing the agency of unconstitutionally targeting projects primarily in blue states.

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Defeating Estoppel-Based Claims In Legal Malpractice Actions

State supreme court cases from recent years have addressed whether positions taken by attorneys in an underlying lawsuit can be used against them in a subsequent legal malpractice action, providing a foundation to defeat ex-clients’ estoppel claims, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

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Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Networking 101

Cultivating a network isn't part of the law school curriculum, but learning the soft skills needed to do so may be the key to establishing a solid professional reputation, nurturing client relationships and building business, says Sharon Crane at Practising Law Institute.

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Claims Firms Accused Of Misleading Plaintiffs In Pharma MDL

By James Boyle

A Pennsylvania federal judge has been asked to slow down aggressive marketing campaigns from claims recovery firms that are accused of using false and misleading advertising to attract plaintiffs in a multidistrict litigation action against pharmaceutical companies.

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Fired Immigration Judges Share Concerns As Cases Pile Up

By Courtney Bublé

Fired immigration judges spoke on Thursday about their "crushing" backlog of cases, a buildup exacerbated by the Trump administration's elimination of their colleagues' positions.

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Minn. Chief Federal Judge To Take Semi-Retired Status In July

By Courtney Bublé

Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz of the District of Minnesota will take semi-retired status next summer, according to an update on Thursday from the federal judiciary.

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Judge Casts Doubt On Legitimacy Of Halligan's Appointment

By Jared Foretek

A federal judge in Virginia said Thursday that Attorney General Pam Bondi couldn't have reviewed the full transcript of the grand jury proceedings that netted an indictment of James Comey before ratifying the charges against the former FBI director because the U.S. Department of Justice didn't have them at the time.

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Judge Denies NJ Lawmaker's Bid To Toss ICE Facility Charges

By Parker Quinlan

A New Jersey federal judge on Thursday refused to toss the criminal indictment filed against U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., following a confrontation with federal agents at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark.

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Coalition Rips Trump Deputy AG's Claim Of 'War' With Judges

By Rose Krebs

A group of former federal judges on Thursday condemned what they called "inflammatory remarks" last week by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche detailing the U.S. Department of Justice's "war" with "rogue activist" judges.

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Del. US Atty Tapped For Acting Role After Interim Term Expires

By Jake Maher

Delaware's former interim U.S. attorney has been appointed acting U.S. attorney after the district court declined to keep her as the top federal prosecutor in the First State when her term expired.

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Judge Halts Jackson Walker Secret Romance Settlements

By Adrian Cruz

A Texas federal judge has paused a number of settlements between Jackson Walker LLP and former clients, criticizing the firm for trying to undermine the U.S. Trustee's investigation into alleged malpractice stemming from a secret romance between a former partner and a bankruptcy judge.

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Brief

Colo. High Court Appoints Appellate Chief Judge

By Rachel Konieczny

The Colorado Judicial Branch announced Thursday the appointment of Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Ted Tow as the court's next chief judge.

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Justices Won't Block 5th Circ. Order On Child's Removal

By Britain Eakin

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday denied an emergency application to stay a Fifth Circuit decision that would allow an asylum-seeker's 7-year-old daughter to be deported to Venezuela.

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NY Gov't Ethics Watchdog Called To Testify Against AG James

By Andrea Keckley

The federal government subpoenaed the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government on Wednesday to testify in its case against New York Attorney General Letitia A. James.

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Interview

Ex-Judge Worries Top Court Will Be 'Timid' In Checking Trump

By Chris Villani

A Massachusetts federal judge who recently resigned to more openly speak out against the Trump administration told Law360 on Thursday he is concerned the U.S. Supreme Court will be unwilling to provide a constitutional check on presidential overreach.

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SEC's Northeast Deputy Enforcement Head To Depart Agency

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Thursday that the deputy director of the enforcement division for the Northeast will leave the agency, following stints as the regional director of the New York office and acting deputy director of the enforcement division.

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