Trump says he ‘would actually’ consider Texas AG Ken Paxton for US attorney general

Former President Donald Trump said this weekend he “would actually” consider Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. attorney general if he returns to the White House.

May 21, 2024 3:44 PM CDT

Upside-down flag flew at Justice Alito’s house after neighbor dispute

In the fraught weeks after the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. flew an upside-down American flag at their home following a dispute with a neighbor over anti-Trump yard signs, according to a statement from the justice and interviews with neighbors.

May 20, 2024 1:45 PM CDT

Biden has installed the most non-white judges of any president

In 3-1/2 years, President Biden has already installed more non-white federal judges than any president in history. His slate of judges is also majority female—another first.

May 20, 2024 10:00 AM CDT

California bar plans to expunge attorney discipline records after this happens

The State Bar of California's board of trustees approved a plan last week to expunge discipline records automatically for attorneys who have not been disbarred.

May 20, 2024 9:21 AM CDT

With reclassifying proposal for cannabis, companies are seeing green

The smoke is finally clearing on decades of stigma. On Thursday, the White House Office of Management and Budget signed off on a proposal for the reclassification of marijuana, puffing the way forward from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug.

May 17, 2024 12:11 PM CDT

Another state approves death penalty for child rape

Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill last week that authorizes the death penalty for aggravated rape of a child by an adult.

May 16, 2024 2:14 PM CDT

Supreme Court restores Louisiana voting map with majority-Black district

The Supreme Court restored a congressional voting map in Louisiana on Wednesday that includes an additional majority-Black district, handing a victory to African American voters and Democrats less than six months before the November election.

May 16, 2024 12:00 PM CDT

When states’ rights and health care access clash

From the COVID-19 response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the results of 50 states having individual approaches to public health, medical outcomes and health care access raise troubling questions. A husband-and-wife team of University of Utah professors dig into the ethics of the American health care system in States of Health: The Ethics and Consequences of Policy Variation in a Federal System.

May 15, 2024 4:40 PM CDT

Judge used N-word when questioning whether prosecutors were too aggressive, transcript shows

Updated: A Black judge in Louisiana used the N-word and complained about a “piss-poor" resolution of a case while chastising prosecutors during an April hearing, a transcript indicates.

May 15, 2024 11:19 AM CDT

Justice Department warns against threats to voting rights, election workers

Attorney General Merrick Garland warned Monday of mounting violent threats against election workers across the country, and vowed that the Justice Department will be “relentless” in prosecuting those who threaten the democratic process.

May 14, 2024 12:50 PM CDT

Suit accuses BigLaw partner of ‘regurgitating’ claims of con artist who claimed to be CIA agent

A Swiss oil trading company alleges in a lawsuit that a Baker & Hostetler partner was either fooled by a con artist claiming to be a secret CIA operative or was a conspirator in the man’s scheme.

May 14, 2024 10:24 AM CDT

Lawyer charged with illegally transmitting Michigan data after 2020 election

A lawyer who pressed election fraud claims after the 2020 presidential election is facing new criminal charges alleging that she and a township clerk allowed an unauthorized computer examiner to access voter data that included nonpublic information.

May 9, 2024 2:53 PM CDT

Solicitors general, past and present, reflect on ups and downs of job and arguing before SCOTUS

It isn’t often that a bipartisan group of U.S. solicitors general gather in public to discuss their unique role in the legal system and even gripe a little about the U.S. Supreme Court. But that’s what happened recently in a packed hotel ballroom before the ABA 2024 Litigation Section Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

May 9, 2024 12:02 PM CDT

No separate hearing required when police seize cars loaned to drivers accused of drug crimes, SCOTUS rules

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against two women who loaned their cars to others arrested for drug crimes while using the vehicles, leading Alabama police to seek civil forfeiture of the cars.

May 9, 2024 10:44 AM CDT

Catholic school can fire gay drama teacher for marrying, 4th Circuit rules

One of the most liberal appellate courts in the country has ruled that a Catholic high school could fire a teacher for marrying another man, a victory for conservative and religious advocacy groups that have pushed back against anti-discrimination law.

May 8, 2024 3:10 PM CDT