‘Magic spell hypothesis’ may explain legalese, researchers say

Researchers studying the origins of legalese say lawmakers and lawyers may write laws and legal documents in a convoluted manner to confer a “ritualistic, spell-like element” signaling authority.

Aug 20, 2024 3:12 PM CDT

She made an artwork that excluded men; a man sued for discrimination

At the Ladies Lounge of Australia’s Museum of Old and New Art on the island of Tasmania, only one man is allowed inside: a butler, who serves the women, according to Kirsha Kaechele, the American artist who designed the lounge. On Tuesday, one of those excluded men argued before an Australian tribunal that the lounge violated anti-discrimination laws by keeping him and the rest of his gender out.

Jul 19, 2024 7:50 AM CDT

How will generative AI affect digital investigations and e-discovery?

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Chantelle Jalland, a London-based managing director for digital investigations and discovery with J.S. Held, a global consulting company.

Jan 26, 2024 8:52 AM CST

Generative AI creates fake images that bring to life real stories from Australia’s offshore detention camp

While a project, “Exhibit A-i: The Refugee Account,” has already gained media attention in Australia and has been shown to the country’s minister for immigration and members of Parliament, it also has led to a discussion about the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence. The technology has evolved to a point where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake.

Oct 12, 2023 2:33 PM CDT

Lawyer-turned-playwright celebrates Broadway debut with powerful legal drama

Prima Facie is a new one-woman play on Broadway, centered on an ambitious lawyer who, after building her reputation representing men accused of rape, must navigate the same legal system to seek justice for herself after her sexual assault.

Apr 26, 2023 8:26 AM CDT

Missing apostrophe in Facebook post leads to defamation suit

An Australian real estate agent is facing a defamation lawsuit because of a missing apostrophe in his Facebook post. The real estate agent wrote the post about his former employer and his alleged failure to pay money into Australia’s retirement system.

Oct 12, 2021 9:40 AM CDT

Firms of the future: Equity partner says it’s ‘all about helping clients’ and adapting to the marketplace

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Paul Fontanot, the national practice group leader for forensic and technology services at Clayton Utz in Sydney.

Nov 22, 2019 8:00 AM CST

Was it a stinker of a decision? Employee appeals after judge rules farting wasn’t workplace bullying

A former contract administrator with an Australian construction firm in Melbourne wants an appeals court to reinstate his lawsuit of $1.28 million in U.S. currency ($1.8 million in Australian currency) claiming his boss bullied him by repeatedly farting on him. The Supreme Court of Victoria’s Court of Appeal heard the…

Mar 27, 2019 10:52 AM CDT

Traumatized crime and courts reporter entitled to damages, Australian court says

An Australian court has awarded about $127,000 in U.S. currency ($180,000 in Australian currency) to a former journalist for a Melbourne newspaper for the psychological injury she suffered while covering crime and courts for a decade. The County Court of Victoria ruled on Feb. 22 in a case by a…

Mar 11, 2019 11:16 AM CDT

Philippa Ryan: Developing trust through blockchain

Philippa Ryan thinks a lot about trust. A barrister in Australia, she lectures on the subject, and her PhD thesis focused on the breach of trust and the liability of third parties. So when Ryan heard about trustless relationships enabled by blockchain technology, her interest was piqued.

Sep 1, 2018 2:25 AM CDT

Funding your legal tech initiative through an initial coin offering

Ari Kaplan: Why is Legaler funding its access to justice initiative through an initial coin offering?

Stevie Ghiassi: Fundraising has seen a significant shift to companies actually raising money directly from their communities.

Aug 17, 2018 6:05 AM CDT

LegalZoom announces $500M secondary investment

LegalZoom, the legal services giant, has landed a $500 million secondary investment led by Francisco Partners and GPI Capital, according to a press release issued Tuesday.

Jul 31, 2018 3:30 PM CDT

Supreme Court rules lawyers cannot defy their clients’ wishes to argue for their innocence

A recent Supreme Court decision addresses a dilemma that would challenge any lawyer—how to respond if a client refuses to confess to a capital crime when the lawyer believes such a strategy may be the only way to avoid a death sentence.

Jul 1, 2018 1:40 AM CDT

Proposed Florida law resurrects the debate around the legal duty to help someone in distress

Florida would be in a distinct minority of states if it imposes a duty to rescue people in distress. The rule in the United States is you have no duty to rescue a stranger, and legal scholars are divided on whether that’s a good thing.

Jun 1, 2018 1:50 AM CDT

Advocacy: Beating a Dead Horse

Do you have some purpose in mind in your persistent questioning? Are your questions a tactical gambit with a strategic goal you can articulate, at least to yourself, and hopefully it becomes apparent to others? Or are you just belaboring the obvious?

Sep 1, 2017 1:45 AM CDT