http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-25T10:27:25-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/irs_official_takes_fifth_in_house_testimony_but_did_she_waive_her_right_to_/ After invoking her Fifth Amendment right not to testify Wednesday, when she was called before a House committee looking into special Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of tax exemptions sought by conservative groups, an IRS official was put on administrative leave Thursday. But some observers are questioning whether Lois Lerner, who… Constitutional Law, Executive Branch, Legislation & Lobbying, Tax Law, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, District of Columbia Fri, 24 May 2013 07:20:10 -0500 44347.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/8_arrested_in_lobby_of_covingtons_dc_office_during_mortgage_foreclosure_pro/ Eight individuals were arrested Wednesday as they protested the U.S. government's lack of prosecution of bank mortgage foreclosure activities in the lobby of Covington & Burling's office building in Washington, D.C. Seven were charged with unlawful entry and one was charged with assaulting a police officer, reports Banking Law, Criminal Justice, Executive Branch, Law Firms, Large Firm, Real Estate & Property Law, States, District of Columbia Thu, 23 May 2013 09:47:11 -0500 44330.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/feds_secretly_got_warrant_for_fox_reporters_email_claiming_that_his_news-ga/ News that federal authorities had apparently looked at the personal email of the chief Washington correspondent for Fox News under a search warrant secretly obtained in a criminal investigation of his 2009 news-gathering activities elicited outrage Monday from media organizations and others. The warrant, which was both issued and unsealed… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Criminal Justice, Executive Branch, Media & Communications Law, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, D.C. Circuit Court, States, District of Columbia Tue, 21 May 2013 06:50:54 -0500 44284.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ap_complains_of_massive_and_unprecedented_intrusion_by_doj_into_reporters/ In a letter Monday to Attorney General Eric Holder, the Associated Press complains of a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" by the Department of Justice into its reporters' newsgathering activities, contending that the feds secretly obtained two months of phone records on 20 lines used by AP journalists, including home and… Attorney General, Constitutional Law, Media & Communications Law, Terrorism, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, D.C. Circuit Court, States, District of Columbia Mon, 13 May 2013 17:05:50 -0500 44160.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/dc_chief_judges_celebrated_law_day_with_tweets/ The chief judges of Washington, D.C.’s superior and appeals courts marked Law Day by answering questions on Twitter for an hour. The judges fielded questions on topics ranging from jury duty to legal careers, according to The BLT: The Blog of Legal… Judiciary, States, District of Columbia Thu, 02 May 2013 13:55:43 -0500 44019.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/d.c._insurance_boutique_opens_in_nycs_chrysler_building_is_looking_for_asso/ A Washington, D.C.-based international insurance boutique has opened in New York City, where it signed a four-year lease for nearly 4,000 square feet of space in the Chrysler Building. Lewis Baach has been operational there for roughly a month, with partners Adam Kaufmann and Insurance Law, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Partners, States, District of Columbia, New York Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:40:50 -0500 43676.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_oks_pro_se_prisoners_libel_suit_over_legal_publications_recap_of_his_/ Sentenced to a life prison term in 1983 after being convicted of second-degree murder in the slayings of two U.S. marshals, Yorie Von Kahl has apparently honed his litigation skills in the meantime. Unhappy with a summary of a judge's sentencing ruling published by a Bureau of National Affairs Inc.… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Media & Communications Law, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, D.C. Circuit Court, States, District of Columbia Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:14:26 -0500 43547.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/quinn_emanuel_launches_new_health_care_fraud_practice_forsees_exponential/ Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has launched a new health care fraud practice group. It is headed by Sam S. Sheldon, 43, who started work Monday as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of the the 600-attorney business litigation firm, reports Reuters. He… Careers, Health Law, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, States, District of Columbia Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:46:36 -0500 43436.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/due_to_hunger_strike_wife-slay_suspect_is_found_unable_to_stand_trial_in_mu/ Albrecht Muth was scheduled to go to trial Monday for the murder of his socialite wife, Viola Drath, 91, whom he said he found beaten and strangled to death in the bathroom of their townhome near the nation's capitol in 2011, after the two had been married for more than… Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Criminal Procedure, Trials & Litigation, States, District of Columbia Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:17:44 -0500 43404.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/attorney_general_eric_holder_reports_for_jury_duty_but_is_nixed_in_cellphon/ U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder fulfilled his civic obligation Tuesday and reported for jury duty in a Washington, D.C., courthouse at which he formerly served as a judge. His three FBI bodyguards waited in a hallway as the nation's top law enforcement officer waited to see whether he would be… Attorney General, Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Trials & Litigation, Juries, D.C. Circuit Court, States, District of Columbia Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:00:53 -0500 43359.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/prominent_law_grad_and_general_counsel_charged_in_claimed_13.2m_securities_/ A prominent businessman and law graduate who once headed Oregon's Republican party and was a candidate for state governor has been criminally charged in a securities fraud case. Craig Berkman, 71, who now lives in Florida, was arrested Tuesday at his Odessa home in a case filed by the U.S.… Administrative Law, Criminal Justice, White Collar Crime, Securities Law, Trials & Litigation, 2nd Circuit Court, States, District of Columbia, Florida, New York, Oregon Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:50:27 -0500 43358.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former_finance_director_pleads_guilty_in_embezzlement_of_730k_from_dc_law/ A onetime finance and business director at a small law firm in the nation's capital pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C., to embezzling over $730,000 from Trister, Ross, Schadler & Gold. William B. McNichols agreed to pay restitution and could face… Criminal Justice, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, D.C. Circuit Court, States, District of Columbia Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:00:27 -0500 43331.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/longtime_defense_lawyer_who_presented_perjured_testimony_in_clients_trial/ A longtime Washington, D.C., criminal defense lawyer portrayed by a prosecutor as a serial violator of legal ethics rules was sentenced Tuesday to 63 months in federal prison for presenting staged photographs and perjured testimony as evidence at a client's drug trial. A defense lawyer for Charles Daum had sought… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, D.C. Circuit Court, States, District of Columbia Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:30:31 -0500 43253.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/cozen_global_securities_chief_leaps_to_schiff_in_3-lawyer_group/ The chief of the global securities practice at Cozen O'Connor has led a three-attorney group to Schiff Hardin. Ralph De Martino and F. Alec Orudjev will practice in the corporate and securities group, working out of Washington, D.C., and Cavas Pavri, practicing in the same group, will work primarily in… International Law, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Partners, Securities Law, States, District of Columbia Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:50:37 -0500 43197.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former_sen._jon_kyl_joins_covington_burlings_public_policy_practice/ Formerly the second highest-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, Jon Kyl will not be taking it easy in his retirement. After 26 years in Congress, he is now a senior advisor in the Washington, D.C., office of Covington & Burling, where he will work to help the… Careers, International Law, Law Firms, Large Firm, Legislation & Lobbying, States, Arizona, District of Columbia Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:03:01 -0600 43143.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/patton_boggs_axes_30_attorneys_and_35_staff_no_partners_get_pink_slips/ Unlike a number of other major law firms, Patton Boggs didn't lay off workers during the recession. But it axed 65 attorneys and other employees Thursday, after 2012 revenue and profits slipped, the firm's managing partner said Friday. Let go were 30 lawyers and 35 staff members, managing partner Edward… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Associates, Contract Attorneys, Midsize Firm, States, District of Columbia Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:13:16 -0600 43068.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/due_to_looming_federal_budget_cuts_some_immigration_detainees_are_released_/ Federal immigration officials say they have been releasing an unspecified number of detainees being held for deportation because of massive mandatory budget cuts that are scheduled to begin Friday if Congress doesn't act in the meantime to prevent them. Although a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman says those let… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Executive Branch, Government Law, Immigration Law, Legislation & Lobbying, States, California, District of Columbia, Illinois Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:15:44 -0600 43017.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/federal_judge_and_civil_rights_figure_oberdorfer_dies_at_94/ Former U.S. District Judge Louis Oberdorfer, one of the founders of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, has died on his 94th birthday. Oberdorfer died at his home in McLean, Va., on Thursday, report the Washington Post and the Associated Press. He… Careers, Obituaries, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Judiciary, States, District of Columbia Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:46:13 -0600 42987.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/legal_know-how_and_yen_for_gin_helps_retired_litigation_chief_launch_new_bu/ After years of running a litigation team as a Verizon in-house lawyer, Michael Lowe soon found that practicing his yoga moves could only keep him busy for a limited amount of time in retirement. So the 63-year-old former Navy officer launched a craft distillery with his son-in-law,… Careers, In-house Counsel, Real Estate & Property Law, States, District of Columbia Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:37:10 -0600 42801.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/closed_hearings_sealed_docs_and_gag_order_as_convicted_chandra_levy_killer_/ Closed-door hearings are expected to continue concerning a convicted killer's request for a new trial in the high-profile Chandra Levy murder case, after the District of Columbia Court of Appeals agreed with a trial judge Thursday that the safety of a witness justified sealing documents for a limited time. It… Appellate Practice, Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Sentencing/Post Conviction, Media & Communications Law, Trials & Litigation, States, District of Columbia Fri, 08 Feb 2013 11:51:53 -0600 42759.abajournal.com