Alabama

Family missed deadline to sue hospital over deceased inmate’s organ harvesting, state supreme court says

After the family of a deceased incarcerated man filed a lawsuit alleging that his brain and organs were harvested during a hospital autopsy, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the case was filed too late and dismissed most of its claims.

Feb 5, 2026 12:05 PM CST

Federal jury awards $120M to coal company in defamation, RICO suit against lawyer

An Alabama federal jury returned a $120 million verdict Thursday against a former Conrad & Scherer managing partner as part of a defamation and racketeering lawsuit against the attorney, according to a story by by Law360.

Jan 21, 2026 11:00 AM CST

Nonunanimous death penalty verdicts upheld by Florida Supreme Court

The Florida Supreme Court has upheld the legality of allowing death penalty verdicts by nonunanimous juries, according to Legal Newsline.

Jan 5, 2026 10:01 AM CST

Former judge sentenced to 12 years in prison for using public funds for vacations, personal purchases

A former judge in Lauderdale County, Alabama, was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison, according to a report by WAFF.

Dec 19, 2025 9:19 AM CST

Supreme Court wrestles with death penalty in cases of intellectual disabilities

The Supreme Court on Wednesday wrestled with whether to allow Alabama to execute a man with low cognitive function, a ruling that could set new rules for states to condemn those with borderline intellectual disabilities to death row.

Dec 10, 2025 3:45 PM CST

Lawyer accused of trying to poison her husband

An Alabama attorney has been accused of trying to poison her husband with a substance she believed to be fentanyl.

Dec 4, 2025 9:56 AM CST

BigLaw firm won’t be sanctioned for hallucinated cases after paying attorney fees

A BigLaw firm that voluntarily paid more than $55,000 in attorney fees because of hallucinated cases in court filings won’t face further sanctions, a federal bankruptcy judge concluded last week.

Nov 24, 2025 2:36 PM CST

After defense lawyer dies during trial, judge convicted for using public funds for vacations, personal purchases

A former Alabama judge accused of using his office for personal gain and lying about it was convicted last week on 17 of 18 counts against him.

Nov 13, 2025 10:54 AM CST

Federal courts furlough some staff as money runs out; Supreme Court will close to the public

The federal judiciary ran out of money for full, paid operations Monday, according to an announcement by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

Oct 20, 2025 10:02 AM CDT

LGBTQ rights lawyer faces federal indictment for testimony in ‘judge shopping’ probe

A lawyer working for an advocacy organization for the LGBTQ+ community is facing a federal indictment alleging that he made false statements while testifying in an inquiry into "judge shopping."

Sep 11, 2025 12:15 PM CDT

Delcianna Winders has woven a web of animal law clinics and programs

“Becoming a lawyer was a good pathway to channel my animal advocacy, and the law plays a really important role in the status of animals,” says ABA member Delcianna Winders. “It’s an important lever that I could have an impact on.”

Sep 2, 2025 11:55 AM CDT

5 hallucinated cases lead federal judge to kick 3 Butler Snow lawyers off case

Three Butler Snow lawyers may no longer represent a former corrections commissioner in Alabama because they filed two motions with five “completely made up” case citations produced by ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence application, a federal judge ruled last week.

Jul 30, 2025 9:13 AM CDT

SCOTUS will consider impact of death row inmate’s multiple IQ tests in determining execution eligibility

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether and how courts can consider multiple IQ tests when considering whether a death row inmate is intellectually disabled and ineligible for execution.

Jun 12, 2025 3:51 PM CDT

Did Trump violate law by deploying National Guard troops? Commentators see issues as California sues

The state of California is filing a lawsuit that seeks to set aside President Donald Trump’s order sending at least 2,000 state National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests there over immigration raids, the state announced Monday.

Jun 10, 2025 9:15 AM CDT

Coco Su helps expand access to justice throughout California

Coco Su has worked with the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s lawyer referral service, SmartLaw, for more than a decade and is now its director. She has been the driving force behind many of its efforts to increase access to justice for underserved communities and low-to-moderate income consumers.

Jun 9, 2025 9:12 AM CDT