Arkansas

In ‘catastrophic’ ruling for minority voters, 8th Circuit says only US can sue for discriminatory voting practices

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at St. Louis ruled Monday that private plaintiffs cannot sue for alleged violations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bans voting practices and procedures that deny or abridge the right to vote on the basis of race or color.

Nov 20, 2023 3:26 PM CST

Federal judge wants clerks to confirm they aren’t part of antisemitic or Islamophobic groups

A federal judge in Little Rock, Arkansas, is asking his incoming law clerks and interns whether they have done anything—or belonged to groups that did anything—that could be construed as celebrating or condoning the “massacre perpetrated by Hamas in Israel.”

Nov 10, 2023 1:42 PM CST

Former ABA President Philip S. Anderson dies at 88

Updated: Former ABA President Philip S. Anderson Jr. of Little Rock, Arkansas, died Tuesday at age 88. Anderson died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease, his family said.

Aug 16, 2023 12:37 PM CDT

3 judges block state restrictions on gender-affirming health care in 1 week’s time

Within a one-week period, federal judges have blocked laws in three states that restrict gender-affirming health care for transgender people.

Jun 22, 2023 11:22 AM CDT

Former BigLaw attorney pleads guilty to stealing from estate

A suspended Memphis, Tennessee, lawyer has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for stealing $124,000 from the estate of a former client.

Mar 21, 2023 8:33 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Judge slashes $24M award for Unite the Right victims; judge accused of offering sex for early trial

Judge slashes $24M punitive award in Unite the Right trial U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon of the Western District of Virginia has slashed an award of $24 million in punitive damages assessed against white supremacists associated with the violent 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Moon said…

Jan 6, 2023 2:04 PM CST

Meet 12 ABA members who inspired us in 2022

In this year’s Members Who Inspire series, the ABA Journal featured 12 extraordinary ABA members who go to great lengths to embolden their clients, colleagues and members of the communities around them. Their work includes helping immigrants with tax issues, advocating for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and addressing racial injustice and inequality.

Dec 14, 2022 8:38 AM CST

Supreme Court will consider challenge to Biden’s student-debt relief program, puts case on fast track

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide a challenge to the Biden administration’s student-debt relief program in a lawsuit filed by six states.

Dec 1, 2022 3:22 PM CST

Lawyer who says student-loan forgiveness leaves him worse off sues to block program

Updated: An Indiana lawyer who will have part of his student debt forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program has filed a lawsuit challenging student-debt cancellation by the Biden administration.

Sep 28, 2022 2:12 PM CDT

Ban on gender-affirming procedures for transgender youths is sex discrimination, 8th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has upheld an injunction blocking Arkansas’ ban on “gender transition procedures” for youths younger than age 18.

Aug 29, 2022 2:57 PM CDT

Judge accused of bullying behavior and demeaning comments gets suspension

The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered a judge to be suspended without pay after he was accused of making negative comments to unrepresented defendants about their appearance, background, residency and ethnicity.

Aug 12, 2022 11:32 AM CDT

Lawyer pleads guilty in scheme to defraud program intended to benefit farmers subjected to discrimination

A lawyer in Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud Thursday for his involvement in a scheme to file false claims of discrimination in a program intended to benefit farmers.

Aug 8, 2022 8:40 AM CDT

What are abortion trigger laws, and where do they stand?

Less than a week after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, more than a dozen states have already or plan to soon ban abortion in most cases. Here’s what we know so far about where abortion bans stand in these 13 states and in other states that have laws targeting the procedure.

Jun 30, 2022 2:52 PM CDT

Judge is censured for tiff over his reserved parking spot; a cane was thrown

A judge in Benton County, Arkansas, has received a letter of censure for his angry reaction after finding that someone had parked in his reserved space in the court parking lot.

Jan 25, 2022 3:36 PM CST

Laws said to encourage vigilante justice still in effect in most states

Laws that permit citizens arrests or entitle citizens to stand their ground have been blamed for vigilante shootings and tragic consequences. Yet many states still have them on the books.

Nov 9, 2021 3:40 PM CST