Attorney General

Attorney General Sessions praises the DARE anti-drug program, backs tough approach

Attorney General Jeff Sessions touted DARE, a drug education program founded in 1983, during a drug policy speech on Tuesday. The DARE program has previously been criticized as ineffectual, but Sessions had praise for the program in his speech at the 30th DARE training conference in Texas, report the Washington…

Jul 12, 2017 11:57 AM CDT

Harumph! 7th Circuit chief judge displays irritation with flawed jurisdictional statements

Chief Judge Diane Wood made her frustration clear in a pair of orders on Monday lamenting litigants’ failure to follow circuit rules that help the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals screen for jurisdictional problems.

Jul 12, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Did Donald Trump Jr.‘s meeting with Russian lawyer violate election law?

A New York Times report about Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer to receive damaging information about Hillary Clinton is raising questions about whether such a meeting would violate election law.

Jul 11, 2017 9:13 AM CDT

18 states and DC sue Betsy DeVos over delayed rules designed to protect student borrowers

Attorneys general for 18 states and Washington, D.C., have filed a federal lawsuit against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for delaying new rules designed to help protect student borrowers who are defrauded by colleges.

Jul 6, 2017 3:45 PM CDT

Jones Day partner who defended companies in bias suits is tapped to be civil rights chief at Justice

A Jones Day partner who has represented companies in discrimination lawsuits has been nominated to be chief of the Justice Department’s civil rights division. Nominee Eric Dreiband, is among several Jones Day partners who have been picked to join the Trump administration, the National Law Journal reports. Others include White…

Jun 30, 2017 9:59 AM CDT

Reports that family of Trump lawyer Sekulow got millions from his nonprofit leads to states’ review

Two state attorneys general say they will review the operations of a group run by lawyer Jay Sekulow following reports that the nonprofit funneled millions of dollars to the lawyer, his family and businesses they run. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman told…

Jun 29, 2017 10:31 AM CDT

Regulators enlist corporate lawyers in joint response to cyberattacks

Responding quickly to an identity theft, ransomware or other computer attack means having a plan in place. And as participants in the National Institute on Cybersecurity Law learned, that includes a plan to send in the feds. “Figure out if you have to report that breach to my office or…

Jun 26, 2017 4:20 PM CDT

Former AG Holder is reportedly considering a presidential bid; he acknowledges ‘more visible’ role

Former Attorney General Eric Holder says he never envisioned himself as an anti-Trump crusader.

The Covington & Burling partner tells Yahoo News he had planned to “walk off the field” if, as expected, Hillary Clinton won the 2016 presidential election.

Jun 22, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Lawyer for conservative causes confirms he is attorney general’s personal lawyer

When U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions attended a congressional hearing last week, there was a lawyer by his side.

The lawyer, Charles Cooper, has confirmed he is Sessions’ personal lawyer, but he didn’t comment on the nature of the representation, the National Law Journal (sub. req.) and USA Today report.

Jun 20, 2017 4:54 PM CDT

New York attorney general sues anti-abortion protesters

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has sued anti-abortion protesters for allegedly menacing patients and staff at a clinic in Queens. The federal lawsuit (PDF) filed Tuesday alleges “a weekly pattern of threatening, obstructive, and violent activity” at the Choices Women’s Medical Center. The suit seeks a preliminary injunction, creation…

Jun 20, 2017 2:21 PM CDT

SCOTUS bans damages claim against Mueller, other former officials for Sept. 11 detentions

An implied right of action to sue federal officials for constitutional violations does not extend to a suit filed by immigrants who say they were rounded up and illegally detained after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. A decision on whether to authorize a damages…

Jun 19, 2017 3:15 PM CDT

Will Rosenstein recuse himself from overseeing special counsel probe? Not at this point, DOJ says

The U.S. Justice Department says Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has no immediate plans to recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel’s investigation into Russian influence, though he reportedly told colleagues he may need to take that step. Anonymous sources tell ABC News and the Washington Post that Rosenstein has…

Jun 16, 2017 2:47 PM CDT

Senate Judiciary Committee to probe circumstances of Comey’s firing from the FBI

The Senate Judiciary Committee will investigate the circumstances of President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey as it probes attempts to influence the agency’s investigations over the course of two administrations. Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, revealed the committee’s plans in a letter (PDF) released Wednesday, the Wall Street…

Jun 14, 2017 1:35 PM CDT

Sessions denies meetings and talks with Russians, disagrees with some Comey details

Speaking under oath for roughly 2 1/2 hours during a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions denied having any substantive meetings or discussions with Russian officials outside of his duties as a senator while he was involved in President Donald Trump’s election campaign.

Sessions also repeatedly parried questions seeking information on some of his discussions with the president and disagreed with some details given to the same committee less than a week ago in testimony by former FBI director James Comey, also under oath.

Jun 13, 2017 7:18 PM CDT

Trump tweet accuses former Attorney General Lynch of making decisions ‘for political purposes’

President Donald Trump on Tuesday tweeted his criticism of former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, saying she gave Hillary Clinton “a free pass” in the investigation of her use of a private email server while secretary of state. Lynch “made law enforcement decisions for political purposes” and “gave Hillary Clinton…

Jun 13, 2017 10:58 AM CDT