COVID-19

Lawyers and the ABA must show resilience in tackling pandemic challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great tragedy and unprecedented social and economic change in our country and the world. The legal profession and justice system have been forced to adapt on multiple levels over a compressed time period. Changes in how we work that most technologists thought would occur over…

Jun 1, 2020 1:55 AM CDT

A Message to Our Readers

The June-July issue of the ABA Journal you’re reading now marks the second edition of the magazine you’ve received since the COVID-19 crisis forced fundamental changes to American society. Since the disease first became an issue, and particularly since the pandemic escalated in March, the Journal staff has produced significant…

Jun 1, 2020 1:50 AM CDT

This year’s ABA Annual Meeting will take place virtually

In response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the ABA Board of Governors decided in April that this year’s annual meeting will be entirely virtual.

Jun 1, 2020 12:20 AM CDT

Coronavirus on board: Lawyer’s parents were trapped on a contaminated cruise ship

Florida plaintiffs lawyer Debi F. Chalik remembers the moment she decided to file suit against Princess Cruises for negligence arising from the COVID-19 outbreak on the Grand Princess ship. It was March 6, and she was home watching Vice President Mike Pence deliver a televised briefing that included an update on the status of the Grand Princess.

Jun 1, 2020 12:02 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge prevented from fixing jobless system; state will stop sharing COVID-19 data

Separation of powers stops Florida judge from ordering unemployment system fix Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper said Thursday that Florida law and the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine is stopping him from getting involved with issues in the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s unemployment system. In response to a…

May 29, 2020 4:00 PM CDT

Criminal justice system should consider public health during COVID-19 pandemic, groups say

Several national organizations issued joint recommendations earlier this week for how the criminal justice system can incorporate public health approaches when responding to the novel coronavirus crisis.

May 29, 2020 9:36 AM CDT

Nearly 300 federal suits stem from pandemic; 101 ‘business interruption’ cases filed; what’s next?

Nearly 300 federal lawsuits filed in the months of March and April stem from the COVID-19 pandemic, a number that is likely to continue to expand.

May 28, 2020 2:57 PM CDT

Just 1 BigLaw firm makes the news for pay cuts in past week

Days after announcing a voluntary leave program, Troutman Sanders revealed it is going a step further with pay cuts for lawyers and staff members.

May 28, 2020 12:58 PM CDT

How are the ABA’s international ROLI programs adjusting to a global pandemic?

Communities around the world are reeling from the repercussions of the novel coronavirus pandemic and measures taken to contain it. Democratic backsliding threatens to derail significant development gains we have witnessed that have provided fair and equitable access to justice and measures to build accountable and inclusive justice institutions. Immediate…

May 28, 2020 11:24 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: SCOTUS should embrace technology reforms prompted by pandemic

Unless there is an emergency case to be heard, oral arguments are completed in the U.S. Supreme Court for the October 2019 term. The court postponed its March and April oral argument calendars and rescheduled 10 of the cases to be heard in May in telephonic oral arguments. Ten other cases that had been scheduled for oral argument have been postponed until the fall.

May 28, 2020 9:07 AM CDT

An unprecedented finale to the first year of law school, starring COVID-19

A law student at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law talks about her first year of law school during the novel coronavirus pandemic—what she describes as “more ‘unforgettable’ than usual.”

May 28, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Jenner & Block in COVID-19 rent dispute; more malpractice claims likely

Jenner & Block is sued in dispute over rent during pandemic The Chicago landlord for Jenner & Block has filed a lawsuit alleging that the law firm owes more than $3.7 million in unpaid rent. Jenner & Block’s co-managing partner, Randy Mehrberg, says the firm doesn’t have to pay under…

May 27, 2020 2:09 PM CDT

Revenue sharing poses potential roadblock to Major League Baseball restarting, sports lawyers say

Baseball most naturally lends itself to implementing the types of social distancing measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But sports lawyers say Major League Baseball likely has the most delicate off-the-field legal and contractual issues to iron out before the teams can play ball.

May 27, 2020 1:01 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Chief justice says pandemic teaches humility; bioweapons charge for alleged spitting

Pandemic teaches humility, chief justice tells grads in video remarks U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told graduates at his son’s high school on Saturday that the COVID-19 pandemic should teach humility, compassion and courage. “I think the pandemic is the world’s way of saying to mankind,…

May 26, 2020 4:57 PM CDT

SCOTUS refuses to block order to move at-risk inmates at prison with high COVID-19 rate

The U.S. Supreme Court refused Tuesday to stay a judge’s order requiring the Federal Bureau of Prisons to release or transfer inmates at an Ohio prison who face greater risks if they contract COVID-19.

May 26, 2020 4:07 PM CDT