District of Columbia

Attorney General Eric Holder reports for jury duty in cellphone robbery case

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…

Mar 20, 2013 3:00 PM CDT

Prominent law grad and general counsel face SEC case in claimed $13.2M social media stock fraud

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.…

Mar 19, 2013 9:50 PM CDT

Former finance chief pleads guilty in embezzlement of $730K from DC law firm

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 as much as 20 years when…

Mar 19, 2013 5:00 PM CDT

Presenting faked evidence in client’s trial gets longtime defense lawyer 63 months

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…

Mar 14, 2013 3:30 PM CDT

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…

Mar 11, 2013 4:50 PM CDT

Former Sen. Jon Kyl joins Covington & Burling’s 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 firm expand its…

Mar 6, 2013 6:03 PM CST

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…

Mar 1, 2013 9:13 PM CST

Due to looming federal budget cuts, some immigration detainees are released nationwide

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…

Feb 26, 2013 10:15 PM CST

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 was appointed to the federal court…

Feb 25, 2013 2:46 PM CST

Legal know-how and yen for gin helps retired litigation chief launch new business

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, investing about $1…

Feb 11, 2013 2:37 PM CST

Closed hearings, sealed docs and gag order as convicted Chandra Levy killer seeks new trial

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…

Feb 8, 2013 4:51 PM CST

White House agrees to provide classified drone-strike memo to some lawmakers

On the eve of a confirmation hearing for President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the CIA, the White House has agreed to allow some federal lawmakers to see a classified memo authorizing deadly international drone strikes on civilians. Although prepared by the Office of Legal Counsel for the Department of…

Feb 7, 2013 2:31 PM CST

Sexual-orientation question may be added to law school’s application

Corrected: George Washington University Law School may begin asking applicants next year about their sexual orientation. The goal would be to improve support services and pair lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students with alumni and mentors, according to first-year law student and Student Bar Association senator Michael Komo, who has…

Feb 4, 2013 9:34 PM CST

Man who tricked judge into awarding $3M default judgment against sex-crime victim gets more time

Already convicted more than a decade ago in an Ohio sex-crime case involving two 14-year-old victims, a Washington, D.C., man is now facing another five-year term for schemes involving deception. One targeted a victim in the 2000 sex-crime case, and resulted in a $3 million default judgment in favor of…

Jan 29, 2013 9:43 PM CST

Anti-abortion protester says his DC banishment is ‘totally suppressing my freedom of speech’

A judge has issued an unusual release condition on an anti-abortion protester who managed to evade police on inauguration day by climbing ever higher into a tree. Magistrate Judge Karen Howze of Washington, D.C., Superior Court banned protester Rives Grogan from the capital until his next court appearance on Feb.…

Jan 24, 2013 12:57 PM CST