Florida prosecutor ousted by DeSantis gets chance to prove First Amendment claims

Ousted Hillsborough County, Florida, State Attorney Andrew Warren is getting a chance to seek reinstatement on First Amendment grounds as a result of a federal appeals court’s ruling Wednesday.

Jan 11, 2024 8:53 AM CST

Paralegals’ suit claims First Amendment right to offer legal advice on court forms

Two paralegals and the North Carolina Justice for All Project say in a federal lawsuit they have a First Amendment right to give some kinds of legal advice.

Jan 9, 2024 2:21 PM CST

Animal Legal Defense Fund fails to persuade 8th Circuit that ‘ag-gag’ laws violate First Amendment

A federal appeals court has upheld two “ag-gag” laws in Iowa in a First Amendment challenge by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and other animal welfare groups.

Jan 9, 2024 12:37 PM CST

Civil fraud trial seeking independent monitor for NRA begins after CEO’s resignation, official’s $100K settlement

The civil fraud trial against the National Rifle Association and senior management was scheduled to begin in New York City on Monday, just days after NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre announced his resignation and another official reached a $100,000 settlement.

Jan 8, 2024 3:32 PM CST

Chemerinsky: Expect another momentous year at the Supreme Court

I do not recall ever facing a new year with such a sense of trepidation and even fear of what to expect. The presidential election campaign of 2024 promises to be unlike any we have seen in American history, and it seems inevitable that the U.S. Supreme Court will play a large role. And the docket for the current term is filled with major issues about controversial matters, such as abortion, administrative law, gun rights and the First Amendment and social media.

Jan 4, 2024 10:49 AM CST

State Bar of Wisconsin’s diversity clerkship program ‘discriminates behind closed doors,’ suit says

The State Bar of Wisconsin is facing a lawsuit claiming that its diversity clerkship program for law students is violating the First Amendment rights of a lawyer who pays mandatory dues.

Dec 21, 2023 11:18 AM CST

Child-porn prosecution of Netflix for ‘Cuties’ film looks like ‘mosaic’ of bad faith, 5th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has upheld a judge’s preliminary injunction barring a Texas child-pornography prosecution of Netflix for streaming the movie Cuties, agreeing with a Netflix lawyer that the case looks like a “mosaic” of bad faith.

Dec 21, 2023 9:35 AM CST

Colorado Supreme Court opinion gives SCOTUS possible avenues to keep Trump on ballot

The Colorado Supreme Court stayed its 4-3 decision Tuesday that keeps former President Donald Trump off the Colorado primary ballot, allowing the U.S. Supreme Court to step in.

Dec 20, 2023 11:24 AM CST

4 ways law schools can support students, uphold First Amendment during times of conflict

“Is it possible to both hold a peaceful protest and allow a controversial speaker to speak?” Cassandra Hill, the dean of the Northern Illinois University College of Law, posed this question to me last month, as she moderated a LexCon '23 panel, which explored how schools can support students and protect First Amendment rights during times of conflict.

Dec 20, 2023 10:02 AM CST

Chemerinsky: A year of significant developments at the Supreme Court

“Sometimes in the past, a blockbuster term—like the one a year ago—is followed by a quieter one. But that was not true this year. It was another amazing year in the Supreme Court,” writes Erwin Chemerinsky, University of California at Berkeley law dean.

Dec 19, 2023 11:08 AM CST

New York appeals court refuses to act in Trump’s challenge to gag orders in civil fraud trial

A New York appeals court has rejected former President Donald Trump’s bid to overturn gag orders and fines for violations imposed in his civil fraud trial.

Dec 15, 2023 12:02 PM CST

Supreme Court declines to consider challenge to conversion-therapy ban; 3 justices would have heard case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a challenge to ban in Washington on conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors, prompting dissents from three justices.

Dec 11, 2023 2:05 PM CST

ACLU represents NRA in this Supreme Court case

Updated: The American Civil Liberties Union doesn’t support the National Rifle Association or its mission. But the ACLU is representing the gun-rights group as co-counsel in a free speech case before the U.S. Supreme Court, the New York Times reports.

Dec 11, 2023 9:20 AM CST

Federal appeals court narrows federal judge’s gag order in Trump election-interference case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday narrowed a gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump by a federal judge overseeing his election-interference case.

Dec 8, 2023 4:04 PM CST

UIC law prof appeals after dismissal of civil rights lawsuit

Updated: A professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law has filed an appeal to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago after his case stemming from his use of abbreviated racial and gender slurs in an essay question in a December 2020 final exam was dismissed.

Dec 5, 2023 2:23 PM CST