Legal Education

Prosecutors allege law grad who failed bar exam created law firms in name of classmate

A Stetson University law graduate who failed the bar exam twice has agreed to plead guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft after prosecutors accused her of creating fictitious law firms and representing clients.

Nov 14, 2019 3:23 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: 2019 could be ‘decent year’ for law firms; tight schedule led to bar exam leak, report says

2019 will be a ‘decent year’ for law firms, report says Law firm revenue grew 5.1% for the first nine months of 2019, largely because of billing rate growth of 4.7%, according to a third-quarter report by Citi Private Bank. And for the first time this year, revenue growth exceeded…

Nov 13, 2019 4:30 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Madonna sued over late start time of concert; unusual bar ceremony goes viral

Fan sues Madonna for pushing back start time of her concert A Florida man who spent more than $1,000 on three tickets to see singer Madonna in concert at her “Madame X Tour” has sued because she pushed back the start time of her upcoming Miami Beach show from 8:30…

Nov 12, 2019 3:20 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Law students object to ‘Carey Law’ name; First Step Act beneficiary charged with murder

‘Carey Law’ doesn’t sit well with some Pennsylvania students and grads Law students and alumni at the University of Pennsylvania are not happy about its Nov. 8 name change and have shared their displeasure in a petition. The law school, formerly known as the University of Pennsylvania Law School, will…

Nov 11, 2019 4:19 PM CST

Defamation accusations fly in feud between Alan Dershowitz and David Boies

Defamation claims are multiplying following a lawsuit by a woman who claims she was a victim of financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, and Epstein’s lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, had sex with her when she was a minor.

Nov 11, 2019 3:47 PM CST

Law school in this state gets record $125M gift and new name

The University of Pennsylvania’s law school is getting a new name after receiving a record-setting $125 million gift from the W.P. Carey Foundation.

Nov 8, 2019 4:14 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Judge tosses defamation suit by pardoned sheriff Arpaio; blogging law prof is sued

Judge tosses Arpaio defamation suit claiming ‘leftist enmity’ constituted actual malice U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth of Washington, D.C., has tossed a defamation lawsuit filed by former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio against three publications. Lamberth said Arpaio failed to allege facts supporting actual malice. Arpaio’s suit claimed CNN…

Nov 6, 2019 4:32 PM CST

Persistent would-be lawyer may see her 1991 bar exam results, state supreme court rules

A would-be Ohio lawyer can see her July 1991 bar exam results, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled, in the case of a persistent 1988 law grad who is still seeking admission to the bar.

Nov 6, 2019 12:31 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Trump must provide tax returns, court says; DA accepts gift cards in exchange for community service

Trump loses bid to block turnover of tax records, plans U.S. Supreme Court appeal President Donald Trump can’t block a subpoena for his private tax records from New York prosecutors investigating hush-money payments made before the 2016 presidential election, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals…

Nov 4, 2019 4:28 PM CST

Political unrest, violence have forced millions to migrate and seek protection of the rule of law

When countries lack the capacity to stop violence and corruption, and their legal and law enforcement systems lack the ability to hold perpetrators responsible, their people often have no other choice but to seek protection elsewhere.

Nov 1, 2019 4:10 AM CDT

Oregon law professor plants seeds of change in climate change law

University of Oregon School of Law professor Mary Wood, a former hazardous waste lawyer, never foresaw that she would become a pioneer in climate change law. It wasn’t even an established practice area in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina—which many scientists attributed to global warming—changed the course of her life from more than 2,000 miles away.

Nov 1, 2019 4:00 AM CDT

Former FBI Director Comey encourages law students to be ‘ethical leaders’

It was never one of former FBI Director James Comey’s career goals to be an “unemployed B-list celebrity,” he said, addressing a crowd at the University of Chicago Law School on Tuesday. During a lecture he gave on leadership roles, he said it became his mission to communicate what being an ethical leader means after President Donald Trump fired him in May 2017.

Oct 31, 2019 12:40 PM CDT

Law school with bar pass rate under 75% threshold considers its future

The University of La Verne in California, which had a first-time bar passage rate of 31.49% for 2018, has assembled a committee to consider the future of its law school, following a recent change that tightened bar passage requirements for ABA-accredited law schools.

Oct 30, 2019 2:00 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: DOJ opens criminal review of Russia probe; DeVos held in contempt

Department of Justice reportedly opens criminal inquiry into origins of Russia probe The U.S. Department of Justice’s review of the origins of the Russia probe has shifted from an administrative review to a criminal inquiry, according to two anonymous sources who spoke with the New York Times. According to the…

Oct 25, 2019 2:19 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: NYC bar calls for Barr’s Ukraine recusal; law school renamed after donor

U.S. attorney general should recuse himself in Ukraine matters, bar group says The New York City Bar Association is calling on Attorney General William Barr to recuse himself from any Justice Department review of Ukraine-related issues in which he was allegedly involved. If Barr refuses to recuse in the future,…

Oct 24, 2019 4:44 PM CDT