Natural Disasters

Disaster response news from the ABA Journal, American Bar Association legal resources, volunteering opportunities and disaster helplines.

Reversing course, 11th Circuit halts CDC cruise ship safety rules after Florida seeks SCOTUS review

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Atlanta on Friday vacated an earlier order that had kept in place rules for reopening cruise ships set out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Jul 26, 2021 9:39 AM CDT

For this lawyer, becoming more flexible was a benefit of the pandemic

Lawyer Patrick Krill learned to be more flexible during the pandemic, with inspiration from Be Water, an ESPN documentary about martial artist and actor Bruce Lee.

Jul 26, 2021 9:04 AM CDT

After a soft recruiting season for 2021 summer associates, new cycle appears ‘off to a rollicking start’

Fifty-six percent of law firms reported making fewer offers for summer 2021 programs compared with summer 2020, according to data released Wednesday by the National Association for Law Placement.

Jul 21, 2021 10:34 AM CDT

Unvaccinated lawyer has to wear mask at client’s trial after top state court refuses to intervene

A criminal defense lawyer in Augusta, Maine, has to wear a mask in his client’s jury trial this week after the state’s top court refused to consider his claim that the face covering would prejudice jurors.

Jul 20, 2021 1:08 PM CDT

Federal judge refuses to block Indiana University’s vaccine mandate; incoming 1L is among the plaintiffs

A federal judge in South Bend, Indiana, has refused to block Indiana University’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement for faculty and students in an opinion that said the plaintiffs' 14th Amendment claim was unlikely to succeed.

Jul 20, 2021 9:55 AM CDT

11th Circuit keeps CDC cruise ship rules in place

Rules for reopening cruise ships set out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will remain in effect as a result of an order Saturday by a federal appeals court.

Jul 19, 2021 4:44 PM CDT

Law firms ‘cannot long endure a remote work model,’ says Morgan Stanley chief legal officer

Morgan Stanley’s chief legal officer, Eric Grossman, has reportedly warned the investment bank's outside law firms that their lawyers should return to the office to avoid a decline in client service.

Jul 19, 2021 12:00 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: LSC could see $600M in 2022 funding; Netflix’s ‘Tiger King’ to receive shorter prison sentence

Legal Services Corp. could receive largest funding increase under new legislation

The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations approved on Thursday funding legislation that includes $600 million for the Legal…

Jul 16, 2021 4:40 PM CDT

New data shows lateral associate hiring happening across the board

Lateral hiring for associates increased in nearly all practice groups in the first quarter of 2021, with data privacy, entertainment and media and insurance practices showing the most activity, according to a legal data company.

Jul 16, 2021 11:35 AM CDT

11th Circuit upholds CDC freeze on evictions due to COVID-19

A landlord’s inability to evict delinquent tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic does not constitute an irreparable injury, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jul 15, 2021 2:55 PM CDT

At least 27 BigLaw firms had $210M in paycheck protection loans at least partly forgiven

At least 27 of the nation’s top 200 grossing law firms obtained partial or full forgiveness of loans obtained through the Paycheck Protection Program, according to Law.com’s review of a ProPublica database.

Jul 8, 2021 1:03 PM CDT

Los Angeles superior court fined over $25K for COVID-19 safety violations after courthouse worker deaths

The superior court of Los Angeles County has been fined more than $25,000 for COVID-19 workplace safety violations following the deaths of at least four courthouse workers.

Jul 8, 2021 11:38 AM CDT

New data published about lateral hiring during COVID-19 pandemic

While 2021 appears to have brought a hot lateral associate market, hiring for that category decreased by 33.3% in 2020, according to data that the National Association for Law Placement released Wednesday.

Jul 7, 2021 12:38 PM CDT

Judge rules for grandma on home confinement after arrest for not answering calls during computer class

A federal judge in Maryland has granted compassionate release to a 76-year-old grandmother on home confinement who was arrested for failing to answer calls from officials during a computer word-processing class.

Jul 7, 2021 11:44 AM CDT

SCOTUS in review: Kavanaugh is the median; Barrett, consensus justices play ‘the long game’

What are the takeaways from the most recent U.S. Supreme Court term? Several Supreme Court journalists are answering that question in stories that look at split decisions and consensus, the likely median justice and the justices most to the right.

Jul 7, 2021 10:50 AM CDT