Natural Disasters

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

Afternoon Briefs: Weil Gotshal special bonuses tied to hours; Trump sued by his niece

Weil Gotshal bonuses could reach $50K for top billers

Weil Gotshal & Manges is breaking from the ranks by tying special bonuses to hours worked and raising the top amount…

Sep 25, 2020 4:33 PM CDT

Divided DC appeals court announces bar exam waiver as 1 option for licensing

A divided District of Columbia Court of Appeals granted Thursday what it describes as an "emergency examination waiver" admission to practice law with various restrictions.

Sep 25, 2020 3:07 PM CDT

How to empower working moms during the coronavirus pandemic

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Carolyn Elefant, an attorney who focuses her practice on energy and environmental matters and the author of several books, including Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be.

Sep 25, 2020 9:58 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Mueller prosecutor has regrets in tell-all book; federal courthouse is a hurricane casualty

Book by Mueller prosecutor says more could have been done

A book by Andrew Weissmann, a former prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller said the office failed to fully investigate…

Sep 22, 2020 4:45 PM CDT

Ethics charges allege judge defied order to delay hearings and issued no-show warrants

A Cleveland municipal judge is facing ethics charges after holding court hearings despite a rescheduling order because of the coronavirus pandemic, and then issuing arrest warrants for no-shows.

Sep 22, 2020 4:12 PM CDT

Ginsburg’s death could doom health care law, cement environmental rollbacks, imperil right to abortion

Environmental regulations, the right to abortion and the Affordable Care Act are all in danger if President Donald Trump’s next nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court is confirmed.

Sep 22, 2020 10:17 AM CDT

Will partner offices shrink to associate size after the pandemic?

Law firms are moving toward smaller, single-size offices, as remote work is expected to remain an option after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 18, 2020 12:48 PM CDT

Have COVID-19 bonus wars begun? Milbank matches higher scale for special bonuses

Milbank is paying special bonuses to its associates that match those of Davis Polk & Wardwell while sweetening the payout for top performers. “We called it yesterday. The COVID-19 bonus wars are upon us,” says one publication.

Sep 17, 2020 10:42 AM CDT

AG Barr defends authority to overrule career prosecutors, says BLM uses deaths as ‘props’

U.S. Attorney General William Barr said in a speech Wednesday he has the responsibility to overrule career prosecutors, part of the “permanent bureaucracy,” when they lose perspective.

Sep 17, 2020 9:52 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Bill Gates Sr. dies at 94; federal judiciary seeks $500M for better security

Bill Gates Sr., lawyer and ABA Medal winner, dies at 94

Lawyer and 2009 ABA Medal winner Bill Gates Sr. has died at age 94. Gates was a name…

Sep 16, 2020 4:55 PM CDT

Lawyers, nurse raise concerns about hysterectomies performed at ICE detention center

Immigrants at a privately operated detention center in Georgia and a whistleblower nurse have provided accounts of “jarring medical neglect” and questionable hysterectomies performed on detainees, according to a complaint filed Monday with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Sep 16, 2020 11:59 AM CDT

No bathroom break allowed? Suit says rules for remote bar exam discriminate against disabled grads

A lawsuit by law graduates who have disabilities says they will be forced to take the California bar exam in person because of a failure to provide accommodations for a remote test.

Sep 16, 2020 9:39 AM CDT

This Louisiana judge continues to innovate during the COVID-19 crisis

Judge Scott Schlegel’s history of utilizing technology in his Louisiana courtroom to make life easier for attorneys and members of the public has come in very handy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 16, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Cooley announces ‘appreciation bonuses,’ commits to year-end bonuses at least this high

Cooley has told its associates that they will receive “special appreciation bonuses” to recognize their “resilience, sacrifice and commitment” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 15, 2020 9:35 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Godmother feels betrayed after law firm money theft; state AG staffer probed over BLM buttons fuss

Bookkeeper accused of embezzling $740K from godmother’s law firm

A former bookkeeper and office manager accused of embezzling $740,000 from a Rhode Island law firm has agreed to plead guilty…

Sep 14, 2020 4:45 PM CDT