Natural Disasters

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

BigLaw firm seeks COVID-19-era rent abatement in $30M suit

Crowell & Moring has filed a lawsuit contending that it is entitled to a rent abatement and interest totaling $30 million because of a “force majeure event” that interfered with its use of the property.

Mar 29, 2023 4:18 PM CDT

Law firm accused of 856 insurer misrepresentations is suspended from practice in federal district court

Houston-based law firm McClenny, Moseley & Associates has been suspended from practice in a Louisiana federal court because of a judge’s concerns about its purported representation of clients with claims related to Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida.

Mar 7, 2023 3:02 PM CST

Chemerinsky: Student loan relief cases will have lasting effects whatever Supreme Court decides

No matter what the U.S. Supreme Court does in the cases involving the Biden administration’s student loan relief plan, there is sure to be a major effect on many people’s lives and on the law. On Tuesday, Feb. 28, the court heard oral arguments in two cases—Biden v. Nebraska and Department of Education v. Brown—that raise myriad legal issues and any path taken by the court will have significant consequences. (I was among 24 legal scholars who signed an amicus brief in support of the Biden administration).

Mar 1, 2023 8:42 AM CST

The Big Bilk

Lawyers and academics interviewed by the ABA Journal say the application process for the $800 billion loan program, part of the 2020 coronavirus stimulus package known as the CARES Act, was fraught with fibbers. Many doubt that most of the bad actors will be arrested because the volume of fraud seems so high.

Feb 1, 2023 3:30 AM CST

Are hybrid legal tech conferences here to stay?

Tech show organizers still face challenges as well as lessons on how they can tailor future shows for audiences who may expect a virtual option. Hybrid events can be more expensive to put on. Organizers also need to weigh whether they will lose attendees if they offer a virtual option and how they can cater to sponsors who may prefer to pitch to people in person.

Feb 1, 2023 2:30 AM CST

2023 Legal Rebels: Charging Forward

This year, for the first time in a while, things have started to feel somewhat normal again. That being said, when it comes to Legal Rebels, what is considered “normal” or “status quo” has never been of much concern. This year’s class is no different.

Feb 1, 2023 12:00 AM CST

Bankruptcy judge suspends lawyer for ‘bizarre gamesmanship,’ urging clients to infect trustee with ‘nasty disease’

A bankruptcy judge in Colorado has suspended a Denver lawyer from practicing before the court for three years as a sanction for “egregious lawyer misconduct” that included asking his clients to infect the trustee with COVID-19 or another “nasty disease.”

Jan 12, 2023 12:38 PM CST

Weekly Briefs: Judge slashes $24M award for Unite the Right victims; judge accused of offering sex for early trial

Judge slashes $24M punitive award in Unite the Right trial

U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon of the Western District of Virginia has slashed an award of $24 million in…

Jan 6, 2023 2:04 PM CST

Why did Gorsuch join liberal justices who wanted to lift Trump-era Title 42 immigration policy?

Four justices dissented when the U.S. Supreme Court issued a Dec. 27 order that keeps in place a Trump-era immigration policy pending further litigation by 19 Republican-led states.

Jan 4, 2023 12:03 PM CST

Chief justice temporarily continues Title 42 policy that expelled asylum-seekers based on COVID-19 dangers

Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday temporarily kept in place a policy that quickly turned back asylum-seekers on the ground that they could contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

Dec 20, 2022 10:08 AM CST

Florida governor seeks grand jury to investigate drug companies’ COVID-19 vaccine statements

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has asked the Florida Supreme Court to appoint a statewide grand jury to investigate “criminal or wrongful activity” related to the development and promotion of COVID-19 vaccines.

Dec 16, 2022 8:45 AM CST

Supreme Court should consider right to earn a living, 5th Circuit judge says in COVID-19 shutdown case

A conservative federal appeals judge suggested in a concurrence this week that the U.S. Supreme Court should consider whether the right to earn a living is a fundamental, unenumerated constitutional right.

Nov 10, 2022 1:22 PM CST

During ABA Giving Day, members can support efforts advocating for democracy, equity and justice

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the ABA’s members, volunteers and donors have answered the call to help increase legal services and transform the justice system. The FJE hopes to build on that momentum with the 2022 ABA Giving Day.

Oct 18, 2022 11:10 AM CDT

Law firms, courts deal with aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Law firms and courthouses are dealing with Hurricane Ian and its aftermath.

Sep 30, 2022 1:21 PM CDT

Jury rules for Baylor in dispute over business-interruption coverage for COVID losses

Jurors in Texas awarded $12 million to Baylor College of Medicine last week in a dispute over whether its commercial property insurer covered COVID-19 losses.

Sep 7, 2022 12:45 PM CDT