New Jersey

Trump loyalist Alina Habba resigns as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor

Alina Habba, President Donald Trump’s embattled pick as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, said Monday that she is resigning after a protracted legal battle over the legitimacy of her appointment.

Dec 9, 2025 9:36 AM CST

Supreme Court sympathetic to antiabortion center in fight over donor names

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin (D) issued a subpoena in 2023—part of an investigation into whether a chain of faith-based, antiabortion pregnancy centers were deceiving clients and donors by falsely suggesting they offered abortion referrals.

Dec 2, 2025 12:46 PM CST

Appeals court rules Trump prosecutor appointment violates law

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that President Donald Trump unlawfully maneuvered to keep his former personal attorney, Alina Habba, as the top prosecutor in New Jersey—a decision that could have far-reaching implications for other controversial Trump appointments that have been challenged in court.

Dec 1, 2025 10:39 AM CST

New Jersey’s top court is first to reject evidence of shaken baby syndrome as unreliable

Testimony that merely shaking a baby can produce internal bleeding near the brain and in the retina is too unreliable for admission in criminal cases of child abuse, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in a 6-1 decision last week.

Nov 25, 2025 9:23 AM CST

High-stakes hearing as Comey and James seek to disqualify prosecutor

A federal judge appeared skeptical Thursday that Lindsey Halligan had been lawfully appointed as the top federal prosecutor in Eastern Virginia but seemed less certain about whether disqualifying her should end the prosecutions of former FBI Director James B. Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Nov 13, 2025 1:47 PM CST

2 federal judges reveal AI use by staff members led to error-riddled opinions

Two federal judges who released opinions that included fake information explained in letters released Thursday that the problems stemmed from staff members’ use of artificial intelligence.

Oct 24, 2025 9:29 AM CDT

Lawyer goes to bat for son over Little League suspension for celebrating home run

When a 12-year-old baseball player hit a home run in the sixth inning of a game, he did something to celebrate: He flipped his bat in the air. An umpire ejected him from the game for tossing his bat. Under Little League rules, an ejection also required him to be suspended for one additional game. The boy’s father, a lawyer, decided to take the league to court.

Oct 16, 2025 9:11 AM CDT

These 2 law firms will be called FBT Gibbons after January merger

Frost Brown Todd and Gibbons plan to merge in January, creating a law firm with 800 lawyers in 25 offices.

Oct 13, 2025 9:55 AM CDT

Trump’s plan to penalize states using cashless bail is unconstitutional and unnecessary, critics say

Critics are raising questions about the constitutionality and wisdom of President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to pressure states to require cash bail for defendants charged with a variety of crimes.

Aug 28, 2025 9:36 AM CDT

Judge rules Alina Habba serving ‘without legal authority’ as New Jersey’s US attorney

A federal judge ruled Thursday that Alina Habba, President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney in New Jersey, is in that role “without lawful authority”—a decision that called into question the administration’s novel strategy for keeping her and other controversial interim choices in top prosecutorial roles.

Aug 22, 2025 9:51 AM CDT

Secondary trauma hits attorneys hard; here’s how to navigate it

There’s a lesser-known but profound challenge within the legal profession: secondary trauma. For many attorneys and judges, the emotional toll of handling distressing cases can accumulate, creating lasting psychological impacts.

Aug 12, 2025 9:23 AM CDT

Who—or what—is to blame for 2 federal judges’ error-filled withdrawn opinions?

The responsibility for substantial errors in opinions recently withdrawn by two federal judges likely lies in the first instance with artificial intelligence, but the buck doesn’t stop there, observers say.

Aug 7, 2025 9:56 AM CDT

‘No further explanation is warranted’ for TRO opinion with made-up allegations, parties, federal judge says

A federal judge who issued an opinion referring to nonexistent allegations, parties and declarations has refused to provide an explanation other than to attribute the problems to “clerical errors.”

Aug 5, 2025 9:32 AM CDT

BigLaw partner won’t charge his $3,250 hourly rate to defend New Jersey cities in Trump administration suits

Milbank partner Neal Katyal usually charges $3,250 per hour, but he is giving quite a break to two New Jersey cities that he will help defend in Trump administration lawsuits challenging their immigration policies.

Jul 31, 2025 10:50 AM CDT

DOJ uses this maneuver to keep top federal prosecutors on the job, even after judges reject them

The U.S. Department of Justice is defending the validity of its decision to appoint Alina Habba as the acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey by first designating her as a “special attorney,” one of several efforts around the country to keep top prosecutor picks in place without U.S. Senate confirmation.

Jul 30, 2025 2:39 PM CDT