Non-Profit

First Amendment bars kosher inspector from suing Jewish nonprofit, 9th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has found that an inspector who ensured that food products complied with Jewish dietary law cannot pursue a job-related lawsuit against the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, a nonprofit corporation that runs the country’s largest kosher certification program.

Jan 2, 2025 1:23 PM CST

DC Circuit rules for PETA in First Amendment challenge to agency’s social media comment filters

The National Institutes of Health violated the First Amendment when it used keyword filters that blocked Facebook and Instagram comments that criticized animal testing, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jul 31, 2024 2:45 PM CDT

5th Circuit took ‘overly cramped view’ of precedent in retaliatory arrest suit, Supreme Court says

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday for a former city council member who claims that her arrest for placing her citizen petition into a binder stemmed from a retaliatory political vendetta.

Jun 20, 2024 11:30 AM CDT

Juror excused after mystery woman left bag of cash at her home and explained why

A 23-year-old juror in a charity fraud trial was excused Monday after a woman dressed in black visited her home Sunday evening with a Hallmark gift bag containing about $120,000 cash.

Jun 4, 2024 11:05 AM CDT

Pro-Palestinian groups are Hamas propagandists, BigLaw firm’s suit alleges; is First Amendment an issue?

Updated: A May 1 lawsuit alleges that two pro-Palestinian groups are Hamas propagandists that are involved in campus protests in an effort to justify violence against Israel and Zionists.

May 6, 2024 2:06 PM CDT

Bail Project doesn’t have duty to control behavior of people after it posts bond, appeals court says

A group that bailed out criminal defendants isn’t liable for posting bond for a man who was later accused of crashing a stolen car into a vehicle driven by a teenage girl, causing her death, the Kentucky Court of Appeals has ruled.

Apr 24, 2024 9:21 AM CDT

Lawyer accused of spying on Muslim colleagues gives up law license

A lawyer has resigned from the bar after he was accused of spying on his colleagues at an Ohio-based chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy and civil rights organization.

Mar 5, 2024 12:25 PM CST

NRA general counsel violated statutory duties but caused no monetary harm, jurors find; LaPierre liable for $5.4M

The general counsel for the National Rifle Association was among three senior NRA leaders found to have violated their statutory duties by jurors Friday.

Feb 26, 2024 12:41 PM CST

Qualified immunity shield may depend on size and publication rate of federal appeals court, new report says

Qualified immunity “protects officials too much and our rights too little,” according to a new report by the Institute for Justice based on an analysis of more than 5,500 federal appeals decisions over an 11-year period.

Feb 7, 2024 8:47 AM CST

These 3 organizations are using innovative methods to help older youths in foster care

In our final story of the year for our Children & the Law series, we are focusing on the needs of older foster youths about to transition out of care and what supports and services make a difference in their lives. Here are three ways that organizations around the country are helping with this essential work.

Dec 18, 2023 8:22 AM CST

‘Nuclear verdicts’ and ‘litigation tourism’ are partly why these state courts are top ‘judicial hellholes,’ report says

Courts in Georgia and Pennsylvania are named as top "judicial hellholes" for their friendliness to tort plaintiffs in a report by the American Tort Reform Foundation.

Dec 8, 2023 2:13 PM CST

Armin Salek builds new pathway to profession for aspiring first-generation lawyers

At age 33, Armin Salek has his dream job. He is the founder and the executive director of the Youth Justice Alliance, a nonprofit organization in Austin, Texas, that provides aspiring first-generation lawyers with financial and institutional support starting in high school.

Dec 6, 2023 10:01 AM CST

There’s an ‘urgent need’ to support female lawyers with children, new ABA report shows

Mothers are far more likely than fathers to encounter negative experiences at work, including disparaging comments, lower compensation and fewer advancement opportunities, according to a new ABA report released Wednesday that assesses how the motherhood penalty and other caregiver bias impacts female lawyers.

Oct 25, 2023 9:34 AM CDT

DC Circuit decision is victory for public-access group that posts technical standards online

A nonprofit group isn’t liable for copyright infringement when it posts technical standards online that have been developed by private groups and then incorporated into government regulations, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Sep 13, 2023 3:47 PM CDT

Ginni Thomas’ work with conservative activists led to movement that helped overturn precedent

The conservative legal movement gained ground after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down restrictions on independent campaign spending by corporations in the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling.

Sep 12, 2023 8:15 AM CDT