ABA Journal

North Carolina

511 ABA Journal North Carolina articles.

Can racially gerrymandered legislature propose constitutional changes? Maybe not, court says

The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the state’s racially gerrymandered legislature may not have authority to propose constitutional ballot initiatives that immunize lawmakers from democratic accountability or perpetuate discrimination.

Federal appeals court bars libel prosecution based on state attorney general’s campaign ad

The campaign organization for North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has obtained an injunction that bars a local district attorney from prosecuting people involved in producing a negative advertisement about Stein’s opponent in the 2020 election.

SCOTUS will decide case that could strip state courts of power to review congressional voting maps

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to consider the power of state courts to regulate federal elections under a theory known as the "independent state legislature" theory.

Charter school dress code requiring skirts for girls violates equal protection clause, 4th Circuit rules

An en banc federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a public charter school in North Carolina violated the equal protection clause when it required girls to wear skirts.

Law dean known for encouraging creative thinking around diversity in legal ed dies at conference

Browne C. Lewis, the dean of the North Carolina Central University School of Law, was found dead in her hotel room Thursday while in Colorado attending the Law School Admission Council’s annual conference.

Second Loss for Rep. Madison Cawthorn: 4th Circuit revives claim that he is an insurrectionist unfit for office

Congress didn’t give amnesty to future insurrectionists who are barred from office under the Constitution’s disqualification clause, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Are more law schools needed in areas where InfiLaw campuses closed?

As the Florida Coastal School of Law prepares to close, Jacksonville University announced plans to open a new law school in the same city, with the first entering class starting in fall 2022. Plans are also in place for a new law school at North Carolina’s High Point University, which is about 78 miles from the now-shuttered Charlotte School of Law.

Federal court officials can be sued for alleged failure to protect public defender from sex bias, 4th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a former assistant federal public defender in North Carolina can sue court officials for constitutional violations stemming from an alleged faulty investigation of sexual harassment.

GOP targets state courts with campaign cash, laws that change judicial elections

Seeking a more favorable climate in fights over election maps, Republicans are planning to spend record amounts on state supreme court races and introducing legislation to make judicial elections more political.

Can Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene be banned from reelection? 14th Amendment at issue

Georgia voters who want to ban a reelection bid by Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene got a boost Friday, when a federal judge in Atlanta indicated that she will likely allow the election challenge.

‘Independent state legislature’ theory in spotlight as SCOTUS refuses to hear map disputes

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down emergency Republican requests to block two court-drawn legislative maps, even as four justices said they were open to considering a doctrine that would increase legislative power over redistricting.

Miss USA 2019, a lawyer who worked for social justice, dies at age 30

A lawyer, fashion blogger and Extra correspondent who won the Miss USA pageant in 2019 has died by suicide after apparently jumping from an apartment building in Manhattan, New York City.

An ‘ominous development’ for race-conscious college admissions? Supreme Court accepts 2 challenges

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear challenges to race-conscious admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Weekly Briefs: Skirts-only dress code gets rehearing; ex-judge reprimanded for ‘sexual innuendo’

En banc 4th Circuit will rehear school dress-code case

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Richmond, Virginia, has granted an en banc rehearing to consider a challenge to…

Law firms team up to encourage racial equity and economic mobility in the Carolinas

Two dozen BigLaw, regional and local law firms have joined together to form the Carolinas Social Impact Initiative, a new effort that seeks to tackle systemic racism in the region.

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