Oregon

Man who claimed US wanted him to spy on mosque can pursue suit over 6-year no-fly-list status, SCOTUS says

An Oregon man’s challenge to his placement on the no-fly list did not become moot after the government lifted the ban on flying, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a unanimous opinion.

Mar 19, 2024 11:34 AM CDT

Does banning camping by homeless people violate Eighth Amendment? Supreme Court agrees to decide

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide whether the U.S. Constitution prevents the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, from issuing civil citations to people who violate a ban on sleeping on public property.

Jan 16, 2024 10:09 AM CST

Judicial task force will take deep look at legal ed, bar admissions

A new group comprised of nine state supreme court chief justices and three state court administrators will make recommendations to state supreme courts regarding legal education, the bar admissions process and the declining numbers of attorneys dedicated to public-interest law.

Nov 28, 2023 1:00 PM CST

Federal appeals court strikes down Maryland law requiring ‘handgun qualification license’

A Maryland law requiring those who want handguns to wait up to 30 days for a “handgun qualification license” violates the Second Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled last week.

Nov 27, 2023 3:21 PM CST

Oregon approves alternative to bar exam

Starting in 2024, law graduates aiming to practice in Oregon can skip the bar exam and instead follow an alternative pathway to licensure.

Nov 8, 2023 3:35 PM CST

Mom and son charged with kidnapping for allegedly taking minor for abortion outside Idaho

A mother and son in Pocatello, Idaho, have been charged with second-degree kidnapping for allegedly transporting the son’s 15-year-old girlfriend to Oregon to get an abortion without allowing her to tell her parents. Rachael Swainston, 42, and her son Kadyn Swainston, 18, were charged under a kidnapping law that bans…

Nov 6, 2023 2:35 PM CST

5 jurisdictions commit to using NextGen bar exam

Five jurisdictions have committed to administering the NextGen bar exam, the National Conference of Bar Examiners announced on Wednesday.

Nov 1, 2023 3:42 PM CDT

Oregon and Kentucky law schools are back in compliance, ABA Legal Ed Section says

The University of Oregon School of Law and the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law have demonstrated compliance with accreditation standards, according to the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Sep 8, 2023 1:47 PM CDT

$4.5M BigLaw firm settlement in investor case should be approved, magistrate judge says

A federal magistrate judge is recommending approval of an agreement in which Davis Wright Tremaine would pay $4.5 million to settle a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that it aided the sales of fraudulent real estate securities.

Sep 7, 2023 2:32 PM CDT

Federal judge orders release of county’s unrepresented defendants, says problem is ‘complete tragedy’

A federal judge in Eugene, Oregon, has ruled that defendants held without lawyers for 10 days in Washington County, Oregon’s jail must be released from custody.

Aug 18, 2023 11:40 AM CDT

Oregon’s former top administrative judge gets prison time in child pornography case

Oregon’s former top administrative law judge has been sentenced to 38 months in prison after his guilty plea to 10 counts of encouraging child sexual abuse. Judge Andrew Erwin of Washington County, Oregon, sentenced Judge John Michael Mann, the former chief administrative law judge for the state, on May 11.…

May 15, 2023 9:45 AM CDT

Will former top administrative judge be third Oregon attorney to receive probation in a child porn case?

A May 11 sentencing date has been set for Oregon’s former top administrative law judge after his guilty plea to encouraging child sexual abuse in a child pornography case.

Apr 18, 2023 4:10 PM CDT

‘Desperate for lawyers,’ Maine considers alternative path to law license

Maine lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow aspiring lawyers to skip law school if they study under a supervising attorney for two years.

Apr 11, 2023 9:29 AM CDT

A horse is a horse—of course? Oregon Supreme Court denies plaintiff horse case review

It was an open and shut case of neglect. The victim in rural Oregon was starved, denied proper shelter and suffered from frostbite and grave injuries. His caregiver pled guilty in 2017 to criminal neglect. A year later, damages were sought for the 8-year-old victim to cover the lifelong medical care necessary for his physical and emotional injuries. But in Justice v. Vercher, the plaintiff is not a child. He is a horse.

Mar 28, 2023 1:01 PM CDT

Law school gets extension to meet Standard 316; ABA Legal Ed council posts additional notice on faculty diversity

Updated: The Golden Gate University School of Law, which has not had a two-year bar pass rate at or above 75% since its class of 2017, has received an extension to come into compliance with Standard 316, which requires a bar passage rate of at least 75% within a two-year time period.

Mar 14, 2023 10:52 AM CDT