Public Interest

Congolese warlord convicted of war crimes with the help of ABA ROLI

Last month, after years of efforts, the warlord Marcel Habarugira Rangira, lieutenant colonel of the Congolese armed forces, was convicted of war crimes before a military tribunal in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mireille Kahatwa Amani was one of the chief attorneys from the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative who worked to convict him.

Mar 28, 2019 2:47 PM CDT

Neo-Nazi who plowed car into crowd in Charlottesville, killing paralegal, pleads guilty to hate crimes

The neo-Nazi who killed a paralegal after plowing his car into a crowd of racism protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes Wednesday after Attorney General William Barr agreed to drop the only charge carrying the death penalty. James Alex Fields Jr. of Maumee, Ohio, pleaded guilty…

Mar 28, 2019 9:30 AM CDT

Trump acts as private citizen when blocking Twitter followers, DOJ lawyer argues in appeal

A U.S. Justice Department lawyer argued Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s Twitter account is more like a private residence than a public forum where his followers are protected by the First Amendment.

Mar 27, 2019 1:24 PM CDT

Black legal aid lawyer says officer detained him after mistaking him for suspect in court

Corrected: A black lawyer with the Maryland Legal Aid said he has started carrying his business card with him after a sheriff’s deputy at the courthouse mistook him for a client and detained him. Attorney Rashad James said he has filed a complaint with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office over…

Mar 27, 2019 10:07 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: Partisan gerrymandering has returned to the Supreme Court

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in what could be the two most important cases of the term—both involving the question of whether federal courts can hear challenges to partisan gerrymandering and, if so, when the practice violates the Constitution.

Mar 27, 2019 6:00 AM CDT

Federal judge rules for cheerleader kicked off squad over Snapchat F-word post

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled on behalf of a high school cheerleader who was kicked of the junior varsity squad for using the F-word—multiple times—in a Snapchat post after a tryout disappointment. U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo ruled that the Mahanoy Area School District violated the student’s…

Mar 26, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Mueller’s report is in; what happens now?

Updated: Special counsel Robert Mueller submitted his report to Attorney General William Barr on Friday afternoon. But how much will become public?

Mar 22, 2019 4:50 PM CDT

At a loss for translators, immigration courts dial up unreliable interpreter services

Migrants often speak languages that are little known in the U.S. (except maybe in New York City): k-iche from Central America, urdu from Pakistan, Creole from Haiti. American immigration judges have a hard time finding enough interpreters to show up in courtrooms.

Mar 22, 2019 12:51 PM CDT

Unvaccinated teen’s suit claims classroom ban violates his religious rights

An unvaccinated Kentucky teen barred from playing in a basketball playoff during a chickenpox outbreak and then banned from the classroom has filed a suit claiming a violation of his religious rights. The 18-year-old Catholic high school senior, Jerome Kunkel, claims a First Amendment violation in a suit filed with…

Mar 21, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

Justice Thomas breaks 3-year silence in oral arguments

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas surprised courtroom observers when he asked a question during oral arguments Wednesday in a case alleging repeated prosecutor bias in jury selection. Thomas asked about the race of jurors eliminated by the defense, report the Washington Post, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters…

Mar 20, 2019 3:03 PM CDT

Are unanimous juries required in state criminal cases? SCOTUS will consider overruling precedent

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider whether to overrule a 1972 case that allowed nonunanimous verdicts in state criminal trials. The court agreed to decide whether the Sixth Amendment requires unanimity in the case of Louisiana inmate Evangelisto Ramos, who was sentenced to life in prison after…

Mar 18, 2019 3:00 PM CDT

Supreme Court to consider life-without-parole sentence for teen DC sniper

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether its decision banning mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles can be used to upend discretionary life-without-parole sentences imposed on teens before the Supreme Court acted. The Supreme Court agreed to consider the question in the case of Lee Boyd…

Mar 18, 2019 1:30 PM CDT

Too tasteless to trademark? SCOTUS considers whether vulgar-sounding brand name is protected by First Amendment

Iancu v. Brunetti, set for U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments Monday, considers whether the First Amendment protects a vulgar-sounding brand name.

Mar 1, 2019 1:35 AM CST

California Split: 1 year after nation’s largest bar became 2 entities, observers see positive change

The separation of the State Bar of California, created in 1927, did not come without fierce internal and legislative battles, though bar leaders and outside groups said the first year of de-unification produced the positive changes they envisioned. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision has played a key role in sparking more urgent nationwide discussions about the long-term future of mandatory state bars.

Feb 4, 2019 7:00 AM CST

Women’s experiences differ from men’s and affect their longevity in law, survey finds

Women in law already face unique challenges, and a new study appears to show that a large number of female attorneys with more than 20 years of practice are leaving the profession.

Oct 1, 2018 12:36 AM CDT