State Government

‘Stay out of my shorts,’ other discourteous comments led to censure for New York judge

Updated: A New York judge who didn’t want to transition to new case-tracking systems has agreed to a censure for gratuitous and discourteous remarks that he made while expressing his displeasure to colleagues and to officials who transferred him to a new court.

Apr 10, 2025 2:11 PM CDT

Dialogue on Deregulation, Politicization: Arizona vice chief justice discusses innovation, retention elections

Bold. Innovative. Visionary. At a time when many courts are losing the battle to provide access to justice, especially in low-income communities, the Arizona Supreme Court has brought fresh ideas to bridge the justice gap.

Apr 10, 2025 10:06 AM CDT

After Texas chief justice criticizes ABA, state supreme court reconsiders ABA accreditation for law schools

The Texas Supreme Court is inviting comments on a requirement that law grads seeking bar admission in the state must have graduated from a law school accredited by the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Apr 8, 2025 3:54 PM CDT

Liberal wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race, most expensive in US history

A liberal candidate for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court glided to victory Tuesday, overcoming a flood of political cash from tech billionaire Elon Musk in a race seen as a referendum on him and President Donald Trump.

Apr 2, 2025 9:50 AM CDT

Disbarred lawyer sentenced for using then-girlfriend’s identity to take out over $82K in loans

A disbarred Illinois lawyer has been sentenced to six years in prison for using his then-girlfriend’s identifying information to obtain four bank loans totaling $82,700.

Apr 2, 2025 8:55 AM CDT

Supreme Court appears to favor Catholic charities group’s quest for state unemployment tax exemption

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday appeared to side with a group of Catholic charities in northern Wisconsin that sought a religious exemption from the state’s unemployment tax.

Apr 1, 2025 11:35 AM CDT

1st Circuit refuses to lift block on Trump’s freeze on state grants during challenge

A Rhode Island federal judge’s order requiring President Donald Trump to keep appropriated grant flowing to the states will remain undisturbed during appeal after a federal appeals court declined to issue a stay.

Mar 31, 2025 3:51 PM CDT

Prosecutor gets suspension for invading jury’s ‘inner sanctum’

An Oklahoma lawyer has been suspended for six months for watching real-time jury deliberations on a monitor in a murder case that he prosecuted.

Mar 27, 2025 10:27 AM CDT

Climate change case that ‘ignited a movement’ ends with Supreme Court’s cert denial

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to revive a climate change lawsuit filed on behalf of 21 youths who contended that the government is a trustee of the environment and has a duty to preserve it.

Mar 25, 2025 2:01 PM CDT

State Bar of California considers provisional licenses for February bar exam takers

Updated: The State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners has placed the option of provisional licenses for candidates who fail or withdrew from the February California bar exam on the table.

Mar 17, 2025 2:32 PM CDT

Attorney’s ‘egregious’ conduct warrants disbarment, not suspension, Florida Supreme Court says

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that a Palm Beach County, Florida, attorney should be disbarred over professional misconduct, despite a referee’s recommendation that he only receive a 91-day suspension.

Mar 17, 2025 9:22 AM CDT

Danny Ortega has advocated for farmworkers and immigrants in Arizona for decades

For five decades, Daniel R. Ortega Jr. has remained steadfast in his advocacy for and empowerment of farm workers and the larger immigrant community in Arizona. In January, he was awarded the inaugural Impacto Award by the ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities.

Mar 17, 2025 9:00 AM CDT

DEI standard prompts Florida to reconsider ABA accreditation

Citing the ongoing controversy over diversity and inclusion in law school admissions, the Florida Supreme Court has created a workgroup to both reconsider its requirement that law students graduate from an ABA-accredited school to sit for the Florida bar exam and develop options for alternatives.

Mar 13, 2025 3:55 PM CDT

Texas commits to NextGen bar exam starting in 2028, NCBE says

Texas will begin administering the NextGen bar exam starting in July 2028, joining 36 of the 56 jurisdictions that test bar candidates, according to a March 11 press release from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Mar 11, 2025 2:29 PM CDT

Ex-Wisconsin justice who led election review should be compelled to sit for deposition in ethics case, motion says

A former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice should be compelled to sit for a deposition before a disciplinary review board, a lawyer for the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation argued in a Feb. 28 motion.

Mar 6, 2025 10:00 AM CST