FDA Opens Criminal Probe of Peanut Co.; Obama Calls for Agency Overhaul

The federal Food and Drug Administration has opened a criminal investigation into a closely held Virginia-based company that has been blamed for a salmonella outbreak that allegedly sickened more than…

Feb 2, 2009 5:55 PM CST

Help Wanted: Law Deans

Law school deanships used to be coveted positions, but no longer.

At least 27 law schools are searching for deans, and many are having a difficult time filling the jobs,…

Feb 2, 2009 2:00 PM CST

Client Faces Sentence of Up to 50 Years for Kidnapping Indiana Lawyer

A client who kidnapped his lawyer at knifepoint before dumping him in a nature preserve could be sentenced today to up to 50 years in prison.

The lawyer, Thomas Hamer,…

Feb 2, 2009 1:39 PM CST

It’s Official: K&L Gates and Bell Boyd OK Merger; Firm to Have Nearly 2K Lawyers

An “overwhelming” yes vote today by partners of both firms has made it official: Pittsburgh-based K&L Gates and Chicago’s Bell Boyd & Lloyd will merge March 1.

With the addition…

Jan 31, 2009 1:16 AM CST

Economic Storm Hits Lawyers Hard But ‘Unhappy Work’ Offers New Opportunities

A couple of years ago, attorney Ira Goldenberg did about 10 residential real estate closings a month. Now he is handling just one.

Talk of the nation’s economic debacle has…

Jan 30, 2009 9:44 PM CST

Heath Ledger’s Daughter, 3, Settles $10M Life Insurance Legal Battle

An insurance company that had refused to pay out on a $10 million life policy after actor Heath Ledger’s death from a drug overdose, contending that it might have been…

Jan 30, 2009 9:22 PM CST

Suspended Pa. Judge Now at Issue in $3.4M Legal Malpractice Judgment

Accusations that two now-suspended Pennsylvania judges accepted $2.6 million in kickbacks in exchange for incarcerating juveniles at specific detention facilities have spilled over into another multimillion-dollar case.

A law firm…

Jan 30, 2009 8:20 PM CST

Judge Rules for Juror Who Received a Pink Slip

A juror who received a pink slip from her employer after serving four months as a juror in a death penalty trial has gotten her job back.

Juror Christine Madison…

Jan 30, 2009 7:31 PM CST

Prosecutor Investigating Archdiocese Is Known for Novel Legal Ideas

The prosecutor investigating the Los Angeles archdiocese for its response to pedophile priests is known for his creative use of legal theories.

U.S. Attorney Thomas O’Brien has pursued cases that…

Jan 30, 2009 6:20 PM CST

How Did Court Examiners Miss $4M Allegedly Siphoned By N.Y. Guardian?

News this week that a New York lawyer serving as a court-appointed guardian has been accused of taking $4 million from some $30 million in funds that he was in…

Jan 30, 2009 5:41 PM CST

‘Bride Wars’ Character Appears to Be a Ropes & Gray Lawyer

Kate Hudson’s character in the movie Bride Wars appears to be an associate at Ropes & Gray.

The movie uses a fictitious law firm name, but some scenes in the…

Jan 30, 2009 4:52 PM CST

Groundhog Day is a Repeating Theme in Life of Punxsutawney Lawyer

Punxsutawney Phil may be Jeff Lundy’s most high-profile client.

The Pennsylvania lawyer is a board member of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club and the defender of the groundhog’s trademark, obtained in…

Jan 30, 2009 4:32 PM CST

NY Appeals Court Affirms Jailing of State’s ‘Most Obnoxious Lawyer’

A man once described as “New York’s most obnoxious lawyer” has once again been slapped down by the state’s courts.

Kenneth Heller’s most recent…

Jan 30, 2009 3:07 PM CST

Jailed for Espionage, Ex-CIA Agent Still Spied for Russia, Prosecutors Say

A CIA agent who pleaded guilty to espionage in 1977 has been indicted on charges that he continued to sell secrets to the Russians from an Oregon federal prison.

The…

Jan 30, 2009 12:36 PM CST

Ropes & Gray Lays Off 106 Staff

A Boston-based international law firm is laying off 10 percent of its staff because of the economic situation.

In an internal memo, Ropes & Gray’s chairman,…

Jan 29, 2009 10:39 PM CST