Supreme Court divided over homeless ban and rights of the unhoused

Supreme Court justices expressed concern on Monday about punishing homeless people for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go, while also struggling with how to ensure local and state leaders have flexibility to deal with the growing number of unhoused individuals nationwide.

Apr 22, 2024 2:35 PM CDT

Lawyer seeking sanctions ‘descended into schoolyard antics’ at deposition, Quinn Emanuel says

Alex Spiro, a partner with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, may have given some responses that "were pointed at times" during a deposition of his client Tesla CEO Elon Musk. But it was in response to the opposing lawyer’s "insults, shouting, interruptions and violations" of a court order, according to the law firm’s opposition to a sanctions motion.

Apr 22, 2024 11:09 AM CDT

Gender bias suit against Lewis Brisbois cites ‘sycophantic’ attorney favoritism, ‘systemic business deficiencies’

"Systemic business deficiencies" rooted in mismanagement at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith had a disparate impact on a female former partner suing the law firm for alleged bias, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.

Apr 22, 2024 10:07 AM CDT

DEI ‘lives on’ after Supreme Court ruling, but critics see an opening

The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision this week in favor of a St. Louis police sergeant was almost universally cast as a win for workers, who now have a lower bar for proving discrimination claims. But it’s also being held up by conservative activists intent on dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, who say it will give them added firepower to quash workplace programs reserved for minorities, women and other underrepresented groups.

Apr 22, 2024 10:00 AM CDT

Ex-BigLaw partner can’t get cyberstalking injunction against blogger, judge says

A former Greenberg Traurig partner can’t get a cyberstalking injunction against a blogger who posted videos of the lawyer yelling and telling his wife that he hates her, a Florida state judge has ruled.

Apr 18, 2024 2:57 PM CDT

Supreme Court will consider whether criminalizing homelessness violates Eighth Amendment

Few doubt that the court’s decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson will be consequential for the nation’s homeless population and for those trying to help. “This case is really about whether the Constitution protects unhoused people against punishment when there is no shelter or housing available to them.”

Apr 18, 2024 1:00 PM CDT

Lawyer reprimanded after mistakenly emailing opposing counsel with plan to avoid judge’s call

Updated: A Massachusetts lawyer who mistakenly copied the opposing counsel on an email has been reprimanded for its message to a bankruptcy attorney.

Apr 18, 2024 11:51 AM CDT

Pulling the Weed: Bankruptcy opinion shows debt restructure path for cannabis workers

While 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana use, it remains a criminal activity under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and bankruptcy courts generally have been a rather hostile forum for debtors employed in the marijuana industry.

Apr 18, 2024 11:35 AM CDT

‘I don’t play well’ judge who threatened to track down, jail misbehaving litigant gets tossed from case

An Ohio judge who bragged about his history as a boxer and his intimidating presence on the childhood playground has been kicked off a case for his threat to track down and jail a litigant if he violates a court order.

Apr 18, 2024 10:33 AM CDT

Netflix’s ‘The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker’ smashes the circumstantial evidence argument

Netflix’s The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker tells the story of a man experiencing homelessness, whose rise and fall overshadowed what may have been telltale signs of someone suffering from mental health issues.

Apr 18, 2024 10:08 AM CDT

Job transfers can be discriminatory without needing to show significant harm, SCOTUS rules

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled Wednesday that people suing under the main federal job-bias law don’t have to show a transfer caused them a significant disadvantage. Writing for the court, Justice Elena Kagan said Congress required only that employees show some sort of harm, even if it’s not a major one.

Apr 17, 2024 11:15 AM CDT

4th Circuit allows transgender girl to stay on West Virginia track team

A transgender middle-schooler in West Virginia cannot be barred from participating in cross-country running and track with other girls, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has ruled.

Apr 17, 2024 8:30 AM CDT

Law schools examine pedagogy as NextGen bar exam looms

Updated: With the dawn of the NextGen bar exam approaching, some law schools are adjusting curricula to better prepare students for the test’s specific demands.

Apr 16, 2024 2:10 PM CDT

SCOTUS declines to stay Idaho ban on gender-affirming care for minors

The Supreme Court has cleared the way for Idaho to broadly enforce a ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors, the first time the justices have intervened on the contentious issue of transgender health treatments.

Apr 16, 2024 9:45 AM CDT

Meet two of Trump’s NY trial lawyers, Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles

When Donald Trump appears for his first criminal trial on Monday, he will be flanked by two veteran New York attorneys: Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles.

Apr 15, 2024 3:30 PM CDT