Victim advocate fired for misdirected ‘panties’ email sues district attorney’s office for its comments

A victim witness advocate has sued for privacy invasion and defamation following his firing for mistakenly sending a “wacky email” to the entire San Francisco district attorney’s office that read, “What color panties you have on.”

Jul 24, 2024 2:47 PM CDT

Illinois jail must pay $880K to family members of inmate who died by suicide, judge rules

A federal judge in Illinois has awarded more than $880,000 to the estate of a 22-year-old man who died by suicide in the Cook County Jail.

Jul 19, 2024 2:45 PM CDT

Attorney with ‘cognitive impairment’ entitled to disability pay, court says

An insurance company improperly denied a Minnesota trademark attorney her long-term disability benefits, a federal court has ruled.

Jul 18, 2024 8:00 AM CDT

Satan Goes to Court: Lawyers recall bizarre medical malpractice case

In 1991, personal injury lawyers Zachary Bravos and Todd Smith took on the strangest medical malpractice case of their careers—a case that led them to tales of satanic cults, child abuse and cannibalism.

Jul 17, 2024 1:30 PM CDT

Lawyer who sued Big Lots over coffee labeling has ‘dubious modus operandi,’ federal judge says

A lawyer who alleged that retail chain company Big Lots used labeling that inflated the number of servings in cans of its Fresh Finds coffee had made a similar claim in a prior tossed lawsuit that was “indistinguishable” from the new case “but for a new plaintiff and heading,” according to a federal judge in Florida.

Jul 9, 2024 9:28 AM CDT

Former BigLaw partner settles defamation suit against social media influencer

A former Greenberg Traurig partner has reached a settlement with a social media influencer he accused of posting defamatory videos seeking to falsely depict the lawyer as an abusive husband and spouse.

Jul 8, 2024 1:22 PM CDT

Supreme Court blocks controversial Purdue Pharma opioid settlement

The Supreme Court has blocked a controversial proposed Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan that would have provided billions of dollars to help address the nation’s opioid crisis in exchange for protecting the family that owns the company from future lawsuits.

Jun 27, 2024 9:26 AM CDT

5th Circuit rejects nationwide injunction in challenge to task force’s insurer mandates

A task force that issued preventive care mandates for insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act had “unreviewable power” that violated the Constitution, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jun 25, 2024 1:02 PM CDT

Lawyers suing Johnson & Johnson in baby powder suits seek privileged attorney-client communications

Co-lead counsel in a lawsuit filed last month against Johnson & Johnson are asking a judge to allow access to communications among some top in-house lawyers in a bid to show that the company abused the bankruptcy process in litigation over talcum powder alleged to cause cancer.

Jun 24, 2024 10:52 AM CDT

Survivors of Tulsa Race Massacre can’t get reparations under nuisance law, top Oklahoma court says

Updated: The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre on behalf of two survivors who are 109 and 110 years old.

Jun 13, 2024 8:57 AM CDT

Woman who says she inspired ‘Baby Reindeer’ is suing Netflix for $170M

A woman who says she was identified online as the basis for the character of a stalker in the popular Netflix series Baby Reindeer is suing the streamer and the show’s creator. She is seeking $170 million over a portrayal she says was inaccurate and distressing.

Jun 7, 2024 1:00 PM CDT

Judge tosses lawyer’s defamation suit against ex-mayor for alleged crude and insulting statements

Then-Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was acting within the scope of her official duties when she allegedly questioned a lawyer’s legal abilities and bragged that she has the "biggest d- - - in Chicago,” according to a Cook County, Illinois, judge.

Jun 7, 2024 9:15 AM CDT

In concurrence confession, appeals judge says ChatGPT research ‘less nutty’ than feared

Judge Kevin Newsom of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Atlanta tried using ChatGPT to research the ordinary meaning of “landscaping,” and he’s not afraid to admit it.

Jun 6, 2024 9:09 AM CDT

Judge denies dueling requests for sanctions in Elon Musk defamation case

A Texas judge has denied a bid for sanctions claiming that BigLaw partner Alex Spiro “brazenly” appeared at a deposition for Tesla CEO Elon Musk without pro hac vice permission and then acted in “an obnoxious manner.”

Jun 3, 2024 8:56 AM CDT

Supreme Court rules for NRA in First Amendment suit over official’s alleged ‘pressure tactics’

Updated: The First Amendment prevents government officials from using their power to selectively punish or suppress speech that the government disfavors, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a lawsuit by the National Rifle Association.

May 30, 2024 10:46 AM CDT