Trials & Litigation

DOJ lawyer blames ‘confluence of administrative errors’ for another El Salvador deportation

A U.S. Department of Justice lawyer last week blamed “a confluence of administrative errors” for the deportation of an immigrant from El Salvador in Central America, despite a federal appeals court order allowing him to remain in the United States during litigation.

Jun 2, 2025 10:26 AM CDT

20 judges share tips for preparing for your first court appearance

As the calendar counts down to the day of a lawyer’s first court experience, fears of forgetting a key point, getting yelled at by the judge or just plain looking stupid may dominate your thoughts. But judges interviewed by the ABA Journal say that for the most part, you will do well simply by being a reasonable person. Here are their suggestions on how to shine.

Jun 1, 2025 4:00 AM CDT

How to conduct an oral argument effectively

Oral argument is the most visible part of appellate practice. So it’s natural to get anxious. Here is a beginning-to-end guide on how to conduct an oral argument effectively.

Jun 1, 2025 1:40 AM CDT

Idaho lawyer worked on potato farms before prosecuting Daybell murders

If you have any interest in true-crime stories, you are probably familiar with Lindsey Blake. The Idaho lawyer prosecuted and won convictions against Chad Daybell and his new wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, in a widely publicized case involving doomsday religious beliefs and the murders of family members, including Vallow Daybell’s two minor children.

Jun 1, 2025 1:10 AM CDT

Federal sex-trafficking law has led to an increase in suits against hotel chains

Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against hotel chains in recent years based on claims they were complicit in sex trafficking. The lawsuits push the hospitality industry to take seriously the potential for trafficking on hotel premises and appropriately train their employees, according to lawyers who represent survivors.

Jun 1, 2025 1:00 AM CDT

Supreme Court narrows scope of environmental reviews

The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously narrowed the scope of government-required environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects, overturning a lower-court block on a rail line in Utah that would carry billions of gallons of oil. The case became a proxy battle over how far federal agencies may go in assessing the environmental impact of highways, pipelines and other projects before deciding whether to approve them.

May 29, 2025 2:38 PM CDT

‘Whole lot of oddities’ excuse wrongdoing of lawyer with likely COVID-19 delirium, ethics referee says

Ethics charges should be dropped against a lawyer who told a judge that, “I think I’ve got some COVID brain” after he talked to a sequestered witness during a trial break and then made a false statement about it, according to an ethics referee with the Florida Bar.

May 29, 2025 1:17 PM CDT

ChatGPT creator isn’t liable for embezzlement hallucinations that journalist didn’t publish, judge says

A lawsuit filed by a radio host who alleged that a ChatGPT hallucination defamed him has been tossed by a judge who found no negligence or actual malice by OpenAI, the creator of the artificial intelligence platform.

May 29, 2025 9:03 AM CDT

In opinion with 26 exclamation points, judge finds order against WilmerHale is ‘staggering punishment’

An executive order with a “kitchen sink of severe sanctions” against Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Tuesday.

May 28, 2025 10:32 AM CDT

RICO billing conspiracy by law firms ‘hoodwinked’ courts, Ford alleges in suit seeking $300M

Three California law firms are part of a racketeering conspiracy that “ingeniously” inflated fee requests in lemon law litigation by spreading their fraudulent billing across thousands of cases against many car makers, according to a $300 million lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Ford Motor Co.

May 22, 2025 2:45 PM CDT

ABA asks Nevada Supreme Court to reverse mentally ill man’s death sentence

The ABA is advocating for the reversal of a death sentence imposed on a person with severe mental illness, according to an amicus brief filed with the Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday.

May 22, 2025 12:21 PM CDT

2024 produced record number of ‘thermonuclear verdicts,’ report finds; what is impact of younger jurors?

A record number of eight- and nine-figure jury verdicts are evidence of an “indisputable trend,” according to the CEO of a communications and research company that compiled the figures.

May 22, 2025 12:11 PM CDT

Why should I serve on a jury?

"Jury duty." The mere phrase often conjures up thoughts of inconvenience, long hours and endless courtroom drama. For many, it feels more like a chore than an opportunity. But serving on a jury is far more significant than most people realize. It’s not just a civic responsibility. It’s a cornerstone of democracy, a rare opportunity to directly participate in the justice system and an experience that offers both personal and societal rewards.

May 21, 2025 9:04 AM CDT

SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein asks judge to toss tax charges, suppress statement about $968K in cash

Retired U.S. Supreme Court litigator and SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein has filed seven motions attacking the government’s tax fraud case against him, arguing that some charges were filed too late or based on erroneous legal theories.

May 21, 2025 9:02 AM CDT

Posner wins dismissal of suit for unpaid salary by pro se plaintiff who led his center for unrepresented litigants

Retired federal appeals Judge Richard Posner has won dismissal of a lawsuit filed by an Indiana man who said he was owed $170,000 in unpaid salary for leading a Posner-founded group that helped litigants representing themselves in court.

May 20, 2025 11:09 AM CDT