Staff Writer

  • Law Firm Milbank Moves First Again on Associates Bonuses

    Milbank, known for leading the industry in associate compensation, announced on Monday year-end bonuses ranging from $15,000 to $115,000. The firm revealed its plans in an internal memo, marking another bold move to set the tone for the legal industry. Milbank chair Scott Edelman highlighted the firm’s success, stating, “The firm is having a record…

  • Trump-Appointed Judge Makes Case Against Political Witch-Hunting

    U.S. Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham, a prominent conservative voice and a potential nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, issued a strong warning Thursday against using the criminal justice system to target political opponents. Speaking at the Federalist Society’s annual gathering in Washington, Oldham emphasized the critical need to ensure that no individual faces prosecution solely…

  • Trump Picks His Defense Lawyers for Top Justice Department Posts

    President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday appointed three members of his criminal defense team to senior roles at the Justice Department, including Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general. Blanche, who served as Trump’s lead attorney in a recent criminal trial over hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, will take on the second-highest position at…

  • New Courthouse Design Standards to Result in Higher Costs, Watchdog Says

    Design standards adopted in 2021 for constructing new federal courthouses will significantly increase costs, according to a report released Friday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The judiciary drafted the guidelines without fully collaborating with key agencies, such as the General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees federal building construction. The GAO estimated that applying the…

  • FanDuel Settles MLB Union Lawsuit Over Use of Player Likenesses

    Major League Baseball’s players union resolved a lawsuit accusing sports betting giant FanDuel of improperly using the names and likenesses of hundreds of MLB players on its betting platform without authorization. On Friday, a FanDuel spokesperson announced that the company and the union had finalized a confidential licensing agreement. In a New York federal court…

  • Musk Expands Lawsuit Against OpenAI, Adding Microsoft and Antitrust Claims

    Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk expanded his lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the ChatGPT creator and its largest financial backer, Microsoft, of engaging in illegal practices to monopolize the generative AI market and undermine competitors. Musk filed the amended lawsuit on Thursday night in federal court in Oakland, California, adding federal antitrust and other claims to his…

  • Pressure Mounts for Release of Matt Gaetz Congressional Ethics Report

    President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, faced mounting scrutiny from congressional Republicans on Thursday, with Senator John Cornyn leading calls to review an unreleased Ethics Committee report that examines allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use. The pressure on Gaetz grew as John Clune, a lawyer for an alleged victim, urged the…

  • Bullied Trump-Supporting White Student Blocked from Suing for Racism

    A divided federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of a Texas student’s lawsuit on Wednesday, rejecting his claims that he faced severe bullying for being white and supporting Republican President-elect Donald Trump. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split 9-9 on whether to revive the lawsuit against the Austin Independent School District.…

  • Indiana Ban on Gender Transition for Minors Upheld on Appeal

    A federal appeals court upheld an Indiana law on Wednesday that bans the use of puberty blockers and hormones for children under 18. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 decision, making Indiana one of numerous Republican-controlled states with similar laws. This ruling comes as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to review…

  • Theodore Olson, Prominent Conservative Lawyer Dies at 84

    Theodore Olson, a prominent conservative lawyer who played a key role in securing the presidency for Republican George W. Bush in the 2000 election dispute and later successfully advocated for same-sex marriage rights, passed away on Wednesday at age 84, his law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher announced. The firm did not disclose the cause…