Staff Writer

  • How a US Judge Injected Culture Wars Into Boeing 737 MAX Plea Deal

    A Texas federal judge with a history of supporting conservative causes has introduced uncertainty into Boeing’s agreement to plead guilty over two fatal 737 MAX crashes. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor seized on a single sentence in the deal regarding the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) diversity policy. Last week, O’Connor unexpectedly asked the parties…

  • McDonald’s Hit With Lawsuit After Colorado Man Sickened in E. Coli Outbreak

    A Colorado man has filed what appears to be the first lawsuit against McDonald’s over an E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounder burgers that has killed one person and sickened nearly 50 others. On Wednesday, the lawsuit, filed in Circuit Court in Cook County, Illinois, alleges that Eric Stelly ate food from a Greeley,…

  • Law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has announced an end to its eight-year legal battle with former attorney Kristy Wagner, who alleged discrimination following a severe injury from a 2011 zip-lining accident. On Tuesday, attorneys for both Wagner and Akin filed a joint stipulation of dismissal in federal court in Washington, D.C. The…

  • Judge Approves UFC Fighters’ $375 million Wage Settlement

    A federal judge in Las Vegas has preliminarily approved a class action settlement requiring the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to pay $375 million to fighters who claim they received inadequate compensation for their bouts over the years. U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware II’s decision represents a “monumental achievement” that will provide significant relief to hundreds…

  • Prosecutors Say Alaska Judge’s Misconduct Warrants Vacating Man’s Conviction

    Federal prosecutors in Alaska have moved to vacate Johnny-Lee Preston Burk’s assault conviction, citing undisclosed personal relationships involving the presiding judge and a prosecutor. This motion, filed on Tuesday, marks a significant development as it represents the first time prosecutors have sought to overturn a conviction in one of the 44 cases linked to now-former…

  • Sanitation Firm Settles EEOC Sex Bias Claims for $3.1 Million

    A Georgia sanitation company will pay $3.1 million to settle an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit alleging that it refused to hire women as truck drivers. Managers allegedly referred to female applicants as “prissy girls” who were “taking a job away from a man.” U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee in Atlanta approved the settlement…

  • Michigan Judge Rejects Republican Bid to Block Overseas Voters

    A Michigan judge rejected a Republican Party effort to block some Americans living overseas from voting in the battleground state. Earlier this month, the Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a lawsuit arguing that Michigan’s election laws improperly allowed U.S. citizens living abroad—who had never resided in Michigan but had relatives who had—to vote there. In…

  • Law School Applicant Numbers Surge, End of LSAT Logic Games is Possible Factor

    This year’s law school admission cycle kicks off with a strong start, showing a 26% increase in applicants for spots next fall compared to last year. Schools also report a 37% rise in the number of applications submitted. Although the Law School Admission Council, which develops the LSAT, anticipates a slowdown in this early surge—most…

  • Carrier Reaches $730M Settlement Over Fire Protection Unit PFAS Claims

    Carrier Global has finalized a $730 million settlement with its fire protection unit Kidde-Fenwal and claimants who sued the bankrupt subsidiary over toxic “forever chemicals” found in its firefighting foam products. In a court filing on Friday in Delaware, Kidde-Fenwal announced plans to use the settlement to develop a Chapter 11 plan that will pay…

  • First Openly Transgender Lawyer to Argue at Supreme Court

    In December, Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer, will make history as the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court. Strangio opposes Tennessee’s Republican-backed law that bans gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. Strangio, 41, represents a group of transgender individuals who filed a lawsuit challenging this law, which…