accountability

  • Out-Of-State Workers Can’t Join Collective Wage Lawsuits, Court Holds

    On Friday, a divided U.S. appeals court ruled that class action-style lawsuits alleging violations of federal wage laws must be limited to the states where the plaintiffs worked, further deepening a split among appellate courts on this issue. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, sided with construction company Signet…

  • Starbucks Sued Again In Alleged Theft of Concept For Coffee-Flavored Lipstick

    Starbucks (SBUX.O) is facing a third lawsuit from Balmuccino, a company that accuses the coffee giant of stealing its concept for coffee-flavored lipstick and lip gloss. Balmuccino, whose leadership has included a sister-in-law of TV doctor Mehmet Oz, filed the complaint on Friday in Manhattan federal court. This latest filing follows two previous dismissals on…

  • Ex-Bankruptcy Judge Ordered To Attend Ethics Training Over Law Firm Interview

    Former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones must attend ethics instruction as a sanction for engaging in an off-the-record discussion with his romantic partner’s former law firm, ruled Chief Bankruptcy Judge Eduardo Rodriguez on Friday. Rodriguez determined that Jones violated judicial policy by participating in a July 18 interview with members of the Jackson Walker law…

  • Lawyer Who Tipped SEC Can’t Claim Whistleblower Award, Appeals Court Rules

    A corporate attorney who alerted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to possible fraud within his company was rightly denied eligibility for a whistleblower award, according to a ruling unsealed on Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The court determined that the attorney, whose identity remains confidential, did not…

  • Law School Courses To Become More Uniform Under New ABA Accreditation Rule

    Law schools will soon need to establish “minimum learning outcomes” for every class and ensure consistency across all sections of required courses. On Friday, the American Bar Association’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar adopted changes to its student learning outcomes standards, aiming to clarify the obligations of law…

  • SCOTUS Won’t Allow LGBT Student Protection In Certain States

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday refused to allow President Joe Biden’s administration to enforce a crucial part of a new rule designed to protect LGBT students from discrimination in schools and colleges based on gender identity. Ten Republican-led states had challenged this rule. The justices denied the administration’s request to partially lift lower court…

  • Montana’s Top Court Strikes Down Parental Consent Law For Minors Seeking Abortion

    Montana’s highest court ruled on Wednesday that a law requiring minors to obtain parental consent before seeking an abortion violated the state’s constitution, siding with Planned Parenthood in a legal challenge. Justice Laurie McKinnon, writing for the unanimous court, asserted that “a minor’s right to control her reproductive decisions is among the most fundamental of…

  • Judge Says ‘Monopolist’ Google Can’t Avoid App Store Reforms

    A U.S. judge announced on Wednesday plans to issue an order compelling Alphabet’s Google to provide Android users with more options to download apps, following last year’s jury verdict in favor of “Fortnite” maker Epic Games. U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco listened to technology experts and lawyers from Epic and Google as…

  • AI Companies Lose Bid to Dismiss Parts Of Visual Artists’ Copyright Case

    A group of visual artists can continue pursuing certain claims against Stability AI, Midjourney, DeviantArt, and Runway AI, alleging that these companies’ AI-based image generation systems infringe on their copyrights, according to a ruling on Monday by a California federal judge. U.S. District Judge William Orrick ruled that the artists presented a plausible argument that…

  • Texas Judge In Lawsuit By Musk’s X Against Advertisers Exits Case

    A federal judge in Texas, assigned to hear a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s social media platform X against a group of advertisers, has removed himself from the case after reports revealed his ownership of shares in another Musk company, Tesla. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, recused himself in a one-paragraph…