accountability

  • District Judge Approves $284Million In Settlements In Financial Aid Litigation

    A U.S. judge on Friday approved $284 million in settlements in a class action accusing major U.S. universities of favoring wealthy applicants for admission, short-changing students who sought financial aid. After a hearing on the fairness of the accords, Chicago-based U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly approved the settlements, which were reached over many months, according…

  • President Biden Endorses Kamala Harris After Ending Re-Election Campaign

    President Joe Biden has decided to end his candidacy for re-election, stating, “it is in the best interest of my party and the country.” His announcement comes four months before Americans head to the polls, significantly altering the race for the White House. Biden faced weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats following a faltering…

  • Navigating Scholarship Negotiations: A Comprehensive Guide for Law School Applicants

    In today’s blog post, we’re diving into a critical topic: scholarship negotiations. As many of my students find themselves overwhelmed by the law school application process, the realization of financing their education often brings additional stress. To help you navigate this journey, I’ve broken down the scholarship negotiation process into three essential parts: Research, Preparation,…

  • California Forges Ahead With Plan To Give Its Own Bar Exam In 2025

    The State Bar of California plans to administer its own bar exam as early as February 2025, parting ways with the national attorney licensing test. On Thursday, the state bar’s board of trustees authorized officials to finalize and execute an $8.25 million, five-year contract with Kaplan Test Prep to develop bar exam questions. This decision…

  • Harvey Weinstein Retrial On NY Rape Charges Tentatively Set For Nov. 12

    Harvey Weinstein could face a retrial on rape charges in Manhattan on Nov. 12 after a judge set a tentative trial date at a Friday court hearing. Judge Curtis Farber expressed openness to an earlier start date in September, depending on the progress of pretrial discovery. Weinstein’s lawyers indicated their desire to proceed as soon…

  • Alaska Judge Scandal Prompts Referral To DOJ Watchdog

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday referred a judicial misconduct investigation of a federal judge in Alaska to its internal watchdog. This investigation concerns conflicts prosecutors who appeared before the judge may have faced. The department revealed the referral after Alaska’s top federal public defender, Jamie McGrady, requested that the Justice Department’s inspector general…

  • Hunter Biden Tries To Toss Criminal Cases Using Trump Special Counsel Ruling

    On Thursday, Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, moved to dismiss his criminal conviction on gun charges and a separate tax evasion case, arguing that the special counsel prosecuting him was unlawfully appointed. Biden’s lawyers cited a federal judge’s decision on Monday to dismiss the criminal case against former President Donald Trump for…

  • Appeals Court To Reconsider Ban On Felons Possessing Guns

    A U.S. appeals court vacated a ruling that had struck down a federal ban on felons owning firearms, prompting a conservative judge to accuse his “Left Coast” colleagues of attempting to “subvert” the U.S. Supreme Court’s expansion of gun rights. On Wednesday, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced that a majority…

  • Appeals Court Blocks All Of Biden Student Debt Relief Plan

    A federal appeals court on Thursday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from continuing to implement a new student debt relief plan aimed at lowering monthly payments for millions of Americans. The St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request by seven Republican-led states to put on hold parts of the U.S. Department…

  • Study Recommends US Judiciary Improve Workplace Misconduct Systems

    The federal judiciary should award monetary damages to employees who suffer workplace misconduct at the hands of judges and increase transparency regarding how courts handle worker complaints internally, according to a congressionally directed study released Wednesday. The study’s 34 recommendations appeared in a 200-page report by the judiciary’s research arm and a congressionally chartered academic…