Efficiency

  • Bill to Add 66 Judges Would Cost $349M Over A Decade, CBO Says

    A bill passed by the U.S. Senate, which aims to add 66 new judges to understaffed federal district courts across the nation, will increase government spending by $349 million over the next decade, according to new estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO, Congress’ nonpartisan fiscal referee, released its analysis late last week…

  • Prosecutors Defer To Judge On Trump Bid To Delay Hush Money Sentencing

    In a historic moment, prosecutors who secured Donald Trump’s criminal conviction on felony charges in May did not explicitly oppose his request to delay sentencing until after the Nov. 5 election. In a letter to Justice Juan Merchan, prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office acknowledged Trump’s right to appeal a forthcoming ruling on…

  • Bayer Wins US Legal Victory Against Roundup Cancer Claims; Shares Surge

    Bayer (BAYGn.DE) won a significant legal victory in its ongoing effort to limit liability from claims that its Roundup weed killer causes cancer. On Thursday, a U.S. appeals court ruled that federal law protects the German company from a lawsuit filed by a Pennsylvania landscaper. Following the decision, Bayer’s shares surged as much as 13.2%…

  • Appeals Court Scraps Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Standards

    A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected several natural gas pipeline safety standards adopted by President Joe Biden’s administration. The court responded to industry criticism about the massive costs imposed on pipeline operators. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials…

  • 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…

  • 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…