Efficiency

  • 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…

  • Prosecutors Appeal Trump Classified Documents Case Dismissal

    U.S. prosecutors appealed on Wednesday a federal judge’s decision to dismiss the criminal case Special Counsel Jack Smith brought against Donald Trump. Smith’s office filed a notice requesting the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to revive the case and overturn Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s ruling. On Monday, Cannon ruled that Attorney…

  • Former Alaska Judge Had Potential Conflicts In 23 Cases, Prosecutors Say

    Federal prosecutors in Alaska have identified 23 criminal cases where attorneys appearing before a federal judge, who resigned last week amid sexual misconduct accusations, may have had undisclosed conflicts of interest. A top federal prosecutor sent the list in an email on Friday, which Reuters reviewed. This occurred four days after the 9th Circuit Judicial…

  • Tesla Swaps Law Firms In Antitrust Case As Cravath Exits

    Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA.O) replaced its longtime law firm in a California class action, court records show. Tesla swapped a team from Cravath, Swaine & Moore with attorneys from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. Cravath finalized its withdrawal from the consumer antitrust case last week. Tesla is fighting claims that it…

  • Exiled Chinese Businessman Guo Convicted At US Fraud Trial

    Guo Wengui, an exiled Chinese businessman and outspoken critic of Beijing’s communist government, faced conviction on Tuesday in his U.S. trial for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from online followers. The trial, lasting seven weeks, ended with Guo found guilty on nine of the 12 criminal counts, including racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud. U.S.…

  • Lawyers For Musk’s X Corp Kicked Off Data-Scraping Case

    District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco issued a ruling on Friday disqualifying Elon Musk’s social media company X Corp’s longtime law firm from representing them in a lawsuit against Israeli data-scraping firm Bright Data Ltd. The lawsuit alleges Bright Data illegally copied content from X’s platform. Alsup stated the lawsuit closely resembles a separate…

  • Judiciary To Consider New Ethical Guidance For Law Clerk Hiring

    The federal judiciary is considering whether it needs new ethical guidance on hiring law clerks following controversy involving two judges who hired a clerk accused of racist conduct while at a conservative advocacy group. The clerk later secured a prestigious clerkship with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The U.S. Judicial Conference, the judiciary’s policymaking…

  • DOJ To Appeal Ruling Dismissing Trump Documents Case

    A U.S. judge in Florida on Monday dismissed the criminal case accusing Donald Trump of illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office. The judge, Aileen Cannon, appointed by Trump, ruled that Special Counsel Jack Smith, leading the prosecution, unlawfully took his role and lacked the authority to bring the case. The Justice Department announced it…

  • Net Neutrality Rules Reinstatement Temporarily Halted By Appeals Court

    A U.S. appeals court temporarily halted the Federal Communications Commission’s reinstatement of landmark net neutrality rules until August 5th. This decision comes as the court considers legal challenges from the broadband industry. The FCC, voting along party lines in April, decided to resume regulatory oversight of broadband internet and restore open internet rules revoked in…