Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Missing Conn. Lawyer Turns Up Dead in Iowa (Law.com via Yahoo! Finance)

The saga of missing Clinton, Conn., lawyer Jonathan Hoyt has ended with his suicide in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Hoyt, a 59-year-old business law attorney believed to have embezzled close to $700,000 from about a dozen clients, was found by police Monday around 11 a.m. in his one-bedroom apartment.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer suspended for 2 years in insurance fraud case (Boston Globe)

A New Hampshire lawyer who admitted to insurance fraud has been suspended for two years. The Supreme Court punishment was longer than one conduct committee recommended for James Grew, but much less than that suggested by the state's Attorney Discipline Office, which wanted him disbarred.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Klaudt's lawyer: It was immoral, not rape (Rapid City Journal)

PIERRE -- Former state Rep. Ted Klaudt was wrong to trick two foster daughters into thinking he could help them make money by selling their reproductive eggs, but his purported medical examinations did not amount to rape, Klaudt's defense lawyer said Tuesday.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Missing Conn. Lawyer Turns Up Dead in Iowa (Law.com)

The saga of missing Clinton, Conn., lawyer Jonathan Hoyt has ended with his suicide in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Hoyt, a 59-year-old business law attorney believed to have embezzled close to $700,000 from about a dozen clients, was found by police Monday around 11 a.m. in his one-bedroom apartment. Hoyt had been missing since early July. Hoyt's landlord says Hoyt began renting the apartment on Aug. 30 ...

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Supreme Court to hear from governor's lawyer in smoke shop case (Boston Globe)

A lawyer for Gov. Carcieri is scheduled to go before the state Supreme Court to argue that Carcieri shouldn't have to testify in a trial over a violent raid at a Narragansett Indian smoke shop in 2003.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Accused killer gets time to brief lawyer (AAP via Yahoo!7 News)

A Perth court has granted the accused killer of a Chinese student time to brief a new lawyer on his case.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer pleads guilty in holdup (The Clarion-Ledger)

Scott Meece said he graduated from the University of Tennessee with three degrees then went on to become a lawyer.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Rush calm on failed court case: lawyer (The West Australian)

Bali Nine death row inmate Scott Rush calmly accepted the news that his latest court challenge had failed, and was looking ahead to his final legal appeal, his lawyer said.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Monticello lawyer charged with sexual exploitation (Macon Telegraph)

A Monticello lawyer was arrested Tuesday and charged with sexual exploitation of children after GBI investigators say they found images of child pornography on the man's office computer, according to a GBI news release.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Happiness is a well-paid associate

The Wall Street Journal law blog recently reported two surveys that took the pulse[s] of junior lawyers at the nations large firms and that found that their pulses are beating rapidly because they are so happy with their jobs (see "The Joys of Big Law"). Ok, one was by Hildebrandt International, which is a legal consulting firm, but the other was American Lawyer magazine, and who am I to say dont trust the media?

In Hildebrandts study, 45 percent rated themselves highly satisfied while another 45 percent were more or less satisfied. Only five percent expressed strong dissatisfaction with their firms.
In August, in its annual associate poll, American Lawyer reported that associate satisfaction has inched up over recent years to reach a record high of 3.81 on a five point scale, up from 3.64 four years ago.

The WSJ speculates that the level of attention being paid to the needs and preferences of young lawyers is one of the reasons for the happiness hike. Furthermore, theyre making a lot of money when others are unemployed. As one commenter wrote, I believe that the knowledge of others who are struggling as lawyers makes those of us who have good jobs feel some sense of satisfaction and happiness (or relief and gratitude), thereby making the overall level of happiness for large firm lawyers rise. That and $160,000/yr.

And, some readers commented, associates expectations may have come into line with reality in recent years. One wrote, Its hard sometimes, tedious sometimes, but what did I expect? Its a big law firm and theyre giving me everything they said they would -- pay and bennies but also work and hours. I am no worse off than any of my peers at other firms and that helps too.

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[Source: Minnesota Lawyer Blog]

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Former lawyer pleads not guilty to charges (Rapid City Journal)

PIERRE A former South Dakota lawyer pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he failed to report the transfer of nearly $500,000 from a tribal casino to a ballot campaign that sought to repeal the states video lottery.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

My client is innocent, says blackmail suspect's lawyer (Guardian Unlimited)

The lawyer for one of two men accused of blackmailing a member of the royal family insists his client was innocent.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Conn. lawyer who stabbed neighbor insists daughter was molested (Norwalk Advocate)

A lawyer insists in a letter from prison that a neighbor he fatally stabbed in Fairfield had molested his 2-year-old daughter and that the investigation that cleared the man was a "sham."

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer Says Spears' Custody Bid on Hold (ABC News)

Britney Spears' Bid for Custody of Young Sons Put on Hold by Court Commissioner, Lawyer Says

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Musharraf lawyer urges Pakistan court to uphold vote (AFP via Yahoo! News)

A Pakistani government lawyer told the Supreme Court that overturning military ruler Pervez Musharraf's victory in a presidential election would not be in the country's interests.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

John Scott: Lawyer also was Pleasant Ridge mayor (Detroit Free Press)

Leadership through example was one of the defining aspects in John Scott's career as a respected lawyer and elected official, friends and colleagues say.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

100 Resources to Attract, Retain and Leverage Talented Women

Women are a powerful and valuable force in today’s workplace. They represent some of the best and brightest that industry has to offer, but many organizations aren’t set up to properly attract and retain them. The HR World Editors have put together a list of 100 resources designed to help your organization recruit and retain [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Class-action lawyer pleads guilty (Los Angeles Times)

Former Milberg Weiss partner William Lerach faces up to two years in prison for conspiracy in a scheme to bribe plaintiffs. William S. Lerach, the securities lawyer whose multibillion-dollar recoveries on behalf of aggrieved shareholders made him a lightning rod, pleaded guilty Monday to a criminal charge that could send him to prison for up to two years.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear Exxon punitive-damage case

The U.S. Supreme Court announced today it will hear the case of Baker v. Exxon, involving the massive punitive-damage award in the Valdez oil spill case.

In 1994, the jury awarded $287 million in compensatory damages and $5 billion in punitive damages (then representing a year's profits for Exxon). Exxon appealed and the punitive damage award was reduced to $4 billion. Exxon appealed again on the basis of an intervening U.S. Supreme Court decision on punitive damages, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals further reduced the punitive damage award to $2.5 billion.

The high court announced this morning its decision to review the award and decide its appropriateness.

Fore more, click here.

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[Source: Minnesota Lawyer Blog]

Mount Vernon mayor's lawyer issues subpoenas to council, other officials (The Journal News)

MOUNT VERNON - Mayor Ernie Davis' pro bono lawyer, Ravi Batra, announced yesterday he has issued subpoenas to City Council members, the corporation counsel and the comptroller seeking a wide range of documents as part of the mayor's own investigation into city activities.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer pleads guilty in kickback case (AP via Yahoo! News)

A former partner at a New York law firm pleaded guilty to conspiracy on Monday, becoming the third lawyer to admit breaking the law in a class-action kickback scheme that prosecutors said helped net the firm hundreds of millions of dollars.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Guite's lawyer asks Que appeal court to halt proceedings and order new trial (The Canadian Press via Yahoo! Canada News)

MONTREAL - Chuck Guite's lawyer has asked the Quebec Court of Appeal for a stay of proceedings and a new trial for the 63-year-old former head of the federal sponsorship scandal.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Congratulations, Boston Red Sox!

Having grown up in the Boston area, I could not refrain from a salute to my hometown team, the (now world-champion) Red Sox.
The Red Sox have now won eight of their last eight World Series games. The last time the Sox had been in the World Series prior to this year was in 2004, when the team won its first world championship in 86 years. I had the pleasure of attending the first game of that series, which was in Fenway Park. The Sox won that day and haven't lost a World Series game since.

Growing up a Red Sox fan during that 86-year gap period was a frustrating experience, so it is great to see them win another title so soon. Kudos!


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[Source: Minnesota Lawyer Blog]

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Lawyer: FDNY not responsible for Deustche tower inspection (New York Daily News)

The lawyer - and brother - of the FDNY captain stripped of his command after the deadly Deutsche Bank blaze produced documents Saturday that he says clear the embattled officer.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

For New York lawyer, 'Movin' Out' may be a ticket out (East Valley Tribune)

It could almost be a Billy Joel song. New York guy works as a lawyer. Only the not-so-glamorous kind. For the insurance industry. The job's kind of a grind. But guy dreams of being a musician. Dreams big.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Blunt lawyer claims e-mail spat cost his job (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

A former lawyer in Gov. Matt Blunt's office says he was fired last month after he raised questions about how the governor's staff was handling office e-mails and public records requests.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Kohring's lawyer is known for being flamboyant, effective (Anchorage Daily News)

One thing's for sure about John Henry Browne. Humble he's not. He's the Seattle lawyer defending former state Rep. Vic Kohring on federal corruption charges, and he is on a roll.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Richard's lawyer says Abbott's aides pressed for execution (Houston Chronicle)

A lawyer for death row inmate Michael Richard said Friday that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's aides "aggressively" pressed for Richard's recent execution.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Jailed Niger journalist's lawyer says tapes illegal (AlertNet)

Source: Reuters NIAMEY, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The lawyer representing Moussa Kaka, the correspondent of Radio France International (RFI) in Niger arrested last month, said on Saturday that tapes allegedly linking his ...

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Spears bid for custody of sons put on hold, lawyer says (CNN.com)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A bid by Britney Spears for custody of her two young sons with Kevin Federline was put on hold Friday by a court commissioner after a three-hour closed hearing, a lawyer for Federline said.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer: Fort Dix suspect to plead guilty (AP via Yahoo! News)

The defendant facing the least serious charges of six men in the Fort Dix terror plot case is expected to plead guilty Wednesday, according to a lawyer in the case.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer: Spears' bid for custody put on hold (USA Today)

Hollywood's highest-profile custody case was back in court Friday, with a lawyer for Britney Spears winning a motion to bar videotaping of depositions in the case.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron Ready for Classic (BloodHorse)

Trainer Todd Pletcher is again in the eye of the Breeders' Cup storm. The Eclipse Award-winning trainer will saddle 11 runners, including Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron, both of whom are set to go 1 1/4 miles in the Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I) during the two-day World Championship event Oct. 26-27 at Monmouth Park.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer says Spears' custody bid on hold (AP via Yahoo! News)

Britney Spears arrived in court giggling on Friday but was later heard swearing during a break in a closed hearing that ended with no decision on her bid for shared custody of her two young sons with Kevin Federline. The court was expected to issue a written ruling by Tuesday after extensive testimony was presented on a number of issues, lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan said.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Sting operation claims first victim, lawyer resigns (Outlook India)

The Tehelka sting operation on the post-Godhra riots claimed its first victim today with a Gujarat government lawyer, who figured in the programme, resigning even as he filed a police complaint against a leading news channel.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Jailed Niger journalist's lawyer says tapes illegal (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

The lawyer representing Moussa Kaka, the correspondent of Radio France International (RFI) in Niger arrested last month, said on Saturday that tapes allegedly linking his client to Tuareg rebels had been illegally recorded.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Vampire clients can be draining

As a special extra for our blog readers, I am making the full-text of the editor's column from Monday's Minnesota Lawyer available on this site.

With a vampire as a client, your defense had better not be toothless

By Mark A. Cohen
Minnesota Lawyer/ Oct. 29, 2007

In the spirit (no pun intended) of the Halloween season, I have decided to explore a few of the legal issues faced by vampires and other undead clients.

Now, I know what you are thinking. They kill, they maim, they suck your blood out so why should they be able to avail themselves of our legal system? Thats an easy one. Everyone is entitled to equal access to justice. To have it any other way would be, well, monstrous!

So you are working in your office late one night, and in walks (or flies) a vampire. He wants you to defend him against charges that he killed multiple individuals and sucked all of the blood out of them. So what do you do?

First of all, you might want to get a Cross (or Star of David or whatever) at the ready. As a backup plan, try ordering a garlic pizza for delivery. If you dont need it to keep your client at bay, it will make a good snack later.

Assuming you take the case and prudently invest in an iron-plated turtleneck shirt what advice do you give your client? How about an insanity plea? I mean, he must have bats in the belfry, right?

If the jurisdiction had an old-style irresistible impulse defense, the court may just bite. After all, his insurmountable craving for blood is what led him to do the dastardly deed, isnt it?
But it is more likely the jurisdiction would have some version of the MNaughten rule, which requires a defendant to show that, at the time of the act, he:
didnt know the nature and quality of the act he was doing; or
if he did know it, that he did not know what he was doing was wrong.
So sorry, but it appears that your clients insanity defense under MNaughten would be a loser.

Vampires generally know what they are doing when they suck someones blood. And they are aware of the wrongfulness of their acts you know, being creatures of Hell and all.

The case might also get tried in federal court if the vampires string of killings took him over state lines. The federal insanity rule which requires a defendant to show he didnt appreciate the nature and quality or the wrongfulness of his acts would, Im afraid, lead to a similarly unsuccessful result.

Since the vampire drank the blood to avoid starving to death, he might think a necessity defense would work. Sorry, but necessity is unlikely to justify murder, whether you are a vampire or just looking to make a quick meal of an annoying fellow passenger after a plane crash in the Andes.

A heat of passion argument for second-degree murder is also unlikely to succeed given that vampires are cold-blooded and actually enjoy premeditating their killings.

So it appears that, despite your best efforts, your client is most likely going to be found guilty of multiple first-degree murders. (Being a vampire, he might not even get by cross-examination.)

But there is a silver lining. If he was charged in federal court or in a state with capital punishment, he may be sentenced to death. And we all know, try as they may, lethal injection, gas, electrocution, hanging or even a firing squad wont hurt a vampire. And to kill him more than once would no doubt be found to be cruel and unusual punishment.

But what if your client is sentenced to life in prison? No problem! You forget that vampires are already dead! Since the vampire has no life left in him, you make a motion to get him released for time served.

The most problematic result will be if your client is sentenced to a term of years. In which case I certainly would not want to be his cellmate!

Lets just say a frazzled prosecutor realizing how much this case (pardon the expression) sucks, decides to let your client cop a plea. Word gets around, and you soon find your office flooded with business from other monsters who hear about your win. Among the many potential clients seeking your expertise are:
Frankensteins monster, who wants to know if he can bring a civil-rights action against the villagers who chased him with rocks and torches;
a werewolf with a gripe against his landlord for adopting a no pets policy and then evicting him;
a ghost who wants to recover her property from her lazy, no-good heirs;
King Kong, looking for someone to defend him from the many civil suits spawned from his jaunt onto the Empire State Building;
a group of zombies seeking back wages from their employer; and
a mummy seeking child support.

Congratulations on developing a whole new practice niche area! May the frightening amount of business you generate allow you to enjoy all the creature comforts. And, oh yes, happy Halloween!

Mark A. Cohen is the editor-in-chief of Minnesota Lawyer. He can be reached at (612) 585-1531 or by e-mail at mark.cohen@minnlawyer.com.

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[Source: Minnesota Lawyer Blog]

Lawyer Ron, Street Sense Vie for Breeders' Cup Win (Update1) (Bloomberg.com)

Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Lawyer Ron, Street Sense and Curlin, the early favorites running from three of the first four post positions, will vie for victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, North America's richest race.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Friday, October 26, 2007

Lawyer loses own assault case (Billings Gazette)

A lawyer who defended himself against felony assault charges involving his former girlfriend has been convicted by a District Court jury.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Army defense lawyer points at corruption (Rutland Herald)

SOUTH ROYALTON -- A military defense lawyer on Wednesday called the military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay corrupt, like a show trial that lacked structural integrity. "The defendant wasn't needed. Law wasn't really needed," U.S. Army Maj. Thomas Fleener told students at the Vermont Law School. Fleener, an Army reserve officer who once represented a detainee at the Cuba military prison, said a ...

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Sudanese lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman wins EU human rights award (International Herald Tribune)

Sudanese lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman on Thursday received the European Union's top human rights award the Sakharov Prize for his work in the war-torn region of Darfur, the European Parliament said.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer of Reno doctor seeks NV first lady testimony (Las Vegas Sun)

RENO, Nev. (AP) - A lawyer for a Reno doctor accused of trafficking illegal human growth hormone to patients said Thursday he's trying to force Nevada first lady Dawn Gibbons to testify in a federal trial that he claims stems from a politically motivated prosecution.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

How not to avoid jury duty

Here's another story from Minnesota Lawyer's How Not to Avoid Jury Duty file.

An Internet-based company called The Excused Absence Network is peddling $25 jury duty excuse notes that appear to come from doctors or hospitals.

I doubt it's legal, it's definitely not ethical, and it probably doesn't work anyway. Yet the company's owners say they're just helping people do something they would have done anyway.

"Millions of Americans work dead-end jobs, and sometimes they just need a day off," says John Liddell, co-founder of the company. "People are going to lie anyway. How many people go visit their doctors every day when they're not sick because they just need a note?"

The website has been down this morning, but according to the Associated Press, a disclaimer on the site says the notes are "for entertainment purposes only."

Then again, the site also shows pictures of people sunbathing and playing golf after using the fabricated excuses. One testimonial reads: "I've managed to take the nine weeks off using these templates! It couldn't be any easier!"

I can't help but wonder: Is it easier for you to print a fake jury duty excuse, or for a judge to throw you in jail for contempt?

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[Source: Minnesota Lawyer Blog]

Lawyer loses own assault case (Billings Gazette)

A lawyer who defended himself against felony assault charges involving his former girlfriend has been convicted by a District Court jury. James Archie Patrick III, 44, was found guilty late Wednesday of two counts of assault with a weapon for threaten ...

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer shows flaws in Rohainil's indictments (The Jakarta Post)

A court session Thursday became a legal lecture as a senior lawyer argued the prosecution's flaws in their indictment against Rohainil Aini in the murder of rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Army defense lawyer points at corruption (The Barre Montpelier Times Argus)

SOUTH ROYALTON -- A military defense lawyer on Wednesday called the military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay corrupt, like a show trial that lacked structural integrity. ...

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer wins top human rights award (CNN.com)

STRASBOURG, France (AP) -- Sudanese lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman received the European Union's top human rights award on Thursday for his work in the war torn region of Darfur in western Sudan, the European Parliament said.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer confident courts will clear disgraced Kashechkin (AFP via Yahoo! News)

A lawyer for disgraced cyclist Andreiy Kashechkin, who tested positive for blood doping following the Tour de France, is looking for the European Court of Human Rights to clear the Kazakh.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Rwanda: An ICTR Lawyer Asks That Kigali Explain Itself at the United Nations (AllAfrica.com)

Accusing Kigali of refusing to co-operate, an American lawyer at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) requested that the Rwandan government explain itself before the Security Council, in a motion filed on Tuesday.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Army lawyer tells Vt. law students military commissions are corrupt (The Barre Montpelier Times Argus)

SOUTH ROYALTON -- A military defense lawyer on Wednesday called the military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay corrupt, like a show trial that lacked structural integrity. ... - By Lisa Rathke Associated Press

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Army defense lawyer calls military commissions corrupt (Boston Globe)

A military defense lawyer on Wednesday called the military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay corrupt, like a show trial that lacked structural integrity.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Teen shooter's lawyer seeks contempt ruling (Akron Beacon Journal)

The lawyer for an Akron teenager awaiting sentencing for refusing to testify in the Cage nightclub murder case has asked a judge to find Summit County prosecutors in contempt, alleging they violated terms of the teen's juvenile-court plea agreement.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

State sues in case involving alleged fake lawyer (Houston Chronicle)

State Attorney General Greg Abbott on Wednesday sued a Corpus Christi man accused of being a fake lawyer, contending that Mauricio Celis and his firm are engaged in deceptive trade practices.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

At Dorsey corporate symposium -- a whiff of tort reform with the torte


I was just at the Dorsey & Whitney Corporate Counsel Symposium at the City Center Marriott in downtown Minneapolis. (Or, perhaps I should just say Dorsey, since Whitney is getting pretty small on the firm's logo. Gotta' love branding.)

As usual, Dorsey put together quite a nice (and well-attended) program for corporate lawyers. Approximately 550 people -- which managing partner Marianne Short said was a record number -- attended a luncheon today at which former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin (pictured) was the keynote speaker.

Rubin expressed a lot of trepidation about the precarious state of the economy, including concerns spawned by SIVs (complex investment vehicles), the mortgage meltdown, pressures from globalization, the trade imbalance, the weak dollar -- and enough other factors to scare you more than any Halloween ghost story. However, Rubin still believes we are probably heading for a soft landing rather than a crash, which was good news to the corporate lawyers munching on the chicken, ravioli and chocolate cake.

Immediately prior to the speech, I had the opportunity to participate in a round table discussion between Rubin and local journalists. During this session, Rubin cited as one threat to the national economy "an excess in litigation." My ears immediately perked up at this, and I asked Rubin to elaborate.

Rubin responded that, in his estimation, businesses have to spend too much time thinking about and fending off litigation. In other words, from a cost/ benefit standpoint, there is too much costly litigation without a concurrent benefit. In response to my follow-up question, he acknowledged that he is a proponent of tort reform, but punted as to what kind it should be, professing no special expertise on that issue.

Rubin was no doubt being modest. He is a very sharp guy with a law degree from Yale and a sterling financial-world pedigree that includes serving as chairman of Goldman Sachs. And, oh yes, he was Secretary of the U.S. Treasury! I am sure he has some idea of what kind of litigation he would like to see "reformed." In any case, when Rubin used the "excess in litigation" phrase in passing again during his keynote address, it went unchallenged during the subsequent Q&A. No doubt the words were greeted with receptive ears among the corporate lawyers gathered at the Dorsey symposium. It would have been another case entirely if Rubin had used the phrase before a group of trial lawyers from the Minnesota Association for Justice. Of course, most financial-world bigwigs wouldn't go into a meeting like that -- not without a very large stick, anyway.

Regardless of where you stand on tort reform, it would be hard to view that symposium as anything but a success. Kudos to Dorsey on another job well done.


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[Source: Minnesota Lawyer Blog]

Legal Aid lawyer admits videotaping female co-workers (New York Daily News)

A former Legal Aid Society lawyer pleaded guilty Wednesday to using a spy camera to videotape female co-workers changing their clothes in their office.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Larry Craig Had Hired Lawyer for Media Lawsuit (Fox News)

Idaho Sen. had hired lawyer, public relations executive in anticipation of harassment lawsuit against Idaho Statesmen for its investigation into Craig's sexual orientation, but Craig stopped using firms before his arrest at Minneapolis airport in June.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Manhattan: Lawyer Admits Spying on Colleagues (New York Times)

A Legal Aid lawyer who was accused of spying on female colleagues with a camera disguised as a digital alarm clock pleaded guilty yesterday in State Supreme Court to unlawful surveillance, a felony. In exchange, the lawyer, Peter A. Barta, 33, was promised conditional discharge, the equivalent of unsupervised probation, and he agreed to get weekly counseling. Mr. Barta worked for Legal Aid in ...

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Legal Aid Lawyer Pleads Guilty in Co-Worker Voyeurism Case (Law.com)

A former Legal Aid Society lawyer pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally using a hidden video camera to spy on female co-workers as they changed clothes in their offices. Peter Barta used a camera hidden in a clock to videotape five co-workers in the public defense agency's Manhattan offices, recording at least one woman with her breasts and buttocks bared. The women told police they regularly ...

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Press Rabat over warrants, lawyer urges Sarkozy (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy should use his visit to Morocco to press for the arrest of five people wanted over the 1960s abduction of a Moroccan opposition leader in Paris, the family's lawyer said on Tuesday.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

How Bad Is Your Boss?

Working America blog has announced its winners in its “My Bad Boss” contest. The winner? A boss that through out an employee’s leave paperwork, causing him to lose out on any pay for days missed due to cancer treatment. Now that is bad.


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Why At-Will Employment is Bad for Employers

Most employers believe that if they set up an at-will system and police it vigorously they will be safe from lawsuits. However, despite almost universal acceptance of at-will relationships in the United States, employment litigation is on the rise and is now a large percentage of cases on court dockets. A recent article by Ellen [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

New Fumo lawyer to ask for delay (Philadelphia Daily News)

State Sen. Vince Fumo's new lawyer is expected to file court papers, possibly as early as today, asking that Fumo's corruption trial be delayed beyond its scheduled February start.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

One Reason to Seek a New Trial: Your Lawyer Is a Stalker (Law.com via Yahoo! Finance)

Imagine being convicted of murder and later finding out that, during the trial, your lawyer was preoccupied with his own criminal prosecution. It happened to Mylee Cottle, and he's seeking a new trial on the ground that the lawyer's penal proceedings -- involving the same county prosecutor -- made for a conflict of interest as well as ineffective assistance.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Blogroll Update!

It is hard to keep up with all of the excellent employment law and HR-related materials on the web these days. Seems like each week brings a new blog or web resource. So, after too much delay, I have finally managed to update the blogroll with links to many of the other fine [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Managing TelecommutersRequires Special Skill Set

As more companies adopt workplace models in which employees work from home, it has become more important for managers to learn to communicate and supervise, as well as foster teamwork among employees who work remotely, without the benefit of frequent face-to-face contact in a regular office setting.Here is a good article from the Wall Street [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Links for 2007-04-15 [del.icio.us]



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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Lawyer Ron is favorite in Classic (San Jose Mercury News)

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Somewhat surprisingly, Lawyer Ron emerged Tuesday as the morning-line favorite over Street Sense and Curlin for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Links for 2007-01-12 [del.icio.us]



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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Sister Helen Prejean tells UST law students: 'Your profession is precious'

Sister Helen Prejean, author and anti-death penalty activist, spoke with passion and compassion to a group of University of St. Thomas School of Law students and faculty yesterday. She was presented with the Dignitatis Humanae Award, the law school's highest honor, for her work in recognizing the dignity of each individual. Her appearance was sponsored by the student chapter of the American Constitution Society and the law school.

Prejean, who was featured in the movie Dead Man Walking, discussed the ways in which she said the U.S. Supreme Court has facilitated executions. One example she cited was Strickland v. Washington, which she argued set unreasonable tests for determining ineffective assistance of counsel in capital cases. She also mentioned McClesky v. Kemp, which said that in order to prove racial bias in a capital case the defendant must prove discriminatory purpose, rejecting statistical evidence as a means of showing bias.

Prejean told the students: You are in a precious profession. When you build your professional house, make sure theres a room for poor people who have no one to speak for them. Our country needs you. She also quoted the Trappist monk Thomas Merton: When the world ends it will be legal.

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[Source: Minnesota Lawyer Blog]

Links for 2007-02-18 [del.icio.us]



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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Limits of Free Speech in the Workplace

This is a question that I get quite often from employees: What are the limits of what I can say in the workplace? The answer is usually “Not as much as you think.” Many employees are surprised to learn that, generally speaking, employees of private sector employers have no constitutional free speech rights [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

WARN Act Refresher

The WARN Act is one of those areas that everybody needs a refresher course in now and again. Most HR officers (and frankly many HR lawyers) deal with it infrequently at best. To the rescue comes Diane M. Pfadenhauer or Strategic HR Lawyer Blog, and her article: “BEYOND THE WARN NOTICE: GETTING TO [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Trial lawyer Cogan in discussions on defending Fumo (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Dennis Cogan, a prominent Philadelphia trial lawyer, met privately with prosecutors and a federal judge yesterday to discuss his intention to defend State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo at his upcoming trial.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

One Reason to Seek a New Trial: Your Lawyer Is a Stalker (Law.com)

Imagine being convicted of murder and later finding out that, during the trial, your lawyer was preoccupied with his own criminal prosecution. It happened to Mylee Cottle, and he's seeking a new trial on the ground that the lawyer's penal proceedings -- involving the same county prosecutor -- made for a conflict of interest as well as ineffective assistance. Before Cottle's trial, his lawyer, ...

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Sidley Austin Agrees to Pay $27.5 Million to Settle Suit

In a closely watched case I last wrote about here, the law firm Sidley Austin Brown & Wood has agreed to pay $27.5 million dollars to settle an age bias suit brought against it by the EEOC. The case had to do with the question of the EEOCs ability to seek money damages and [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Links for 2007-08-17 [del.icio.us]



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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Another Good Employee Privacy Article

Peter Mullison over at the Colorado Employment Law Blog has a good article on employee privacy in the workplace, or more specifically, the lack thereof. Peter discusses the Court’s opinion in United States v. Barrows, a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision finding that an employee did not have a protected privacy interest in [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Lawyer Ron favored in Breeders' Cup Classic (Sports Illustrated)

Lawyer Ron was made the slight favorite over Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Preakness winner Curlin on Tuesday for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Thaksin lawyer says Man City takeover deal legitimate (Reuters via Yahoo! Malaysia News)

BANGKOK - Ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has nothing to fear from a Thai investigation of his purchase of English Premier League football club Manchester City, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Lawyer Ron favored slightly in Classic (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Can youth prevail Saturday in the Breeders' Cup? The top three finishers from the Kentucky Derby will be in the gate at Monmouth Park for the Breeders' Cup Classic. But only seven 3-year-olds have won the Classic, so after a sizzling 4-year-old summer, Lawyer Ron is the slight morning-line favorite in the marquee event of the 24th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

New Minimum Wage Poster

There is a new federal minimum wage and with it comes a new minimum wage poster. All employers subject to the FLSA must display the poster. Fortunately, you need not go out and buy one. The Department of Labor has been kind enough to produce a printer-ready file of the required poster [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Links for 2007-02-19 [del.icio.us]



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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Links for 2007-01-21 [del.icio.us]



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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Madison Square Garden of Discrimination

Last week a New York Knicks coach Isaiah Thomas was found liable for sexual harassment against a former colleague. The jury awarded $11,000,000.00 in damages against the team’s owner and its chairman.Madison Square Garden, which owns the Knicks, and MSG president James Dolan were ordered to pay the amount to Browne Sanders for allowing [...]


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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]

Lawyer Ron installed as early Breeders' Cup Classic favorite (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Lawyer Ron, trained by Todd Pletcher, was installed as the early favorite on Tuesday for the five million-dollar Breeders' Cup Classic.

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[Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for lawyer]

Links for 2007-01-01 [del.icio.us]



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[Source: Texas Employment Lawyer HR Lawyer's Blog (210) 832-0932]