Overlawyered » Chicago

Schools roundup

Walter Olson — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:08:46 +0000

More commentators weigh in on the truly horrible new federal campus speech and discipline code [Harvey Silverglate /Juliana DeVries, Minding the Campus; Wendy Kaminer, The Atlantic; Will Creeley, HuffPo; Scott Greenfield; Reason TV; my two cents] More: Greg Lukianoff, WSJ.
Feds: states must impose extensive disability-rights regime — including obligations to accept students with difficult accommodation needs — on private/religious schools participating in voucher programs [Bagenstos, Disability Law; Ramesh Ponnuru (noting that loading new regulatory burdens onto private and religious schools may not be displeasing to school choice opponents in the administration)] NYC’s famous selective/performance schools obliged to take special ed kids who can’t meet standard entrance or audition requirements [Inside Schools]
Volunteer-led school band survives shutdown attempt by Oregon teachers’ union [Katherine Mangu-Ward]
AFT: donate to groups that oppose our aims, and we’ll see that you pay [Jason Bedrick, Cato]
Chicago: “Teachers union plans to file civil rights suits to stop school closings” [Chicago Tribune]
Newly passed Minnesota “anti-bullying” law will expand state control over local schools [Pioneer Press] Court proceedings over alleged taunting and insults proliferate under New Jersey’s law [Star-Ledger via Reason]
“Graduates, your ambition is the problem” [Roger Pilon on the president's Ohio State commencement address]

Tags: Barack Obama, bullying, Chicago, colleges and universities, disability & schools, labor unions, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, schools

Schools roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Police and prosecution roundup

Walter Olson — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:05:22 +0000

Tony Jalali case: “Anaheim, feds try to seize office building under forfeiture laws because owner rented to medical marijuana dispensaries” [@radleybalko, Institute for Justice]
Judge Ciavarella, of cash-for-kids Pa. scandal, sentenced to 28 years [Citizens Voice, background]
Explosion in US prison population isn’t just from War on Drugs [Pfaff via Greenfield] Reform of (and reduction in) incarceration too important to be left to liberals [Eli Lehrer, Weekly Standard]
“Report details lives ruined for children put on sex-offender registries” [Susan Ferriss, Center for Public Integrity via Lenore Skenazy]
Criminal justice reform, per the NAACP’s Ben Jealous, is “one area where GOP can connect with black voters” [Jeremy Kolassa]
“It’s actually a really good book, making me despise Geragos all the more.” [Scott Greenfield reviews Mistrial] And an oldie but goodie: Greenfield reviews “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Criminal Justice System”;
Alleged “duty injury king” of Cook County jail dethroned after one comp claim too many [Chicago Sun-Times]
Tip from Georgia cops: avoid situations where you might have to cling to hood of moving car [Lowering the Bar]
ABA’s evidently already made up its mind to oppose Stand Your Ground (SYG) laws, but is holding public “hearings” on the topic anyway [ABA Journal]
Don’t forget to check out Cato’s National Police Misconduct Reporting Project, which you can also follow on Twitter and like on Facebook

Tags: Chicago, crime and punishment, forfeiture, illegal drugs, Luzerne County judicial scandal, self-defense, workers' compensation

Police and prosecution roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Chicago judge not guilty by reason of insanity

Walter Olson — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 04:32:17 +0000

At Cook County Judge Cynthia Brim’s trial this week, “she was found not guilty of misdemeanor battery because she was ‘legally insane’ at the time.” Cook County voters re-elected Brim in November despite reports of her troubles [South Bend Tribune/Chicago Tribune, earlier]

Tags: Chicago, judges, psychiatry

Chicago judge not guilty by reason of insanity is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Torts roundup

Walter Olson — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:06:13 +0000

“City to pay $22.5 million to bipolar woman released in high-crime area” [Chicago Sun-Times, Greenfield]
On Medicaid settlement clawback evasion, Obama acts in line with wishes of both plaintiff’s and defense sides, though against interests of federal Treasury [Ted Frank] Michael Greve on Delia v. EMA, the Medicaid recoupment case before SCOTUS [Law and Liberty]
From Sasha Volokh, a Glee-ful Torts exam [Volokh]
Congrats to Abnormal Use, repeat winner in Torts category of ABA Journal Blawg 100;
UK: personal injury firms say they’ll need to lay off workers if government carries through on reform of civil suits [Law Gazette]
“How the First Amendment affects tort law” [Beck, Drug and Device Law]
Bummer: after involuntary pot brownie incident, lawsuit names club where incident took place [NJLRA]

Tags: Chicago, illegal drugs, on other blogs, United Kingdom

Torts roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Chicago law firm benefits from tax whistleblowing

Walter Olson — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:32:41 +0000

According to the retailers group [Illinois Retail Merchants Association], Mr. [Stephen] Diamond’s Chicago law firm, Schad Diamond & Shedden P.C., has filed no fewer than 238 lawsuits in recent years against retailers small and large, which in its view failed to collect said shipping-and-handling sales taxes. Since the suits have been filed under a “whistle-blower” section of law, the firm is entitled to as much as 30 percent of any recovered taxes as well as attorneys’ fees for its trouble. And because it’s often easier and cheaper for defendants to settle rather than continue to fight, Schad Diamond reportedly has pocketed millions of dollars.

The office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says the whistleblower provisions were intended for use by insiders disclosing misconduct rather than by outsiders, while “Illinois Revenue Director Brian Hamer says [the wave of suits] ‘has given Illinois a black eye’ and victimizes those who have made only an ‘inadvertent’ mistake.” [Greg Hinz, Crain's Chicago Business]

Tags: Chicago, Illinois, taxes, whistleblowers

Chicago law firm benefits from tax whistleblowing is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Governments forcing out private editors: it’d never happen here. Right?

Walter Olson — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 22:52:48 +0000

I’ve expanded into a longer Cato post my item about how (according to the New York Times) incoming French president François Hollande demanded and got the dismissal of the editor of Le Figaro, the leading opposition (conservative) newspaper. If you think such things would never happen in this country, you might want to catch up on a couple of stories from Chicago and Boston. The post is here.

P.S. They’re still fighting in Washington over media cross-ownership rules.

Tags: Chicago, First Amendment, France, newspapers

Governments forcing out private editors: it’d never happen here. Right? is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

“‘Legally Insane’ Judge Wins Re-Election in Chicago”

Walter Olson — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:59:49 +0000

“Behold the power of incumbency,” including Judge Cynthia Brim’s successful campaign to retain her $182,000/year job; her “18-year tenure,” as the Chicago Tribune puts it with wry understatement, “has been marked by controversy.” [Above the Law]

Tags: Chicago, judges

“‘Legally Insane’ Judge Wins Re-Election in Chicago” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Public employment roundup

Walter Olson — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 04:05:14 +0000

More intimidation of city councilors by Southern California police unions [Reason, earlier]
Illinois Gov. Quinn calls for federal bailout of state pension plans [Ted Biondo, Rockford Register-Star, Ivan Osorio/CEI] Illinois Policy Institute launches campaign against idea [Frank Keegan, State Budget Solutions, IllinoisWatchdog.org]
Former TSA Agent Says Stealing from Passengers’ Bags Is Common [Daniel Politi, Slate]
“Chicago Teacher’s Strike Illustrates the Need for Choice” [Steve Chapman]
California’s Potemkin public pension reform [Greenhut, City Journal] Report on political clout of California public service unions [Daniel DiSalvo, MI]
College example shows how rules that lock in job security for some often leave others insecure [Virginia Postrel]
Connecticut sweetheart labor deal: “Now, the governor doesn’t exactly report it that way in the press” [Zachary Janowski, City Journal]

Tags: airlines, California, Chicago, colleges and universities, Connecticut, Illinois, labor unions, police, public employment

Public employment roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

October 2 roundup

Walter Olson — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 04:06:15 +0000

CFPB hopes to fix regulation that has prevented stay-home moms from getting credit [Bloomberg Business Week, earlier]
Uncertified class action: “Federal judge orders cost-shifting for fishing expedition” [PoL] Ted Frank objects to $10 million fee in “cosmetic” Johnson & Johnson settlement [Daniel Fisher, PoL]
“Accused of Providing Blank Arrest Warrants to Police, Georgia Magistrate Resigns” [ABA Journal]
Lester Brickman, Peter Schuck in new podcast on Brickman’s book Lawyer Barons [Federalist Society]
“Wright and Ginsburg on Behavioral Law & Economics” [NW Law Review and SSRN via Adler]
“17th injury claim in 12 years got Chicago cop her disability deal” [Sun-Times]
“Injured while working for the Empire? Call Lando Calrissian.” Law firm ad parody [YouTube]

Tags: Chicago, class action settlements, Georgia, humor, Lester Brickman, loser pays, police

October 2 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Chicago teachers’ strike

Walter Olson — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 18:02:41 +0000

It’s so obvious that teachers’ strikes hurt kids (not to mention adults) that even the New York Times’ editorialists, even Kevin Drum at Mother Jones, can’t really stomach this one. It’s likely to heighten the contradictions within the Democratic Party, which is simultaneously expected to represent the interests of public employees and of big city dwellers. It will also further questions (raised by my Cato colleague Andrew Coulson) about unions’ role in keeping American education monopolistic. And it’s already evoking the example of earlier officials who vindicated the rights of the public against such unions, including Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, and Scott Walker. Is Rahm Emanuel made of that kind of stuff?

A couple of videos, one from the Illinois Policy Institute:

And from Reason.tv:

Andrew Grossman: “Chicago parents: Stand in solidarity with your fellow workers and refuse to teach your children. Don’t be a scab!”

Tags: Chicago, labor unions, public employment, Rahm Emanuel, teacher tenure

Chicago teachers’ strike is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system