Lawyers know how to do it, but then, so do members of Congress.
Archive for May, 2009
Wherein I become a three-continent pundit
I was given the opportunity to be on a public-affairs-in-America program on Press TV, the English-language Iranian television network, yesterday. The majority of discussion was on economic issues, but I do get to comment on a number of counterproductive laws Congress seems intent on passing this term. The program is available on line.
Risks of getting sued for blogging
The WSJ notes that online comments, bulletin boards and chatrooms, and social media of all kinds present a risk, not to mention blogging: “Though the likelihood of a plaintiff winning a lawsuit is not high, ‘you could go bankrupt’ just from defending against them, says Miriam Wugmeister, a partner at Morrison & Foerster LLP and a privacy and data-security law expert.”
Symposium: “Replacing Justice Souter”
I’m one of the participants in an online symposium at Reason on who can, should or will serve as President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. I have kind words for Walter Dellinger III, mixed views on “empathy”, and predict that the current surge of activist federal economic policy will contribute to the Court’s docket in coming years. The full list of participants: Radley Balko, Alan Gura, Wendy Kaminer, Manuel Klausner, Judge Andrew Napolitano, Walter Olson, Roger Pilon, Glenn Reynolds, Damon W. Root, Ilya Shapiro, Harvey Silverglate, Ilya Somin, and Jacob Sullum.
Don’t
Maybe we need to create some “super-Don’t” label for when a story like this comes along: “A defense attorney and former federal prosecutor whose clients have included rap stars and a soldier at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq was charged Wednesday with arranging the killing of one witness and trying to hire a hit man to kill another.” [AP/1010WINS]
“Obama Regulatory Review Could Spur Product Lawsuits”
The plaintiff’s bar scores a big victory with a White House policy reversal on preemption. [Business Week].
“Lawyer charged with stealing over $600,000 in client settlement money”
According to Manhattan D.A. Robert Morgenthau, New York lawyer Marc Bernstein “settled these cases pretty cheap, then took the money and ran.” [NY Daily News, press release] Meanwhile: “Prominent Arkansas plaintiffs securities lawyer Gene Cauley is expected to plead guilty for failing to pay clients $9.3 million in settlement funds he was supposed to be holding as their escrow agent.” [ABA Journal, earlier] According to a report dated February (PDF) from the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility, New York is among the states that have adopted payee notification reforms intended to catch this category of fraud at an early stage; Arkansas has not. For more on payee notification, see my 2006 paper with Peter Morin.
Sued by contractor after criticizing its zoning variance
That’s what an Illinois woman says happened to her; now she’s countersuing [Madison County Record]
“Giuliani Duke Golf Lawsuit Shanks”
“In an opinion peppered with golf references and a quote from “Caddyshack” star Bill Murray, a federal magistrate has recommended the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by Rudolph Giuliani’s son over his booting from Duke University’s varsity golf team.” [The Smoking Gun, Althouse; earlier]
Craigslist vs. South Carolina AG
The online service has gone to court seeking a declaratory judgment against South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster. [Citizen Media Law, Jim Buckmaster/Craigslist blog] Earlier here and here.