“Why it takes so long to build a bridge in America”

“There’s plenty of money. The problem is interminable environmental review.” That’s Philip K. Howard in the Wall Street Journal [summarized here; related Common Good forum with Regional Plan Association] Excerpt:

Canada requires full environmental review, with state and local input, but it has recently put a maximum of two years on major projects. Germany allocates decision-making authority to a particular state or federal agency: Getting approval for a large electrical platform in the North Sea, built this year, took 20 months; approval for the City Tunnel in Leipzig, scheduled to open next year, took 18 months. Neither country waits for years for a final decision to emerge out of endless red tape.

Filed under: Canada, environment, Germany, land use and zoning, roads and streets

“German woman fails to prove atom-smasher will end world”

“A German woman who feared the Earth would be sucked into oblivion in a black hole failed Tuesday in her court bid to stop the work of the world’s most powerful atom smasher.’ [Phys.org]

Filed under: Germany, science and scientists

February 29 roundup

Jackpot justice and New Jersey pharmacies (with both a Whitney Houston and a Ted Frank angle) [Fox, PoL, our Jan. 3 post]
New Mexico: “Trial lawyers object to spaceport limits” [Las Cruces Bulletin]
Dodd-Frank: too big not to fail [The Economist] Robert Teitelman (The Deal) on new Stephen Bainbridge book Corporate Governance After the Financial Crisis [HuffPo] Securities suits: “trial lawyers probably won’t be able to defend a defective system forever” [WSJ Dealpolitik]
Uh-oh: U.K. Labour opposition looks at unleashing U.S.-style class actions [Guardian] “U.K. Moves ‘No Win, No Fee’ Litigation Reforms to 2013” [Suzi Ring, Legal Week]
More on controls on cold medicines as anti-meth measure [Radley Balko, Megan McArdle, Xeni Jardin, earlier here, here, here]
Recognizable at a distance: “In Germany, a Limp Domestic Economy Stifled by Regulation” [NY Times]
Fewer lawyers in Congress these days [WSJ Law Blog]

Filed under: Germany, illegal drugs, New Jersey, New York Times, pharmaceuticals, regulation and its reform, securities litigation, Senate, space, U.S. House of Representatives, United Kingdom

Labor and employment roundup

Two retaliation cases that should scare employers [Robin Shea via Jon Hyman]
Maryland law redefining independent contractors as employees vexes flooring business [Bethany Rodgers, Frederick News Post, editorial, earlier] New York Times on minimum wage 1987 vs. 2012: 1987 made more sense [Mark Perry] E-discovery drives up cost of wage and hour litigation [Jon Hyman]
Irony alert: “Unionized workers organize against National Labor Relations Board” [Adam Jablonowski, Daily Caller]
Proposals to create new rights for public employee unions [Ivan Osorio/CEI, federal; Jack Mann/CEI, California] Courtesy LA taxpayers, garage monitor at L.A. Department of Water & Power makes $74K/year as compared with $21K elsewhere [L.A. Times via Amy Alkon] Connecticut governor proceeds with plans to herd personal care attendants into union [Trey Kovacs/CEI]
Colorado measure regulating use of credit records in hiring is solution in search of problem [Mark Hillman, Colorado Springs Gazette]
Connecticut proposal to ban unemployment discrimination heats up [Daniel Schwartz]
German high court orders universities to raise salaries for starting professors [Walter Russell Mead]

Filed under: Colorado, Connecticut, discrimination law, Germany, labor unions, Los Angeles, Maryland, public employment, wage and hour suits, workplace

December 6 roundup

TSA: design of gun on purse is “replica gun” [Radley Balko]
“Note: Before Attaching Ankle Monitor, Make Sure Leg Is Real” [Lowering the Bar]
“Harm to others” rationale seems to fall by wayside as Boston bans workplace use of e-cigarettes [Jacob Sullum]
“Should legislation protect the obese?” [NYT “Room for Debate”]
German town drops charges against Pope Benedict XVI for failure to wear seat belt in Popemobile [WaPo, Lowering the Bar, Irish Times]
Ninth Circuit agrees to review litigation seeking court takeover of vets’ mental care [SFChron, WSJ Law Blog, earlier]
The shaky science of “shaken baby syndrome” [Pfaff, Prawfs, ABA Journal, earlier here, here] Jerry Brown should pardon dubiously convicted grandmother [Emily Bazelon, Slate]

Filed under: Boston, Catholic Church, Germany, guns, obesity, seatbelts, tobacco

October 9 roundup

Update: “Tax Panel Rejects Lawyer’s Bid to Deduct Spending for Sex” [NYLJ, William Barrett/Forbes, earlier] And: “Musings on laws affecting adult entertainment, alcoholic beverages and other ‘vice’ industries” [Meeting the Sin Laws blog]
Mississippi: judge jails lawyer for not saying Pledge of Allegiance [Freeland]
More on much-written-about Israeli “rape by fraud” case [Volokh, more, earlier here and here]
“Tribune bankruptcy talks complicated by emergence of pugnacious hedge fund” [Romenesko; earlier on involvement of hedge funds in bankruptcies]
More disturbing tales from Connecticut probate court [Rick Green, Hartford Courant, earlier]
Marc Williams of the Defense Research Institute responds to Ted Frank’s criticism of many defense lawyers [PoL]
Advice for Australians: to fix your litigation system, look to Germany’s success [Ackland, Sydney Morning Herald]
Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) & ’70s band Orleans threaten suit against GOP remix [“Orleans Reunion Tour“]

Filed under: Australia, bankruptcy, Connecticut, defense lawyers, Germany, Mississippi, music and musicians, strippers and exotic dancers, taxes, U.S. House of Representatives, wills and trusts

German state supports its citizens’ kids overseas

Now see if you can guess how one man has managed to play the system given that generous policy [Tyler Cowen]

Filed under: Germany

July 22 roundup

Update from Germany: “Teacher Loses ‘Rabbit-Phobia’ Trial” [Spiegel, earlier]
Farther shores of for-your-own-goodery: “Should Obese Kids Be Placed In Foster Care?” [Katz, CBS News]
Just one problem with that $725 million AIG securities suit settlement [D&O Diary]
After Texas passed bill requiring evidence of impairment, more than 99% of silicosis claimants dropped out [LNL, PoL]
Lindsay Lohan disserved by lawyer who can’t keep a confidence [Turkewitz]
Pearlstein’s the Washington Post’s anti-business business columnist [McArdle, Wood/ShopFloor]
Lawyer shenanigans in Fosamax trial in New York [Walk, Drug & Device Law]
Unwelcome surprise: health care bill turns out to tax many house sales [David Boaz, Cato at Liberty]

Filed under: closing arguments, Germany, lawyering vs. privacy, obesity, silicosis, Texas

“German police officer earns extra week’s holiday for getting dressed”

The test case in the city of Muenster has German municipal officials worried about busted budgets. [Guardian, Telegraph] So-called “don/doff” lawsuits have been a pretty big deal in our own employment law in recent years, although, as our 2008 report from Arkansas indicates, they don’t always have the support of the putative victims.

Filed under: Germany, Ninth Circuit, police, wage and hour suits

Can’t make ’em up dept.

Germany: “Teacher with rabbit phobia to sue 14-year-old for drawing bunny.” The educator “says she was traumatized by the drawing, and claims the girl knew it would terrify her.” [Telegraph]

Filed under: emotional distress, Germany, schools