http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/index.jsp Updated daily en-us 11/08/2009 Copyright 2008 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.law.com/service/terms_conditions.shtml http://www.law.com/img/pa/alert/pa_rss.gif http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/index.jsp The message delivered by all three panelists at the National Bar Association's "Town Hall Meeting" Friday was one of hope and reassurance that there is help at the local, state and federal levels for homeowners facing foreclosure. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435261118&rss=pa After a three-week trial, a Hunterdon County, N.J., jury awarded $5.961 million on Oct. 28 to a man who lost use of his right hand because of injuries suffered when tree limbs fell on his vehicle as he drove on a state road. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435254791&rss=pa A federal judge has approved a $5.9 million settlement in the civil rights suit challenging Philadelphia's blanket policy of strip-searching every person admitted into the city's prison system. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435228116&rss=pa In a case of first impression, the Commonwealth Court has refused to extend the State Employees' Retirement Code's definition of "correction officer" to grant age 50 superannuation benefits eligibility to all Department of Corrections employees whose jobs require them to come into contact with inmates or to work in correctional facilities. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435227789&rss=pa Just as the Philadelphia court system's budget crisis for this fiscal year seemed to have abated after the General Assembly authorized the city to increase its sales tax, the First Judicial District and other city offices have been asked by the Nutter administration to brace for a second round of cuts in upcoming fiscal years. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435215578&rss=pa After truck driver James Schramm dove under his tractor-trailer to avoid being hit by another trucker's rig, his leg was dragged over asphalt and over sheet metal that flew off the other trucker's rig. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435227660&rss=pa A Pennsylvania county down two judges because of a pair of unrelated scandals is asking lawyers to preside over a glut of civil cases. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435246036&rss=pa A judge has rejected the appeal of a former state trooper serving life in prison for the slashing death of his live-in girlfriend's estranged husband in western Pennsylvania. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435246063&rss=pa I pumped my fist in the air at the news federal prosecutors gave notice they wanted to appeal the powder puff sentence U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter gave to convicted former state Sen. Vincent Fumo. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202433037475&rss=pa While Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, wouldn't name the ringleader of $40 million insider-trading operation outlined in two criminal cases, the SEC said in a joint press conference today a New York lawyer "fueled" the scheme by allegedly divulging information about client deals. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435217522&rss=pa A few months ago, I had a blog post about social media policies. I had already developed a few of these policies for clients, as well as our firm?s social media policy. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435186342&rss=pa Last month the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a slip opinion ruled that an insurer's failure to follow best practices does not give rise to a bad faith claim, affirming a summary judgment in favor of that insurer. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435153061&rss=pa Click here for a collection of articles on the corruption scandal in Luzerne County Court. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202428035822&rss=pa Members of the Philadelphia legal community turned out for the "Cooking Up Justice - Best Chef Competition," which helped raise money for the Support Center for Child Advocates. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202434999276&rss=pa Click here to view the full text of the November 2 Real Estate and Title Insurance Supplement to The Legal Intelligencer. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435119419&rss=pa DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? A Daytona Beach hospital has agreed to a $200,000 settlement with the widow of a man strangled by a fellow psychiatric patient. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435239670&rss=pa CASPER, Wyo. (AP) ? Former Western Medical Associates Chief Executive Officer Richard S. Blauvelt is suing the family practice, saying he was shorted nearly $110,000 owed under his employment contract. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435239719&rss=pa GADSDEN, Ala. (AP) ? The son of a woman whose decomposed body was found in the back of a hearse more than a year after she died has sued the funeral home operator. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435239759&rss=pa One of the professional responsibility trends we've been thinking about lately is the nationalization, and even globalization, of the practice of law. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435227824&rss=pa During its current term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear argument in two critical bankruptcy cases. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435228028&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202428467686&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435228116&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435068253&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435146184&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202435227992&rss=pa