News

Attorneys Weigh in as Judge in Parkland Shooting Case threatens to Hold Sun Sentinel in Contempt

Zach Schlein | August 16, 2018

Broward Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Scherer is presiding over the case of confessed shooter Nikolas Cruz, charged with the February mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. She threatened to hold two journalists and a newspaper in contempt for publishing information that the court had ordered redacted, but which was visible by pasting into another file.

News

As Brexit Draws Closer, Two Big UK Law Firms Top List of Those Looking to Ireland

Krishnan Nair | August 16, 2018

Since early 2016, British firms have registered lawyers in Ireland to hedge against Brexit. Eversheds Sutherland and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have been among the busiest.

News

Reality Winner Faces 'Longest Sentence' for Leaking to Media

Russ Bynum | The Associated Press| August 16, 2018

In a court filing Tuesday, federal prosecutors said the 63-month sentence they're recommending is plenty stiff; Winner's defense lawyers said in their court filing Wednesday that similar prosecutions resulted in less severe penalties.

News

NY Weighs Child Sex Abuse Bill; GA's Yielded One Trial

Dan M. Clark| August 15, 2018

Cuomo’s statement was in reaction to a grand jury report out of Pennsylvania that alleges more than 300 clergy members sexually abused more than 1,000 victims.

News

Texas Judge Greenlights Securities Fraud Class Action Against Exxon, Rex Tillerson

Greg Land | August 15, 2018

Judge Ed Kinkeade wrote that the plaintiffs sufficiently supported their allegations that Exxon Mobil and then-CEO Rex Tillerson misrepresented the value of the company's gas and oil reserves to keep its stock prices high prior to a $12 billion bond issue in 2016.

The Battle For Talent Is Disrupting The Business Of Law

David J. Parnell| August 15, 2018

A shift in the way firms are pursuing laterals is disrupting the market and New York will be the primary battleground.

News

Troutman Is Latest Atlanta Firm to Raise Associate Pay

Meredith Hobbs | August 15, 2018

Troutman Sanders is raising associate pay across all offices, with Atlanta associates to start at $165,000.

News

Secretary of State Says Return to Paper Ballots by Fall Could Cause Chaos

R. Robin McDonald | August 15, 2018

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp pushed back Tuesday against a pending motion in federal court in Atlanta to junk the state's computerized voting.

News

Omarosa-Trump Tapes Could Mean 'Open Season on Privacy Rights' in the Workplace, Attorneys Say

Raychel Lean | August 15, 2018

Lawyers from across the country shared their responses to the tapes, and what they demonstrate about how privacy laws play out across states.

News

After Hectic Start, McBurney Settles In as Fulton Superior Chief Judge

Greg Land | August 14, 2018

Six years after he was appointed to the bench, Chief Judge Robert McBurney says it still feels a bit "odd" when colleagues he worked with as a Fulton County and federal prosecutor appear before him. "It seems strange when they call me ‘judge.’ I’m Bob,” he said.

News

After Weed Killer Verdict, It's Damage Control Time for Monsanto Lawyers, Comms Staff

Phillip Bantz | August 14, 2018

The agribusiness giant's in-house lawyers are working "hand in glove" with in-house communications staffers to mitigate the fallout from the $289 million Roundup verdict. But one communications expert isn't impressed with the effort and another says outside PR consultants are key.

News

Miami-Dade School Board Wins First Amendment Ruling

Katheryn Tucker | August 14, 2018

“Whether they spoke as private citizens or public employees and about matters of public concern makes all the difference," 11th Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus said.

News

Emory Law Launches Immigration Clinic With Kuck Firm and Mormon Church

Meredith Hobbs | August 14, 2018

The clinic offers on-the spot advice from volunteer immigration lawyers, with assistance from law students, who learn client-intake skills and immigration law.

Slideshow

Lawyers Tap Appalachian Trail Town for Craft Brewery

John Disney | August 14, 2018

Did you hear the one where an ex-GC, a King & Spalding expatriate and a former DA from DeKalb County took over Franklin, North Carolina, city hall and turned it into a craft brewery and music venue?

Commentary

Social Media Issues to Consider in Civil Litigation  

Daniel I. Prywes| August 14, 2018

Some courts have allowed a workaround in which the court orders the opposing party to “consent” to the social media provider’s disclosure of social media content, followed by a “consensual” request sent to the social media provider.

News

'Unauthorized' Removal in Asylum Case Draws Judge's Ire, Sparks Procedure Review

Ellis Kim | August 13, 2018

“While we were in the air, no one told me anything about what was happening. It was not until we landed in my home country that an official asked me my name and whether I was appealing my case," the plaintiff recounted in a declaration filed Monday.

News

AG Carr Settles Title Pawn Complaints

Katheryn Tucker | August 13, 2018

“Consumers who seek out title pawns are already in financial straits,” AG Chris Carr said. “Our office is committed to protecting vulnerable consumers from companies that try to take advantage of them."

News

Federal Prosecutors Accuse Ex-Lawyer of Fraud, Identity Theft

Katheryn Tucker | August 13, 2018

Chalmer “Chuck” Detling, II, 42, of Marietta, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas on seven counts of wire fraud and eight counts of aggravated identity theft on Friday, U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak said.

Commentary

How to Balance Obligations to Your Clients and Their Insurers

Shari L. Klevens and Alanna Clair| August 13, 2018

This can be a complex relationship by which insurer and policyholder can share a privilege, but where the insurer may have the right to control or direct the defense.

News

Monsanto Hit With $289M Verdict Over Roundup Weed Killer

Amanda Bronstad | August 10, 2018

Jurors awarded $39.2 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages to plaintiff DeWayne “Lee” Johnson.

News

SCOTUS Asked to Ignore Circuit Split on Sexual Orientation Discrimination

R. Robin McDonald | August 10, 2018

Freeman Mathis & Gary attorneys defending Clayton County, Georgia, in a discrimination fight over sexual orientation say the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit got it right in a finding that discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation is not prohibited under federal law.

News

Auto-Pedestrian Accident Case Yields Verdict & Cultural Lesson for Defense Lawyer

Greg Land | August 10, 2018

Defense attorney Lee Welborn said the jury, which included eight members from Latin America, relied on their experiences with home-country drivers to decide the plaintiff should have been more alert.

News

New Water War Referee Compared Endangered Species Act to 'Frankenstein'

Jonathan Ringel | August 10, 2018

Judge Paul Kelly Jr.'s criticism of the Endangered Species Act could cheer Georgia water users, but his analysis could be far different in the Georgia-Florida water wars.

News

Deal and Trump Come Together on Criminal Justice Reform

Katheryn Tucker | August 10, 2018

Governor Nathan Deal and President Donald Trump are speaking the same language on criminal justice reform.

Podcast

Think Like a Waiter … and Other Tips for Making It in Big Law

Vanessa Blum | Leigh Jones | August 10, 2018

Legal recruiter Richard Hsu, host of the podcast Hsu Untied, shares his takeaways for getting hired, finding mentors and handling rejection.

News

Judicial Council Approves Two New Judges

Katheryn Tucker | August 10, 2018

If the Legislature approves next year, the additions would provide a fifth judge for Griffin and an 11th for Gwinnett.

News

Law Firms Looking to Game the New Tax Law? Think Again

Meredith Hobbs | August 10, 2018

Licensing spinoffs? Partnerships of associates? The IRS and Treasury Department anticipated how law firms might try to take advantage of Trump's tax reforms—and said no way.

News

Maryland's Switch From Electronic to Paper Ballots Could Set Stage for Georgia

R. Robin McDonald | August 10, 2018

A federal case in Atlanta overseeing a push for paper ballots in the November election includes an affidavit from a Maryland election judge, who said the switch to paper ballots there made the elections easier to conduct.

News

Supreme Court Discharges Veteran Special Master in 'Florida v. Georgia' Water Dispute

Tony Mauro | August 10, 2018

No matter what the reason for the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, it will reduce future litigation costs for both Florida and Georgia as the fact-finding continues.

News

Retiring Judge Gary Andrews Breaks His Silence

Katheryn Tucker | August 09, 2018

The Court of Appeals revealed a portrait Thursday of its quietest judge—who after 28 years had a lot to say.

News

If 'Roe v. Wade' Is Overturned, What Happens in Georgia?

Jonathan Ringel | August 09, 2018

An abortion case in the Georgia Supreme Court could test its 113-year-old decision finding a right of privacy in the state constitution against the state's "textualist" Supreme Court.

Analysis

ABA Clarifies Rules on Lawyer Advertising (Sort Of)

Scott Flaherty | August 09, 2018

At the ABA's recent national convention, a board of delegates voted to adopt a set of changes to model rules surrounding attorney advertising, a confusing ethical area for both Big and Small Law.

News

EEOC Accuses United Airlines of Enabling Pilot's Sexual Harassment

Erin Mulvaney | August 09, 2018

"Employers have an obligation to take steps to stop sexual harassment in the workplace when they learn it is occurring through cyber-bullying via the internet and social media," an EEOC lawyer said in a statement.

Commentary

Is That Lateral Partner a Sexual Harasser?

Vivia Chen | August 09, 2018

Heavy-handed, "Mad Men"-style harassment still happens in Big Law.

News

Will Newly Elected Judge Cede Bar President Role?

Katheryn Tucker | August 08, 2018

While his intention is to fulfill the one-year term as bar president that he started in June, Ken Hodges said that could change after he is sworn in to the Georgia Court of Appeals in January. “People have raised issues as to whether I should or could do that.”

News

Attorney-Client Dispute Delays Ex-King & Spalding Associate's Suit Against Firm

Scott Flaherty | August 08, 2018

A lawyer for David Joffe, a former King & Spalding associate who alleges he was fired for reporting unethical conduct by the firm's partners, claims his client has been difficult to deal with and hasn't paid his bills.

News

US Attorney Pak Hires 8 New AUSAs for Northern District of Georgia

Meredith Hobbs | August 08, 2018

BJay Pak has hired the first new group of AUSAs in Atlanta—including three from Alston & Bird—since he took the job last fall.

News

11th Circuit Blasts Lawyer's 'Shotgun' Lawsuit as Frivolous 'Garbage'

Greg Land | August 08, 2018

The opinion authored by Judge Gerald Tjoflat said that tolerating the "incomprehensible" complaint and multiple delays would constitute obstruction of justice—and gave the lawyer 21 days to explain why he should not pay double the defense's appeals costs.

News

Former Mayor Kasim Reed's Deputy Chief of Staff Expected to Plead Guilty in Bribery Scheme

R. Robin McDonald | August 08, 2018

Evelyn Katrina Taylor-Parks is expected to plead guilty at an Aug. 13 hearing, federal prosecutors say.

Mary Jo White Adds OSU Football Coach Probe to Busy Schedule

Dan Packel | August 08, 2018

The Debevoise partner, named last week to help lead CBS' probe into harassment allegations against Leslie Moonves, is also investigating failure-to-report claims against Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer.

Slideshow

Natural Law: Federal Judge Enjoys Working in Her Garden

John Disney | August 08, 2018

When Senior Judge Frank M. Hull of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit isn’t working long hours in her chambers, you can often find her working in her gardens.

News

First Trial Begins Over 2013 Plane Crash That Killed Five in Thomson

Greg Land | August 07, 2018

The only remaining defendant is Milliken & Co., whose property had the utility pole blamed in the crash.

News

King & Spalding Buoys Investigations Team With Kirkland Recruit

Ryan Lovelace | August 07, 2018

For Washington-based Patrick Montgomery, the move from Kirkland & Ellis to King & Spalding is a homecoming of sorts.

News

Ex-Kavanaugh Clerk Britt Grant, Now 11th Circuit Judge, Takes Oath From Her Old Boss

C. Ryan Barber | August 07, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh, the U.S. Supreme Court nominee, put on black robes and returned to the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday to deliver the oath to a former clerk: Britt Grant, newly confirmed to the Eleventh Circuit.

News

Associate Raises Reach Morris Manning, Bondurant

Meredith Hobbs | August 07, 2018

Two more Atlanta-based firms have matched the $165,000 starting salary set by King & Spalding, Alston & Bird and Eversheds Sutherland, while the city's other top firms still hang back.

News

He Said, She Said: Female Miami Attorney Accuses Male Opposing Counsel of Stalking Her

Raychel Lean | August 07, 2018

Brandy E. Raulerson, of Barnard Law Offices, accused Jose P. Font, of Font & Nelson, of harassment after she rejected his alleged "crude sexual advances." He accused her of insurance fraud.

News

DeKalb Commissioners Set to Vote on New County Attorney

Kristen Rasmussen | August 07, 2018

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has tapped Viviane Ernstes, a longtime government lawyer and the interim county attorney since January, to lead the county's Law Department.

News

Judge Asks If Switch to Paper Ballots Would Compromise November Election

R. Robin McDonald | August 06, 2018

Colorado-based Coalition for Good Governance and voters from four Georgia counties claim the state's voting infrastructure is too old and too vulnerable to trust.

News

Georgia Firm Hails $83.5M Settlement in Detroit Hospital False Claims Suit

Greg Land | August 06, 2018

A separate settlement between the two feuding firms involved in the FCA case means there will be no fee dispute.

Slideshow

Meet the 9 Georgia Supreme Court Contenders

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Gov. Nathan Deal is now considering these nine candidates to fill two jobs on the Georgia Supreme Court. Click through the slide show to learn about each one.

News

Georgia Supreme Court Short List: Paige Reese Whitaker

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Age: 51 Law School: Duke University, 1992 Current job: Judge, Atlanta Judicial Circuit Superior Court

News

Georgia Supreme Court Short List: Andrew “Andy” Welch III

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Age: 46 Law School: Vermont, 2001 Current job: Smith, Welch, Webb & White and Georgia House of Representatives

News

Georgia Supreme Court Short List: Sarah Hawkins Warren

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Age: 36 Law School: Duke University, 2008 Current job: Solicitor General, Office of the Attorney General of Georgia

News

Georgia Supreme Court Short List: Shawn LaGrua

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Age: 56 Law School: Georgia State University, 1987 Current job: Atlanta Judicial Circuit Superior Court judge

News

Georgia Supreme Court Short List: C. LaTain Kell

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Age: 56 Law School: University of Georgia, 1987 Current job: Cobb Judicial Circuit Superior Court chief judge

News

Georgia Supreme Court Short List: Asha Jackson

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Age: 43 Law School: Tulane University, 2000 Current job: Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court judge

News

Georgia Supreme Court Short List: Bill Cowsert

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Age: 59 Law School: University of Georgia, 1983 Current job: Cowsert & Heath in Athens and Georgia State Senate Republican majority leader

News

Georgia Supreme Court Short List: Melanie Barbee Cross

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Age: 51 Law School: Mercer University of Georgia, 1992 Current job: Tifton Judicial Circuit Superior Court judge

News

Georgia Supreme Court Short List: J.P. Boulee

Katheryn Tucker | August 06, 2018

Age: 47 Law School: University of Georgia, 1996 Current job: Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court judge

News

ABA to Slash Dues Amid Membership Drop

Roy Strom | August 06, 2018

Roughly 15 percent of U.S. lawyers paid dues to the ABA last year. The association hopes cheaper memberships will boost that figure.

Commentary

In Light of 'Lakeridge,' What's the Appropriate Standard of Review in Future Appeals?

John A. Thomson Jr.| August 06, 2018

The Lakeridge decision actually stands for the larger overarching conclusion that there is no fixed, pre-ordained answer as to which standard of review an appellate court should apply when an appeal presents mixed questions of law and fact

Commentary

Outsource Document Review at Your Own Peril

Edwin Schklar and Maggie M. Heim| August 06, 2018

One consequence of outsourcing document review is that it might defeat your ultimate goal of winning or achieving a great settlement. Another consequence is that it might cost your business more money in the end.

News

Lawyers: Georgia Inmates Shouldn't Be Freed Directly From Solitary

Kate Brumback, Associated Press| August 06, 2018

People held in long-term, isolated confinement involuntarily "adapt in socially pathological ways," a report says, adding that those released directly from those harsh conditions are more likely to reoffend and have trouble maintaining relationships and keeping jobs.

Commentary

Sanctions Law: A Litigation Frontier

Laurie Webb Daniel, Holland & Knight| August 06, 2018

Years ago, someone bringing such a motion risked scorn, as many considered it unprofessional to accuse a fellow lawyer of improper conduct except in the most egregious of circumstances.

News

Hospital Chain Prime Healthcare to Pay $65M to Settle Fraud Claims

R. Robin McDonald | August 03, 2018

Prime Healthcare, the nation's fifth-largest hospital chain, has agreed to settle a federal whistleblower case filed by a nurse in one of the company's California hospitals.

News

Judge Revokes Former US Attorney's Bond on Aggravated Stalking Charge

R. Robin McDonald | August 03, 2018

Richard Thompson's bond was revoked after a former girlfriend, who had accused him of aggravated stalking in 2017, filed a new aggravated stalking charge against him and after he put a gun to his head during a traffic stop.

News

In Wake of Bias Suit and Defections, Ogletree Airs Beef With Ex-Partner

Miriam Rozen | August 03, 2018

Tracy Warren, a former partner at the firm and part-time sports broadcaster, is disputing the circumstances surrounding her exit. “She did absolutely nothing wrong during her time at [Ogletree],” her lawyer said.

A Writ and a Prayer: Greenberg Traurig, Attorneys General File Briefs in Suit Over Prayer on the Football Field

Zach Schlein | August 03, 2018

Greenberg Traurig's Adam M. Foslid filed an amicus brief on behalf of retired Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden, who is lending his support to a fired high school coach who refused to stop praying on the football field.

News

Firms Replace 'Random Acts of Entertainment' as They Focus on Clients' Needs

Jonathan Ringel | August 03, 2018

Seminars and roundtables are only a couple of aspects of law firms' business plans that start with understanding what clients need to be successful, often through collecting client feedback by firm personnel or outside consultants.

News

State's SAAG Bill Shrinks Nearly 13 Percent as Water Wars Costs Drop

Kristen Rasmussen | August 03, 2018

Georgia spent $44,997,972 on special attorney generals in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2018, down from the $51,472,735 spent in the prior fiscal year, recently released Law Department figures show.

News

When Having a Governor Father Doesn't Help a Judge Move Up

Katheryn Tucker | August 03, 2018

“My dad couldn’t appoint me,” Judge Jason Deal said in an interview with the Daily Report. “There would always be allegations of favoritism. I don’t want to put him through that."

Commentary

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: She's Come a Long Way, Baby!

Leah Ward Sears| August 02, 2018

Justice Ginsburg's powerful dissent in the Ledbetter case explained how companies can hide gender salary discrepancies, and she argued that no time limit should have applied to Ledbetter's claims of unequal treatment.

News

Answer: The Next Alex Trebek. Question: What Could Be This Lawyer's New Gig?

Karen Sloan | August 02, 2018

Laura Coates already has television experience as a legal analyst for CNN and has taught legal drafting at George Washington University School of Law since 2015.

News

Wife’s Dying Word Pushed DA to Seek Tex McIver Murder Charge

R. Robin McDonald | August 02, 2018

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said Diane McIver’s last conscious act became one of the driving forces behind his office’s successful murder prosecution.

News

Top Public Defender, Returning to Law Firm Life, Points Up 'Contrast' at Office He Leaves Behind

Katheryn Tucker | August 02, 2018

Georgia Public Defender Council Executive Director Bryan Tyson debuts his new job on Facebook and reviews his old one in a resignation letter to Gov. Nathan Deal.

Commentary

Insurer Had No Duty to Defend After Waffle House Shooting

Steven A. Meyerowitz| August 02, 2018

The district court explained that it was “clear” that the allegations in the Horne parties’ lawsuit arose from an alleged assault and battery or physical altercation within the meaning of the assault and battery exclusion.

News

Governor Gets Shortlist for Georgia Supreme Court

Katheryn Tucker | August 02, 2018

The Judicial Nominating Commission interviewed 20 candidates Tuesday out of an initial list of 101, then sent Gov. Nathan Deal nine on Wednesday.

News

King & Spalding Takes Private Equity Group From MoFo

Christine Simmons | August 01, 2018

The fast-growing Am Law 100 firm has bolstered its buyout practice with seven lawyers, most of them from Morrison & Foerster, while also adding a tax partner in New York.

News

Jury Awards $11.1M for Breach of Software Contract

Katheryn Tucker | August 01, 2018

The jury awarded $5.1 million for breach of contract, $3.7 million in interest and $2.3 million in attorney fees.

News

Job Market for Law Grads 'Surprisingly Strong,' NALP Finds

Karen Sloan | August 01, 2018

Robust Big Law hiring bolstered the entry level employment market for the law class of 2017, which saw increases in both the overall employment rate and in median and average salaries.

News

Law Firm Merger Rush Continues With Nelson Mullins Tie-Up

Dan Packel | August 01, 2018

A finalized union with Florida's Broad and Cassel supercharges the Southeast-focused Am Law 100 firm, which now boasts 25 offices up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

Cautious Optimism Over the Increasingly Prevalent Alternative Fee Arrangements

Edward M. Slaughter, S. Christopher Collier and Michael Arndt| August 01, 2018

While we celebrate the innovation and look forward to working under alternative fee arrangements more often, the death knell for billable hours hasn’t sounded yet.

News

Women Exit Ogletree Deakins in Wake of Gender Bias Allegations

Miriam Rozen | July 31, 2018

“A lot of my good friends had left. I looked around and said, ‘Why am I still here?’” said a former nonequity partner at Ogletree Deakins, a national labor and employment firm facing a $300 million gender bias suit.

News

Atlanta Celebrity Lawyer Drew Findling Honored During NACDL Swearing-In in Miami

Katheryn Tucker | July 31, 2018

“Drew Findling’s entire life has been about service and the defense of people against whom the deck is clearly stacked, people who quite literally are oppressed by our criminal justice system,” said NACDL Immediate Past President Rick Jones.

News

Britt Grant Confirmed to 11th Circuit

Katheryn Tucker | July 31, 2018

Pushing past a strong partisan divide on the nomination, the U.S. Senate voted 52-46 Tuesday to confirm Georgia Supreme Court Justice Britt Grant to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

News

Cobb Appoints New Juvenile Court Judge

Katheryn Tucker | July 31, 2018

Cobb Superior Court Chief Judge C. LaTain Kell announced Tuesday that his bench has appointed Senior Assistant District Attorney Wayne Grannis to the Cobb County Juvenile Court.

News

FTC Mum on Data Privacy Next Steps After Appeals Court Loss

C. Ryan Barber | July 31, 2018

The FTC elected not to ask the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to review a ruling that erased the agency’s enforcement action against LabMD Inc. Still, FTC chair Joe Simons said recently that "privacy and data security will continue to be an enforcement priority."

News

Former US Attorney Arrested on New Felony Stalking Warrant After Fleeing Deputy

R. Robin McDonald | July 31, 2018

After threatening to kill himself, Richard S. Thompson, who resigned in 2004 as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia after abusing his authority, has been jailed on a second felony aggravated stalking charge. Thompson also faces revocation of his bond on a pending stalking charge after he allegedly resumed stalking his former girlfriend last week.

Commentary

What Lawyers and Firms Should Do to Balance Law and Family

Pamela Newsom Lee and Crystal Stevens McElrath| July 31, 2018

We make time for the things that matter most, so deciding what matters most on any given day and at different stages of your career and children’s lives is key.

News

Why You Should Take a Vacation From Your Phone. And Why You Probably Won't.

Angela Morris| July 31, 2018

There's a wider recognition within the legal profession that true downtime for lawyers is crucial. The trick is to actually take it.

News

US Senate Clears Path for Britt Grant Confirmation

Katheryn Tucker | July 31, 2018

Georgia Supreme Court Justice Britt Grant moved a major step closer to confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit as the U.S. Senate agreed Monday evening to invoke cloture and send her nomination to the floor for a vote in the next day or two.

Q&A

Ex-Atlanta Prosecutor Put Brett Kavanaugh on President Trump’s Radar in 2016

Ryan Lovelace| July 31, 2018

The Heritage Foundation, where John Malcolm is a senior legal fellow and director of the Meese Center for Legal & Judicial Studies, helped populate the short lists to fill the earlier court vacancy left by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death.

News

Federal Judge Calls ICE, Homeland Security FOIA Response 'Inadequate'

R. Robin McDonald | July 30, 2018

The judge's order also includes words that the agencies are required to search for.

News

Number of Law School Applicants Surges, Especially Among High Scorers

Karen Sloan | July 30, 2018

At the same time, the Law School Admission Council is increasing the number of LSAT test dates from six to 10 and will move to a computerized version of the exam in the spring of 2019.

News

Stressed Out? Tell Us About It

Jonathan Ringel | July 30, 2018

We're accepting emails about what in the practice of law stresses you out, and how you deal with it.

Commentary

Government Inquiries Create Risks for Clients—and Their Lawyers

Shari L. Klevens and Alanna Clair| July 30, 2018

When an attorney is asked questions about client activities, there could be a risk that responding to those questions could implicate confidential information or be detrimental to the client.

News

Judicial Watchdog Opinion Cautions Judges on Perils of Spousal Politics

R. Robin McDonald | July 27, 2018

The state Judicial Qualifications Commission has issued a formal advisory opinion warning judges that while the Code of Judicial Conduct cannot bar their spouses from hosting political events and fundraisers, if spouses decline to opt for another venue, judges can't be affiliated with the event or even show up.

News

Superior Court Judge Facing Criminal, Ethics Investigations Has Recused From All Circuit DA's Cases

R. Robin McDonald | July 27, 2018

Judge Robert "Mack" Crawford recused himself from all criminal and civil forfeiture cases the day after Griffin Circuit District Attorney Ben Coker asked the Georgia Attorney General’s Office to appoint a prosecutor to review possible improprieties.

News

After Shook Suspends Partner, a Backlash to the Backlash?

Dan Packel | July 27, 2018

Some lawyers asked whether Shook, Hardy & Bacon had thrown Miami litigator Paul Reid "under the bus."

Analysis

Trump Watch: Shake-Up at White House Counsel Office | Can a Trial Judge Gag Order Trump?

Ellis Kim | July 27, 2018

Deputy White House counsel Stefan Passantino is the latest attorney to leave the office.