The Israeli High Court of Justice recently dismissed a petition filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) against the police’s confiscation of anti-war signs at protests. The petition, filed on April 11, followed a series of protests across Israel demanding a ceasefire, during which police reportedly prevented demonstrators from carrying signs with…
Former Memphis police officer Emmitt Martin III pleaded guilty on Friday to three counts of federal civil rights and conspiracy charges. An indictment issued in September of last year accused Martin of using excessive force against Tyre Nichols, an unarmed 29-year-old black man. The incident traces back to January 7, 2023, when police stopped Nichols…
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Myanmar amid the ongoing violence in the country. According to the UN Human Rights Office, the military and the Arakan Army have committed human rights violations against the minority Rohingya community in Myanmar, despite their obligations to protect the Rohingya…
The US Supreme Court on Thursday, in a 5-4 decision, allowed the enforcement of an Arizona election law requiring prospective voters to provide “satisfactory evidence of citizenship” upon registering to vote. However, the court kept two lower court blocks on related laws that prevent those with unverified citizenship status from voting in presidential elections or…
A South Korean prosecution investigation team has dismissed anti-graft charges against first lady Kim Keon-hee, according to local media. Kim was under investigation for accepting expensive gifts, including a luxury Dior handbag valued at approximately three million won (~$2,255), from Choi Jae-young, a Korean-American pastor, in 2022. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office stated that…
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, known for her no-nonsense approach to law enforcement and her savvy presence on social media, has delivered a robust message to the U.S. Supreme Court at the ongoing Democratic National Convention. This message comes amidst anticipation of a Supreme Court decision that could potentially undermine the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges…
Jacqueline Nichols has joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani (GRSM) as a partner in their commercial litigation group in Las Vegas. This addition to the firm was announced on Wednesday. Nichols brings extensive experience in representing government and municipal entities, focusing primarily on civil rights, defense, personal injury, and employment matters. In her new role, Nichols…
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on Tuesday that it will launch an investigation into the conditions at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center for potential abuses of civil rights. The Center is operated by CoreCivic, an American company that oversees numerous private correctional facilities across the United States. Trousdale Turner Correctional Center has faced…
The U.S. Department of Justice and the New Jersey judiciary have reached a settlement over allegations that the Monmouth vicinage courts failed to provide adequate language access to individuals with limited English proficiency. Additionally, there were claims of retaliation against a court employee who reported these concerns. The agreement followed an investigation by the DOJ’s…
Civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom, her Calabasas, California-based firm, and her husband have agreed to pay a combined $274,000 to settle a False Claims Act suit brought by a rival law firm. The suit alleged they provided false information to secure a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan during the COVID-19 pandemic. More details can…
The New Jersey judiciary has agreed to a settlement to address a federal investigation that uncovered discrimination against non-English speakers in Monmouth County court. The agreement involves implementing systemic improvements in training and translation services. This development was announced on Thursday. As part of the settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of…
If, after law school, you decide to work at a law firm, on the Hill, at the White House, or for the U.S. Department of Justice, and you are sexually harassed, you might first complain internally to Human Resources (HR). If that fails, you are empowered to sue your employer in civil court under Title…
In a move heralded as a recalibration of the appellate law landscape, the merger of Harris Beach PLLC and Murtha Cullina LLP has led to the formation of the Harris Beach Murtha Appellate Group. Brian Ginsberg articulated the flexibility of the new entity: “We have a skill set that we can apply to an environmental…
Some tensions are emerging over the legal industry’s embrace of non-equity partnerships, as two lawyers sue firms this year over their status in the tier. The lawyers suing Duane Morris and Thompson Hine allege they were underpaid and discriminated against. The non-equity tier was “a meaningless title more akin to an albatross,” a suing lawyer…
The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reinstated an Iowa law on Friday that mandates public school libraries to eliminate books deemed not “age appropriate,” particularly those containing descriptions or depictions of “sex acts.” Known as SF 496, the law also restricts educational content concerning gender identity. This decision overturns a prior injunction…
In a highly charged and candid ruling, Judge William Young, a senior judge of the US District Court of Massachusetts and a Reagan appointee, delivered a scathing rebuke of a recent Supreme Court decision in a sex discrimination case. Young’s criticism centers on the Trump v. United States decision, where a six-member majority allegedly “eschewing…
In a recent decision, the Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit challenging a law that restored voting rights to felons who are not currently incarcerated. The controversy surrounding the Re-Enfranchisement Act, signed into law by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has been marked by intense political debate, particularly from Republican factions. Governor Walz, who has been…
An array of legal quirks and hard-hitting decisions highlight the complex world of corporate law in the recent roundup from Above the Law. First on the docket is a Biglaw firm’s decision to reverse its work-from-home (WFH) policy, mandating a return to the office. This shift comes after years of allowing employees the flexibility to…
A US federal judge on Tuesday ruled that key parts of a lawsuit accusing Harvard University of failing to protect Jewish students from harassment and discrimination can move forward. The lawsuit was filed in January by a recent graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, Alexander Kestenbaum, alongside Students Against Antisemitism, Inc. (SAA), an advocacy group….
In a recent courtroom display that one might more commonly encounter in a preschool setting, Judge Ural Glanville employed an unorthodox tactic to ensure the prosecution’s honesty during the ongoing YSL RICO trial. Drawing inspiration from children’s educational television, the judge paused proceedings to directly ask the prosecution if they were concealing any exculpatory evidence…
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, alongside Seeger Weiss, has filed another unjust-enrichment lawsuit seeking justice for the estate of Henrietta Lacks, a Black Maryland woman who passed away in October 1951 after undergoing controversial medical treatment. The lawsuit, filed recently in Baltimore federal court, targets Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. and Viatris Inc., accusing them of commercializing…
A Massachusetts federal judge has refused Harvard University’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses the institution of failing to protect its Jewish students, potentially violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The case, initiated by Kasowitz Benson Torres on behalf of Students Against Anti-Semitism, Inc. and other Harvard Jewish students, claims that the…
Harvard University will have to contend with a federal civil rights complaint accusing it of neglecting instances of antisemitic harassment directed at Jewish students following Hamas’ attack on Israel. This development comes after a ruling by a Boston federal judge on Tuesday. The complaint asserts that the university failed to adequately respond to the reports…
In a recent press conference, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Governor Jeff Landry announced their plans to seek the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the state’s new requirement for public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. This legal mandate, signed into law by Governor Landry on June 19, represents a notable precedent as…
James H. Coleman Jr., the trailblazing figure who broke racial barriers as New Jersey’s first Black state Supreme Court justice and first Black Appellate Division judge, has passed away. Coleman, who was the son of a sharecropper, rose to prominence and became a steadfast advocate for civil rights in the Garden State. His death marks…