In the 2023 Pro Bono Innovators issue, Bloomberg Law recognized Fenwick & West for reaching a groundbreaking settlement against San Mateo Superior Court’s civil assessments program. Fenwick achieved this settlement in partnership with Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, ACLU Foundation of Northern California, and Bay Area Legal Aid. The…
A District Judge in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Ted Magill, has ruled that the sole British soldier, known as “Soldier F”, currently facing charges related to the 1972 “Bloody Sunday” massacre, will be tried for murder. During the Bloody Sunday incident, 13 people were killed and 14 were injured when British paratroopers opened fire on a…
In a decision that has drawn significant attention, the Supreme Court opted not to obstruct a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit on Tuesday afternoon. This decision leaves in place a new map for Galveston County, Texas. A federal district judge ruled in the previous year that this new map…
Former Trump adviser Stephen Miller’s legal group, America First Legal (AFL), has called for an investigation into IBM Corp.’s diversity-focused employment and executive pay policies. AFL claims these policies constitute illegal sex and race discrimination. The AFL organization submitted a letter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) outlining its concerns. The letter highlighted statements…
The saga surrounding Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.’s so-called “lawyer ban” appears to be inching towards completion. The number of active lawsuits resulting from the controversial policy has dwindled down to just two. The company’s “lawyer ban” has been the target of numerous legal actions owing to accusations of civil rights violations. Larry Hutcher, from…
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce has initiated a formal investigation into the responses of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to the increasing instances of antisemitism on their campuses. This follows a hearing on December 5 where the presidents of these institutions were questioned by…
In a recent video feature, lawyer Madeline Meth explores the nuances and limitations of Title VII protections within the U.S. law. Hosted by Nate Mowry, the conversation revolves around the intricacies of an ongoing employment discrimination case against the City of St. Louis. Meth, serving as part of the legal team representing a police sergeant,…
In a recent development, a judicial authority has ruled against the allocation of state funds towards the payment of Discovery Master Fees, a resolution suggested as a response to a significant shortage of judges. This decision surfaced amidst an atmosphere of keen anticipation, with many lawyers and their clientele having faced exceedingly high fees in…
The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden in Hackensack has announced the appointment of Claude Heffron as their inaugural Stein Public Interest Fellow. Ms. Heffron joins the firm following a six-year tenure at the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, where she fulfilled the role of assistant deputy…
The Supreme Court recently dismissed a notable ”civil rights tester” case. The plaintiff, self-proclaimed ”civil rights tester” Deborah Laufer, voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit in the lower court, prompting the Supreme Court to determine that the case was no longer a live issue, thus deeming it moot. In the dismissed case, Laufer aimed to sue a…
Welcome to the weekly roundup of notable issues from Howard Bashman’s How Appealing blog, a venerable resource focusing on appellate litigation. One of the most intriguing stories this week revolves around a Pennsylvania case where a tied vote was decided by drawing lots. This unusual solution was necessitated after a court ruled that undated, but…
The United States Supreme Court has agreed to examine an intricately woven issue pertaining to labor law on the question: Is a lateral job transfer with no change in pay or benefits considered an adverse employment action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? In the coming months, the Court will weigh…
In an important development, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a settlement resulting from investigations surrounding potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The settlement involves Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, and the alleged violations pertain to the…
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who made history as the first female member of the court, passed away on Friday, at the age of 93, as reported by the court’s official announcement. Justice O’Connor was renowned for her centrist stance and her position at the ideological heart of the court gave her…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a significant opportunity with its latest decision to provide funding for environmental and climate justice. The EPA, via its Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR), announced a historic funding offer, coined as the “Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program,” also known as…
Psychiatry Associates of Kansas City (PAKC) has faced a cybersecurity breach, as disclosed in a notice they filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights on November 17, 2023. This incident exposes the ever-present risk of data breaches that organizations across sectors wrestle with and the potential for catastrophic…
Cloudbeds, also known as Digital Arbitrage, Inc., has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit levied by the U.S Second Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The resolution follows allegations that the remote-first global technology company refused to accommodate and hire a deaf applicant, sparking an investigation by the federal agency. The lawsuit,…
As the December 5 deadline for the submission of workforce demographic data to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) fast approaches, private employers, including many independent schools, must prepare to meet this legal requirement. Ordinarily, schools may forget their business aspect, but this requirement reinforces this aspect of their operations. In an article by Fisher…
In a crucial development for both patients and providers utilizing telehealth services, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) through the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new guidance on October 18, 2023. The update, consisting of two resource documents, is designed to educate patients on privacy and security risks associated with their Protected…
On October 12, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a noteworthy joint statement to clarify the civil rights implications of considering an individual’s immigration status under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The statement is particularly vital for corporations and law firms, offering crucial guidance on how…
Legal professionals and corporate decision-makers worldwide have been closely monitoring changes in migration policies and their potential economic impacts. Most recently, in an unusual fiscal move, New York’s charismatic mayor, Eric Adams, grabbed the headlines. Mayor Adams has mandated an austere 20% reduction in spending directed towards asylum seekers’ welfare. This development arrives in the…
CKF Addiction Treatment, Inc. (“CKF”) recently filed a data breach notice with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. This incident, occurring on November 17, 2023, seems to have allowed unauthorized parties to access sensitive consumer information. This unprecedented breach has raised concerns among the legal fraternity regarding the state…
As we move beyond the recent election season and transition our attention to the impending 2024 session, it is timely to assess the progress— or lack thereof— of certain states in regard to senior living facilities, as first reported by McGuireWoods LLP. Notably, past legislative work is beginning to sow the seeds of change, anticipated…
In the ever-evolving landscape of legal services, the recent tech challenges experienced by a UK-based IT service provider sent ripples across the sector. The unspecified cyber incident led to a significant outage, causing “ongoing widespread disruption” across the legal landscape. Reports suggest that up to 80 law firms were affected by the cyberattack, leaving them…
On November 14, 2023, a significant data breach was reported by the International Paper Company Group Health and Welfare Plan (IP Plan). As reported by Console and Associates P.C. on JD Supra, the IP Plan filed a notice of said breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. This…