The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) released a statement on Friday, arguing that an attack by Israeli forces on their ambulances was a violation of the Geneva Conventions and constituted a war crime. The statement condemned the assault, which the PRCS claims was targeted at ambulances conveying injured civilians between Gaza and Rafah to the…
Under the Biden Administration, on October 30, 2023, the Executive Order on Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) was signed. This move has attracted significant attention from legal professionals across the globe – especially those advising technology firms and major corporations that are heavily invested in AI and machine learning technologies. The Executive Order…
Last week, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) revealed two new resources crafted to aid patients in comprehending the privacy and security risks related to their health information through telehealth. Additionally, it suggested measures that could be taken to minimize such risks. These developments are part of a coordinated effort across the industry to address…
The question of whether public officials are acting “under color of” state law when they block comments on their social media pages is currently under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. The matter emerged during the hearing of two cases, Lindke v. Freed and O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier on October 31, 2023. These cases are bringing…
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) released its Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy Report on October 13, 2023. This is the first-ever report of its kind, outlining the OEJ’s environmental justice achievements since its inception and its enforcement strategy for the forthcomings years. The announcement was reported by JDSupra. Of particular…
As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate, the United States is experiencing a concerning surge in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents, according to reports from Muslim and Jewish civil rights organizations. This uptick, seen since the onset of the war on October 7, has been both substantial and alarming. The Council on American-Islamic…
In a recent significant legal development in Peru, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of fathers’ rights to register their children when the mother’s identity is unknown to them. The decision is being hailed as a victory for gender equality in the South American nation. A detailed account of this landmark ruling was reported by…
In a recent development, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that sought to make caste-based discrimination illegal in California. The legislation, namely, Senate Bill No. 403, was proposed to expand the definition of “ancestry” under three major pieces: the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), California Education Code and the Unruh Civil Rights Act…
With the increasing frequency of cybersecurity threats, it is clear that corporations, especially those working with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) data, must prioritize data protection. In an effort to strengthen this protective shield, sanction policies are being explored as a vital tool to drive cybersecurity and HIPAA compliance. The Office for Civil…
The legal landscape for corporations and law firms may be about to kick into high gear following the recent partnership agreement between the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The Jackson Lewis P.C. reported details on this cooperative endeavor, indicating that the two organizations are set to increase their collaboration…
In a bid to elucidate the privacy and security risks inherent in the use of telehealth services, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued two resource documents on October 18, 2023. These resources were aimed at guiding patients on potential risk mitigation strategies while using…
Fellowship Village, on October 8, 2023, reported an incident of data breach to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. The senior living and health care services provider alerted the federal authorities of unauthorized access to its computer network. The incident was disclosed in a notice filed by Fellowship Village,…
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), have recently released a joint HIPAA Security Risk Assessment (SRA) Tool. This updated version aims to help small and medium-sized health care practices as well as business associates in achieving greater compliance with the Health Insurance…
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently swore in Karla Gilbride as its general counsel, ending a vacancy that has lasted for over two years. According to Bloomberg Law, Gilbride, a civil rights litigator, won her confirmation Oct. 17 by the Senate in a tight 50-46 vote and is now slated to helm the…
The dynamics of the college sports arena are changing. An emergent solution to the demanding push to transform collegiate student-athletes into employees appears be on the horizon. With the disparity and lack of uniformity in state name, image, and likeness (NIL) laws causing an uneven playing field, sports bodies and universities are being forced to…
In a recent development that has caught the attention of health law professionals, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the body in charge of enforcing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), advanced further into the digital health arena by issuing two new guidance documents on…
It’s time to revisit the fundamentals. The reporting period for private sector employers and federal contractors, who are obliged to provide yearly demographic data to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), opens on October 31, 2023. These disclosures, known as EEO-1 Component 1 reports or “EEO-1 reports”, must be handed in by the end…
Employment law disputes tend to be either dryly procedural or concerned with serious allegations of harassment and maltreatment. Yet, on occasion, they intersect with elements of popular culture in curious ways, such as a recent case involving platinum-selling rappers Eminem and Too $hort being scrutinized in a workplace context. At the heart of the case…
The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to intervene in a dispute involving Louisiana’s new congressional district map, a development announced by legal expert Amy Howe on SCOTUSblog. Despite outcry from civil rights groups and voters who argue that the map — drawn by Republican legislators and approved despite Governor John Bel Edwards’ veto — violates…
Stephen Miller’s America First Legal (AFL) has filed a lawsuit against New York University (NYU), alleging that its law school discriminates against White men when selecting students for the NYU Law Review, a prestigious legal periodical. According to the suit brandished by the AFL, “The NYU Law Review continues to give unlawful and discriminatory previews…
On October 8, 2023, a significant legislative development took place in California regarding the venture capital sector. The state’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, enacted Senate Bill No. 54 (SB 54), designed to bolster diversity in venture capital investment across the state. Under the new law, venture capital companies (VCC) will be obligated to gather and disclose…
The US Senate has confirmed Karla Gilbride as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) new general counsel, a position that had been vacant for over two years. A civil rights litigator, Gilbride was approved on a 50-46 vote last Tuesday. As the EEOC’s general counsel, Gilbride will spearhead the agency’s litigation efforts, representing workers alleging…
In the latest legal news, a Minnesota Federal Court has rendered a crucial decision in the case of Haidari v. Mayorkas, establishing an important precedent involving the Free Exercise Clause and religious freedom. This key development took place in late August and is part of a broader exploration of the rights of religious individuals in…
In a noteworthy occurrence, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a preliminary injunction in favor of the American Alliance for Equal Rights (“AAER”) against Fearless Fund Management LLC. The latter, a company run by black women, was accused by the AAER for purported violation of Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866….
Legal professionals worldwide should take note of recent guidance from US authorities concerning the use of immigration status in credit decisions. On October 12, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a joint statement emphasizing the risk associated with considering an applicant’s immigration status when making credit decisions. The…