Proskauer Rose LLP confirmed on Wednesday that firm Chair Steve Ellis will retire in April due to health concerns. Initially anticipated to complete his tenure by the end of term, Ellis’s resignation comes as a surprise to the legal community. The official announcement was made internally within the law firm prior to wider distribution. As…
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein, the first blind person to ascend to the Michigan Supreme Court, sought treatment for depression in order to continue with his work on the bench. In making his struggle public, Justice Bernstein aims to make it easier for other judges to seek help. Underneath the formal robes, many judges…
In a prominent move that is unprecedented in recent history, Richard Bernstein, a sitting Michigan Supreme Court Justice, has temporarily stepped down from his position to seek treatment for depression, in a bold step that challenges the taboo surrounding mental health in the legal profession. This public admission is notable since professionals in the field…
Social media is a formidable tool, capable of fostering connections, disseminating information, and promulgating impactful causes, amongst other positives. Nonetheless, it can potentially be wielded for less beneficial objectives. As the holiday season progresses, it’s a particularly fitting time to be vigilant of your digital footprints and consciously adopt sensible social media behavior. Please see…
Goodwin Procter has expanded its white collar capabilities by adding Allan Medina, the former senior deputy chief of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) fraud section. Medina is set to join Goodwin’s Washington D.C. office as a partner in its white collar defense, government investigations, and healthcare practices. His recruitment comes as part of a trend…
Refugee resettlement organizations bear the important responsibility of ensuring refugees flourish in their new locations, making decisions “without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, or political opinion” as prescribed by the U.S Code. The recent employment of automated decision-making (ADM) systems in this process, however, may be at odds with this requirement due to their…
In early November, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled the contract year 2025 proposed rulemaking for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D sponsors. A wide array of potential substantive and technical amendments are under consideration, which are likely to bring about significant shifts in the legal landscape for stakeholders in the healthcare…
Welcome to this article – your daily rundown of the top legal news tailored for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel at global corporations. One of the recent developments surrounds Ed Herlihy, a partner at Wachtell and chair of the PGA Tour Board. Mr. Herlihy expressed full support for PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan who…
The legal profession is often associated with high pressure and stress, factors which can sometimes lead to mental health issues or even addiction. Notably, attorneys can be particularly susceptible. Brian Cuban, author of “The Addicted Lawyer: Tales of the Bar, Booze, Blow, and Redemption”, recently delved into these complex issues during an episode of the…
In reported cybersecurity concerns, researcher Jason Parker recently unearthed significant vulnerabilities within a court records platform. Parker’s examination of the system revealed startling issues—a sealed court order sanctioning new identities for children at risk from an abusive parent was freely accessible. Following this, he was able to view an in-depth mental health evaluation pertaining to…
The Belgian legal landscape recently experienced a significant alteration with the introduction of an act that mandates the appointment of a person of trust within companies. The new law is designed to manage and mitigate psychosocial risks within the workplace, which can gravely affect the well-being and productivity of employees, and consequently the entire organization….
Indeed Inc., a major online job search company, has elected to discontinue its monthly mental health days, originally implemented during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move comes with a wave of other companies terminating benefits introduced during the crisis period. Indeed initiated what they dubbed as “YOU Days” in June 2020. This gave…
The double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment posits that the government only gets a single chance to convict a defendant of a crime. Therefore, if the jury finds a defendant not guilty, the government can not attempt to convict that defendant of the same offense again. An interesting development arises out of the case…
In a move that strikes at the heart of nearly a century of SEC enforcement authority, the Supreme Court is hearing a challenge. Should the court find in favour of the challenge, it may bleed into the economic environment of the early 1930s, a time when “securities and exchange” was nowhere to be found in…
Law professionals have observed a new wave of litigation against social media giant Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook. According to a recent lawsuit filed by over 30 US states, it is alleged that Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally rejected a proposition to ban cosmetic surgery filters on the platform. An unredacted version of…
The world of work has been irrevocably reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, with remote work becoming the de facto standard for countless global companies. However, as vaccination rates rise and the world edges closer to the ‘new normal’, the question of ‘returning to the office’ becomes ever more urgent for these corporations. An insightful article…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced new measures aimed at enhancing access to behavioral health services for Medicare beneficiaries. This initiative also looks to improve hospital price transparency in alignment with the final rule for the calendar year 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center. This was detailed…
In a landmark judgement dated November 16, 2023, the Federal Court of Canada ruled against the Canadian Federal Government’s classification of all Plastic Manufactured Items (PMIs) as toxic. The Court stated that such a classification was both unreasonable and unconstitutional. As per the case, Responsible Plastics Use Coalition v Canada, the decision marked a significant…
It is reported that approximately 44% of people in jail and 37% of people in prison are affected by mental illness. Furthermore, 63% of individuals in jail and 58% of those in prison suffer from substance use disorders. These statistics highlight the profound intersection between the justice system and behavioral health, something that remains a…
New York state environmental attorney, David Keehn, received recognition this month for his notable contributions to improving mental health within the legal profession. While having dedicated over a decade to this cause, Keehn originally advocated for another attorney to receive the award. This acknowledgement, known as the ‘Ray of Hope’ Award, serves as a reminder…
The importance of cultivating a mentally healthy workplace cannot be understated, especially in such turbulent times. In a world where the stigma around mental health issues has seen improvements, there is still a significant amount of work that needs to be done. This process starts with changing the mental health culture within each individual workforce,…
The legal framework surrounding hazing on college campuses has seen a significant shift in recent years. In response, Bricker Graydon has assembled a Higher Education Team to offer an in-depth training aimed at teaching effective investigation methods and procedures for dealing with hazing reports. The webinar will be conducted on January 24th from 1:00 pm…
On October 2, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) put forth its proposed enforcement guidance on harassment in the workplace. This development, published in the Federal Register, could potentially prefigure the first notable shift in the EEOC’s stance on this particular subject since 1999. The proposed guidance was open for public comments until November…
In a decisive move, the Senate Finance Committee recently advanced a substantial draft legislative package unanimously with a 26-0 vote. As detailed via legal news aggregator JD Supra, the progressive package in question, titled, ‘Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act,’ seeks to amend the roles of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and enhance…
The WellLife Network, Inc. (“WellLife”) has reported a data breach, notifying its patients that sensitive personal and health information was accessed by an unauthorized party, according to a notice filed on November 6, 2023, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. As stated in the notice, the breach impacted…