May, 2022

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Vickers v. Bison Specialty Services: An Exercise in Rampant Racism

LegalReader

Put together, and spread out over time, [the alleged actions] show a pattern of "frequent and offensive" acts creating a hostile work environment for Mr. Vickers and other employees of color.

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Canada Supreme Court rules life without chance of parole is unconstitutional

JURIST

The Supreme Court of Canada Friday unanimously ruled that a life sentence without any chance of parole is unconstitutional under Section 12 of the nation’s charter. In Canada, anyone serving a life sentence for first-degree murder is automatically ineligible for parole for 25 years. Criminal Code Section 745.51 , passed in 2011, allowed justices to give consecutive sentences of 25 years instead of concurrent sentences, adding additional periods of parole ineligibility for additional murde

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Websites Paralegals Should Bookmark (Or At Least Know About)

Paralegal Bootcamp

Bookmark? Must be a boomer who wrote this, you are thinking–now we have Google, and we don’t need long nested lists of bookmarks. Just tell Google what you want and it will take you there, at least most of the time, right? While that is often true, as paralegals we are in the information business. If attorneys need non-legal information about anything, I’m sure to find an email asking me to find it, and yes, they’ve usually already tried a Google search.

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Elon Musk Takes Time Out From Failing To Buy Twitter To Fail To Build His Own Law Firm

Above The Law

Another thing he builds that can go up in flames. The post Elon Musk Takes Time Out From Failing To Buy Twitter To Fail To Build His Own Law Firm appeared first on Above the Law.

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Trial Prep: What Attorneys Really Want (And How to Deliver It)

Speaker: Joe Stephens, J.D., Attorney and Law Professor

Get ready to uncover what attorneys really need from you when it comes to trial prep in this new webinar! Attorney and law professor, Joe Stephens, J.D., will share proven techniques for anticipating attorney needs, organizing critical documents, and transforming complex information into compelling case presentations. Key Learning Objectives: Organization That Makes Sense 🎯 Learn how to structure and organize case materials in ways that align with how attorneys actually work and think.

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Conservative majority hollows out precedent on ineffective-counsel claims in federal court

SCOTUSBlog

Share In Shinn v. Ramirez and Jones , two men on Arizona’s death row raised claims in habeas corpus proceedings that their trial attorneys were constitutionally ineffective – one for failing to investigate evidence suggesting his client could not have committed the crime, and the other for failing to investigate her client’s intellectual disability, which could have spared him the death penalty.

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More Trending

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Mentoring New Employees: The Secret To Reduced Churn?

The Process Street

Think back to a time when you stepped into unfamiliar territory. Can you remember how intimidating it was? That’s the dilemma each new employee faces. They need to acclimatize to a new culture, a new team, a new role, and new responsibilities. It’s daunting having to walk into an environment where everyone except you knows what they’re doing. Mentors are responsible for offering a support base for the new hire to get settled in their role quicker.

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Russia releases Danish Jehovah’s Witness from prison

JURIST

Russian authorities Tuesday released Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen and Jehovah’s Witness, from prison. According to a statement made by the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia organization, Christensen was arrested in May 2017 and was the first Jehovah’s Witness arrested as part of the Russian government’s crackdown on the religious sect. The organization said riot police “invaded the worship building of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

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Judging Patent Cases

Patently O

by Dennis Crouch. For the chart below, I tabulated about 7,000 individual votes from the Federal Circuit Judges in patent cases decided 2014-2021. For each judge, I show the percentage of individual decisions that sided with the patent challenger; or patent owner in each case. The results here are not highly surprising. Judges Moore, Newman, O’Malley, and Stoll are all more likely to favor the patentee while Judges Lourie, Hughes, Dyk, Prost, and Reyna relatively more likely to side with

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Jonathan Turley Called Out For Using Law For ‘Wrongful Ends.’ As If Selling Out For Publicity Is Wrongful!

Above The Law

GWU's commencement speaker criticized the professor's public stances and he's unhappy about it. The post Jonathan Turley Called Out For Using Law For ‘Wrongful Ends.’ As If Selling Out For Publicity Is Wrongful! appeared first on Above the Law.

Laws 145
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Less Stress, More Success: Accounting Best Practices & Processes for 2025

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

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Divided court curtails judicial review of factual questions in immigration proceedings

SCOTUSBlog

Share The Supreme Court on Monday limited the ability of federal courts to review certain factual findings in immigration proceedings that determine whether noncitizens will be deported or will be allowed to remain in the country. The ruling in Patel v. Garland was 5-4, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett writing for the majority and Justice Neil Gorsuch joining the three liberal justices in dissent.

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Police Surveillance and Racial Justice

The Crime Report

Laws aimed at providing community oversight over police surveillance technology still raise concerns about privacy and racial bias, according to a forthcoming study in the UCLA Law Review. . So-called Community Control Over Police Surveillance (CCOPS) laws, meant to empower community residents, have been introduced in more than 20 jurisdictions around the U.S.

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Make Money Monday:  Should Lawyers Use TikTok?

My Shingle

In the past four years, the social media platform TikTok grew exponentially, now boasting a billion users a month averaging 850 minutes on the app. Interesting data, but should lawyers be using Tiktok? You might be inclined to respond “hell yes!

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Chile finalizes draft of new constitution replacing Pinochet-era instrument

JURIST

Chile’s Constitutional Convention Monday finalized the draft of a new constitution, following 10 months of negotiations. Chilean citizens overwhelmingly voted in October 2020 to draft the new constitution replacing the guiding principles put in place in 1980 under General Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship. . The draft has been heralded for its progressive nature, with it requiring free higher education, gender equality in government leadership, and a robust climate change plan.

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Paralegal Power Move: Your Guide to Getting the Tech Tools That Maximize Your Time

Your time is valuable—and you know the right technology could help you do even more. From document management to client communication, modern tools can transform how you track deadlines, manage cases, and support your legal team. This practical playbook shows you how to: Compare and evaluate technology vendors Understand all costs and ROI potential Build a compelling presentation Handle common objections Pitch your solution like a pro Created by legal technology experts who understand how pivota

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Hyatt back to the Supreme Court: Special APA Procedures for the Patent Office?

Patently O

by Dennis Crouch. Hyatt v. USPTO (Supreme Court 2022). Following a failed en banc petition, famed inventor Gilbert Hyatt hired a new Supreme Court counsel (the famed Erwin Chemerinsky) who has now filed a petition for writ of certiorari focusing on standards for dismissing Administrative Procedure Act (APA) claims. According to the USPTO, there are a couple of hundred patent applications still pending that were filed prior to the June 1995 patent term transformation (GATT).

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The Supreme Court Has Only Scratched The Surface Of Awful

Above The Law

Gay rights? Contraception? Interracial marriage? None of that is settled law anymore. The post The Supreme Court Has Only Scratched The Surface Of Awful appeared first on Above the Law.

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Justices decline to block execution of Arizona man with schizophrenia

SCOTUSBlog

Share The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Arizona to execute a man who suffered from severe mental illness and, according to his lawyers, did not understand why the state wanted to put him to death. No justices indicated dissent from the court’s brief order declining to postpone the execution of Clarence Wayne Dixon, who was sentenced to death for the 1978 killing of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old student at Arizona State University.

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Investing in Public Schools Reduces Crime: Michigan Study

The Crime Report

A new University of Michigan study has found that increases in public school funding early in children’s lives can reduce adult crime, reports Phys.org. The study authors tracked two groups of students from kindergarten to adulthood and concluded that students who attended better-funded schools were 15 percent less likely to be arrested through age 30. “While many policies focus on the crime-deterring effects of additional policing or tougher criminal justice sanctions, our findings

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Case Study: Maximize Client Compensation by Unlocking the Power of Diminished Value

Your auto accident clients don’t realize that they have lost value in their vehicle because the insurance company covered their repairs and gave them a rental to drive until their vehicle was “brand new.” When they realize that loss in value is when they go to trade or sell their car.

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Prosecutors will seek 18 to 24 months in prison for 2 lawyers accused in Molotov cocktail attack on cop car

ABA Journal

Prosecutors and two lawyers accused in a Molotov cocktail attack on an unoccupied police car have reached a plea deal that would spare the defendants…

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Romania rights groups urge MPs to reject LGBT ‘propaganda’ legislation

JURIST

Romanian Human Rights group Friday criticized Romania’s so-called LGBT+ “propaganda” bill and called on lawmakers to stop it in its tracks. The bill, which has been approved by the Senate and is to now be decided by Romania’s lower house, prohibits the use of materials in schools that “promote” being LGBT+. The bill has been introduced as a measure to prevent “child abuse” by the junior ruling coalition ethnic Hungarian party (UDMR) and the nationa

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Keys to Eligibility: Preemption, History, and Levels of Abstraction

Patently O

by Dennis Crouch. The US Solicitor General has provided her input–arguing that the Supreme Court should grant American Axle’s petition and decide whether the claimed method of manufacturing a driveshaft is patent eligible. American Axle & Mfg., Inc. v. Neapco Holdings LLC, Docket No. 20-891 (Supreme Court 2022). [ USDOJ Brief ]. A decade ago, the Supreme Court decided Mayo v.

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Sure Would Be Nice If Equal Justice Works Paid For Work… Equally

Above The Law

I mean, if I made $50k I'd be mad if folks with less seniority made 14% more than me for the same job too. The post Sure Would Be Nice If Equal Justice Works Paid For Work… Equally appeared first on Above the Law.

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Enhance Your Legal Document Translations with The Ultimate Comprehensive Checklist

Are you a paralegal professional aiming to elevate your practice and ensure impeccable translation of every legal document you handle? Cesco’s Legal Document Translation Checklist is your ultimate guide to achieving excellence. Learn how to prepare for translation by identifying your audience and selecting qualified translators. Simplify and review documents to ensure clarity and consistency.

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Divided court blocks Texas from enforcing social media law

SCOTUSBlog

Share The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the technology industry and blocked a controversial Texas law that bars large social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter from removing posts based on the viewpoints they express. The justices divided 5-4 in an ideologically scrambled vote. Three of the court’s conservatives (Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett) joined two liberals (Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor) in putting the law on

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Can Prosecutors Be Trusted to Correct Wrongful Convictions?

The Crime Report

In the past 20 years, prosecutors in Conviction Integrity Units (CIUs) have increasingly taken on the responsibility of exonerating individuals who have been wrongfully convicted. Many of them collaborate closely with defense attorneys on case reinvestigation and resolution, exonerating defendants who otherwise had few remaining options. While the recent popularity of CIUs is an exciting development for the wrongfully convicted and their advocates, these newfound developments are not without ris

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Building a Law Firm That Pays You First

Attorney at Work

When you started your law firm, it was probably just you — and maybe a paralegal or assistant. Then more business came in and you were working crazy hours, so you hired. You didn’t really care what you paid in salaries; you just needed the help. When somebody said they needed something, you usually said fine, “Order it!” Because in the beginning, you were making really good money.

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NY Judge upholds law allowing victims of gun violence to sue gun industry

JURIST

A New York federal judge Wednesday upheld a New York law that allows victims of gun violence to sue the gun industry. The National Shooting Sports Foundation and gun manufacturers, like Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Co. brought the case because they claimed the state law violated the US Constitution. They also argue that the law preempts the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) , which protects gun manufacturers and dealers from being held liable in gun violence crimes c

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Transforming eDiscovery: Document Summarization, Sentiment Analysis, And Chatbots Take Center Stage

A Synergistic Approach to eDiscovery In the space of eDiscovery, the convergence of document summarization, sentiment analysis, and chatbots represents a significant change in how legal professionals navigate and manage electronic information. These technologies not only expedite the review process but also empower legal teams with deeper insights into the emotional context and key information within electronic documents.