Legal Research

Selections from National Law Journal Daily Headlines June 5, 2008

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: NLJ.com, June 5, 2008.

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FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Calif. bar proposes posting misconduct charges online
"The State Bar of California is considering a plan to post charges of misconduct against attorneys ? prior to an adjudication ? on its Web site in order to give the public easier access to the information. The information currently is available to the public, but "is very difficult to find," said Scott Drexel, California State Bar chief trial counsel. While the bar association asserts that it is simply making information already available to the public easier to obtain, opponents argue that posting misconduct charges before a court decision will have a prejudicial impact on attorneys."

FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Oregon considers putting jury nullification on the ballot
"A controversial initiative in Oregon aims to inform jurors that they can judge not only the facts of the case, but also the law, which means employing "jury nullification.' Under the proposal, jurors would be informed they have the right to disregard the judge's instructions and the language of the law. The proposal has raised concerns among some lawyers. Oregon State Bar president Richard Yugler said the initiative is 'contrary to the rule of law.' " 

FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Government loses high court case on paralegal costs
"A small security business, the victor in a long, expensive battle with the federal government over back wages, has won a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that 'prevailing parties' under a fee shifting law can recover paralegal fees from the government at the market rate for those services. The justices unanimously rejected all of the government's arguments that the Equal Access to Justice Act limited recovery of paralegal fees to the attorney's cost ? which was lower than the billed rate. "

WEB-ONLY  |  Mass. AG files suit alleging subprime mortgage lender discriminates
"Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's office filed a lawsuit against subprime mortgage lender Option One Mortgage Corp. and its parent company H&R Block Inc. for allegedly discriminating against black and Latino borrowers in Massachusetts by selling them predatory loan products and charging them higher fees than white buyers in similar" circumstances.

WEB-ONLY  |  DuPont names new GC to succeed Stacey Mobley
"DuPont announced that vice president and assistant general counsel Thomas L. Sager will become senior vice president and general counsel on July 1. Sager succeeds 62-year-old senior vice president, general counsel and chief administrative officer Stacey J. Mobley, who is retiring."

WEB-ONLY  |  Calif. high court rejects move to stay gay marriage ruling
"The California Supreme Court rejected requests to stay its gay marriage decision until after voters weigh in on a November constitutional initiative that would bar such unions. The order issued Wednesday denied by a 7-0 vote the stay request and means its May 15 decision will be final June 16, allowing same sex unions beginning on that date. Three justices, the same who dissented in the original ruling, said they would vote to rehear the case."

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on June 05, 2008 (boomark / email).