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An Early Look At Trump's Supreme Court Shortlist
With former President Donald Trump projected to win the 2024 presidential election and the Republicans' success in securing the U.S. Senate majority, Trump may now get the chance to appoint two more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, cementing the court's conservative tilt for decades to come.
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November 14, 2024
MVP: Hogan Lovells' Jessica Ellsworth
Jessica Ellsworth of Hogan Lovells' appellate practice argued in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Danco Laboratories, leading to the overturning of a decision that threatened to block access to the company's abortion medication, and on behalf of Coinbase, resulting in a holding that it is up to judges, not arbitrators, to figure out if contracts between businesses and consumers have subtly superseded earlier agreements to proceed in arbitration rather than litigation. The back-to-back arguments helped earn her a spot as one of the 2024 Law360 Appellate MVPs.
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November 14, 2024
DC Circ. Won't Rethink Denial Of Church Tax Exemption
The D.C. Circuit rejected a request to reconsider the tax status of an Iowa church that used a psychedelic drug in its rites, letting stand its decision that because the church uses a federally illegal drug, it isn't entitled to tax-exempt status.
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November 13, 2024
Docks Co. Urges 11th Circ. To Rehear Split Cuba Port Ruling
Havana Docks Corp. has urged the Eleventh Circuit to grant a full panel rehearing over the court's split ruling to reverse a $440 million win against several luxury cruise companies for using a Cuba port terminal that was confiscated by the country's government, saying the ruling by a three-judge panel contradicted the law.
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November 13, 2024
Texas Court OKs Med Mal Death Suit, Expert Report
A Texas appellate court has declined to dismiss a medical malpractice suit accusing an emergency medical clinic of failing to diagnose a man's heart disease which caused his fatal cardiac arrest, saying the plaintiffs' medical expert's mandatory report satisfies state guidelines.
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November 13, 2024
Nigeria Asks Justices To Take Up Circuit Split On Sovereigns
Nigeria has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards mandates judicial enforcement of arbitration awards against sovereign nations for cases that arise solely from their roles as sovereigns.
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November 13, 2024
7th Circ. Won't Halt Ind. Gender-Affirming Care For Minors Ban
A split Seventh Circuit reversed a lower court's preliminary injunction order Tuesday that stopped an Indiana law prohibiting its physicians from providing gender-affirming care through medication to minors, finding the plaintiff's view on the law would result in allowing parents to decline to take a seriously injured child to the hospital.
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November 13, 2024
Google Says $20M Thermostat IP Verdict Was 'Manufactured'
Google is making its argument to the full Federal Circuit that a $20 million verdict the tech giant was hit with in the Western District of Texas was "manufactured" by an expert hired by a competing smart-home energy startup.
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November 13, 2024
Live Nation Ruling Chills Modern Arbitration, 9th Circ. Told
The Ninth Circuit's recent decision invalidating Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and Ticketmaster's choice of a digital arbitration startup for consumer antitrust claims has created "massive uncertainty" and undermines innovative approaches for dealing with abusive mass arbitrations, the live event companies argued in a rehearing petition Tuesday.
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November 13, 2024
Defenders, Prosecutors Clash On Proposed Wash. Case Caps
As public defenders called on the Washington Supreme Court on Wednesday to adopt lightened caseload standards to stem the exodus of attorneys from the indigent defense field, prosecutors chalked up those concerns to career dissatisfaction and cautioned the court the updated rules would catapult local governments into budgetary crisis.
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November 13, 2024
A 3M PFAS Win Could Be Hollow, Mich. Justice Suggests
Michigan Supreme Court justices asked Wednesday what it would mean to invalidate the state's regulations on so-called forever chemicals in drinking water, with one justice commenting that winning the case might be of little consequence for 3M, the company that brought the challenge, while undoing protections for the water supply.
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November 13, 2024
Panel Says Ex-Atty's ADA Claim Doesn't Apply To Her Lawyers
A Tenth Circuit panel on Wednesday affirmed the dismissal of a disbarred Colorado attorney's Americans With Disabilities Act claim against her former defense lawyers, according to an unpublished decision that said the law only applies to public entities.
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November 13, 2024
Split 9th Circ. Won't Ax Injunction In 'Open AI' TM Fight
A man accused by OpenAI of preventing the ChatGPT maker from registering its name as a trademark lost his Ninth Circuit challenge to an injunction blocking him from using the "Open AI" mark while his case is pending.
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November 13, 2024
Fed. Circ. Judges Frown On Custom Emoji Patent
A patent covering the development of customizable emojis died at the Federal Circuit on Wednesday, after judges there rejected an appeal of an administrative board ruling that knocked out all of the patent's claims.
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November 13, 2024
Mich. Justices Bore Into Railroad's Telecom Tunneling Dispute
Norfolk Southern emphasized its safety concerns Wednesday during oral arguments before the Michigan Supreme Court as it tried to persuade the justices to reverse a ruling finding a telecommunications company did not need the railway's permission to bury fiber-optic cable underneath its tracks.
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November 13, 2024
Detroit Fire Fee Ruling Concerns Mich. Justice
A Michigan Supreme Court justice on Wednesday said he was troubled by a lower appellate ruling he said seemed to imply that municipalities can work around a state law barring sneaky taxes, in this case by stating a charge for fire prevention services is really just the cost of a permit allowing property owners to do business in Detroit.
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November 13, 2024
EPA Tells DC Circ. That Mercury Rule Is Sound
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told the D.C. Circuit that opponents of its rule strengthening standards for mercury and other toxic air emissions at power plants are seeking to hamstring the agency with a too-narrow interpretation of the Clean Air Act.
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November 13, 2024
7th Circ. Judge Calls Strike On Cubs Atty In ADA Seating Row
An increasingly frustrated Seventh Circuit judge on Wednesday repeatedly asked a lawyer for the Chicago Cubs how federal prosecutors' recent accessible seating settlement affected a fan's related appeal, cutting her off several times to emphasize that her suggested doctrine was explicitly not available in his court.
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November 13, 2024
Italian Plane Maker Can't Dodge Fla. Wrongful Death Suit
A Florida appeals court on Wednesday said an Italian aircraft manufacturer cannot escape a wrongful death suit over a plane crash in the Florida Keys, finding that the company had sufficient minimum contacts in the state to haul it into court there.
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November 13, 2024
Republicans Ask Pa. Justices To Cement Ballot Date Rule
Although a Pennsylvania court decision tossing a rule for mail-in ballots was supposed to only apply to a September special election in Philadelphia, Republican groups have asked the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to review it and more broadly uphold the rule requiring a handwritten date on the ballots' outer envelopes.
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November 13, 2024
Short-Term Rental Owners 'Unreasonable,' Dallas Tells Court
A Dallas short-term rental advocacy organization loves to focus on property rights, but it never considered the rights of neighbors who want safe neighborhoods and don't want to live next to an active business, a city attorney told a Fifth Court of Appeals panel during oral arguments Wednesday.
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November 13, 2024
Colo. A2J Commission Will Launch Listening Tour Next Year
Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart told a room of attorneys on Wednesday that the state's Access to Justice Commission is preparing a 2025 "listen and learn" tour to solicit ideas on how to better serve Coloradans who struggle to afford legal representation.
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November 13, 2024
Justices Puzzled By Nvidia's Position In Investor Case
Some U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday seemed to regret the decision to hear a dispute between chipmaker Nvidia Corp. and its investors, wondering whether a disagreement over what the company knew about its sales to crypto miners has any bearing on other securities class action lawsuits.
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November 13, 2024
2nd Circ. Doubts Bakery Drivers Fall Under Arb. Requirements
A Second Circuit panel seemed to express skepticism Wednesday over a baked goods company's argument that its products' delivery drivers are not exempt from federal arbitration requirements as interstate transportation workers, weighing in on an independent contractor classification suit that went to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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November 13, 2024
9th Circ. Reopens Nevada State Worker's Age Bias Suit
The Ninth Circuit revived a former Nevada state worker's lawsuit claiming she was fired because she was in her 50s, ruling Wednesday that she'd provided enough evidence to cast doubt on the state's assertion that she was let go for being uncooperative.
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November 13, 2024
Mich. Justice Jokes He's To Blame For PIP Assignment Fights
A Michigan Supreme Court justice joked Wednesday that his 2017 footnote about patients assigning medical claims to healthcare providers was to blame for complicated recent insurance litigation surrounding plaintiffs who sign over their rights but nevertheless sue insurers.
Editor's Picks
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12 Lawyers Who Are The Future Of The Supreme Court Bar
One attorney hasn't lost a single U.S. Supreme Court case she's argued, or even a single justice's vote. One attorney is perhaps "the preeminent SCOTUS advocate." And one may soon become U.S. solicitor general, despite acknowledging there are "judges out there who don't like me." All three are among a dozen lawyers in the vanguard of the Supreme Court bar's next generation, poised to follow in the footsteps of the bar's current icons.
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How Reshaped Circuit Courts Are Faring At The High Court
Seminal rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court's latest term will reshape many facets of American society in the coming years. Already, however, the rulings offer glimpses of how the justices view specific circuit courts, which have themselves been reshaped by an abundance of new judges.
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Law360's Guide To Biden's Judicial Picks
UPDATED November 14, 2024 | President Joe Biden is shaping the federal judiciary by adding to the courts' professional and demographic diversity — a sharp break from former President Donald Trump, who made the judiciary more homogeneous as the judges confirmed under him were 84% white and 76% male.
Expert Analysis
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3 Policyholder Lessons From NY Bad Faith Ruling
A New York appellate court's recent decision finding that Rockefeller University alleged viable bad faith claims against its insurers reinforces the principle that insurers may not elevate their own economic interests over those of their insureds, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
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In SF Water Case, Justices Signal How Loper May Be Applied
Skeptical questions from U.S. Supreme Court justices during oral argument in San Francisco v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offer hints of how the court intends to apply limits on agency regulatory autonomy established last term in Loper Bright, says Karen Cullinane at Goldberg Segalla.
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Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: November Lessons
In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses six federal court decisions that touch on Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and when individual inquiries are needed to prove economic loss.
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Notable Q3 Updates In Insurance Class Actions
Total loss valuation cases and labor depreciation cases dominated the past quarter of insurance class actions, with courts continuing to reject challenges to condition adjustments in the former, and a pro-insured trend persisting in the latter, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.
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2nd Circ. Halkbank Ruling Shifts Foreign Immunity Landscape
Following the Second Circuit’s recent common law immunity ruling in U.S. v. Halkbank, foreign state-owned banks, wealth funds and other entities now must seriously consider the risk of criminal liability for commercial activity that violates U.S. laws, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Justices Must Weigh Reach Of Civil RICO In Cannabis Case
Oral arguments in Medical Marijuana Inc. v. Horn suggest that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court may agree that a truck driver's losing his job after unknowingly ingesting THC and failing a drug test does not merit a racketeering claim — but the court may not buy the other side's theory of the case either, say attorneys at Lewis Baach.
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Patent Marking Steps After Fed. Circ. Opens Lanham Act Door
Following the Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Crocs v. Effervescent, which seemingly revives private actors’ ability to bring false patent marking claims under the Lanham Act, marketing and legal teams should be careful to avoid advertisement language that implies nonexistent patent rights, says Jeffrey Ratinoff at Spencer Fane.
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Litigation Strategies In View Of New Double Patenting Rulings
Recent Federal Circuit decisions, including in Allergan v. MSN, raise several issues that patent owners should understand and consider addressing proactively regarding obviousness-type double patenting, at least in their prosecution strategies, say attorneys at Dentons.
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Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Series
Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers
In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron.
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High Court 'Violent Crimes' Case Tangled Up In Hypotheticals
In Delligatti v. U.S., the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments next week on whether attempted murder constitutes a crime of violence, and because the court’s interpretive approach thus far has relied on hairsplitting legal hypotheticals with absurd results, Congress should repeal the underlying statute, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.
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Tracking The Slow Movement Of AI Copyright Cases
The tech community may be expecting a prompt resolution on whether products generated by artificial intelligence are a fair use of copyrighted works, but legal history shows that a response to this question — at the heart of over 30 pending cases — will take years, say attorneys at White & Case.
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How Property Insurance Coverage Shrank After The Pandemic
Insurers litigating property claims are leveraging rulings that provided relief in the COVID-19 context to reverse the former majority rule on physical loss or damage in all contexts, say attorneys at Reed Smith.
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Considering Chevron's End Through A State Tax Lens
States took the lead in encouraging Chevron's demise, turning away from Chevron-type deference in state tax administration ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, a trend likely to accelerate as courts take a more active role in interpreting tax laws, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Curious Case Of FTC's Amicus Brief In Teva Fed. Circ. Appeal
Attorneys at BCLP explore the Federal Trade Commission's backing of Amneal's Orange Book-delisting efforts on Teva ahead of a key Federal Circuit hearing in a case between the two pharmaceutical companies, and wonder if the FTC amicus brief indicates a future trend, especially in the next administration.