Legal Research

Selections from National Law Journal Daily Headlines May 22, 2008

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: NLJ.com, May 22, 2008.

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FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Judge jumps from confirmation into hot seat
"An initial appeal likely to confront Judge Steven Agee in his new job on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will put him at the center of one of the nation's most contentious issues ? Virginia's 'partial birth infanticide' law. On May 20, the same day Agee won unanimous confirmation to the court, a three-judge panel of that court struck down Virginia's law as an unconstitutional burden on a woman's right to obtain an abortion. Virginia is almost certain to seek a full court rehearing of the case."

WEB-ONLY  |  Mass. high court suppresses evidence resulting from racial profiling
"The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled that evidence seized during a traffic stop by an officer using racial profiling violates the state's equal protection guarantee and can be suppressed. The decision said that defendants can use statistical evidence in such cases to prove 'impermissible discrimination,' but that the 'initial burden rests on the defendant to produce evidence that similarly situated persons were treated differently because of their race.' "

WEB-ONLY  |  Milberg firm moves to reduce criminal forfeiture
"Milberg Weiss has filed a pre-trial motion to chip away at the $251 million in criminal forfeiture being sought by federal prosecutors in the government's kickback case against the New York firm. In recent months, the firm, now known as Milberg, has been in settlement talks with prosecutors over allegation that the firm and seven of its partners obtained attorney fees through illegal payments to name plaintiffs."

WEB-ONLY  |  Embattled Cook County Public Defender to press ahead with suit
"Cook County Public Defender Edwin Burnette will press ahead with his lawsuit against the office of the county's president, Todd Stroger, even though Stroger announced earlier this week that he would end his campaign to fire the defender. Burnette said the lawsuit is still needed to clear up disagreement between the two men over who has ultimate authority over workers in the public defender's office."

WEB-ONLY  |  Federal judges' advice to attorneys: ditch the drama, master high-tech
"Federal judges speaking at a bar association meeting in Chicago this week had two key pieces of advice for attorneys: get rid of the flagrant displays of emotion in the courtroom and feel free to use more technology if you've mastered it."

WEB-ONLY  |  Africa returns to search giant Major, Lindsey & Africa as director of in-house practice group
"Martha Fay Africa is returning to legal search firm giant, Major, Lindsey & Africa, as a managing director in the in-house practice group in San Francisco. Africa founded the firm in 1982 and spent 24 years recruiting lawyers for general counsel posts from organizations as diverse as The Nature Conservancy, Texas Pacific Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford Research Institute."

WEB-ONLY  |  New York Law School creates Center for Financial Service Law
"New York Law School has created a Center for Financial Service Law, led by Ronald H. Filler, managing director of Lehman Brothers' capital markets prime services division. The center will expand the number of specialized financial services law courses and will provide a forum to discuss regulatory reform and current issues."

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on May 22, 2008 (boomark / email).