Top Legal News
Eric Holder Is Obama's Top Choice for AG
President-elect Barack Obama's top choice for attorney general is Eric Holder, a former No. 2 Justice Department official in the Clinton administration who would become the first African American to serve as the nation's chief lawyer. The Obama transition team has gone so far as to ask senators whether they would confirm Holder, an Obama official and people close to the matter said Tuesday. But the official said the decision has not been finalized, and transition spokesmen said no decision has been made. More »
Lessons on Change From Obama's Victory
Many lawyers react to predictions of change with skepticism, writes Paul Lippe, a founder and CEO of Legal OnRamp. But change does indeed happen, and we need look no further than Barack Obama's extraordinary run to the White House for some very relevant lessons on how. The same forces that Obama harnessed for his victory -- demographics, globalization, transparency and technology -- are driving a transformation in law, Lippe says. More »
Winston Gains 18 Thelen Attorneys
Winston & Strawn has gathered some prized partners from the rubble of Thelen. Antitrust litigator Robert Pringle and bankruptcy partner Richard Lapping headline a group of 18 lawyers joining the firm. Pringle has a book of business between $5 million and $10 million, and Lapping was the San Francisco managing partner for Thelen. Winston has a big-time Thelen connection -- San Francisco managing partner Charles Birenbaum was a Thelen partner but left in 2003 after losing a bid to be chairman by one vote. More »
2nd Circuit: Barring Queries About Swastika Tattoos Violated Constitution
A judge's refusal to allow a defense lawyer to cross examine a government witness about his swastika tattoos violated the confrontation clause, the 2nd Circuit ruled Tuesday. The ruling said Western District of New York Judge David Larimer had abused his discretion in barring the questioning. However, the circuit found that the judge's error in More »
Calif. State Bar to Review Permanent Disbarment Proposal
California State Bar officials two years ago recommended that certain offenses should be grounds for a new, permanent disbarment. But the California Supreme Court met with State Bar officials last month and told them to limit lifetime banishment to the worst of the worst. So on Thursday, the State Bar Board of Governors' Committee on Regulation, Admissions and Discipline Oversight will take a look at a scaled-down proposal that would permit permanent disbarment only for lawyers disbarred for a second time. More »
Cheney, Gonzales Indicted in Texas Prisoner Abuse Case
A South Texas grand jury has indicted Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on state charges related to the alleged abuse of prisoners in Willacy County's federal detention centers. The indictment, which had not yet been signed by the presiding judge, was one of seven released Tuesday in a county that has been a source of bizarre legal and political battles in recent years. More »
Defamation Suit to Draw Lines on Congressional Immunity
A lawyer for Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., argued Tuesday before the D.C. Circuit that the congressman should not be granted absolute immunity for statements he made about Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich and his role in the deaths of Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005. Murtha has compared the deaths to the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. The defense has argued that Murtha has immunity for statements made in the scope of his employment. The D.C. Circuit must decide first whether it has jurisdiction in the case. More »
N.Y. Forum Denied for Suit Over Terror Attack in Egypt
Israeli and Russian victims of a 2004 terror attack on an Egyptian Hilton cannot sue the hotel in the United States, in part because a judge believed they were seeking a higher recovery from a New York jury sitting blocks from the World Trade Center site. Southern District of New York Judge Peter Leisure found that the plaintiffs, none of whom were Americans, may have been engaging in forum shopping in More »
Contempt Order Against Reporter Vacated in Anthrax Mailing Case
The D.C. Circuit has vacated a contempt order lodged against former More »