Legal News

The PM Roundup: News From the Coleman/Franken Hearing, More

By Ashby Jones

For this afternoon’s dedication, we’re going to throw some love toward a vitamin: Folic Acid. That’s right, we had a person all lined up for today’s dedication when, wham, from out of nowhere, comes news that Folic Acid, the artificial version of folate — a B vitamin — might prevent not only spina bifida but heart defects and premature birth when taken by pregnant women. Nice work, Folic Acid!

On with it:

Minnesota High Court Grills Coleman Lawyer: Minnesota's Supreme Court justices closely questioned Norm Coleman's lawyer today on Coleman's assertion that thousands more absentee ballots should be counted in the state's U.S. Senate race, even though they were excluded because they were filled out improperly.

The justices closely questioned Norm Coleman's lawyer today on Coleman's assertion that thousands more absentee ballots should be counted in the state's U.S. Senate race, even though they were excluded because they were filled out improperly. "The issue is whether there has been intentional and purposeful discrimination," said Justice Alan Page (pictured), a member of the Law Blog Football Hall of Fame. "Where is the intentional and purposeful discrimination?" WSJ Washwire

The High Court and the Fear of Cancer: The U.S. Supreme Court Monday threw out a $5 million jury verdict awarding pain-and-suffering damages to a former CSX Corp. railroad worker who alleged that he had been negligently exposed to toxic chemicals and asbestos on the job, which caused him to develop brain injuries and asbestosis, a lung disease.

Tennessee railroad worker Thurston Hensley had sought monetary damages for a fear of developing cancer in the future. The company wanted jurors to be instructed that Mr. Hensley needed to demonstrate that his fear of cancer was genuine and serious. The Supreme Court, in an unsigned opinion, ruled 7-2 that it was a “clear error” for the trial judge not to give the jury instructions CSX requested. WSJ. Opinion

New Law Schools on Chopping Block? For all those of you who think we need a handful of new law schools, some bad news: The NLJ reports today that given the economic climate, some institutions that had planned to open law schools in 2010 are considering pushing back those start dates. Others are scaling back building plans and fundraising. At others, like the University of New Haven in Connecticut and St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., proposals to start law schools could be tabled indefinitely. NLJ

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on June 01, 2009 (boomark / email).