Legal Research

If you are already an online subscriber to the LAW.COM service you should be able to click on any of the links below, sign in, and access the full text of all articles listed. A subscription to LAW.COM is needed for online access to this service.

Brits vs. Americans: Who's Better Prepared to Weather a Recession?

The American Lawyer

When a downturn hits the economy, elite U.S. firms are better hedged than the U.K.'s -- or so says conventional wisdom. In the past New York's rainmakers haven't felt the effects as sharply as the London locals. But today, with financial markets in crisis and recession looming, how will American firms, with their diversity of practices, stack up against Brits and their superior geographic reach? "I would rather be a lawyer in a U.S. firm in a downturn," says David Lakhdir, a London partner at Paul Weiss.

Visit Large Law Firm

Drug Companies on the Hook for Off-Label Use of Generic

The Legal Intelligencer

In an apparent case of first impression, a Philadelphia judge has ruled that two pharmaceutical companies may have a legal duty to class members for money spent on the generic version of the companies' name-brand drug allegedly marketed by the companies for uses not approved by federal regulators. The generic drug in the case was produced by a third-party manufacturer.

Age Discrimination Suit Against Foley & Lardner Sparks Discovery Tiff

The Recorder

Plaintiffs in employment suits might suspect ex-bosses are hiding documents in discovery, but they can't always prove it. Charles Wisch, who represents a former Foley & Lardner legal secretary, thinks he can. When his client was fired, she took more than 800 pages of files, which Wisch thinks will be a road map to other Foley files helpful to the age discrimination suit. It's not every day someone admits to stealing documents. But some lawyers say the dispute shows a nagging problem in discrimination suits.

Attorney Is Disbarred for the Second Time

New York Law Journal

A one-time law firm associate, disbarred in 1988 for insider trading, then re-admitted in 2003, has been disbarred again for misrepresenting his past in applications both for reinstatement and for non-legal licenses to work as an insurance agent and a stockbroker. Israel G. Grossman argued unsuccessfully that he had not disclosed his convictions because he had been advised incorrectly that the question only applied to convictions within the last five years.

How Obama Worked His Way Into Clinton's D.C. Lawyer Base

Legal Times

Barack Obama's charm offensive in his early days in D.C. has helped him crack a demographic that at one time seemed destined for total domination by Hillary Clinton: elite Washington lawyers -- including many who served in Bill Clinton's administration. Dozens of top D.C. lawyers have organized fundraisers, contributed their own cash and sacrificed billable hours for Obama's campaign.

Attorney's Mission Is to Erase the Stigma of Depression

New York Law Journal

Despite a landmark 1991 study by Johns Hopkins University, in which lawyers ranked first in incidence rate for clinical depression among 105 professions surveyed, attorney Daniel T. Lukasik says, "Lawyers don't talk about it." So he set himself a mission. He helped create the Committee to Assist Lawyers with Depression, built a Web site offering information on the disorder geared to the interests and fears of attorneys, and organized what may be the first national seminar on attorney depression.

Owner Charged With Cruelty for Failing to Treat Cat's Ailments

New York Law Journal

A cat owner who did not seek treatment for his pet's serious ailments during the cat's last year of life can be charged with animal cruelty, a Manhattan judge has ruled. Allegations that the defendant left a "swollen and bleeding" paw and other conditions untreated "sufficiently demonstrate that the animal was subjected to unjustifiable physical pain," Criminal Court Judge ShawnDya L. Simpson wrote. The owner allegedly admitted that he had owned the cat for 15 years and never took him to the veterinarian.

N.J. Court: Bar May Be Liable for Fatal Crash Even if It Didn't Serve Patron Alcohol

New Jersey Law Journal

A tavern may be liable for negligence if it makes no effort to keep a visibly drunken patron safe, even though his drinking may have been done elsewhere, a New Jersey appeals court has held in a case of first impression. The court found that bar owners can be sued under the state Dram Shop Act or for negligence for failing to prevent a patron from getting into a car driven by another who was visibly intoxicated and who later crashed the vehicle, even though the bar never served the driver alcohol.

New Patent Rocket Docket Rises in Wisconsin

The National Law Journal

Patent attorneys are hailing the Western District of Wisconsin as the newest so-called rocket docket, characterized by speedy trials and a jury pool friendly to patent holders. Patent case filings are climbing in the district based in Madison, including cases involving companies headquartered outside the area. Lawyers say they're attracted by the district's educated jury pool, which reflects the work force and populace connected to the University of Wisconsin and the thriving local high-tech sector.

Richard Scruggs' Son Pleads Guilty to Knowing About Plot to Influence Judge

The Associated Press

The last defendant in the bribery case that brought down powerful plaintiffs attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs -- his son -- pleaded guilty Friday in a deal with federal prosecutors that could keep him out of prison. Zach Scruggs pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. He, his father and three others were originally charged with conspiring to bribe a judge in a dispute over $26.5 million in legal fees. Richard Scruggs pleaded guilty last week to conspiring to bribe a judge.

N.Y. Governor Says Grim Economy Makes Judicial Pay Raise 'Very Difficult'

New York Law Journal

Citing grim economic news in New York and the rest of the nation, Gov. David Paterson said at a recent news conference that it would be "very difficult" to adopt a pay raise for state court judges this year. Paterson said his biggest challenge is to negotiate a budget with the Legislature amid a stock market slump, a subprime mortgage crisis and other economic drags. Paterson also said he, eventually, would like to break the linkage between legislative and judicial pay hikes.

Tips and Tricks at the ABA Techshow 2008

Special to Law.com

In between LegalTech in New York and L.A., legal techies get their gadget fix at the annual ABA Techshow, says author and consultant Brett Burney. The show absorbed more than 2,000 attendees and 120 vendors and included educational sessions for Mac lawyers, corporate counsel and large-firm lawyers.

Visit Legal Technology

Law.com®

10 United Nations Plaza, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102 (800) 903-9872.