Legal Research

Selections from National Law Journal Daily Headlines May 9, 2008

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: NLJ.com, May 9, 2008.

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FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Lawyers' writing skills still bad
"Law firm leaders, judges and even clients have complained for years about the lack of solid writing skills in the legal profession, where huge decisions often turn on the written word. And despite the development of software to correct wayward spelling or incomplete sentences, observers say that technology can hinder attempts at clear and concise prose. "It's a problem of distraction," said Jennifer Murphy Romig, a legal writing and research instructor at Emory University School of Law and a writing coach to law firms."

FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  SEC wins latest round in civil case against 'backdating architect'
"The Securities and Exchange Commission won some and lost some in a federal court order in the civil options backdating case against Lisa Berry, former general counsel for KLA-Tencor and Juniper Networks. On balance, it appears the SEC may have come out on top, even though it must go back and rewrite a number of the fraud allegations against Berry, who the SEC contends was one of the "architects of backdating," putting in place procedures to award in-the-money stock option grants to employees by looking back to pick historically low stock prices. "

WEB-ONLY  |  Dorsey & Whitney fires partner in Toronto amidst insider trading allegations
"Minneapolis-based Dorsey & Whitney fired a partner in Toronto on Thursday in connection with an investigation of alleged insider trading. In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, the firm said it is cooperating fully with inquires made by the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding possible insider trading involving mergers and acquisitions transactions on which the firm served as legal counsel. "

WEB-ONLY  |  Bingham internal memo sheds further light on associate's drugging accusations
"An internal Bingham McCutchen e-mail disputes some claims made by a former associate who recently filed a sex discrimination complaint against the firm for its handling of her reports to firm management that she was drugged at a firm holiday party. Michelle Moor, who has since resigned, questioned the firm's response to the drugging incident and claimed the firm responded too slowly to an employee's boasts of drugging women with the so-called date-rape drug Rohypnol."

WEB-ONLY  |  Lawyer in shareholder class action against Yahoo board to expand claims
"A plaintiff's lawyer representing shareholders of Yahoo! Inc. in a class action lawsuit against the company's board of directors plans to add billions of dollars in damages to its complaint following Microsoft Corp.'s recent decision to abandon a $47.5 billion proposed bid."

WEB-ONLY  |  U.S. Department of Education delays review of ABA accreditation power
"The U.S. Department of Education has delayed a review of the American Bar Association's law school accrediting power until December. The ABA was slated for a hearing in June before an education department committee that will consider the ABA's petition to renew its authority to remain the accrediting body for the nation's law schools."

WEB-ONLY  |  Judge Sandra Lynch to become first woman chief judge of the 1st Circuit
"Judge Sandra Lynch will become the first woman Chief Judge of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals next month and the circuit's ninth chief since Congress created the job in 1948. Lynch was appointed to the 1st Circuit in 2005. "

WEB-ONLY  |  Milwaukee law school a step closer to new, $85M digs
"Marquette University Law School is getting a new home, thanks to some generous alumni. On May 22, the 80-year-old Catholic and Jesuit law school will celebrate the groundbreaking of a new, $85 million law school building. The building will be named Eckstein Hall, in honor of Raymond A. and Katherine A. Eckstein, an alumni couple who donated $51 million to the school last year."

WEB-ONLY  |  Loyola Law School launches weekly legal podcasts
"This week Loyola Law School in Los Angeles launched a program of free weekly podcasts on legal topics for the general public. The podcasts are disseminated via iTunes U, which distributes course content and other material from colleges and universities through its iTunes Store."

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on May 09, 2008 (boomark / email).