Legal Research

Selections from National Law Journal Daily Headlines May 1, 2009

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: NLJ.com, May 1, 2009

Subscription required for online access:

http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/subscribe.jsp

BREAKING NEWS  |  Reports: Justice Souter to retire
"Reports that Supreme Court Justice David Souter is planning to retire began to circulate late Thursday evening. NBC News cited several unnamed government officials and notes that Souter has not hired law clerks for next term. We'll be posting updates to this breaking story on the Blog of Legal Times and NLJ.com. "

FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Mark Levy, Kilpatrick Stockton high court practice head, found dead
"The chair of Kilpatrick Stockton's Supreme Court and appellate practice was found dead in his Washington office Thursday morning in what police are investigating as a gun-related suicide. Mark Levy, 59, counsel at Kilpatrick, was an accomplished appellate lawyer with 16 Supreme Court arguments under his belt.

WEB-ONLY  |  Media ban reversed in beheading case
The Michigan Court of Appeals held that a judge had no good reason to close a hearing in a beheading case to the public and media and ordered the proceeding remain open. The appellate court's ruling came two days after a lower court judge explained why he closed a post-conviction hearing in which a doctor offered testimony on the defendant's mental stability".

WEB-ONLY  |  Sleepy juror prompts reversal of conviction
"The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts reversed a lower court's conviction of two counts of cocaine distribution because the trial judge failed to investigate concerns that one juror was sleeping."

WEB-ONLY  |  State bars offer help with the recession
"State bar associations are launching initiatives to help attorneys manage through the down economy. Their efforts touch on everything from assisting attorneys who have been laid off to helping attorneys market their services and manage flagging practices."

WEB-ONLY  |  ACLU, religious groups challenge proposal to allow judges to bar testimony of women wearing veils
"The Michigan Supreme Court is considering a court rule that would let judges control the appearances of witnesses who testify in court to make sure they're credible. The proposed rule has drawn the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union and religious and domestic violence groups."

WEB-ONLY  |  Federal court ruling could curb price discrimination in food industry
"A Pennsylvania federal court decision enjoining a food supplier from using discriminatory price practices against a food distributor and enjoining a food service management company from inducing the price discrimination is likely to curb price discrimination in the food industry."

WEB-ONLY  |  General Re attorney sentenced
"The former assistant general counsel of General Re Corp., Robert Graham, was sentenced on April 30 to one year and one day of federal prison in a financial fraud case closely watched by in-house counsel nationwide. Graham was found guilty last year of conspiracy, securities fraud, mail fraud and making false statements to the SEC"

WEB-ONLY  |  Cardozo School of Law hires a new dean
"Matthew Diller has been appointed dean of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York. Diller will replace the current dean, David Rudenstine, who is stepping down after eight years. Diller, who was associate dean for academic affairs at Fordham University School of Law from 2001 for 2008, will assume his new duties at Cardozo at the start of August"

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on May 01, 2009 (boomark / email).