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High court nominee praises lawyers for helping the poor
Law Promo News |
2016/04/21 10:18
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Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland praised lawyers for their work with low-income Washingtonians Thursday in his first public remarks since his nomination last month.
Garland was on familiar turf, speaking at the federal courthouse in Washington, where he is chief judge of the appeals court.
Giving people living in poverty access to the courts is critical for society, Garland said. "Without equal justice under law," Garland said, using the phrase engraved above the entrance to the Supreme Court, "faith in the rule of the law, the foundation of our civil society, is at risk."
Garland's nomination is stalled in the Senate, where GOP leaders say the next president should choose the replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. He has met with roughly 40 senators so far, with no sign that Republicans will allow hearings on his nomination, much less a vote.
At those meetings, Garland has typically said nothing for public consumption.
His appearance Thursday was part of the White House's effort to familiarize the country with the nominee by having him speak on a noncontroversial topic, free legal assistance for the poor.
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Court says Chuck Yeager can sue Utah gun safe company
Law Promo News |
2015/02/16 11:33
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A federal appeals court says record-setting test pilot Chuck Yeager can sue a Utah gun safe company that named a line of safes after him.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver ruled Tuesday that the 91-year-old can sue Fort Knox Security Products over an oral agreement from the 1980s that allowed the use of his name and picture in exchange for free safes.
The decision says the arrangement ended around 2008, after Yeager's wife started asking questions about it.
The court dismissed some claims but ruled that Yeager can sue over claims that the company kept using his likeness after the agreement ended. The company disputes that accusation.
Yeager served during World War II and became the first person to break the sound barrier in 1947. |
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High court poised to upend civil rights policies
Law Promo News |
2013/04/02 10:00
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Has the nation lived down its history of racism and should the law become colorblind?
Addressing two pivotal legal issues, one on affirmative action and a second on voting rights, a divided Supreme Court is poised to answer those questions.
In one case, the issue is whether race preferences in university admissions undermine equal opportunity more than they promote the benefits of racial diversity. Just this past week, justices signaled their interest in scrutinizing affirmative action very intensely, expanding their review as well to a Michigan law passed by voters that bars "preferential treatment" to students based on race. Separately in a second case, the court must decide whether race relations - in the South, particularly - have improved to the point that federal laws protecting minority voting rights are no longer warranted.
The questions are apt as the United States closes in on a demographic tipping point, when nonwhites will become a majority of the nation's population for the first time. That dramatic shift is expected to be reached within the next generation, and how the Supreme Court rules could go a long way in determining what civil rights and equality mean in an America long divided by race.
The court's five conservative justices seem ready to declare a new post-racial moment, pointing to increased levels of voter registration and turnout among blacks to show that the South has changed. Lower federal courts just in the past year had seen things differently, blunting voter ID laws and other election restrictions passed by GOP-controlled legislatures in South Carolina, Texas and Florida, which they saw as discriminatory. |
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Cohen & Grigsby Adds Further Depth to Practice Areas
Law Promo News |
2010/07/20 01:26
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Cohen & Grigsby, a business law firm with headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA and an office in Bonita Springs, FL, is pleased to announce that the following highly experienced attorneys have joined Cohen & Grigsby's Pittsburgh offices: •Clifford B. Levine joins Cohen & Grigsby with extensive experience in complex commercial and governmental litigation, as well as land use development, environmental, energy and construction litigation and counseling. Levine has a statewide practice involving all phases of land use and governmental law. He has been a featured speaker and active practitioner with current issues such as Marcellus Shale, eminent domain and takings, regulatory preemption and constitutional limitations to land use controls. He also has experience with the development of energy projects and environmentally sensitive industries. He has been serving as lead counsel for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in litigation involving fiscally distressed cities and has had considerable involvement with the laws governing municipalities and public authorities, including his past service as the vice chair of both the City of Pittsburgh Planning Commission and its Zoning Board of Adjustment. Levine has considerable political experience, having recently served as chair of President Barack Obama's Western Pennsylvania Steering Committee, and is currently a member of the President's National Advisory Board. Levine served as statewide election law counsel to the Bob Casey for Senate campaign in 2006 and currently is acting in that capacity for the Dan Onorato for Governor campaign. Levine, a member of the Allegheny County Academy of Trial Lawyers, has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America and as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, which identifies the top five percent of lawyers in the state. He recently was named one of the 100 most politically influential individuals in Pennsylvania. Levine received his J.D. from Duke University and his B.A. in economics from the State University of New York at Albany.
•Alice B. Mitinger joins Cohen & Grigsby with significant experience in land use litigation and development and with appellate, regulatory, administrative and election law issues. Mitinger has appeared before governing bodies and zoning hearing boards throughout western Pennsylvania and recently served a three-year term on the Zoning Board of Adjustment for the City of Pittsburgh. Mitinger has represented a wide variety of clients, including wireless telecommunications providers, landfill companies, independent power producers, real estate developers and the Commonwealth's Department of Community and Economic Development. Highly active in the community, Mitinger currently serves as the president of the Board of Trustees of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and co-director of the Alumni Schools Committee of the Yale Club of Pittsburgh, among other roles. Mitinger received her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and her B.A. in history from Yale University.
"Cliff Levine and Alice Mitinger bring considerable experience in the areas of land use, energy and governmental law," said Jack Elliott, president and CEO of Cohen & Grigsby, PC. "With the extensive number of legal issues concerning Marcellus Shale and other energy industries, Cliff and Alice greatly complement our practice in this area."
Levine indicated that he and Mitinger are very enthusiastic about joining Cohen & Grigsby. "We are attracted to the breadth of experience and overall number of highly skilled lawyers, which will greatly enhance our practice and provide a great depth of service for our clients," said Levine. "We are looking forward to a long and productive association with such a fine firm." Prior to joining the firm, both Levine and Mitinger were attorneys in the Pittsburgh office of Thorp Reed & Armstrong, LLP.
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Law School Glossary
Law Promo News |
2007/03/20 15:01
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A short list of frequently used acronyms and terms relevant to LLMs. ABA – The American Bar Association, a bar association of lawyers based in Washington D.C., which sets widely adopted standards for legal education and professional legal practice in the United States. This organization also provides perhaps the most influential accreditation for law schools nationwide. ETS – Educational Testing Service, a US-based non-profit organization widely known for producing standardized exams such as the TOEFL, which is a common requirement for non-native English-speaking applicants to law schools in the United States and abroad. FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a form submitted by students of US universities who are seeking financial aid from the US government. The FAFSA form is designed to ascertain a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), a figure that determines which need-based government grants and subsidized loans a student can apply for. GPA – Stands for Grade Point Average, the most common quantitative measure of overall undergraduate academic achievement. IELTS – International English Language Testing System, a common, English-language proficiency exam. Many English-speaking universities and law schools in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa request that non-native English speakers submit satisfactory IELTS results when applying. JD – Abbreviation for the Latin term Juris Doctor, used in the United States to refer to professional law degree that the vast majority of LL.M students acquire before embarking on their LL.M. degree. Although it is mostly considered to be a postgraduate degree -- completed after undergraduate studies -- it is not actually a doctorate degree as the name might suggest. Joint Degree / Dual Degree Program - Refers to programs offered by some universities in which students can pursue two degrees simultaneously. Common dual degree programmes include those leading to a combined J.D. / LL.M., or a joint Master’s degree program, such as a combined LL.M. / MBA. LLB – Refers to Bachelor of Laws, the term used throughout much of the English-speaking world (though not the United States, where the term Juris Doctor is broadly used) to refer to the academic degree leading to professional practice in law. The LL.B is most often a three-year degree pursued after the completion of an undergraduate / bachelor’s degree. Possession of an LL.B. or J.D. degree is a requirement for candidacy for the bar association or law society, and often for participation in an LL.M. program. LSAC – The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) is a US-based non-profit organization whose membership includes over 200 US and Canadian law schools. The LSAC administers the LSAT exam. It also operates the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). LSDAS – The Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) is operated by the LSAC. The LSDAS collects application material (including test scores, undergraduate transcripts, essays, and letters of recommendation) from law school applicants. The LSAC then compiles this information into reports, which it sends directly to law schools on behalf of the applicant. Some law schools in the United States require that applicants use this paid service. The LSAC also provides an LL.M. Credential Assembly Service for international students intending to apply for LL.M. programs in the United States. LSAT – Otherwise known as the Law School Admissions Test, the LSAT is a standarized exam the results of which are required for admission into most law schools in North America. LSAT results are currently only required from applicants to J.D. programs, and generally not from applicants to LL.M. programs who have already completed their first law degree. TOEFL – Stands for the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The TOEFL is a standardized examination of English-language proficiency that non-native English-speaking applicants must often take before acceptance to English-speaking universities. The test is administered by the Educational Testing Service. |
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Class action or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued. This form of collective lawsuit originated in the United States and is still predominantly a U.S. phenomenon, at least the U.S. variant of it. In the United States federal courts, class actions are governed by Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule. Since 1938, many states have adopted rules similar to the FRCP. However, some states like California have civil procedure systems which deviate significantly from the federal rules; the California Codes provide for four separate types of class actions. As a result, there are two separate treatises devoted solely to the complex topic of California class actions. Some states, such as Virginia, do not provide for any class actions, while others, such as New York, limit the types of claims that may be brought as class actions. They can construct your law firm a brand new website, lawyer website templates and help you redesign your existing law firm site to secure your place in the internet. |
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