Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly articles from January 2005

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly archives from January 2005

U.S District Court Case Summaries: January 7, 2005.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Civil Practice Seal - Qui Tam Action Where three Massachusetts hospitals named as defendants in a qui tam action have moved to unseal the entire file relating to this case, that request...

Commentary: A look back at 2004; in limerick.
January 10, 2005... Byline: David Yas Well, 2005 is already 10 days old so by now you've probably already sent out your holiday cards for next Christmas... or at least taken the cute photos of your kids sitting on a rock or a beach or some such thing. ...

Commentary: Relational databases: The forgotten legal resource.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Domenic Paolini Almost every attorney uses word processing software on a personal computer to prepare documents. Software companies market and sell word processing software as part of software packages called "office suites" that...

Appeal dismissed due to petitioner's failure to file prefiled direct testimony.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Where a petitioner has appealed from a superseding order of conditions, I find that the appeal must be dismissed due to the petitioner's failure to file prefiled direct testimony. In the...

Massachusetts appeals court says pre-nup is invalid; wife gets alimony.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Tony Wright An ex-wife and stay-at-home mother with little earning potential and few assets was entitled to alimony - even though she had signed a prenuptial agreement waiving the payments, the Appeals Court has ruled. The...

Business Litigation Session Resource Committee: Judge Van Gestel should stay at business court.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jason M. Scally Judge Allan van Gestel should be allowed to continue to serve in the Business Litigation Session even after he reaches mandatory retirement age at the end of the year, according to recommendations made recently by a...

CFO found personally responsible for taxes by U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.(chief financial officer)
January 10, 2005... Byline: John O. Cunningham The former chief financial officer of a media company could be held personally responsible for the unpaid taxes of the company - even where his superiors had ordered him to file returns without remitting payment,...

Insurance company that ignored mediator could be liable for bad faith, Superior Court says.
January 10, 2005... Byline: John O. Cunningham An insurance company that ignored the advice of mediators during post-trial negotiations could be held liable for bad-faith settlement practices, a Superior Court judge has ruled. The defendant, Employers...

Commentary: Fairness is important in attorney discipline.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff While the Board of Bar Overseers handles delicate cases and makes some difficult decisions about the gray areas of ethics, it is hard to explain the result of a case decided last fall. On...

Commentary: New reality TV show focuses on family's estate fight.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Brian D. Bixby I first alerted readers to the media fascination with will contests two years ago ("Probate Comes To Reality TV," Dec. 23, 2002). The new concept, proposed by the producer of "The Bachelor," was to build a show...

MA governor signs bills into law: January 10, 2005.(Massachusetts)(Mitt Romney)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The following bills have been signed into law by Gov. Mitt Romney. The anticipated effective dates are listed but are subject to change. The number preceding the title of each bill (i.e., the...

Experts offers tips on defending products liability litigation.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Lisa K. Bruno As Merck & Co. announced its plan of defense against the flood of lawsuits expected from the recall of its blockbuster painkiller Vioxx, defense lawyers are more aware than ever of the need to safeguard their clients...

Verdicts & Settlements January 10, 2005: Delayed C-section caused damage to baby.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $400,000 Settlement This case involved the alleged delay in performing a Caesarean section resulting in the minor plaintiff sustaining severe neurological damage. The plaintiff, who was...

Verdicts & Settlements January 10, 2005: Tenant falls on defective stair, dislocates wrist.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $100,000 Settlement On June 8, 2003, the plaintiff was walking down the interior staircase of the apartment he rented in Lawrence when he slipped and fell on a defective stair. The premises...

Verdicts & Settlements January 10, 2005: Woman says M.D. improperly read mammography films.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $1.4 Million Settlement Action was brought against the defendant radiologist as a result of the defendant's alleged negligence in failing to properly read the plaintiff's mammography films....

1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Case Summaries: January 10, 2005.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Taxation Responsible Person - Corporation Where a jury found an appellant personally liable for his employer's failure to pay federal taxes, the verdict should be upheld based on evidence...

Massachusetts Land Court Summaries: January 10, 2005.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Zoning Proprietary Interest - Mean High Water Mark Where question has arisen as to what, if any, proprietary interests the commonwealth and the public possess in certain Nantucket...

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Case Summaries: January 10, 2005.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Full Commission Decision The Full Commission of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination has affirmed a decision rendered earlier by a Hearing Officer. The decision upheld is:...

Massachusetts Department Of Industrial Accidents Case Summaries: January 10, 2005.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Workers' Compensation False Statement - Penalty Where an administrative judge (1) has found that a physician knowingly made a false statement with the Division of Dispute Resolution with...

U.S. District Court Case Summaries: January 10, 2005.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Banks And Banking Loan Denial - Fraud Allegation Where plaintiffs allege that the defendant bank committed common law fraud in denying the plaintiffs a small business loan, I find that...

Housekeeper replaced after maternity leave awarded $2.36M in Superior Court verdict.(Massachusetts Maternity Leave Act )(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff 2.36 MILLION * STEPHENS v. GLOBAL NAPS INC., et al. * Suffolk Superior Court, No. 01-4149H * Date of verdict: July 23, 2004 * Plaintiff's counsel: Emilie F. Athanasoulis, Boston,...

Commentary: Legal 'Cartels'? Get Serious.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Last December, a Wall Street Journal editorial had an eye-catching headline: "Busting Legal Cartels." Legal cartels? The piece actually referred to a Supreme Judicial Court proposal to define...

Commentary: Letter To The Editor: Jury made scapegoat after DA failed to prove case.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: On Dec. 21, 2004, 12 Suffolk County jurors acquitted a man of participating in the murder of Trina Persad. She was killed in a drive-by shooting on June 29, 2002, which was the...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: Apology to bar advocates for choice of words.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: In a recent letter I opined that bar advocates who seek to live off of the state-financed system for indigent defendants do a disservice to themselves, other bar advocates and...

Mass. Gov. Romney sign bills into law.(Public Notice)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The following bills have been signed into law by Gov. Mitt Romney. The anticipated effective dates are listed but are subject to change. 464. An act further preventing insurance fraud in the...

Top Verdicts Of 2004 Experience 'Rebound'.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Tony Wright It took but a second for a woman's life to be forever altered when her vehicle was slammed from behind by an 18-wheeler, instantly paralyzing her from the waist down. It took a jury four hours to award her more than $9...

U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: Minor can't bring suit vs. guardian ad litem.(cases)
January 17, 2005... Byline: John O. Cunningham A minor could not sue an attorney who was acting as his guardian ad litem by court appointment, the Appeals Court has ruled. The attorney for the child argued that the guardian should be subject to suit...

Recent Supreme Judicial Court decision settles issue over brain injuries.(cases)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jason M. Scally Lawyers say that a recent decision by the Supreme Judicial Court has settled a long-standing question over whether employees who suffer a permanent loss of function due to brain injury and live are entitled to...

U.S. District Court: Buyer could back out of contract under Uniform Commercial Code.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Lisa K. Bruno A buyer of a lathe could revoke a written extension allowing the seller more time to bring the lathe into compliance with the buyer's specifications, absent reliance on the extension by the seller, a U.S. District...

Verdicts & Settlements: Norfolk Superior Court: Her life has changed forever.
January 17, 2005... Byline: John O. Cunningham $9.41 MILLION * RHODES, et al. v. ZALEWSKI, et al> * Norfolk Superior Court, No. MCV2002-01159 * Date of verdict: Sept. 15, 2004 * Plaintiffs' attorneys: M. Frederick Pritzker, Margaret M....

Verdicts & Settlements Jan. 17. 2005: 'Missing' register tape dooms liquor store after teen dies.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jason M. Scally $8.69 MILLION * BORNSTEIN, et al. v. GATEWAY COUNTRY STORE of N.H., INC., et al. * Essex Superior Court, Nos. CA03-0301, CA03-0286 (consolidated cases) * Date of verdict: Sept. 24, 2004 *...

Verdicts & Settlements Jan. 17, 2005: Speedy trial pays off for elderly man hit by truck.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jason M. Scally $7.7 MILLION * MILLER v. PERKINS PAPER, INC., et al. * Suffolk Superior Court, No. CV2003-02107H * Date of verdict: April 14, 2004 * Plaintiff's attorneys: Paul Nathan, Matthew E. Krevat and Leah...

Verdicts & Settlements Jan. 17, 2005: Jury punishes bar that served drunk driver.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jason M. Scally $4.15 MILLION * RIVERA, et al. v. BRIGHT, et al. * Suffolk Superior Court, Nos. CV2002-03995G, CV2001-00681, CV2001-01362 (consolidated cases) * Date of verdict: Dec. 21, 2004 * Plaintiffs'...

Verdicts & Settlements: Jan. 17, 2005: Courtroom victory is bittersweet for breast cancer survivor.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Tony Wright $4.15 MILLION * MUSTAPHA v. PRAKASH, M.D., et al. * Essex Superior Court, No. 99-2212 * Date of verdict: April 28, 2004 * Plaintiff's attorneys: Edmund P. Daley and Joanne C. Locke, Moquin & Daley,...

Verdicts & Settlements: Jan. 17, 2005: Shell Oil to pay $3M settlement to franchisees.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff 3.3 MILLION * IN RE: SHELL OIL PRODUCTS CO. DEALER FRANCHISEES LITIGATION * U.S. District Court, No. MDL 1461 * Date of verdict: Dec. 8, 2004 * Plaintiffs' counsel: Gary R....

Verdicts & Settlements: Jan. 17, 2005: Law firm accused of negligence loses case.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff 2.43 MILLION * GRANT v. McDERMOTT, WILL & EMERY, et al. * Suffolk Superior Court, No. 02-1105 BLS * Date of verdict: May 6, 2004 * Plaintiff's counsel: Edwin A. McCabe and Robert...

Verdicts & Settlements: Jan. 17, 2005: 'Routine' procedure turns into med-mal action.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff 2.27 MILLION * HART, EXECUTRIX FOR THE ESTATE OF JAMES SCHOCK v. CUA, M.D., et al. * Dedham Superior Court, No. 00-995 * Date of verdict: Jan. 21, 2004 * Plaintiff's counsel:...

Verdicts & Settlements: Jan. 17, 2005: Standard of care at issue after bad reactions to meds.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff 2 MILLION * DECAMBRA v. PESTANA * Bristol Superior Court, No. BRCV 2000-00747 * Date of verdict: Nov. 5, 2004 * Plaintiff's counsel: Francis J. Lynch and Peter E. Heppner, Lynch...

Other million dollar verdicts in Massachusetts 2004.(cases)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $1.75 Million KEPNER v. LEAVENWORTH Middlesex Superior Court, No. 99-01286C Date of verdict: September 2004 Plaintiff's counsel: Robert M. Higgins, Lubin & Meyer, Boston At...

Bench awards that topped $1 million for 2004.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $8.48 Million CITY of FALL RIVER v. BROWNING-FERRIS INC. Bristol Superior Court, No. BRCV2001-01255 Date of verdict: July 30, 2004 Plaintiff's counsel: Mark S. Furman, Robert J....

84 Massachusetts settlements of $1 million or more in 2004.(cases)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff 1. $536 Million Novell Accuses Microsoft of Unfair Business Practices Case name not available Microsoft Corp. agreed to pay Novell Inc. of Waltham to settle an antitrust case. Novell...

Nationally, top 10 verdicts on rise across the board for2004.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bill Ibelle What is clear from the top jury awards across the country in 2004 is that the abrupt decline in damages seen in 2003 reversed itself with an equally dramatic increase one year later. In 2004, each one of the...

1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Case Summaries: Jan. 17, 2004.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Criminal Assault - Conspiracy Where a defendant was convicted of conspiracy and assault, the convictions should be affirmed because (1) the evidence was sufficient to prove conspiracy and...

U.S. District Court Case Summaries: Jan. 17, 2005.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Bankruptcy IRS - Refund - Operating Loss Where a U.S. Bankruptcy Court rejected an administrative claim filed by the IRS, that decision must be revered because the debtor corporation did...

Supreme Judicial Court Case Summaries: Jan. 17, 2005.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Criminal Murder - Rape Where a defendant, who was convicted of the aggravated rape and murder of four women, contends that a judge erred in denying the defendant's suppression motion, we...

Mass. Appeals Court Case Summaries: Jan. 17, 2005.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals Judgments Affirmed The Appeals Court has affirmed, pursuant to Rule 1:28, judgments in the following cases. Although the decisions do not appear to address any substantive issues...

Massachusetts Superior Court Case Summaries: January 17, 2005.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals Class Action - Settlement Where an objector has moved to docket his appeal from a court order approving a class action settlement, the motion should be denied because an appeal...

Mass. Land Court Case Summaries: Jan. 17, 2005.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Real Property Adverse Possession - Equitable Estoppel Where plaintiffs claim to have gained title to a certain parcel of Winchester land by adverse possession, I hold that their claim must...

District Court/Boston Municipal Court Trial Division Case Summaries: Jan. 17, 2005.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Civil Practice Default Judgments Where a default judgment was entered against two defendants whose dog allegedly bit the plaintiff, a motion by the defendants to vacate the default...

Mass. Housing Court Case Summaries: Jan. 17, 2005.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Landlord And Tenant Exclusionary Rule Where (1) a plaintiff landlord brought an action to evict the defendant tenant based on evidence of drug activity found by the Boston police and (2)...

Wellesley appellate tax board wins appeal.(cases)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Taxation Wellesley Real Estate Where an appellant has challenged an appellee board of assessors' refusal to grant a real estate tax abatement for a certain piece of Wellesley residential...

Mass. Land Court seeks comments on proposed rules.(Massachusetts Trial Court)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The Land Court Department of the Trial Court is soliciting comments on the attached proposed rules, which, if adopted, will supersede and replace its current rules. Many of the proposed changes are...

Mass. U.S. District Court filing fee increases.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC NOTICE Please take notice that the filing fee for civil cases in the United States District Court will increase from $150...

Mass. Division Of Insurance to hold hearings.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation DIVISION OF INSURANCE NOTICE OF HEARING In accordance with the authority granted to the...

O'Shea confirmed for judgeship on Wrentham District Court.(Daniel O'Shea)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Judge Daniel O'Shea, chief of the Department of Industrial Accidents, has been confirmed for a judgeship on the Wrentham District Court following a 6-0 vote of the Governor's Council. O'Shea...

$9M federal funding jeopardized by bill stalemate by Mass. lawmakers.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff State lawmakers were unable to reach a compromise on a bill that would get tougher on repeat drunk drivers, and as a result more than $9 million in federal funds intended to fix roads and bridges...

Beacon Hill eyes tax break for seniors.(Senior citizens taxation law)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Senior citizens who are struggling to make property tax payments as home values skyrocket may get relief this year under proposals by Gov. Mitt Romney and legislative leaders. Romney said he...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: Editorial failed to discuss leading Supreme Judicial Court case.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: I am writing in response to the Dec. 27, 2004 editorial entitled "Multijurisdictional Practice And Corporate Counsel." Having been general counsel, I am sympathetic to the...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor:Bar counsel responds to Fairness in Atty. Discipline editorial.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: The editorial published in the Jan. 10 edition ("Fairness In Attorney Discipline") questions the fairness of the Massachusetts attorney discipline system in connection with the...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor:Adrienne C. Lynch was perfect choice for 'Lawyer of the Year' award.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: Congratulations on your selection of Adrienne C. Lynch as a "Lawyer of the Year." You could not have made a better selection ("Lawyers Of The Year," Dec. 27, 2004). I am...

Challenge to 209A restraining order credibility is denied by Appeals Court.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Lisa K. Bruno A Chapter 209A restraining order issued against a husband could not be modified or vacated where the evidence presented by the husband served only to challenge the wife's credibility at the 209A hearing and did not...

Worker gets comp money for flu shot complication.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff A hospital employee who suffered optic neuritis as a result of a voluntary flu shot administered at her workplace and sponsored by her employer was entitled to workers' compensation benefits, the...

U.S. Supreme Court Case Summaries, Certiorari Granted: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Criminal Sentencing - Guidelines Mandatory application of the federal sentencing guidelines violates the Sixth Amendment. United States v. Booker (Lawyers Weekly USA No. 9929916)...

1st U.S. Circuit Court Of Appeals Case Summaries: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals Interlocutory Appeal - Motion To Dismiss Where defendants have appealed a denial of their motion to dismiss the plaintiffs' complaint for failure to exhaust administrative...

U.S. District Court Case Summaries: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Taxation Jeopardy Assessment - Family Home Where the IRS made a jeopardy assessment concerning a home owned by a plaintiff suspected of failing to report income derived from illegal...

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Case Summaries: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Bankruptcy Commercial Lease - Rent Where a commercial landlord claims that he terminated the tenant's lease prior to the tenant's bankruptcy petition and that the lease consequently is...

Supreme Judicial Court Case Summaries January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Attorneys Bar Advocate - Compensation Where an attorney (1) was appointed, pursuant to Rule 6.2 of the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct, to represent indigent criminal...

Mass. Appeals Court Summaries: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals Judgments Affirmed The Appeals Court has affirmed, pursuant to Rule 1:28, judgments in the following cases. Although the decisions do not appear to address any substantive issues...

District Court/Boston Municipal Court Appellate Division Case Summaries: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Contract Equipment Rental - Judicial Estoppel Where (1) a trial judge ruled a defendant principal of a construction company liable to a plaintiff for renting equipment without paying...

District Court/Boston Municipal Court Trial Division Case Summaries: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Search And Seizure Electronic Surveillance - Informant Where police conducted electronic surveillance of two motel rooms, the content of the communications recorded as a result of this...

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Case Summaries: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Employment Harassment - Gender Where complainants charge the respondent, their former employer, with gender-based harassment, the complaint should be dismissed because of insufficient...

Mass. Department of Industrial Accidents Case Summaries: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Workers' Compensation Ongoing Partial Incapacity Benefits - Due Process Where an administrative judge has awarded an employee ongoing partial incapacity benefits for a cumulative injury to...

Social Security Admin., Office of Hearings and Appeals - Case Summaries Jan. 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Social Services Disability Benefit Overpayment - Absence Of Fault - Title II Considerations Where a claimant has received an overpayment of social security benefits, I find that the...

Massachusetts Superior Court Case Summaries: January 24, 2005.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Civil Practice Abuse Of Process - Divorce Where (1) a plaintiff brought suit charging the defendant, her ex-husband, with invasion of privacy and negligence and (2) the defendant filed a...

Commentary: Indeed, we need voir dire - now.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Weaknesses in the juror-selection process in Massachusetts were exposed once again last month when a judge sitting in Suffolk Superior Court was compelled to declare a mistrial when it was learned...

Commentary: How to handle a lawyer's departure from a firm.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Thomas F. Maffei A week hardly goes by without another story appearing in the press about lawyers changing firms or firms merging with, or acquiring, other firms. Not too long ago, most Boston law firms were considered...

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court solicits Amicus Briefs - January 24, 2004.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT FOR THE COMMONWEALTH ANNOUNCEMENT THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT IS SOLICITING AMICUS BRIEFS OR MEMORANDA FROM INTERESTED PARTIES IN THE FOLLOWING APPEAL PENDING BEFORE...

1st Circuit seeks comments about increased attorney admission fees.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Office of the Clerk UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS For the First Circuit NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO LOCAL RULE 46 (a) (1) AND INTERNAL OPERATING PROCEDURE II (A) REQUEST FOR COMMENTS...

Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney signs bills into law.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The following bills have been signed into law by Gov. Mitt Romney. The anticipated effective dates are listed but are subject to change. 490. An act relative to certain school construction...

Gov. Mitt Romney nominates three to District Court.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Gov. Mitt Romney last week nominated D. Dunbar Livingston of Nahant, Matthew J. Nestor of Reading and Mark A. Sullivan of North Andover to judgeships on the District Court. Livingston, who was...

MA Governor's Council questions Judicial Nominating Commission chairman.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Judicial Nominating Commission Chairman Ralph C. Martin appeared recently before a handful of governor's councilors to answer questions about a judicial selection process that critics say favors...

Massachusetts med-mal task force taking shape.(medical-malpractice)
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff A special task force to study medical-malpractice reform is beginning to take shape, a month after the group was required by law to file a report outlining recommendations and legislation to...

Big Dig cost recovery turned over to AG.(attorney general Thomas Reilly )(Brief Article)(Column)
January 24, 2005... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Attorney General Thomas Reilly has received the green light to take over the cost recovery effort on the $14.6 billion Big Dig project, under an agreement reached recently with the head of the...

Massachusetts lawyers head to D.C. for a rare chance to argue criminal law before The Supreme Court.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Tony Wright When a petition from the U.S. Supreme Court arrived in the mail on one of her cases, Cathryn A. Neaves, chief of the Appellate Division at the Attorney General's Office, followed standard procedure. She ignored it....