Lawyers USA articles from January 2007

Lawyers USA archives from January 2007

New tax bill to improve health savings accounts.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A new tax bill signed by the President last month includes provisions that are intended to improve the value of health savings accounts. The changes are part of the large-scale Tax and Trade Relief Act of...

New auditing standard proposed by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has proposed a new standard for company auditors giving additional leeway to focus on critical accounting issues. The accounting board said its proposed new...

Drug ads may require greater scrutiny.(false advertising by drug companies)(Brief article)(Column)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A report by the Government Accountability Office has sharply criticized the FDA for issuing fewer citations to companies for misleading drug ads. The report said the FDA lacked an effective way to screen the...

Legal aid program to stop paying executives' expenses.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff After months of pressure from Congress, the government's legal aid program for the poor has decided to stop covering expenses for its executives. This past summer, it became apparent that several executives at...

SEC changes executive compensation rule.(Securities and Exchange Commission)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The SEC has issued a new rule that will allow many companies to report substantially less total compensation for top executives, reversing a rule that went into effect in December. The change is regarded as a...

Parental alienation: The latest weapon in nasty divorces.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Amy Johnson Conner "Welcome to the swamp." That's what a judge once told a client of Anchorage divorce attorney Steve Pradell when accusations of parental alienation were leveled against the client in a custody hearing. ...

Do subscription-based legal hotlines have a future?
January 1, 2007... Byline: Dick Dahl Suzanne Dingwall Williams had grown weary of feeling like an emergency-room doctor. The Toronto lawyer said employees at the small firms and start-ups she represents were inundating her with acute legal problems that...

Longer life spans alter estate planning.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Dick Dahl As the life expectancy for Americans lengthens and the country grows grayer, trusts and estates lawyers say they're seeing the demographic impact in the world of estate planning. Donna R. Bashaw, who practices in...

Commentary: Estate tax reform/repeal: What's a charity to do?(Column)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Jeffrey A. Baskies Many of us are actively involved with a wide range of charitable institutions. One question that arises in the current climate is: what should charities do or say with respect to the estate tax repeal/reform...

Commentary: 'Techno-tips' for lawyers for the new year.(Column)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Bruce L. Dorner As we move headlong into 2007, we need to consider what each member of the legal service delivery team can do to make the office a more productive and enjoyable place. Some may say, "Fire the guy in the corner...

9th Circuit rules individuals can't be held personally liable under ADA.(Walsh v. Nevada Department of Human Services)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff Individuals cannot be held personally liable for employment discrimination under the ADA, the 9th Circuit has ruled. The case involved a woman who was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and who was...

U.S District Court in New York rules cash balance plan discriminates against older employees.(Employee Retirement Income Security)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A company's cash balance pension plan discriminated against older employees, a U.S. District Court in New York has ruled in granting summary judgment to a class of employees. While cash balance plans - in...

NJ Supreme Court rules insurer must cover intentional tort claim filed by employee.(Charles Beseler Co. v. O'Gorman and Young Inc.)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff An exclusion for "intentional wrongs" in an employer's liability policy doesn't preclude coverage of an employee's intentional tort claim in which he alleged his injuries were "substantially certain" to occur...

Okla Supreme Court rules wrongful discharge claim not barred by after-acquired evidence of record.(Silverwood v. CPC-Sherwood Manor Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A plaintiff's wrongful discharge claim is not barred by the after-the-fact discovery of his criminal record, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled in reversing an appellate decision. The plaintiff was fired...

4th Circuit rules ERISA plaintiff can't sue to alter claim procedures.(Employee Retirement Income Security)(Korotynska v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff An ERISA plaintiff who claimed she was wrongfully denied long-term disability benefits couldn't sue to have her plan administrator reform its claims procedures, the 4th Circuit has ruled in affirming a dismissal....

VA Court of Appeals rules court must credit Vermont custody order in same-sex case.(Miller-Jenkins v. Miller-Jenkins)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A Virginia court must grant full faith and credit to the custody and visitation orders of a Vermont court in a same-sex couple's custody dispute, the Virginia Court of Appeals has ruled in reversing a trial court....

Nevada Supreme Court rules post-divorce contingency fee agreement unenforceable.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A contingency fee agreement in a post-divorce action to modify alimony and property division is unenforceable, the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled. A couple split after an 11-year marriage. Their divorce...

Indiana Court of Appeals rules customer shot at restaurant can sue for negligence.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A customer who was shot while waiting in the drive-through lane of a fast-food restaurant can sue it for negligence, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled. The plaintiff drove two friends to a Taco Bell...

CA Supreme Court rules insurer needn't pay for accident caused by driver with suspended license.(Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. v. Montes-Harris)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff An insurer for a car rental agency is not liable for third-party injuries caused by a customer with a suspended license who presented a facially valid license to the rental agent, the California Supreme Court has...

U.S. District Court in R.I. rules ERISA plan can deny death benefits in drunk-driving accident.(Employee Retirement Income Security Act)(Stamp v. Metropolitan Life )
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff An ERISA plan could deny accidental death benefits in a claim involving a drunk driver, a U.S. District Court in Rhode Island has ruled. The insured attended an employee meeting at a resort in Connecticut,...

N.Y.'s highest court rules organ donor network can't be sued over kidney.(Colavito v. New York Organ Donor Network Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff An organ donor network can't be sued for breaking its pledge to reserve a patient's friend's kidney for him, New York's highest court has ruled in answering a certified question from the 2nd Circuit. When the...

NJ Appellate Division rules will can be reformed by judge.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A judge could reform a decedent's will in order to avoid the unintended dimunition of family bequests caused by the payment of federal estate taxes, the New Jersey Appellate Division has ruled. The decedent's...

CA Court of Appeal rules employer isn't liable for employee's 'cyber threats'.(Delfino v. Agilent Technologies Inc.)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff An employer could not be liable for an employee's posting of threatening messages on the Internet, even though the employee allegedly used the company's computer system to post the threats, the California Court of...

Nevada Supreme Court rules slow-moving vehicle not enough for reasonable suspicion.(State v. Rincon )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A motorist driving slowly did not create reasonable suspicion of drunk driving, the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled. A police officer observed a pickup driven by the defendant traveling below the speed limit...

3rd Circuit rules plaintiff can sue for failure to promote.(Scheidemantle v. Slippery Rock University State System of Higher Education )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A plaintiff who didn't meet the posted qualifications for a job can still sue for failure to promote if she can show a similarly unqualified male worker was given the position, the 3rd Circuit has ruled. The...

Massachusetts high court rules lesbian can't get visitation with former partner's child.(A.H. v. M.P. )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The former lesbian partner of the mother of a minor child could not obtain visitation as a "de facto" parent, Massachusetts' highest court has ruled in affirming a family court. The defendant gave birth to a...

Maryland court rules injured weightlifter can sue event organizers.(Cotillo v. Duncan)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The assumption of the risk doctrine did not bar the negligence claim of a powerlifter who alleged that he suffered injuries because the organizers of an athletic competition failed to properly instruct volunteers...

Idaho Supreme Court rules witness can sign will after testator's death.(Spelius v. Hollon)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A witness can sign a will after the testator has died, the Idaho Supreme Court has ruled. The plaintiff and her fiancA[c] went to a bank where she wrote out a will for him at his request. The fiancA[c] signed...

NJ Supreme Court rules city's law firm may represent private clients before municipal boards.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A law firm that serves as bond counsel for a city is not necessarily barred from representing private clients in matters before municipal boards, agencies and courts, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled in...

U.S. District Court in Minnesota rules bankruptcy reform act provisions are unconstitutional.(Milavetz v. U.S.)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff Provisions of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act establishing advertising requirements and placing limitations on how attorneys may advise their clients are unconstitutional, a U.S....

U.S. District Court in New York rules First Amendment bars claim against Atkins diet.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The First Amendment bars a claim brought against the estate of the author of the Atkins diet book by a man who was diagnosed with heart disease after two months on the diet, a U.S. District Court in New York has...

Verdicts & Settlements Jan 1, 2007: OR lawyer wins $2M for false arrest in Madrid terrorist bombing.(Mayfield v. U.S.)(Brandon Mayfield)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Amy Johnson Conner On May 6, 2004, the FBI arrested Oregon lawyer Brandon Mayfield and refused to tell him or his family anything other than his fingerprints had implicated him in a crime for which he could face the death penalty....

Verdicts & Settlements January 1, 2007: University to pay $1.5M for returning grant money.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Amy Johnson Conner In the highly competitive world of scientific research, a government grant is the Holy Grail, and the odds of succeeding in this quest are almost as long. So why would anyone send one back? That was the...

Verdicts & Settlements January 1, 2007: TV station pays $1.1M for false report on suspect.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Amy Johnson Conner Roger Valadez won a $1.1 million verdict against a Kansas television station for reporting him as a suspect in one of the most horrendous crime sprees in state history. For more than three decades a serial...

The Florida 'boom': lawyers see huge increase in wealthy claiming residency in the Sunshine State.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Correy E. Stephenson People are flocking to the Sunshine State in greater numbers than ever, seeking asset protection and a decrease in taxes, estate planners tell Lawyers USA. "It's a tidal wave," said Bruce M. Stone, a...

Courts crack down on family limited partnerships.(Estate of Korby v. Commissioner)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Reni Gertner The value of assets transferred to a family limited partnership must be included in the decedents' estates for tax purposes, because they retained an implied right to the income from the assets during their lifetime,...

High-tech courtroom defines the cutting edge.(College of William and Mary. Marshall-Wythe School of Law)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Nora Lockwood Tooher A few minutes' walk from the historic 1770 courthouse in Colonial Williamsburg [Williamsburg, Va.] is the world's highest-tech trial and appellate courtroom. Housed in the William & Mary School of Law, the...

Princeton case puts spotlight on charitable gifts with 'strings attached'.(Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy v. Vanderbilt University)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Dick Dahl In the summer of 1961 - in the wake of newly inaugurated President John F. Kennedy's exhortation to "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" - an anonymous group of donors gave...

7th Circuit Court rule misrepresentations may lead to 'debt collector' liability for creditor.(Catencamp v. Cendant Timeshare Resort Group)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A creditor can be sued as a "debt collector" under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act where it misrepresented to a debtor that it was using a third party to collect amounts owed, the 7th Circuit has ruled. ...

Oklahoma Supreme Court rules med-mal law requiring 'affidavit of merit' is unconstitutional.(Zeier v. Zimmer Inc.)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A state law requiring medical malpractice plaintiffs to precertify their claims for merit is unconstitutional, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled in reversing a dismissal. State law requires that a medical...

Oklahoma Supreme Court rules nursing home can't arbitrate wrongful death claim.(Bruner v. Timberlane Manor Limited Partnership)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A nursing home could not demand arbitration of a wrongful death claim pursuant to a dispute resolution clause in its admissions contract, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled in affirming an order denying...

Maryland's high court rules 'wrongful birth' claim governed by state law that ensures remedy.(Laboratory Corp. Of America v. Hood)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A "wrongful birth" claim brought by Maryland parents against a North Carolina laboratory must be governed by Maryland law if applying the law of the defendant's state would deprive the plaintiffs of a remedy,...

Florida Supreme Court rules Florida public policy doesn't void out-of-state UIM exclusion.(State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Roach)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff An exclusion in an underinsured motorist policy issued in Indiana could be enforced against the policyholders' Florida neighbors, even though it violated that state's public policy, the Florida Supreme Court has...

Iowa Supreme Court rules auto passenger can be held liable for car accident.(Reilly v. Anderson)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff An automobile passenger could be held jointly and severally liable for a car accident that occurred when he was holding the wheel for the driver and the vehicle went out of control, the Iowa Supreme Court has...

New York's high court rules plaintiff can recover under lemon law without showing current defect.(DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Spitzer)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The state lemon law's "repair presumption" does not require a plaintiff to show that a vehicle remains defective at the time of trial or arbitration, New York's highest court has ruled. Shortly after the...

7th Circuit rules federal DNA statute is constitutional.(U.S. v. Hook)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A federal statute requiring felons to submit to DNA testing is constitutional, the 7th Circuit has ruled. The case involved a white collar criminal on supervised release who objected when his probation officer...

Kansas Supreme Court rules vehicle search based on odor violated Fourth Amendment.(State v. Ibarra)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The search of a vehicle based on a strong odor of ether emanating from the passenger compartment violated the defendant's constitutional rights, the Kansas Supreme Court has ruled in reversing a trial court. ...

Massachusetts high court rules 911 call by abuse victim is admissible.(Commonwealth v. Galicia)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff Statements made to a 911 dispatcher by a domestic violence victim are admissible, Massachusetts' highest court has ruled. A 911 dispatcher received an emergency call from a woman who said that her husband, the...

10th Circuit rules drunk driving can be 'violent' felony for sentencing purposes.(U.S. v. Begay)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff State drunk-driving felony convictions constitute "violent" felonies for purposes of imposing heightened sentences under the federal Armed Career Criminal Act, the 10th Circuit has ruled. The defendant was...

Florida Supreme Court rules police can hold suspect's ID for computer check.(Golphin v. State)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A police officer did not violate the Fourth Amendment when she held onto a drug suspect's identification until she completed a computer check for outstanding warrants, the Florida Supreme Court has ruled in...

CA Court of Appeal rules police cannot conduct pat-down search solely to obtain identification.(People v. Garcia)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff Police officers cannot conduct a pat-down search solely for the purpose of obtaining identification, the California Court of Appeal has ruled. The defendant was stopped for riding a bicycle without an...

1st Circuit rules employee can add separate terms of employment to qualify for FMLA leave.(Rucker v. Lee Holding Co.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A car salesman who was fired after seven months on the job can qualify as an "eligible" employee under the Family Leave Act by taking into account five years of prior work for the same employer, the 1st Circuit...

D.C. Circuit rules federal employee's ADEA claim is time-barred.(Price v. Bernanke)(Age Discrimination in Employment)
January 1, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The statute of limitations for a federal employee's claim under the ADEA if the EEOC has already addressed his claim is 90 days, and therefore the plaintiff's claim was time-barred, the D.C. Circuit has ruled. ...

Nation's top ten largest verdicts plummet for second year in a row.
January 15, 2007... Byline: Bill Ibelle Maybe it's just a 24-month coincidence, but for the second year in a row, the nation's largest verdicts to individual plaintiffs have fallen dramatically. This past year's total is one third of the total for the...

Last year's top ten largest verdicts: Where are they now?(Coleman (Parent) Holdings v. Morgan Stanley)(Featherston v. Gressler)(M Ernst v. Merck & Co.)(McKinney v. Bob's Barricades, Inc.)(Verni v. Lanzaro)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Justin Rebello Staff writer $1.45 B Coleman (Parent) Holdings v. Morgan Stanley Fraud May 18, 2005, Florida Status: An appeal is pending. In last year's largest verdict, business tycoon Ronald Perelman won...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006: $106 million total awarded in wrongful death case.(de Villers v. Rossum)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Natalie White AT-A-GLANCE Verdict: $106 million total; $100 million in punitive damages State: California Type of case: Wrongful death Trial: 9 days Deliberations: 1 day Status: The judge reduced the...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006: $44.2 million total verdict in commercial contract case.(Daves v. Woodrow)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Amy Johnson Conner AT-A-GLANCE Verdict: $44.2 million total; $34 million in punitive damages State: Florida Type of case: Commercial contract Trial: 5 weeks Deliberations: 2 days for compensatory, 2 hours for...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006: $51 million total verdict in product liability case.(Barnett v. Merck)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Nora Lockwood Tooher AT-A-GLANCE Verdict: $51 million total; $1 million in punitive damages State: Louisiana Type of case: Product liability Trial: 2 1/2 weeks Deliberations: 6 days Status: New trial...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006: $47.5 million total verdict in wrongful death case.(De La Rosa v. Wackenhut Corrections Corp.)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Reni Gertner Staff writer AT-A-GLANCE Verdict: $47.5 million total; $20.5 million in punitive damages State: Texas Type of case: Wrongful death Trial: 1 week Deliberations: 3 1/2 hours Status: The...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006:$46.065 million total verdict in wrongful death case.(Silva v. Consolidated Freightways Corp.)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Correy E. Stephenson AT-A-GLANCE Verdict: $46.065 million total; zero in punitive damages State: Missouri Type of case: Wrongful death Trial: Two weeks Deliberations: Less than 5 hours Status: Settled...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006:$61 million total verdict in workplace discrimination case.(Issa v. Roadway Package Systems)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Dick Dahl AT-A-GLANCE Verdict: $61 million total; $50 million in punitives State: California Type of case: Workplace discrimination Trial: 6 weeks Deliberations: Compensatory damages -- 2 hours; Punitive...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006: $160 million total verdict in personal injury case.(Mendoza v. Summit Care Corp. Date of verdict: Feb. 22, 2006)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Natalie White AT-A-GLANCE Verdict: $160 million total; $150 million in punitive damages State: Texas Type of case: Personal injury Trial: 2 weeks Deliberations: 21/2 days Status: Appellate briefs have...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006: $44 million total verdict in police brutality case.(Mosley v. Kershaw)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Natalie White AT-A-GLANCE Verdict: $44 million total; zero in punitive damages State: Maryland Type of case: Police brutality Trial: 1 1/2 weeks Deliberations: Information unavailable Status: The verdict...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006: $216.7 million verdict in medical malpractice case.(Navarro v. Carrollwood Emergency Physicians)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Natalie White At-A-Glance Verdict: $216.7 million; $100.1 million in punitive damages State: Florida Type of case: Medical malpractice Trial: 3 weeks Deliberations: 3 hours for compensatories, less than an...

Top Ten Jury Verdicts of 2006: $38.5 million total verdict in product liability case.(Falcon v. Lufkin Industries)
January 15, 2007... Byline: Amy Johnson Conner AT-A-GLANCE Verdict: $38.5 million total; zero in punitive damages State: Texas Type of case: Product liability Trial: 4 weeks Deliberations: 6 1/2 hours Status: Defense is expected to...

California Court of Appeal reduces terminated employee's punitive award.(Roby v. McKesson HBOC)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A $15 million punitive award to an employee who was fired as a result of her panic disorder must be reduced to $2 million, the California Court of Appeal has ruled. An employee developed panic disorder during...

Attorney-client privilege bill reintroduced in U.S. Senate.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff Proposed legislation that would prohibit government prosecutors from pressuring companies to waive the attorney-client privilege has been reintroduced in the Senate. The bill comes on the heels of new...

U.S. House passes anti-terror bill.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The House of Representatives has passed a series of anti-terrorist measures based on recommendations made by the 9/11 commission. Among the provisions is a commitment to inspect all cargo carried aboard...

IRS issues guidance on pension plans.(Internal Revenue Service)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The Internal Revenue Service has announced that it is issuing guidance for cash balance and tax-qualified retirement plans. The IRS offers preliminary advice on the requirements for cash balance and other...

U.S. Senate bill would end use of private debt collectors.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A bill introduced in the Senate would do away with the IRS's practice of using private debt collectors. The measure takes the position that the collection of tax revenue is a core function of the federal...

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announces H-2B visa cap reached.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that Nov. 28, 2006 was the "final receipt date" for new H-2B worker requests for employment starting prior to April 1, 2007. The "final receipt date"...

IRS issues guidance on IRA donations.(Internal Revenue Service on Individual retirement accounts)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The IRS has released new guidelines on charitable IRA rollovers. The guidelines interpret legislation enacted in August 2006. Taxpayers who are at least 7011/42-years-old may now distribute $100,000 directly...

U.S. Supreme Court Certiorari Granted: January 29, 2007.(BCI Coca-Cola Bottling Co. v. EEOC)(Brendlin v. California)(Struhs v. Wyner)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff EMPLOYMENT LAW Can an employer be held liable under Title VII for the alleged bias of a subordinate worker if that worker did not make the employment decision at issue? BCI Coca-Cola Bottling Co. v. EEOC,...

Financial advisor helps young attorneys make the transition to the real world.(Interview)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff The adjustment from college to the working world is no cakewalk for any young professional, and young lawyers are no exception. Thomas A. Haunty, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) based in Madison, Wis.,...

Client surveys slow to catch on as a legal marketing tool.
January 29, 2007... Byline: Dick Dahl Client surveys are slowly being recognized as a viable marketing tool by law firms, but the profession still lags far behind the rest of the business world. "Client feedback is a normal part of an intelligent...

E-mail newsletters: An easy, effective way to connect with clients.(lawyers)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Nora Lockwood Tooher Many lawyers - especially those in small law firms - hesitate to develop e-mail newsletters because they're concerned about the amount of work involved. They needn't worry, said Trey Ryder, a legal...

Letters to the Editor.(Letter to the editor)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff To the editor: Congratulations for running a balanced article on parental alienation. First, your reporter articulated the distinction between parental alienation syndrome, which may or may not exist, and...

Letters to the Editor.(Letter to the editor)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff To the editor: In your Jan. 4 article about the lawsuit brought against Princeton University in 2002 by some members of the Robertson family, you acknowledge the broad ramifications this litigation presents...

California mandates sexual harassment training.
January 29, 2007... Byline: Correy E. Stephenson California has cast a wide net with its recent statute mandating sexual harassment training - and employment attorneys across the country need to pay attention. A handful of states require some form of...

States grappling with e-discovery.(electronic discovery)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Correy E. Stephenson While lawyers struggle with the new electronic discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, state courts are facing similar problems. To date, few states have rules in place that directly...

Changes to lawyer ads go into effect in New York.
January 29, 2007... Byline: Dick Dahl For years, motorists in the Albany, N.Y. area have grown accustomed to billboards extolling the virtues of a legal team called "The Heavy Hitters." But as of Feb. 1, the "Heavy Hitters" will be history, victims of...

New name, new Congress give hope to beleaguered plaintiffs' bar.(Association of Trial Lawyers of America)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Nora Lockwood Tooher With a new name and a Democratic majority in Congress, the national plaintiff lawyers' organization formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America is optimistic that the battering it has taken...

Defendant must show 'bad faith' to get attorney fees, rules Illinois Supreme Court.(Krautsack v. Anderson)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff A defendant must show bad faith on the plaintiff's part to recover attorney fees as the prevailing party in a consumer fraud action, the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled. The plaintiff, unhappy with the...

Can plaintiffs recover attorney fees for successful preliminary order?
January 29, 2007... Byline: Lawyers USA Staff Can a group of plaintiffs who won a preliminary court order but ultimately lost their First Amendment claim get attorney fees for their initial victory? The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to answer this...